Often when travelling for shorter periods of time, it's harder to sink beneath the superficial surface of wherever we are visiting, to really experience the true spirit of the place. Most of us long to make true connections with the people and culture, and to somehow jump from the queue specifically reserved for tourists, and to gain insider access to the true heart of the 'locals only' section. If you are like us, then making real connections with people in a new place are what makes the travel experience more authentic and meaningful.
So how do we get beneath the surface and make some genuinely heartfelt connections?
We all travel for different reasons, but we tend to share a common desire to somehow return from our journey a little different from when we left. A little happier, more relaxed, and maybe with a touch more clarity than before our journey. Ultimately it's the idea of stepping out of our regular routine in order to experience something else. Whether we are running from something or towards something else, wanting to recharge or relax, travelling can be the ultimate catalyst for change. Often the most unexpected experiences we have when venturing to a new place might be only fleeting, but they can stay with us forever.
So we thought we would share a few travel hacks gathered from our adventures around the world, which have helped to make our experience a bit less 'tourist' and a lot more 'local'.
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"Paradise has never been about places. It exists in moments. In connection. In flashes across time." - Victoria Erickson
Yes we can look on Tripadvisor and see what others rate as the top things to do in any given town, but when we unexpectedly stumble across something uniquely ours it feels so much more enriching. It's those moments that stay with us forever...
So you have arrived in a new town for the first time. You are tired, maybe even jetlagged and exhausted just from the sheer effort of leaving home, not to mention the journey itself. You have a limited amount of time to cram in the most amount of life-changing experiences, and you don't know where to start. You have done your research online, and maybe even gotten some tips from friends who have visited before you, but there is always that initial period of discomfort when something is new to us.
You may be staying for a short holiday, a long stretch, or possibly even feeling out the place to see if it may be your next home. It can be exciting and also quite daunting feeling like an outsider or newby in town. So how do we navigate through the gates and get invited in to tea, and avoid the usual tourist traps?
Information Centres can be good for providing you with lots of maps and brochures, but tend to cater for the general tourist crowd. They may lead you to the most visited places, but you may also waste a lot of time waiting in line with everyone else.
On our travels around around Australia especially, we always walked away with a wasteful bag of papers that we really didn't look at...but was useful when lighting our camp fire. Did I just admit to that?
Unless you strike a particularly friendly person working there, you always feel like you are being herded in the same direction as everyone else, rather than getting some insider tips.
Instead, simply take a walk through the town with your eyes and ears open, and just be in the present moment. Follow your instincts, with a sense of playful curiosity.
Go to a local cafe, read the notice board and chat to the staff to gauge whether they seem friendly. It's best not to do this during the busy times!
In Pushkar in India, one of the local eateries had a sign up outlining their charity work with a local school. It was a very enlightening chat we had with the owner, and he even offered to take us for a visit to meet some of the staff and students. You never know what opportunities will arise if you show genuine interest in what the local people are doing.
Find a good spot to just sit and observe what's going on around you.
For us, travelling with our 2 dogs around Australia has given us plenty of scope to meet people during our daily beach walks for example. On many occasions, a quick chat with another walker has opened up the path for our next destination choice, based on some great insider tips we were given. One of the most magical places we were told about was a beautiful mineral spa pool in the bush near Cardwell, Qld. It really took our breath away once we found the unsignposted location, and the best part was we were completely alone to enjoy the serenity of this magical spot. This is one of the highlights of our whole road trip, and we would never have found it ourselves.
P.S. You don't need a dog to take a walk and say hi to others ;)
Attend a local gig or event to get a feel for the vibe of a place.
We love to watch out for local markets so we can not only stock up on the freshest produce from the area, but it's one of the best ways to chat to the local stall holders. In our experience they are only too happy to show off what's on offer in the area.
It's also a great indication of the creative interests of the local people. What they are interested in and what they are selling, including hand crafted items and food, is a great indication of whether you would flow in with this type of lifestyle. For example obviously a town that thrives on a local cattle and meat industry is not going to sit well if you are vegan!
Go to the local pub after work hours and immerse yourself in the status quo.
It's a great way to get a feel for the vibe of a small town, and don't be ashamed to do a little eavesdropping. Better still, offer to share your table and start chatting. You'll know pretty quickly if there's a general feeling of happiness or discontent within the community. Avoid weekends as the crowd can be a little bit more 'let your hair down' than 'quiet chill out after work.'
We always look for recommendations from the owner or manager of wherever we are staying, whether it's a guest house or camp ground.
It's often the best way to find those hidden gems that only locals know about. We have even been invited to the family home to eat on a few occasions!
In India our guesthouse manager pointed us in the direction of the local yoga guru. After taking us there and personally introducing us, we were welcomed to attend the morning session with the other trainees. Not only was this THE MOST ENLIGHTENING yoga experience we have ever had, but to top it off we were invited back to eat a traditional Indian breakfast with the family afterwards. This experience will definitely make our top 10 best ever spontaneous travel moments of all time.
Loitering outside the window of the local Real Estate Agency has also worked a treat for us, especially in country towns in Australia.
Usually within minutes a smiley face comes out to say hi to you, judging by your enthusiasm in their properties on offer. A few questions usually follow, and easily provide a segue way into other topics of interest. For example in Woodford, NSW we learnt that the local estate agent used to own the Corner Store, but he got squeezed out by the huge supermarket chains. His best way of survival was to morph into real estate. In a brief 10 minute chat we learnt so much more about the ins and outs , and politics of the town than we would ever have learnt by reading Wikipedia articles. For us it also meant we were pointed in the right direction of the best coffee in town!
Facebook pages or groups can be a very handy way of connecting with like-minded travellers, especially if you have particular style of travel needs.
There are so many groups catering to everyone from travellers with children, animals, the elderly or disabled, to name a few. But as a last resort, we recommend googling what to do in the particular town or area you find yourself exploring. Rather than reading dedicated websites catering to tourism, we like to read reviews from other travellers who have visited before us. Quite often you can pick up some handy little details and advice. Blogs are also a great source of inspiration, especially if they are small and not being paid to endorse products. Look out for ads!
So that should keep you amused for a while...and remember to never show your fear! Remember that having a smile will always open so many more doors. Having a sense of curiosity rather than judgement in our experience tends to work wonders.
In the words of Brene Brown,
"Staying vulnerable is a risk we have to take if we want to experience connection."
Happy travels!
Danielle, Tony, Frankie & Georgie xxxx
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