Web Buzz: Know a local wherever you go

Get your nose out of the guidebook — or take your eyes off that travel app — and make a human connection on your next vacation. Locals might offer you the best recommendations yet.

Name: Tripping.com

What it does: Connects travelers and locals. Stay on their couches, discover a cultural experience you might otherwise have missed, take a run together or simply rent a room or house. Tripping caters to carefree extroverts as well as those who want to browse and connect at their own pace.

What’s hot: This site is not just for budget travelers. There are a lot of twenty- and thirtysomethings on it, but I also saw 40- and 50-year-old-plus travelers reaching out. I also liked that I could find luxury homes for rent as well as hostel alternatives when I checked out Rome; Sydney, Australia; London; Bangkok,Thailand; and other destinations. Don’t miss the “Networks” section for honing in on special interests such as yoga and scuba diving.

What’s not: When I checked out some locals during a trip to Oahu, Hawaii, I found several profiles that were not complete and had no previous interactions. However, I did tap into one local’s Yelp list of restaurant reviews and found it useful for getting local foodie info.