Imagine a type of travel with free accommodations, local interactions and unique adventures.
It exists! This is the world of couchsurfing.
Couchsurfing is more than just a method of travel, however.
It is also a philosophy, an outlook on life and a new phenomenon for the global nomad on a tight budget.
There are a myriad of couchsurfing websites, each of which strive to establish a community of travellers committed to international diplomacy through hospitality.
Perhaps the most widely known couchsurfing sites include BeWelcome.
org and Couchsurfing.
org.
Despite the obvious allure of couchsurfing, there are numerous (understandable) concerns that individuals have about this method of travel.
Although some of these concerns may be legitimate, most can be excused by following some back couchsurfing recommendations to ensure an enjoyable and safe experience.
Once you've created your cyber profile on the site and listed some key facts about yourself, you're ready to start following some couchsurfing tips.
Once on a couchsurfing site, the first, and perhaps most obvious, recommendation is to question all cyber profiles-everything from the images to the content.
Most of these couchsurfing matches occur online by having surfers connection to available couches (or hosts).
If the host agrees, the surfer can stay at the home.
It is during these initial phases that it's important to make sure your host is a safe individual that has hosted others in the past.
This can be done by looking at the credibility of the host's profile and reading the reviews that other couchsurfers wrote about the host.
The more positive reviews, the safer your decision is to stay with the host.
That's not to say that hosts with few comments are unsafe, but it just means that they are a bigger gamble.
Generally, it is also advisable to be bit more careful if you are a single female traveller.
Single females should be careful when staying with single male hosts.
Once you've arranged for a host and settled on a time to meet via the site, make sure to obey standard recommendations of hospitality while staying elsewhere.
It is customary to bring a small token of thanks, such as a bottle of wine or desserts from your hometown.
If you are unable to do so, it is important to clearly thank the host for their generous offer.
Once you've arrived, be sure to communicate with the host to figure out the "rules of the house"-which bathroom to use, where to sleep, etc.
It is also customary to let the host take you around his/her hometown so that you can spend time with the host.
After you've had a (hopefully) positive experience, it's important to help future couchsurfers by filling out a review of the host on the site.
If the host was generally hospitable, it is ideal to leave a positive review.
In other words, don't dwell on the negatives if there were some.
Once you left, make an effort to stay in touch with your host by sending them regular updates or maybe even sending a gift from your home once you get back.
By following these key recommendations, your couchsurfing experience is sure to be smoother, safer and more in the spirit of the couchsurfing mantra.