12 Jul Taking the road less traveled
We’ve all seen the famous tourist images…someone holding up the Tower of Pisa… someone wearing a new I ♥ NY shirt maybe. Too often, when we travel we go on to a museum or on an architecture tour, get that selfie in front of an iconic building, eat new food, buy a souvenir, etc and leave, without a truly authentic experience.
But what happens “behind the scenes” of these destinations? An easy way to find out is to ask the locals (or someone you’re staying with if you have friends or family from your destination) what they would choose to do on a given weekend. Is there a local concert? Cultural celebration? Hole-in-the-wall burger joint? What bars do they visit? Where is the best place to take a sunset picture? Where does my Airbnb host like to relax with a book? And the best part about these questions…they lead to sustainable answers (and maybe even some of your favorite memories)!
What I remember most about my trips is the awesome restaurant hidden down some back alley, a conversation with a local selling produce at the market, or even being a witness at a special cultural event not in the tourist brochures. Sometimes “the road less traveled” happens to be the road worth traveling.
Words: Winston Leman
Image: Matthieu Joannon on Unsplash