5 Advantages of Travel Off-The-Beaten-Path
How to Travel Off-The-Beaten Track and Discover New Adventures
There are many types of tourists with many different expectations for the time they spend traveling. Some like no-stress vacations with bus tours and tourist resorts providing the tailored experience they’re looking for. But for other travelers, the idea of spending time with groups of tourists would be a worse experience than just staying home. For such people, it’s off-the-beaten-track travel that really excites and enthralls – and this article provides five top tips to help you detach yourself from the crowd and go in search of unique adventures.
Don’t Book Every Detail
While traveling without having made hotel, guest house or hostel bookings in advance might feel a little precarious, it also provides you with the total freedom to go with the flow on your travels. You’ll not be restrained by a set itinerary, and you’ll be able to experience home-stays, couch surfing opportunities, last-minute deals, and AirBnB bookings instead of a more structured hotel-to-hotel kind of trip. Leave room for serendipity on your trip and you may find yourself discovering neighborhoods and destinations you had not considered. Taking advantage of the recommendations of fellow travelers and lodging owners can lead you to some remarkable properties.
Rent a Car
While travel on local transport can be a fun and engaging way of getting a feel for a destination, rattling around on a bus for five hours is nowhere near as pleasurable as cruising in your rented vehicle, being able to stop off wherever you want to take panoramic photographs or eat at a restaurant no foreigner has ever found. Simply look for International Car Rental companies in your destination and get yourself a comfortable ride.
Go With Local Advice
Skip the guide book and the travel blogs for a while, and let local people determine where you go, what you see and how you experience their country. Take only a language manual, if you think communication might be difficult in your chosen destination. If you can communicate that you’re looking for adventure, newness or local culture, they’ll point you to the places that locals go – whether that’s a basement poker den, hidden restaurant, a rooftop bar, or a wonderful scenic vista from which to watch sun go down – all away from your fellow tourists.
Don’t Neglect Cities
In general, foreign cities have a ‘tourist center’ in which nearly all of the foreign visitors explore, eat, and stay. Your impression, while you’re in these crowded centers of tourism, might be that you should high-tail it out of the city at once – but that would be to neglect the 75% of the city that’s never seen by tourists. Extract yourself from the tourist hotspots, and wander some of the quieter streets. You’ll likely find better, more authentic cuisine, spots with more character, and open and more honest people to show you around.
Plan Some Alone Time
The best way to truly get yourself off the beaten track is to travel solo. Of course, you might be able to find a travel buddy or partner who’s always going to be on the same wavelength as you. But if you’re alone, you can walk down that tempting alleyway without a second thought, or choose to people-watch at that street food cafe without discussion. Even if you’re traveling as a couple, consider a few hours when you each do an activity that is your own personal interest.
We hope you’ll bear these tips in mind when you plan your next trip. Off the beaten track travel is becoming harder and harder to achieve – but the tips outlined above will help you find those wonderful places that no one else has enjoyed before you.
