Cool Cousin

Cool Cousin is a desktop and smartphone platform that gives travelers the chance to connect with vetted locals who share their interests and discover recommendations for eating, drinking and meeting people in their city’s favorite spots. As a ‘Cousin’ you will be able to help local businesses, as well as form connections with an international community of explorers who are looking for more than just the typical tourist traps.

The central feature of Cool Cousin is the ability to view individuals’ city guides, including categories such as food, coffee, nightlife, shopping, arts, culture and outdoor activities. Not only can these be filtered to view only the items that interest you, they can also be downloaded to view in offline mode. I find the ability to do this incredibly useful, particularly when I am on the go as data roaming charges can be vastly expensive, while using data runs down the battery on smartphones significantly faster than when it is deactivated.

Another aspect of the platform that I especially like is the level of detail provided for each recommended establishment. As well as helpful information on things like opening times and address, you can also read the personal perspective of the ‘Cousin’ and why they have chosen it as one of their suggestions. You can discover characteristics of the place that would otherwise be difficult to find out, such as the atmosphere or the best time to visit. This makes for a far more personalized experience when searching for recommendations, particularly in comparison to guidebooks or travel documentaries.

What’s more, if you feel as though there is information lacking and you would like to find out more from the local, there is an easy messaging service for the platform that allows users to connect directly with the ‘Cousins’ and ask questions to add depth to the recommendations.

One area I feel they could make improvements is their ‘Stories’ section, which features a range of articles from various writers on lots of city-relevant topics. While the content is fine, there is no area for readers to leave their own feedback, something

David Jones

I am a professional travel writer and travel enthusiast who traveled the world twice, so I am sharing my firsthand knowledge about everything related to travel and spending time abroad.