Withlocals announces beta launch to create unique dining and travel experiences in Southeast Asia

EINDHOVEN - Withlocals, which provides the only peer-to-peer experience platform for local hosts to offer dining at homes, tours and activities to travelers in Southeast Asia, announced the kickoff of its beta launch. The beta opportunity is offered to a small group of local hosts and travelers, who will have the advantage of sampling the first experiences with the service and will lay the groundwork to grow the platform.

Withlocals has already gained considerable traction in the marketplace and is being enthusiastically embraced by Asian communities, with over 11,000 locals applying to become Withlocals hosts. For the beta launch, the co-founders selected 400 experiences, and will open the opportunity to other hosts at the official launch.

The first-of-its-kind platform is designed to offer travelers unique cultural experiences while empowering local hosts with talents, passion and skills to earn a sustainable income through the platform. Withlocals offers three separate categories:
Eat Withlocals: allows travelers to experience local culture through an authentic meal at a host's home;
Tours Withlocals: visitors can experience their trip through the eyes of a local tour guide;
Activities Withlocals: learn skills from locals while experiencing cultural traditions.

"Withlocals is the first to introduce the concept of 'home restaurants' in Asia, offering travelers a unique local twist on dining at traditional restaurants for a price that's often lower than eating out," said Marijn Maas, Withlocals' Co-Founder. "For example, travelers can eat off-the-beaten-path with a family in the picturesque village of Mea Wang or enjoy a meal in the home of a Malaysian celebrity chef."

"Instead of eating in restaurants during your holiday, now you can have contact with a local home chef and discuss your favorite ingredients, meal, and setting," said Willem Maas, Co-Founder.

The company will be running a closed beta in seven countries, promising a 2014 Q1 launch date.

Sourced: TravelDailyNews