Three apps to connect you with locals on your travels

It’s now easier than ever to get travel advice from locals, and you don’t even have to talk to them in person.

Sure, you can still ask a stranger where to find some good sushi, but there is no guarantee they will be interested in, or qualified to, help you. Thankfully, there are several smartphone apps that cut out those potentially awkward moments but still provide valuable recommendations from those in the know. The three I tested out recently while roaming the streets of New York all had something to offer — though some were more useful than others.

SPOTTED BY LOCALS:

This app costs $3.99 (R55) per city (67 major cities are available worldwide), while the others are, for the most part, free. But you get what you pay for: This was the most well-rounded of the three I tried. One of its many perks is that it runs entirely offline, so you do not need to stress about data usage. Like all of these apps, Spotted by Locals provides recommendations submitted by actual local residents on where to eat, shop, be entertained and more. The idea is to keep you away from tourist traps and steer you toward hidden gems.

COOL COUSIN:

This app scored points for originality as well as its practicality, and is perfect for travellers who don’t have any cool cousins of their own. It gives you access to contributors in 40 large cities around the world. Each “cousin” has a profile, with name, age, photo, occupation and a lot more information. The idea is to add those to your network who seem to have similar tastes to your own. After each add, the cousin’s recommendations are added to your map and broken down into eight different categories, such as food, coffee, nightlife and outdoors.

LIKE A LOCAL:

Well-designed and easy to navigate, It has fewer contributors than the other apps (28, providing 197 tips for New York at the time of writing) but it is in more cities than the others (over 300) and best functions as a complementary tool. The recommendations are detailed yet concise, giving an excellent general overview and a “special tip” for each location. For example, at the Brazilian restaurant Beco in Brooklyn, Kelly advises: “Come early because the restaurant’s seating space is limited. CA$H ONLY.”

You don’t have to sign up to use the app, so you can dig right in and explore — though if you want to use the app offline, you have to pay $1.99 (R27) per city. – New York Times Syndicate