My friend Michelle and I were exchanging dollars for stacks of kwacha in a black market currency swap in the back of a van, after dark, in a parking lot behind a building that was closed for the night.
We’d just landed in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, after about 35 hours of travel from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. to Rome to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) to the Congo to Malawi. I could barely keep my head up, but Michelle was hyper alert (that Girl Scout mom training at the ready).
We’d met the driver of the van, Luzu (in the photo above), a few hours earlier at the airport. But he wasn’t a total stranger — he’d been a trusted and dedicated guide and friend for a doctor who spends a few months in Malawi every year. He’d been assigned to pick us up and make sure we could get some cash before heading out of the city to join said doctor for our two-week tour of humanitarian projects throughout the country.
Michelle and I look back on that late-night van scenario with a “what were we thinking?” head slap — it’s the kind of scene from a campy horror movie where the whole audience is screaming at the woman who is stupidly walking toward the mysterious noise in the cellar.
But we were in great hands. Luzu knew this transaction was actually safer and cheaper than going to an ATM at that hour. He knew where to go. He knew who would give us a fair deal.
“Hang with locals” is something that’s easier said than done, right? That’s great advice if you know someone in town (or know someone who knows someone in town). But what if you don’t?
Check out this brilliant new service that matches travelers with locals to show them around: Lokafy
The founder describes it this way:
“I realize that it is the people that made the difference between a place that I simply passed through and one that stayed imprinted in my memory. It was people that brought the place to life.”
I found Lokafy by way of this article on CityLab (my favorite source of news): In Search of ‘Authentic’ City Tour Guides
I haven’t yet used the service, but I love the idea.
It’s common in many countries for locals to proactively offer their services as guides as soon as you arrive in town. They know how to spot the tourists, and they’ve built an entire informal industry around it. I always loved it — I’m happy to pay someone to show me neighborhoods I never would have found (or been brave enough to venture into) on my own.
Lokafy sounds like a way to bring that kind of ad hoc tour guide match-making into places where you don’t typically have people offering up their local expertise as soon as you get off the train (like, say, New York City).
As for my time in Malawi, it would not have been the same without Luzu as friend, driver, guide, explainer of all things mysterious to this westerner (like mice-on-a-stick). Some of my favorite moments were sitting in the passenger seat, staring out the windshield, with Luzu on my right telling me stories about his country.
Copyright 2012-2014. All rights reserved.
49 Comments
Bonnie Schroeder
Terrific post. I don’t get outside So Cal very often, and when I do, I’ve always wondered how some people are so “in the know.” This is a great resource. Thanks. But mice on a stick????
21 Feb 2016 07:02 am (@Twitter)
Kim@OCDtravel
Thanks, Bonnie! Yes, that's pretty much the reaction I had too -- "mice on a stick???" :) But I love the presentation (if you clicked the link you'll see).
I always wonder which of our foods would be shocking to others. I like having the reminder that snacks can be very culture-specific :)
22 Feb 2016 09:02 am (@Twitter)
FirstAutumn
I see you don’t monetize your site, don’t waste your traffic, you
can earn additional cash every month because you’ve got high quality content.
If you want to know how to make extra $$$, search for: Boorfe’s tips best adsense alternative
09 Dec 2017 12:12 am (@Twitter)
Google
That could be the finish of this report. Here youll uncover some websites that we believe youll appreciate, just click the links.
03 Nov 2020 11:11 am
pc apps download
usually posts some pretty fascinating stuff like this. If youre new to this site
16 Nov 2020 05:11 am
alper rende
usually posts some extremely intriguing stuff like this. If youre new to this site
24 Nov 2020 03:11 pm
코인카지노
that may be the end of this post. Right here youll uncover some web pages that we consider you will enjoy, just click the links over
12 Dec 2020 03:12 am
خرید ویو خارجی
always a big fan of linking to bloggers that I love but dont get lots of link appreciate from
15 Dec 2020 02:12 am
Mink Individual Lashes
we like to honor a lot of other net websites on the internet, even when they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Under are some webpages worth checking out
19 Dec 2020 06:12 pm
Makeup Brushes 12 pcs Set
below youll obtain the link to some web sites that we assume it is best to visit
20 Dec 2020 01:12 am
Soft Makeup Brushes
that will be the finish of this write-up. Here you will locate some websites that we assume youll appreciate, just click the links over
20 Dec 2020 03:12 am
Professional Makeup Brushes
that will be the end of this report. Right here you will come across some internet sites that we believe youll enjoy, just click the hyperlinks over
20 Dec 2020 05:12 am
3D Natural Soft Mink Eyelashes 10 set
below youll discover the link to some internet sites that we think you’ll want to visit
20 Dec 2020 11:12 am
Pearls Hairband for Women
we prefer to honor a lot of other online sites around the web, even though they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Under are some webpages worth checking out
23 Dec 2020 09:12 pm
Y Shaped Facial Massage Roller
we like to honor a lot of other web web-sites around the web, even if they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages really worth checking out
