Talk to the Locals
I hate to be the one to say this because they are always the first thing that I buy when I’m planning a new trip, but travel books are not the be-all and end-all of trip planning. In fact, a lot of the time these books can lead us, quite simply, to the tourist hubs. Aren’t the best trips and moments usually the spontaneous ones? And the ones that lead us to incredible places that we never could have imagined or expected? The potential for these moments and places exist in every destination and in every trip. It’s just a matter of how we put ourselves in the situations that allow for these opportunities to occur. One of the best ways to create these opportunities (that I’ve found) is to talk to the locals.There is no one that knows more about the places you are travelling to than the locals that call those places home. Think about your own hometown. You know the best cafes/bars/restaurants, the craziest/most scenic hikes, and some of the other hidden gems in the area. This more in-depth knowledge of a place that you’ll get from the locals is what will create the opportunities for these spontaneous moments. Yes, they will possibly tell you about the obvious tourist traps, but perhaps they will also give you a hiking trail that you’ve never heard of, or a beach that you didn’t know existed, or a dive bar that actually serves the best fish and chips on the island. The possibilities become endless. When you open yourself up and talk to the local people, you open your own experience up to a more authentic experience of the culture, and that’s really one of the greatest and truest parts about travelling.So, in saying all of this, there a number of different ways you can meet the locals quite easily. I love sitting on patios and trying the local beers/cuisine, so I typically meet quite a few bartenders, but you can also talk to tour guides, shop owners, wait staff, and potentially other people hanging around the town and beaches if sitting and having drinks isn’t your thing. Either way, talking to the locals will not only help you develop great friendships from different cultures and places around the world, but also take your vacation to the next level. If you need more convincing, here are a few things you may find out about your chosen place of travel when you talk to the locals:
Restaurants/Bars/Cafes
As I mentioned above, one of my favorite parts about travelling is trying to local beers and cuisine, which is why this has made the number one spot on my list. No matter how much research you do on Tripadvisor beforehand about what the best restaurants and bars are, you never know what’s truly there until you get there. A simple walk down the main street in any place you travel to will reveal a whole ton of establishments that you’ve never heard of. This is where chatting with some of the locals becomes really handy. They will be able to tell you not only what their favorite places to go are, but they’ll also be able to guide you towards the spots that offer the most authentic beverages and cuisines so you truly get a taste of what the country has to offer. When I was in Newfoundland, a tour guide told me that the best fish and chips in Newfoundland (Newfoundland is known for their cod) was actually in a basement bar. He wasn’t wrong. The environment was very much a dive bar, but the fish and chips were incredible.If you’re a partier, the locals may also know the hotspots, the best nights to visit them, and the places with the cheapest/best happy hours.
Landmarks/Cultural Spaces
There will inevitably be the classic landmarks that you will want to visit that every tourist wants to visit (i.e. everyone who goes to New York wants to see Central Park and the Empire State Building), but what if we could also see a few more hidden gems that we had no idea existed? Locals may know of hikes that lead to incredible viewpoints, art galleries that display the local culture’s crafts, buildings with historic relevance, and more. In my experience, most of these landmarks and sights have offered a more exciting experience because there was no anticipation. We’ve all seen pictures of Lake Louise and Moraine Lake in our friends’ Instagram feeds, but the view of the mountain valleys off the back side of Tunnel Mountain and the incredible drive through Yoho National Park towards Kicking Horse offered views that I had no idea existed. These spontaneous moments are the moments that I remember, and they were only made possible through the advice of the locals in those locations.
(Secret) Surf Spots
This one is never a guarantee, as surfers don’t like to give up their secret surf spots too easily because they are afraid the tourists will overrun them and ruin a good thing (they are wise to think this way), however you never know. Depending on who you talk to and the kind of rapport you build up, you may learn about some of the hidden breaks in the area. When I was in Costa Rica, I made friends with one of the local bartenders who also happened to be an avid surfer. While I drank a few beers, I asked him for some surfing tips. Our conversation eventually turned towards the different breaks in the area. Finally, he told me about a wave that breaks over a reef about an hour south of Tamrindo that no one really knows about, but also creates perfect barrels every time. To him, this place was a true undisturbed surfing paradise. I never went and checked out the break, but it was still pretty rad to be let in on that secret spot.
Staying out of Trouble
This one might not enhance your trip, but it will definitely keep it from taking an unexpected, negative turn. When I was in Costa Rica, a number of the locals told me that, if there was one place I shouldn’t go at night (never mind alone at night) it was the beach. I took this information to heart and stayed the hell away from there unless the sun was up. This local safety knowledge is something that you may not come across in your travel books, but I would say it is by far one of the greatest bits of knowledge you should have when travelling somewhere. I’m not saying that you should discover the dangers that are in the area and panic the whole time; I’m just saying you should be aware of them. Locals will be able to tell you which streets not to go down, what bars not to go to, what times of the day are more dangerous, what kinds of dangerous animals/sea creatures to watch out, for and more. When you develop knowledge of the potential dangers, you will be able to enjoy your experiences with a more relaxed mind.The best part about speaking to the locals, though, is that when you make friends from different parts of the world, you have every excuse to go back out there and travel more, so go out there and make some friends.For more content like this, follow me here.