Hey! I'm Dhilip — a data & AI consultant from Wellington, New Zealand, originally from further afield. I've visited 33 countries and counting (target: 139), and I love slow travel, getting lost in local neighborhoods, and swapping stories over street food. By day I build dashboards, AI apps, and data pipelines. By night (or whenever the timezone allows), I'm planning the next adventure. I travel light, stay curious, and always bring good energy. I blog about the intersection of tech and travel as "The AI Backpacker."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've had some of my best travel memories through local connections — not tourist attractions. I'm here to meet people who see the world differently, share a meal or a walk, and learn something I'd never find in a guidebook. Happy to host in Wellington, meet up for coffee anywhere I'm traveling, or just trade recommendations. I also love helping fellow travelers navigate New Zealand if you're passing through.

Interests

• photography
• live music
• hiking
• backpacking
• solo travel
• street food
• language learning
• ai
• maps
• digital nomad life
• local markets
• data visualization
• coffee culture
• cultural history

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Anything from lo-fi beats while coding to local live music in whatever city I'm in. Movies: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Chef, Jiro Dreams of Sushi — anything that makes you want to pack a bag or cook something. Books: Shoe Dog (Phil Knight), Sapiens (Yuval Noah Harari), The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Built a freelance consulting career that's taken me across 33 countries and 700+ projects — all while working from hostels, cafés, and co-working spaces around the world. Proof that a laptop and curiosity can take you anywhere.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: How AI is changing everyday life (happy to demystify it over a beer), budget travel hacking for long trips, how to build a freelance career from anywhere, and basic data visualization — turning messy numbers into stories.

Learn: Local cooking techniques, your city's hidden gems that tourists never find, new languages (even just the basics), traditional crafts or skills, and what daily life actually looks like where you live.

Share: Stories from 33 countries across 6 continents, tips on traveling New Zealand on a budget, my experience building a remote career while backpacking, and plenty of recommendations for Wellington if you're visiting.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm a clean, low-maintenance guest — I travel light and respect your space. I'm happy to cook a meal together (I've picked up recipes from all over), help with anything tech-related, or just bring good conversation and a bottle of local wine. I'll leave your place cleaner than I found it. If you're curious about AI, data, or remote work, I love geeking out on that too. And if you ever make it to Wellington, you've got a place to sta

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Fiji, Georgia, India, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, Kuwait, New Zealand, Singapore, United Arab Emirates