Embracing travel means diving deep into the essence of your destination—immersing in its culture, tasting its flavors, and engaging with its people.
Travelling is something everyone should experience – and by travelling this means truly immersing yourself in a place and the local culture it offers. No matter which destinations are on your bucket list, the most important thing is that you get the most out of the experience.
While it’s understandable that you’ll want to jet away to unwind, it can be hugely rewarding to seek out and fill your days with cultural activities too. Here’s how you can make the most of the experience.
Set goals
One way of holding yourself accountable when you travel is to create tailored goals for the trip. This way, you can refer back to these and plan them into your itinerary where it makes sense to do so. You could jot them down in a journal or make a note on your phone – either way, make sure they’re easy to access so you don’t forget about them.
Some examples of goals you might want to set include trying new foods or visiting certain cultural sites. You could also make an effort to learn the language so that you can engage with locals. Speaking to locals is one of the most valuable ways of getting to know a place. You might simply want to expand your knowledge of the local area – and the best way to do this is by speaking to those who live here.
Stay with a host
Although a hotel might be tempting, you could mix things up and stay with a host to get more out of your trip. This will give you a massive head start in terms of where the best places to visit are, plus, you’ll get a deeper insight into local food and culture too.
Often, you’ll have the option to stay with a host family, which will be a hugely valuable experience. Another bonus is that it can often be a cheaper option when it comes to accommodation. You might even be invited to eat with your host family.
Switch up your travel style
Although all-inclusive resorts can be convenient while travelling, they can be restrictive in the sense that you’ll stay in one location. To mix things up, you could book a biking tour holiday in Europe, for example, to help you see more of a country – or even box off several in one trip.
This way, you can not only cover more of a location, but you can also stay fit and healthy while engaging with new people along the way. Adventure holidays of any kind can be a good option for shaking up your conventional holiday formula.
Take a class
Often, you can immerse yourself in a place by booking a class of some kind. Run by locals, they can offer a unique glimpse into an area and its cultural offerings. You could book a cooking class and learn how to whip up dishes from the local cuisine or try a crafting class. You might be able to take part in jewellery-making or pottery classes, for instance.