The Backpacker OS

Adventure is exciting.
Logistics aren't.

Locu removes the admin days from the adventure. Plan routes, book hostels, find safe transport, and travel with friends -- all from one beautiful app built for the new generation of travellers.

No spam. Just updates when we launch.

See how it works

Route Planning///Hostel Booking///Travel Pods///Safety Alerts///Budget Tracking///Local Transport///Traveller Intel///Border Prep///Visa Reminders///Trip Narrative///

The Problem

Nobody has built a platform for this new generation of travellers

Millennials and Gen Z are prioritising experiences over assets. They are spending their savings on extended, authentic travel and forging memories in the here and now. But their tools are inherited from the old world of tourism.

Pre-Trip Overload:You want the excitement of planning, but instead, you waste days stitching together fragmented blogs and booking sites, feeling stressed before the trip even begins.

On-the-Road Chaos:Your adventure is constantly interrupted by logistical hurdles: the hassle of finding safe transport, dodging ATM fees, and managing last-minute changes.

The Social Disconnect:Traveling with new friends is the best part of the experience, but trying to coordinate plans turns into a nightmare of messy WhatsApp groups and spreadsheets.

Safety Anxiety:You want to explore freely, but relying on ad-hoc forums and outdated blogs for personal safety and border prep leaves you second-guessing your route.

Unwelcome Surprises:Unknowns like when to take out cash, how far to book ahead, or missing a visa requirement sour the experience and cause constant, unnecessary stress.

Introducing

The Backpacker OS

A new category of travel tech built to remove the admin days from the adventure. Go from a simple idea to a visualised, flexible route on your map in seconds.

Simplified Trip Planning

Go from a simple idea to a visualised, flexible route on your map in seconds. Our Guide populates it with personalised hostel and transport options tailored to your travel style.

Social Logistics, Streamlined

Meet other travellers and form a 'Pod' to travel together. Seamlessly align itineraries with a tap, taking the chaos out of group planning.

Live Traveller Intelligence

Our platform gets smarter with every trip. Get useful insights including how far ahead to book, when to take out cash, and local transit options verified by real travellers.

Your Journey, Visualised

A living itinerary that adapts to you

Tell our Guide your rough plan and watch it come to life on a beautiful interactive map. Every stop is populated with personalised hostel and transport options tailored to your travel style, budget, and context in the wider trip.

Visual map with all destinations, routes, and durations

Personalised hostel recommendations at every stop

Compare transport options with real traveller insights

Easy to adjust as plans change on the road

Travel Together

Solo travel does not mean lonely travel

The vast majority of solo travellers are actively seeking connection. They form pods, share intel, and move together, creating powerful real-world network effects. Locu makes this effortless.

Form travel 'Pods' with friends you meet on the road

Align itineraries with a tap -- no more WhatsApp chaos

Book hostels together so your whole pod stays together

Shared budgets, split costs, and group alerts

From "Solo" to "Travel Pod" in Seconds

You met amazing people at the hostel. Don't let the headache of group logistics stop the adventure. Here is how Locu removes the friction of traveling together.

1. Sync Up, No Spreadsheets Required

Decided to tackle the same hike? Just tap 'Align Plans' to securely overlay your itineraries. Locu visually shows where your routes cross and intelligently suggests the best dates to travel onward together.

2. Smart 'Book-Ahead' Alerts

Locu actively monitors local demand and hostel capacities. If you form a Pod of three heading to a popular town during a festival, the app proactively prompts you:

Book at least 5 days in advance to guarantee beds in the same room.

3. Nobody Gets Left Behind

When you find the perfect dorm, one person initiates the booking for the whole Pod. Everyone gets an instant ping to pay their own share within 10 minutes to secure the beds. No more fronting the cash, and no one accidentally books the wrong hostel.

Traveller Intelligence

Intel from the road, not a desk

Our platform gets smarter with every trip. Get hyper-local insights from real backpackers exactly when you need them—not outdated, SEO-optimised travel blogs written by someone from a co-working space in Bali.

How far ahead to book hostels at each destination

When and where to take out cash to avoid ATM fees

Local transport options that aren't on Google Maps

Safety tips and border crossing preparation

Users are rewarded for contributing insights

How It Works

From overwhelmed to on the road in minutes

Set Your Preferences

Tell us your travel style -- sustainability-focused, security-conscious, highly social. Set your budget and rough timeline.

Watch Your Route Come Alive

Your provisional route is instantly visualised on the map, with destinations, transit routes, and durations at each location.

Book With Confidence

Locu lays out all transport options clearly, highlighting local options with traveller-verified insights. Choose the best option and save money.

Travel With Your Pod

After making friends on the road, form a Pod. Locu suggests aligned itineraries and prompts you to book ahead when it matters.

Relive the Journey

Months after returning home, Locu generates a beautiful, shareable Trip Narrative from your journey data -- a dynamic digital journal of your adventure.

Safe and Smart

Book smarter. Travel safer.

Locu brings together hostel booking, transport comparison, budget tracking, and safety intelligence in one unified experience. No more switching between five different apps and twenty browser tabs.

Safety Toolkit

Emergency contacts, local safety tips

Border Prep

Visa docs, crossing info ahead of time

Smart Alerts

Timely reminders before you need them

Local Intel

Transport, ATMs, and hidden gems

45M+

Backpacker trips taken annually

1 App

To replace your tabs, maps, and spreadsheets

100%

Built by travellers, for travellers

Early Access

Built for travellers, by travellers

Locu is currently in development. Join the waitlist to get early access, shape the product, and be part of the founding community of backpackers building the future of travel.