If you want "casual" travel companions you have to go where casual travel companions go. So that means bars etc ie LA cafe.
If I was you 1 week before you go flood Fil Cupid with intros and then when you arrive interview. Conversely you can be "picked up" at coffee shops, restaurants, malls if you smile, are well dressed and scrub up ok.
Depends on how much hard work you want to do - clubs etc its point and shoot, whereby Fil Cupid takes more time but maybe semi pro.
If you've neem with a Fil why not try Thai, Camb or Viet?
All the best