Couchsurfing saved me $800 in Japan but not how you'd think

Everyone raves about Couchsurfing for free stays, but I actually used it just for local meetups. In Tokyo last spring, I skipped the hosting part entirely and messaged five locals asking for cheap food recs. One guy took me to a tiny ramen spot in Shinjuku that cost 450 yen a bowl. I ate there five times and saved at least $60 compared to tourist spots. Has anyone else used travel apps for just one feature and gotten way more out of them?

2 comments

2 Comments

skyler_jackson271d ago

Totally get what you mean about using apps for just one thing. I actually did something similar with Uber Eats in Seoul last year. I never ordered food from it but used it to see what neighborhoods had the most Korean home cooking places. Found this area called Mangwon with like twenty spots run by ajummas who only deliver locally. The app's map showed me where the real food was hiding. Walked around there for three hours trying random places for under $5 each. Still my favorite travel memory honestly.

vera_robinson361d ago

lol @skyler_jackson27 this is genius tbh, never woulda thought to use Uber Eats as a food map instead of actually ordering. i do the same thing with Google Maps reviews but you got the real insider move here. $5 for real ajumma cooking sounds like a dream, i bet those places have like 4.9 stars from locals only. might have to steal this hack for my next trip somewhere, just gotta make sure i dont accidentally hit "order" while im browsing.