Traveling and seeing a lot of places is one of the many countless dreams that people have, especially millennials. Now and then, airports received millions of travelers annually, and tourist destinations have been visited millions if not, thousands, of times yearly.
However, it might be monotonous to travel to places without stepping off the beaten path, not discovering places less popular than the others, and not getting the chance to interact with locals. That said, here are the few ways you can travel like a local so that you can bring life to your travel in the future:
1. Organize your tour
Try to get out of the usual tour, but rather organize your independent local tour. You might be surprised at how many things you might have missed out. Instead of going to places where foreign tourists usually go, why not try to go to places where locals usually hang out.
2. Try local food
There is no other way to know other people’s culture than through its food. For example, Thailand is known for its Pad Thai and spicy shrimp noodles. You can ask the native residents of that country about some popular restaurants. Not to mention, why not try to go to the market or streets where people set up their food stall and sell different kinds of food.
3. Use public transportation
To interact with people, it is recommended to use public transportation like buses and trains. Aside from the fact that using public transportation is budget and environment-friendly, you can also get to be connected with local people and observe their day-to-day lives. Who knows, by using public transportation, you get to meet new acquaintances that will help make your adventure a lot more enjoyable.
4. Make friends
There is no greater feeling than to have friends from different areas in the world. Having friends from different cultures and languages helps you broaden your perspective of the world and improves your social skills.
5. Research on the local places
While guidebooks give the convenience of helping people to go to local tourist attractions easily and at the same time, promote them, why not try to leave it behind for the meantime. After all, we now live in the age of the internet where people can connect with ease. Use the internet to your advantage by researching attractions that your favorite guidebook might not talk about. Read blogs and entries from people on the web as they can also give you insights.
6. Have a chit-chat with your taxi driver
Talk to your taxi driver, and you will be surprised about the knowledge that he or she has. Your local taxi driver might recommend restaurants or places that you need to go to and might like in the future. Just remember not to give too much personal information, and be cautious while you’re at it.
7. Dress like a local
One of the experiences that you need to do while being new in a country is to dress like the locals. For example, ditch that Westerner attire for a time while in Japan and wear their traditional clothing instead. However, just keep in mind the time, places, occasions, or the local weather where you are as well as your surroundings.
8. Show some respect
Different countries have different customs and traditions that locals follow. As a visitor to a foreign land, you need to follow these customs and traditions which the local people have. As one quote says, “When in Rome, do what the Romans do”. Know these traditions and customs of the country beforehand so that you will not disrespect them. Aside from these, do some research on laws that the country you are about to visit have so that you can avoid jeopardy.
