1- Meeting local people : I think traveling is not only going physically in one country and visit the oldest temple, the gothic church, the beautiful beach or whatever the country can provide to a simple tourist.
As traveller, for me getting in contact with people who're living in their own country, using another language, different tradition, different culture, is on the base of my voyages.
For example i don't understand people who wherever they are, they ended up doing the same things they use to do back home, eating the same hamburger with french fries that they can find just around a corner of their house(i'm so happy to travel in countries where big companies like McDonald's and others fast foods are not arrived yet)
So trying to learn the basic words in the local language, trying the local food, respecting the different culture, are small things that get me little bit closer to understand the country where i'm travelling, and who better than a local person can share this things with you?
So for me, getting in contact with locals is really important and Couch Surfing is (only) one way to do it but a really good and easy one, because most of the time the local people who are on the website can speak english, and they will be the bridge from you and their culture.
Kindergarten in Pingtung (Taiwan)
2 - Useful tips : When you're traveling and you finally reach a city, you always feel like a fish out of the water, and you have no idea from where you should start to walk.
I always feel like this when i put my first step into a new place, especially when i arrive with a heavy backpack on my shoulders after a long hitchhiking trip, and if you're traveling solo is even worst, because your movement around the city will be limited until you find a place where you can safely put your backpack somewhere.
Using Couch Surfing, hopefully you will find an host, in the place you will be visiting ( so you have a destination or a point to meet up with your host) then 99% of the case your host will give to you fantastic tips to moving around, tips on his/her favorite places to visit, eat, chill or whatever you're interested in. So you will even discover not touristic spot that without your host you might never discover.
Meeting up in Taipei (Taiwan)
3- Sharing moments with your CS host: If your host is not busy with his/her job will probably keen to share moments with you (otherwise he/she wouldn't been on CS).
So you will have the chance to visit places with him/her, who can shares stories and knowledge of about the city and sourranding while having great time.
Or it can happen (depend of yours and the host's interests) that you might share recipes while cooking dishes typical from your and his/her country, or just enjoying some drinks together while sharing your own experiences.
Shortly: you will share good times!
Hot Pot time in Taipei (Taiwan)
4 - Participate to a special event : If your host is open minded (and probably he/she is) will invite you to meet his/her friends to share a classic day typical of that country.
Sometimes you will be even more lucky, and can happened you will be in the right place in the right time, and your host will might invite you in a private ceremony as local wedding, local birthday, graduating ceremony , and other kind of things will happen in that period, so you will be in contact with a real local culture of that place.
With Sayadaw U Ottamasara the Thabarwa's abbot visiting a tribe in Myanmar
5 - Meeting expats: On the other side of the coin, while you're traveling you might been hosted by expats. From this kind of hosts you might feel more comfortable at the start, because they might have your similar culture and there will might be less language barriers.
These kind of experiences are also really interesting, because you will be in touch with people who decided to leave their country to live abroad,.
From their experiences and background you could discover many important tips, if you're interested to do something similar, somewhere around the world.
Belarus host in Siem Reap (Cambodia)
6 - Meeting other CSufers: Couch Surfing as i mentioned here, is not only a way to crush in some host's house.
In fact you can have the chance to meet up other people who are CS members, and are traveling in the same country, or people who don't have the place for you to stay but they are keen to show you the city, or having a chat while having a meal together.
Sometimes you can even share the same host's house, (if he allow to host more people) with other CSurfers, and you might be so lucky as i was in Myanmar, or Taiwan, and meet a bunch of amazing people who're traveling the world like you, and have the chance to do the same path (or part of it) together .
Visiting Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
7 - Sharing hobbies: While you're looking for some host, or some people to meet up on CS, the website allows to you to add some tags on the research. So you will able to find people to share your interests or your hobbies while you're around the world, and for someone like me who love photography is something really valuable.
A small example of this happened to me in Myanmar (yes, again Myanmar).
I met Ricardo, (a Spanish guy who is living in Bangkok, working as journalist) that came to visit our host.
While he was there, he planned to interview few people in Yangon, about the "land grabbing" issue, then i decided to help him, and i had a new and interesting experience, and also my first publicized photo, on the Journal where he's working.
Ricardo while the interview in Yangon (Myanmar)
8 - Participate to events : While you're in a new city you might be lucky and crash in the same period with a CS event who is interesting for you. Then you will be able to socialise with other surfers (point 6) probably meeting expats (point 5) and if you're lucky even locals CS ( point 1) doing something you all are interested ( point 7). STRIKE. Look up for the events around you on your Dashboard.
9 - You will be part of a helpful community : Once you will start to receive so much, from people who were strangers before getting in contact through CS, while you're might having difficulties in that country while you're travelling so far from your home, you will start to feel that you need to give it back, you will feel you want to do it, and when you will have an opportunity in the future i'm sure you will start hosting people who (like you did), are traveling around the world, and you will be happy to give, to share, to meet, to keep in contact with such great community of people as Couch Surfing is.
A sweet goodbye to Sayalay Agga in Bangkok (Thailand)
10 - You will have new friends around the world : Using CS you will meet special people who might become really close friends, and this will be another "excuse" to pack your backpack once again and going to meet them in their own country, or to organise a trip together around new common destinations, then CS will help you once again, to travel around the world!
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