After more than a year of being in lockdown, it appears more and more people are finally travelling to places within their own country or outside the country. Cruise ships are starting to advertise themselves again, flights are being fully booked with excited tourists, restaurants are opening up for indoor dining, and social media is bombarded with new travel photos and videos.
If you are travelling again, whether it’s within the country or outside the country, I highly recommend you do the following 10 things to get the full travel experience.
Photo by Felix Rostig from Unsplash
1. Talk to Locals
It’s important to talk to locals to get a sense of the place you’re visiting. They are the ones who have resided in the area for all, or majority of their lives. Therefore, they know the best places to see and eat. They can also share their culture with you, as well as surprising historical stories of the place. There is so much to learn from locals that you may not learn from the internet or tour guides.
One of the things I have learned from locals in India, is how to bargain when shopping there. This is because some markets, such as street markets, are unregulated. This means that some vendors can spot a tourist just by their behaviour and appearance, and therefore bump up the price of the product three times or more in order to make a greater profit. However, the locals there know the original price and worth of the product, and they will assist you in getting the best deal, making sure you won’t get ripped off. It is certainly a good skill to learn when shopping in different countries.
2. Have a Leisure Day
It is crucial to have at least one leisure day when you have a jam-packed schedule. After running around visiting so many places for days on end, a leisure day is not only to give your body a break, but also to just slow down and enjoy the moments as they unfold naturally. This can be lounging at a resort and connecting with other tourists who are visiting from around the world, staying at your relatives house and exploring their little neighbourhood, or casually exploring the city with no expectations. The best part about a leisure day is that you can spend hours on end at a local coffee shop without any worries about commuting to your next destination, or just sit by the water and watch the breathtaking sunset.
I personally love leisure days. I find myself either spending the day using the hotel’s facilities that I haven’t gotten a chance to use yet, or I spend time catching up with my relatives and friends who live in the area. It’s just nice to lounge around and relax for a day or two to recharge. I would highly recommend having a leisure day in the middle of your travel week instead of the end, because you can give your mind and body some rest to feel more refreshed, in order to continue with your adventures for the rest of your vacation days.
Photo by Jarritos Mexican Soda
3. Take Public Transit
Taking the public transit system is a great way to learn about a place and how it functions. For example, you can learn the subway route and notice how easy or complicated it is to travel around the city. You can also meet locals and performers on the train, or talk to the bus driver for his or her recommendations on what to eat and see. It’s also a great way to learn how the currency works at the place you’re visiting.
One of the most memorable moments I had on the subway in Paris, was encountering a group of young performers who were rapping in French to make some money. They were so passionate and so good! My family and I spent twenty minutes listening and trying hard not to stand up and join them. This really showed another side of Paris that you normally don’t see when you travel in your own cars.
4. Try Something New
One of the best parts about travelling is not only seeing new places, but trying new things. For example, it can be: parasailing in the Bahamas, scuba diving in Australia, making glass art in Venice, trying a kiwi burger in New Zealand, or something else. Trying something new is one way to get out of your comfort zone, connect with new people and live in the moment.
One of the best experiences I’ve had was ziplining in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec during autumn. My family booked Ziptek Ecotours, which offers five ziplines and two of them are over one kilometre in length. It was my first time ziplining and I was extremely scared of heights. After the first zipline, I was shaking in fear. Unfortunately, I still had four more to go before I can be transported down the hill. Eventually I started to enjoy the experience during the third zipline, became absolutely fearless of heights, and connected with other adventurous tourists from around the world. It was breathtaking to zipline over orange, red, yellow, and green trees. I can’t wait to do it again!
5. Learn a New Language
When you’re in a new country or province, there is no better time to learn a new language. You are surrounded by locals who speak a particular language, as well as all the menus and signs will be written in that language. It’s the fastest way to learn certain words and sentences in order to interact with others on a deeper level and learn something new while travelling.
One of the things I do when I go to Montreal is go through their restaurant menus, which are often written in French. I learn to familiarize myself with certain words during breakfast time such as fraise (strawberry) and des pancakes/des crêpes (pancakes/crepes). It’s how I learn something new while travelling and I also try to pronounce the words when ordering as well.
6. Put Down Your Phone
One of the most important things about travelling is learning to live in the moment. You may not come back to the same location again, or you might come back after many years with your future family. Therefore, it’s best to take in the scenery and connect with others by simply being in the moment and putting down your phone. All the text messages, social media posts, appointments, emails, to-do lists, and calls can wait.
