Ever since Tenzee Lhawang Bhutia started a backpackers’ hostel in the heart of Darjeeling three years ago, he has been bombarded with the usual questions by travellers –– where to eat, what to see, where are the hidden spots. Tired of repeating himself, Tenzee decided to build a smart solution instead: Ask Darj, a hyperlocal, AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot designed to act as “a local in your pocket.”
“We wanted the chatbot to feel like a local guiding you through the old city. The idea is that when a traveller messages the number, it should feel like chatting with a local who knows the place inside out,” said the 24-year-old founder of hostel Tara Circle.
With the help of Ask Darj, travellers in Darjeeling can now find details on where to find good cafes, restaurants, hidden trails, real taxi rates, hospitals, shops, and the like. The interface is simple: travellers send a WhatsApp message to a dedicated number, and the bot responds from the small but growing database Tenzee and his team has assembled.
Tenzee, a frequent user of ChatGPT himself, realised that its answers on Darjeeling were limited to what was available online. “That’s when I thought, what if I create something similar and feed it with localised data?” he said, and began to learn how to make a simple chatbot.
The self-funded project soon outgrew its one-man beginnings, Tenzee roped in his friend Saharsh Thapa, a data scientist, along with Sudama Chettri and Satyanand Thapa, both from IT backgrounds. While the rest handle technology, Tenzee now focuses on branding and marketing.
“There are travel AI tools out there, but none that are built with hyperlocal data like ours,” he said.
A lot of information fed into the bot comes from the team’s lived experience as locals. Tenzee also acts as a travel guide sometimes, so he is aware of what travellers really enjoy. The team aims to highlight small, authentic local places that don’t have the visibility or resources to promote themselves online.
To make sure that travellers get verified information, the team has sourced official numbers, like tourism and police contacts, from the local Administration.
Despite minimal marketing, it already has over 1200 users. “There are two main ways we market it. Firstly, every bed in the partnered hostel has a QR code. Secondly, sharing reels about Ask Darj on Instagram has brought in a lot of traction,” said Tenzee.
Hostel guests are their first testers, who after using the chatbot, visit the places recommended, and give the team real-time feedback.
The team is now working on an interactive website, complete with the chatbot and integrated maps. “On the website, we want an ‘Explore’ section, featuring lesser-known local experiences, like Darjeeling’s coffee culture or the Thursday flea market. There will be an ‘Events’ section too, to share what’s happening around the town,” Tenzee said adding, Darjeeling is a testing ground, if it works well, we plans to replicate it at othe places.
But for now, Tenzee’s small initiative remains an evolving tool, crafted out of a small hostel in the hills but with ambitions as vast as the mountains themselves. And for the next visitor wondering where to find the town’s best momos? The answer may just be a WhatsApp message away.