Staydu, a Travel Social Networking Site

There seem to be a lot of ways now to meet locals when you travel--through www.airbnb.com, www.couchsurfing.com and a number of others. Still another is www.staydu.com, which allows travellers to connect with hosts and hosts to meet travellers from around the world.

This site does not have a large number of members yet, and most seem from their pictures to be quite young. While you may be able to find a host for free, it is also possible to exchange work for a room if there is a match. Another option staydu provides is a way to find a travel companion.

As with all these sites, exercise due diligence before you decide to be either a host or a guest. But if there is a match and you feel comfortable about it, it could lead to a very interesting experience and provide an inexpensive way to travel.