Why Go Ask A Local?
Because there’s a better way to travel authentically. And it starts with the locals.
With the proliferation of mass travel, many destinations have succumbed to serious overtourism - we know because we live in them.
Blog posts, magazines, youtube videos, and forums all recommend the same places; herding us through the world like cattle. While some of these resources are great, they’re almost always written by people with limited knowledge of and experience traveling in the destinations being covered, and they can therefore only tell you the few things the authors knows about.
And don’t get us started on AI… when it even works, it just generates information that’s a mere compilation of everything else out on the internet. And when it doesn’t work (most of the time), the result is information that is nonsensical, incorrect, and absurd.
That’s why when we want to get off the beaten path and into the heart and soul of our destinations, we turn to the people who know them best: the locals.
Who are our Local Experts?
We connect independent travelers with in-destination Local Experts who know their countries and regions inside and out.
Our experts are almost always tour guides or travel agents who are based in their destinations and have helped travelers explore them for decades. They have information and insight that you’ll never find online - unless you read our blog! - and are passionate about helping travelers experience the best that their regions can offer.
Simply put, the locals do it better.
And what about our blog writers?
We’ve produced (and continue to produce) hundreds of itineraries, city guides, regional guides, and all sorts of other travel information about the destinations that our Local Experts advise on. But who is writing it all?
In many cases, it’s our Local Experts! This means that when reading our blog, you’re getting travel advice from people who actually live there. They’re in these places every day, on their own and with clients, exploring them and showcasing what they offer. They’re genuine experts.
In other cases, we work with veteran travel writers who specialize in a single country (and every now and again a couple of countries) and have written about it for many years. To the extent possible, we try to make sure that writers are based in the destinations they write about or at least visit yearly.
And sometimes we work with locals who aren’t established travel writers, but are just really cool people with fabulous information and ideas.
And who the hell are we?
Although our Local Experts are based all over the world, we’re a US company, based in Storrs, CT.
We’re Abe and Manny - twin brothers originally from Connecticut, and we founded Go Ask A Local in 2021.
If you ever reach out to us by phone or email, chances are you’ll get one of the two of us.
Manny is a tour guide who has been working in Latin America and Southern Europe since 2015.
Before going full time on Go Ask A Local, Abe used to work in environmental sustainability in Connecticut, managing a program that funded and promoted local sustainability projects across the state.
We founded Go Ask A Local because we know how much better travel is when you get off the beaten path and experience a new place like the locals do.
Our vision for this platform is to bring a more local focus to travel planning. We’re tired of "checklist travel" and the countless “15 things to do in …” listicles written by people (or AI now!) with no real connection to the places they write about.
As guides and frequent travelers, we know how much better a trip can be when a local’s advice brings you to a great neighborhood restaurant, a beautiful beach without the crowds, or a really unique experience. And we also know how much better this type of travel is for local communities.
Our goal is simple - we want to help you plan a better trip that's also better for the place you're going.