Either you travel occasionally, or you are a travel freak, traveling is always an adventure. I am telling you with my experience some of the habits or to-dos you must make your habit while you are traveling. Traveling is not just taking a fancy ride to a place and take pictures to keep a record of. But, it is more of to take on your adventure cap and explore the beauty around.
If you want to be a traveler rather than just being a tourist, this blog is for you.
In this blog, I am going to share some of the to-dos with you from my very own traveling journal. I have adopted some routine habits of traveling, which I am sure will also benefit you when planning a vacation.
1. Your best tour guide will be locals
It might be a good idea for you to ask your tour guide to tell you places worth visiting. But, I am sure that you will be able to visit only the top resort in this way. No doubt, your tour guide is ensuring your 100 folds safety wall. But, if you want to actually explore, get tips from the locals. They will be your best tour guides to help you explore the real gems hidden.
2. Try to Use Public Transport
Being with a family and using a bus might be fuzzy and problematic. But, if you are traveling with friends or solo, I will prefer you to use public transport. Why? Because it will let you explore the complete scope of the city and even more. If you travel through a bus, you might come to know of a neighborhood spot worth watching, which was not even on your map.
3. Make Random Friends and Exchange Gifts
Either on a flight or roaming around in a city, make friends by exchanging gifts with them. I am not asking you to present fancy gifts, but a small token of love by a stranger to a stranger will bring a stream of positivity. When you are on a flight, present a small gift to the flight attendant to show your respect to their service. Or when you are exploring the city and a local is helping you present him a gift and befriend. If you are thinking about what kinds of gifts you should take, I have a solution to that problem too.
4. Respect the Local Norms and Culture
Before you are actually on a trip, research about your next traveling destination, their norms and cultures, and some general phrases. Because it is better to know something than to be completely clueless at the airport. Moreover, it will also be a positive gesture toward the locals, and they will appreciate that at least you are trying to communicate.
5. Visit local Markets
If you are looking to explore the true colors of a locality during your visit, then take this advice of me. Go to the local markets, shops, and explore the best of the locality by taking advice from native people. Google map will only show you what is at the top. If you are looking for real fun, I will suggest you discover local restaurants that have a higher public rating. Try to add an extra scoop of adventure to your plate by buying something that will serve as a remembrance of your trip, not some tourist stuff.
6. Capture your Memories
Keep the journal. Click pictures to recall your traveling diaries with your friends. Clicking pictures doesn’t mean to lose the moment. Instead, it means clicking a few photographs at each place. Otherwise taking photographs all the time will leave you with pictures only.
7. Sometimes it’s good to be lost
Always keeping track of GPS will take you only to the places that are well acknowledged. From my experience, I can tell you, where there is an established resort, equally beautiful and mesmerizing view is hidden beside. Take my advice. If you have enough time, don’t use maps or GPS locator. Explore the surroundings, and come out of your comfort zone to make your trip memorable.
Final Remarks
Before you are actually set to start your journey, planning is also essential. Make sure that all your relevant documents are well organized like passport, id card, your flight passes, etc. Also, make sure to do contingency planning. And once you are on the trip, live in the moment and make your trip memorable for life.
