Like many great ideas, Lokafy had its start not in a Eureka moment but in a feeling that grew over time. As I got to experience being in different parts of the world and heard friends share their travel stories, I came to realize that the best travel experiences are when we make a meaningful connection not only with the place, but with its people.
The first time I felt it was when I met Sabi in Budapest while backpacking solo across Eastern Europe. We talked for hours and I got to know about Hungarian politics, food, and history , but also about Sabi and his desire to leave his corporate life behind to move to the countryside.
Then it was finding a long lost friend by asking elderly shopkeepers in the historic Albaicin area in Granada near the last known address for him. “Raphael? Tato?” Yes, of course they knew him, they watched him grow up, and they directed me to his family’s Bed & Breakfast just down the street.
It was also the ultimate experience of connecting with a local—locking eyes with a man on the metro in Paris, who would become my husband 4 years later.
As I think back on all the people I have met during my travels, 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.
Unfortunately, our networks only extend so far and it can be difficult to meet someone spontaneously during our travels. There are cultural differences, language barriers and the busyness of modern life that can get in the way.
I created Lokafy to make it easy for travellers to meet locals who are passionate about their city and want to share their knowledge and experience. I also created Lokafy for locals to be able to get to know the world through the people who come to visit their city; a chance to travel the world without leaving home. And finally, I created Lokafy to transform the way people travel; to make it as much about the people we meet, as it is the places we see.
The first time I felt it was when I met Sabi in Budapest while backpacking solo across Eastern Europe. We talked for hours and I got to know about Hungarian politics, food, and history , but also about Sabi and his desire to leave his corporate life behind to move to the countryside.
Then it was finding a long lost friend by asking elderly shopkeepers in the historic Albaicin area in Granada near the last known address for him. “Raphael? Tato?” Yes, of course they knew him, they watched him grow up, and they directed me to his family’s Bed & Breakfast just down the street.
It was also the ultimate experience of connecting with a local—locking eyes with a man on the metro in Paris, who would become my husband 4 years later.
As I think back on all the people I have met during my travels, 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.
Unfortunately, our networks only extend so far and it can be difficult to meet someone spontaneously during our travels. There are cultural differences, language barriers and the busyness of modern life that can get in the way.
I created Lokafy to make it easy for travellers to meet locals who are passionate about their city and want to share their knowledge and experience. I also created Lokafy for locals to be able to get to know the world through the people who come to visit their city; a chance to travel the world without leaving home. And finally, I created Lokafy to transform the way people travel; to make it as much about the people we meet, as it is the places we see.
