Traveling around new places is fun and it is even more fun when you can travel like a local. It is easier than done of course. There is nothing wrong of being a tourist or traveler. However, it is more meaningful and exciting when you can blend in with the locals and experience everything in deep connection. When you stroll around your travel destination like a tourist you are, it is easier to feel out of place or like an outsider. Thus, lots of travelers and tourists alike want to be travel like a local and enjoy their trip even more.
How to travel like a local
When it comes to traveling, it is often that the main focus relies more on the tourist attractions. However, it is like repetitive actions done by tourists. When you are getting familiar with travel circumstances, the urge of having a truly local, indigenous experience will become stronger. However, you don’t have to worry about it since there are many different ways to achieve it. Here are some tips for you to travel like a local:
- Choose guide tours which offer more intimate and unique guided experience. With this kind of service, you will experience more specific details about how only locals-approach. Of course this is not an easy task to do since there are various tour guide services in the market. You need to be selective in choosing the one that can provide what you look for. You may require specific details so that everything can be arranged to your liking. For example, you can emphasize on certain topics or sights. There are many sites and portals you can check out to see what service fit your preference. It is recommended to ask for local guide for better experience during your trip.
- Another way to travel like a local is to choose right accommodation. Instead of booking a hotel, it is more recommended to try homestay or home exchange. This is great opportunities to blend in more with the locals since you will stay within local neighborhood. During your stay, you will be surrounded by local atmosphere. This approach allows you to immerse in local culture. You can hang out with the locals as well as sleep in their space bed or couch. It is also recommended to visit local events within the neighborhood you live in during our stay. It will bring more experience because you won’t feel less like an outsider this way.
- Another way to travel like a local is to have your own project to attract the locals. Inviting people into your own personal culture experience is the best way to gain access into the local culture itself. You can choose a project based on your passion or interest. This opens more opportunities to be closer with the locals and travel like them. For example, if you have interest in photography then you can take some photos of local folks and kids. You can show them the pictures and see how they respond to them.