Couch Surfing

Even on a shoestring budget, globetrotting can be a reality through couch surfing. A traveler lends his couch with a like-minded visitor from abroad. The visitor earns a good rest at his friend’s place. As a reciprocal gesture, the visitor would also share his couch when the traveler traveled to his country.

Socializing can Help You Travel in New Zealand on a Low Budget through Couch Surfing

Consider this: a college student from East Asian country wants to visit New Zealand’s South Island but does not know how to realize his dream as the expedition would cross his budget.

Couch surfing can be a solace to such travelers who can borrow a couch for the night in a foreign land with another like-minded guy who would let out his couch in bargain for using the same when he visits East Asia.

How to Go about Couch Surfing
There are many sites which invite people to register themselves for couch surfing. The sites verify credentials of the applicants and help to find the right partner. It is possible to get a couch or an apartment for the night. However, there are more reasons why couch surfing is a convenient way for youngsters to travel abroad:

• Cultural interactions between host and guests make the holiday engaging.
• Tips from host are useful to make the trip cost-effective and entertaining.
• Predominantly safe and non-commercial, this option can give you access to kitchen or visit the neighborhood market to get a taste of local food and drinks.

Couch Surfers in New Zealand
Sometimes visitors stay for a year or more in New Zealand to enjoy alpine forests, lakes, and farmlands in the country. Although, working holiday would sound great, many don’t fancy working during their holidays.

A music lover could fancy staying for a year to enjoy the music festivals in the country. Various fests in Coromandel, New Plymouth, and Darwin can be suavely experienced through cost-effective couch surfing. A woman traveler could seek fellow travel-maids for a road safari in Otago. She would share a campervan with her travel mates. Couch-surfing like this would make the travel easier, engaging, and inexpensive.

Managing Security
Is it possible to trust a stranger from the US to your home in Darwin or Christchurch? -- Perhaps no, if you did not know the credentials of person. However, social networking has made couch surfing a success among youngsters. For instance, sites help in giving information for genuine couch surfers. Once you get to know a visitor who is keen to couch surf, you can seek references. Some online sites offer an undertaking system where you can form a group of like-minded people.

If you plan to go on a safari or trek a remote area, a group tour would be a better idea. A safe way of doing it is through couch surfing as it would help you to form such a team where team members would vouch for one another. Couch surfing can be successful if you appreciate the hospitality of the host. A token gift, cooking your own dish occasionally, or socializing with the host can go a long way to make this unique accommodation a success.