24 Dec 2020 11:12 am
postimees
we like to honor several other internet internet sites around the web, even when they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages worth checking out
20 Jan 2021 08:01 pm
gayhub
that could be the end of this article. Here you will come across some internet sites that we think youll enjoy, just click the hyperlinks over
22 Jan 2021 01:01 am
best g spot vibrator
always a major fan of linking to bloggers that I adore but dont get a whole lot of link appreciate from
24 Jan 2021 07:01 pm
Digital Marketing Services
below youll obtain the link to some websites that we believe it is best to visit
05 Feb 2021 02:02 am
best cbd gummies
always a huge fan of linking to bloggers that I really like but dont get a great deal of link enjoy from
15 Feb 2021 08:02 am
green maeng da kratom
we like to honor quite a few other internet websites around the web, even when they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages worth checking out
17 Feb 2021 10:02 am
working visa
we prefer to honor several other world-wide-web websites on the net, even though they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Beneath are some webpages really worth checking out
19 Feb 2021 09:02 am
샌즈카지노
always a large fan of linking to bloggers that I love but dont get a good deal of link adore from
20 Feb 2021 01:02 am
buy instagram followers
that is the finish of this article. Here you will locate some web sites that we believe youll value, just click the links over
20 Feb 2021 05:02 pm
코인카지노
that will be the finish of this article. Right here you will find some web pages that we feel youll appreciate, just click the links over
21 Feb 2021 01:02 am
buy cbd|cbd oil
that is the end of this article. Right here youll locate some sites that we think you will appreciate, just click the links over
21 Feb 2021 05:02 pm
레플리카 사이트
always a massive fan of linking to bloggers that I appreciate but dont get a great deal of link love from
23 Feb 2021 06:02 am
Purchase Weed Online
below youll come across the link to some web sites that we believe you ought to visit
23 Feb 2021 08:02 am
masturbation for men
that is the finish of this write-up. Right here you will obtain some web-sites that we think youll value, just click the links over
27 Feb 2021 03:02 am
free download for pc windows
always a large fan of linking to bloggers that I like but dont get a good deal of link love from
14 Mar 2021 11:03 pm
pseudoephedrine powder for sale
we like to honor quite a few other net sites around the web, even though they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Beneath are some webpages really worth checking out
22 Mar 2021 07:03 pm
guitarra do zero curso
that would be the end of this write-up. Right here you will discover some sites that we feel youll value, just click the hyperlinks over
25 Mar 2021 06:03 pm
learn more online
that may be the finish of this article. Here you will uncover some web-sites that we assume youll value, just click the hyperlinks over
31 Mar 2021 05:03 pm
Cruis’n Blast
we like to honor a lot of other online web sites around the net, even if they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages worth checking out
05 Apr 2021 06:04 pm
telegram investment bot
usually posts some extremely fascinating stuff like this. If youre new to this site
08 Apr 2021 01:04 am
liberty cap mushrooms
usually posts some quite fascinating stuff like this. If youre new to this site
16 Apr 2021 06:04 pm
buy guns online without ffl
that would be the end of this write-up. Right here youll come across some internet sites that we think youll enjoy, just click the links over
16 Apr 2021 10:04 pm
shipping container
we like to honor quite a few other world-wide-web sites on the web, even when they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Beneath are some webpages worth checking out
26 Apr 2021 03:04 pm
in canada
below youll obtain the link to some sites that we believe you must visit
11 May 2021 03:05 pm
remote controlled vibrator
below youll uncover the link to some sites that we think you ought to visit
15 May 2021 08:05 pm
gas fireplace
we like to honor several other web internet sites around the web, even when they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Under are some webpages worth checking out
17 May 2021 02:05 am
bdsm spanking bondage
we prefer to honor numerous other net web-sites around the web, even though they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages worth checking out
24 May 2021 01:05 pm
vibrating thrusting dildo
we prefer to honor a lot of other online sites on the internet, even if they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages really worth checking out
27 May 2021 01:05 am
best dildos
that will be the end of this report. Right here you will locate some web pages that we think youll value, just click the hyperlinks over
30 May 2021 12:05 pm
canadian perspective
always a huge fan of linking to bloggers that I like but dont get quite a bit of link appreciate from
30 May 2021 02:05 pm
istanbul pendik escort
we like to honor lots of other online web sites around the net, even though they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages worth checking out
01 Jun 2021 06:06 pm
electric motorcycles vancouver
we prefer to honor several other world wide web web-sites on the web, even if they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Underneath are some webpages worth checking out
04 Jun 2021 06:06 am
best kratom capsules
always a big fan of linking to bloggers that I appreciate but dont get a lot of link enjoy from
21 Jun 2021 12:06 am
best delta 8
we like to honor numerous other internet web-sites on the internet, even if they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Under are some webpages really worth checking out
21 Jun 2021 03:06 pm