Ally @ Washington D.C. 27歲那年在台北的Ally搞過一個無病呻吟的新聞台... 4年後旅居美國華盛頓特區的Ally,決定再搞一個充滿招氣的新聞台,希望所有我愛的人和愛我的人,以及不小心或剛好路過此新聞台的人,都能因此有個開心的小片刻 ~

70愛的鼓勵 0訂閱站台

Time Magazine. Thursday, Mar. 20, 2008 By CAROLYN SAYRE

Forget the falling dollar. All that penny-pinching tourists need to travel the globe is a willingness to try something different and access to a new breed of travel website.
Some of these electronic bulletin boards, known as hospitality-exchange sites, hook up travelers with locals who don’t mind having someone stay in an extra room, crash on an empty couch or even pitch a tent in the yard. Many allow people to take turns hosting one another in their homes. And others arrange work for temporary room and board. A few charge nominal fees, but most are free.
"What used to be a fringe hobby for a few travelers is becoming a mainstream phenomenon," says Daniel Hoffer, co-founder of Couch Surfing, which has nearly 470,000 users--up 56% since last year.
But hospitality exchange isn’t just about saving a couple of bucks. Users, who vary in age, say it also gives them a more authentic, outside-the-guidebook experience. "It distinguishes a tourist from a traveler," says Harold Goldstein of Hospitality Exchange. "Instead of just sightseeing, you participate in the daily life of locals." So rather than pull the plug on that next pricey vacation, check out these cheap--and unique--travel options.

Where to look: www.servas.org; www.couchsurfing.com; www.helpx.net

這篇Time雜誌報導吸引我的原因是Ally我去年就是Couchsurfing的免費會員. (Ally’s account: allyweng) 在國中同學Joy去年的介紹之下我馬上就加入了Couchsurfing, 但是因為目前我們住的公寓太小暫時沒有選擇當host (主人招待其他各國旅客住宿家中), 也沒陌生人真想在異國跟Alex和我來喝杯咖啡聊聊天, 不過倒是真有些人會循線聯絡email我想了解我住過的城市中哪裡好玩哪裡好吃...
根據朋友的經驗, 她的確用了驚人少的預算, 花了1年半的時間走遍世界各地並且交了很多很棒的朋友.在這篇文章裡我也幫忙列了3個網站有興趣的人可以看一看. 我想這是許多歐美人可以接受的旅遊方式, 但是在相對比較保守的亞洲國家, 我想這還是一個很新的概念.
旅行有很多種形式, 如果你已經厭倦花一筆錢很白痴的跟團吃ㄧ些只賣給跟團遊客吃的難吃又不道地的食物; 只去過大家都到過的著名景點拍拍照就上巴士繼續趕往下一站, 卻又比較沒那麼多預算全部要花錢一切靠自己的自助旅行, 或許你可以考慮這種深入當地人生活的旅行方式. 不過請切記, Open-minded絕對是這種旅行模式的必備條件, 然後大小姐般個性與生活方式的人也請迴避, 這比較像是已經當過背包客的旅人可以考慮的更進階的旅行方式.
旅行是人生的絕對必要! 其實人生不正是一場獨一無二的旅行嗎? 只是暫時拋開日常規律不變的旅程偶爾來個完全沒有過的全新生活體驗, 那真是見識並拓展對這個浩瀚又美妙無比世界了解的最好方式了!!!