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7 Touring Tips That Won’t Make You Feel Just Like Another Tourist

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Travelling is meant to widen your knowledge and experience. If you would rather want to experience new practice and culture, learn how not to be a tourist and experience locals’ way of living first-hand. Here are some touring tips to put local twist on your next trip.

  1. Walk as much as you can

First off, no taxis as much as possible. If you can reach the destination in 10 to 15 minutes walk, we suggest you to do so. You’ll get the chance to familiarize the place and savor the sights leading to your destination. For longer distances, go about how most locals do it—by taking the bus or train.

  • Use maps, not your phone’s GPS

Your phone’s GPS will want you to get you to your destination by the shortest route, but this is an anti-travel practice. If you want to explore the place more, a map will give you context and offers you insight on where the beaten paths are.

  • Try skipping lunch

Not always, though. Since a hearty lunch is going to use up a good amount of your day and make you feel sluggish afterwards, skip having lunch at least a few times during your trip. If you want to make the most of your day, reward yourself a good meal at the end of the day—not in the middle, when you have just started your day. Stop for an afternoon coffee instead in a famous local café, while you’re searching for the best places for a satisfying dinner.

  • Try out ‘ordinary’ eating

And when you already have to eat, outdoor markets, street food stalls and local supermarkets offer not just satisfying meals, but authentic local flavors. In some cities, food courts will provide you with more variations of authentic dishes than you could imagine.  

  • Avoid taking too many photos

Let your eyes, heart and mind take photos of your vacation. Keep a journal, take notes of highlights, ideas and important moments, and savor every second you are in that moment. Write down your discoveries and the things you love about the place. You can take a couple of snapshots though, but do not waste precious time snapping and editing photos for an entire album of your trip. 

  • Tour secondary cities

Think about exploring Malacca City instead of Kuala Lumpur, Surabaya instead of Jakarta, Ishikawa instead of Tokyo, Boseong instead of Seoul and so on. 

  • Learn some key phrases in local language

If you will be going somewhere where English is not their mother tongue, learn a few key phrases, at least. This is a good way to be more connected with locals and help develop a rapport with them.

Get the most out of your trip. Get out of your comfort zone, mingle with locals and enjoy the journey while enriching your knowledge about your destination’s culture and people.

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