As China enters its peak holiday season and millions take the opportunity to travel, hotel owners across the country will be rubbing their hands together with glee at this annual opportunity to bump up prices to an often unfeasibly high level. But fear not! There is one way the budget traveler can avoid such expenditure, namely by becoming a "couch surfer". And, as CRI's Dominic Swire finds out, the trend is growing increasingly popular in China.
REPORT
The Couch Surfing network is an online community stretching across the globe with over one and a half million members. The basic concept is to provide a platform for travelers to contact people who are willing to put them up free of charge. Travelers connect with potential hosts online and, if they like each other, swap details to make further arrangements.
Basil is one traveler from Switzerland who is currently couch surfing with a Chinese host in Beijing.
"I thought staying in hostel is nice but you mostly meet foreigners and speak English. If you use Couch Surfing you have chance to meet people living here and really get a chance to know the life of the place you visit."
Basil was speaking during a regular meeting of the Beijing network of Couch Surfing, which boasts a membership of almost 2,000. <
