It wasn’t difficult to find a couchsurfing host in the Latvia and Lithuania. I had a host in Riga, Vilnius and Siaulial, and they all confirmed availability to host my family (4 people!) in a day or two. That’s just amazing! I truly think it’s an advantage to use Couchsurfing in less touristic cities or wherever the supply of ‘hospitality’ is more than demand.
Latvia
We truly enjoyed our Couchsurfing experience in the Baltic states. I really appreciate my hosts there who tried to make us enjoy their country. My Latvian host picked us from the bus station and dropped us to the car rental place the next morning. I don’t think it was that convenient for her, but she totally went out of her way to host. She even offered to let us stay with them on our way back from Lithuania! Her house is so beautiful, and she has a beautiful family too including a happy dog. Her mother prepared a dinner and breakfasts for us. (We tried herring…. In two different styles…. But it was just okay).
I especially enjoyed the moment she asked if we wanted tea (“Mint Tea”) and when we said yes, she just went to her garden to pick some mint leaves. Amazing! My mom loved her garden and her berries. I enjoyed so much walking barefoot on her lawn.
I felt a lot closer to Latvia because of her. And I think it goes the same for my parents. (I have to say my parents are really bald too with the idea of couchsurfing!) And to my surprise, she was supposed to be in a health resort for her health program in another city, yet she chose to stay home to host us! I just can’t thank her hospitality enough.
Lithuania
In Siaulial we only stayed for a night. Our host was just a genuine and warm person. We love the house, the meal together and the breakfast she prepared for us. This is really amazing, from Stockholm, Riga and now Siaulail, our hosts had been so generous with food. I don’t remember facing that hospitality in Australia or Singapore. This again proves my view that it’s sometime better to couchsurf in less touristy places!
And in Vilnius, our host shared a lot of Lithuanian culture and stories with us, including their attitude towards euro (Lithuania converted their currency into euro this year) and Russia. I can’t recall most of it after 3 months now….. but again I was amazed by the beautiful dinner he and his wife prepared for us.
The mint tea, was again served with freshly picked mint from the garden. We had mint tea for three times and cold soup for two times with these 3 familites. It’s all great!
So, as accommodation cost isn’t expensive comparing to the rest of Europe in the Baltic states, maybe you’d consider not to couchsurf. Well, I think that’s fine too. But if you do, I think you’ll really love these people!
Traveling Mega