During my travels in Switzerland, I found myself at the top of mountains looking down at turquoise lakes. The view was incredible and I knew instantly that no photo on Google or on social media can ever replace what I saw with my own eyes. Therefore, I put my phone down, inhale deeply, and take in the view. I reflect on how beautiful nature is and clear my head. This is also a great source of meditation and it helps me be mindful about what is most important in life and what comes secondary.
7. Pick Up Your DSLR Camera / Drone
When travelling, you should put down your phone and pick up your DSLR camera or drone. This is your chance to learn or grow your photography and videography skills by capturing stunning shots of the location you’re at. This will also help you build your online portfolio and you can secure creative freelance gigs when you are back from your vacation. You will also learn photo and video editing as well. There are many opportunities to grow just from picking up your DSLR camera or drone!
Whenever I go on vacation, I always bring my Canon Rebel camera. In fact, that’s how I got into photography in the first place. In 2011, I brought my DSLR camera with me during my trip to Pennsylvania, and I quickly snapped a photo of a peacock that was approaching me. I absolutely loved how vibrant the photo turned out and I haven’t put down my camera ever since! It’s been ten years now and I am still doing photography. I learn and grow my skills every time I travel somewhere and it really shows that I am getting better and better. This also helped me specialize in event and portrait photography.
8. Start a Travel Blog or a Personal Travel Journal
Similar to using a DSLR Camera or drone, you can learn other skills from travelling such as writing and growing a travel blog, or starting a personal travel journal just for yourself if you don’t want to publish your work online. This is a great way to reflect on your experiences when you are back from your vacation, and you can look back on them after a few years. You will also become a better writer the more you write, and this can lead to many writing opportunities in the near future. The world is your oyster!
I wish I had taken this advice earlier. A lot of my travel memories are just sitting on my hard drive waiting to be published. Starting a travel blog would also make my travel experiences better by forcing me to plan out what photos and videos I need to capture for each post and what I should write about for my readers. It certainly makes me more mindful of my travels, not to mention I can look back on my posts after many years to reflect on what a wonderful time I had. I will be going to Vancouver very soon, and therefore I am already planning my future travel blogs for that location.
9. Find Hidden Gems
Tourists often go to popular tourist spots such as: the Statue of Liberty in New York City, Machu Picchu in Peru, Taj Mahal in India, Eiffel Tower in Paris, and more. However, there are many hidden gems at these locations that are often overlooked. For example, instead of just going to popular tourist spots like the Eiffel Tower, you can also check out the Rue Cremieux in Paris. Rue Cremieux is a residential area filled with colourful houses and a cobblestone street. It has become a popular Instagram spot in the past few years, however not everyone knows about it like the Eiffel Tower. It is still considered a hidden gem and it’s definitely worth checking out.
When I travelled to Pennsylvania in 2011, my relatives took me to a park nearby at night where there were dozens of fireflies. It was such a beautiful sight watching golden flying bugs light up a part of the park. To be honest, it looked like a scene from a Disney movie! I definitely considered this a hidden gem because it didn’t seem like a lot of people knew about it. My relatives and I were the only ones at the park. This made me appreciate Pennsylvania a lot more because it seemed like the fireflies put on a light show just for us. Yes, popular tourist spots are incredible, but hidden gems like this will make your travel experience so worthwhile!
Photo by Erol Ahmed
10. Do Research Beforehand
Before you travel, it’s best to do research beforehand. You can search up hidden gems, fun or historical facts, unique places to stay and eat, unique activities to do, or how to use public transit in the area. This will help you prepare your travel itinerary and you will appreciate the place a lot more. It’s nice to know what to expect and appreciate the significance of the place before visiting. It will also make you more excited to visit the place as well!
One of my biggest regrets was not doing research before visiting the Colosseum in Rome. When I entered the historical landmark, it took my breath away. I knew instantly that there was a significant amount of history about the place, but I didn’t know much about it. I did try my best to read the little signs which had basic facts, but unfortunately I knew that if I did some research beforehand, I would have appreciated the place a lot more. I eventually did do my research when I got back home, but it just wasn’t the same. Hopefully I get the chance to visit the Colosseum again, because I will certainly appreciate it a lot more. Don’t make the same mistakes I did!
I hope these tips help you in making the most out of your next travel experience. If you have any additional tips that I haven’t mentioned in this blog, please feel free to comment in the comment section below. I would love to hear from you! Also, all the sources that I have used to write this blog are located below, in case you are interested. See you in the next blog post! Happy travels!
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