Ten Ways to Be More than a Tourist

A camera-clicking, guidebook toting, brash, rude tourist… no one wants to end up like that, right? If you want to really experience another culture and make the most of your travels, it’s time to be more than a tourist. Here’s how:

1. Get a job

The best way to really experience another country and move from short-term visitor to long-term resident is to get a job abroad. In a few short months, you’ll go from outsider to the person who knows all the coolest spots in town and (almost) never gets ripped off at the market!

While getting a job abroad might sound daunting, it’s actually pretty easy. Due to the international demand for certified TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) teachers, any fluent English speaker can get a TEFL certificate and start teaching overseas. Want to find out how? Download a free copy of TEFL Uncovered: How to Teach Your Way Abroad with TEFL to get the lowdown.

2. Chuck your guidebook in the trash

If you’re after a quick giggle, go down to your local bookstore and read the guidebook entry for your hometown. Hilarious isn’t it? You’d never in a million years take an out-of-towner to THAT bar, right? Due to the lapse in time from writing to hitting the shelves, that’s what almost every single guidebook is like: out of date, out of fashion and out of touch. If you really want to know where’s good to go, chuck the guide book and get chatting to the locals – you’ll soon find yourself enjoying the places tourists just don’t know are there.

3. Stay with a local family, not in a hotel

If you want to learn about people’s day-to-day lives, sample the local cuisine and support local businesses, rather than soulless hotel chains, staying at a homestay is the way to go. In return for a small fee, you’ll get home-cooked food and a room in a local family’s house, giving you the chance to get a privileged glimpse inside family life.

4. Learn some of the language

There’s nothing worse than the tourist who expects EVERYONE to speak English, and uses the age-old trick of talking very slowly and very LOUDLY to anyone who doesn’t. If you really want to interact with others, not to mention be respectful of the local culture, it’s worth learning at least a few words of the lingo. It’ll make people more receptive and friendly, meaning you have a better experience overseas.

5. Ditch your camera

While taking snapshots so you can relive the magical moments (and brag to your friends on Facebook) is good, sometimes leaving the camera in your backpack and really taking in your surroundings is even better. That way, you’ll really be experiencing the sights, sounds and smells around you, rather than seeing the world from behind a miniscule LCD screen.

6. Eat and shop local

In cities all around the world, you see tourists who’ve flown half way around the globe to eat McDonalds burgers and sip Starbucks coffee – why?!! Aside from tiny regional differences, a McDonalds is a McDonalds. Live a little – hit the local food markets, ask people which restaurants they’d recommend, sample the street food. Not only will you broaden your horizons, your money will be staying in the country you’re in, rather than flowing back to American mega-corporations.

7. Get lost

While I wouldn’t recommend wandering off by yourself, if you’re traveling with a friend there’s no harm in pulling your nose out of that map and setting off to explore. Don’t get hung up on where you’re going or where you’ll end up, just wander through the streets taking in the sights, smells and sounds around you. You’ll get a much better feel for the place than you would rushing from tourist hot spot to tourist hot spot – and you’ll never be too far from a taxi to take you back to your hotel.

8. Get haggling in the markets

Haggling in a local market - Photo by Sharon Mollerus

Most big cities are home to markets of one kind or another – if you’re feeling brave these are great places to pick up bargain souvenirs and gifts for friends and family back home – as long as you’re willing to haggle! If you’re not too confident with the local language, take a pen and pad of paper with you to write out the price you’re willing to pay. And if you’re a bit shy, they’re great places to soak up the local atmosphere.

9. Step off the tourist trail

No one would dream of visiting Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower, but once you’ve seen the A-list of tourist attractions in your city of choice, relax. You don’t need to see absolutely EVERYTHING in your guidebook (which you probably should have thrown in the trash – see point two). Step off the tourist trail, explore or just sit in a café and watch the world go by.

10. Volunteer

If you want to see another side to your destination, but don’t have the time to get a full-time job there (see point one), volunteering is a great way to make a difference and immerse yourself in the local culture. There are loads of projects that need the help of enthusiastic volunteers, from working with underprivileged kids to helping endangered wildlife. You can either get in touch with NGOs and charities direct or there are specialist companies which will help you set up these kinds of experiences. Trips start at around $800 and last from just one week to a few months. Both i-to-i and Real Gap are good places to start.

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