Go Native

© Flickr / Veraart

Too many people keep to themselves when they travel and miss out on the good stuff. By sticking to the tourist hotels, tourist restaurants, and main attractions, there's a good chance you can miss out on the culture itself. Have an authentic experience you won't soon forget by immersing yourself in the culture. Here are some tips on doing just that.

Befriend Locals

© Flickr / The Wandering AngelWhen traveling, it can be easy to seek out people who are just like you. Other Westerners will share with you a common language, customs, social etiquette, and an understanding of being a foreigner in a new place. However, if you only socialize with people who are from the same culture as you, then what’s the point of traveling? Look for opportunities to meet locals and learn more about the local culture. Head out to a non-touristy bar, stop in a cafe that is a local favorite, wander through a bookshop and ask someone from the area what everyone is reading at the moment. Another idea is to offer some type of service to locals, such as tutoring or gardening help. If you look around, you will realize that there are endless opportunities for meeting locals.

Try New Foods

© Flickr / The WolfIt's a sad truth that no matter where you go in the world, you are almost always going to be able to find a McDonald’s. If you are in a place that has any niche for tourism, you will also be able to find countless restaurants that offer Western cuisine and English menus. Do you really need another burger with fries? Not only are these places more expensive, but when you are in a foreign country you should be trying local fare. Seek out the more “mom and pop” type establishments, or try some food from street vendors. This can also be an opportunity for you to interact with a local by asking someone who lives in the area to recommend some delicious, non-touristy restaurants. If you have already befriended a local, another idea is to ask them if they would want to cook together.

Learn Local Customs and Act Accordingly

© Lauren Doyle / RumBum.comBefore going to a foreign country, it is imperative that you research the local customs and etiquette. If you don’t, there is a very good chance that you will make a fool of yourself, offend someone, or worse. Many Westerners believe that the only difference between them and the locals is language, clothing, and food. Did you know that in Morocco and many Middle Eastern countries it is offensive to eat with your left hand? Or that in South East Asia you should never touch someone’s head or sit with your legs extended? Were you aware that in Dubai women actually receive summons tickets for wearing short skirts and shorts? Do your research.

Enroll in a Class

© Flickr / Multimedia Photography and Design-Newhouse SchoolThis can be done before and/or during the trip. Maybe your going to Italy and are interested in visiting some of the major historical sites such as the Pantheon and the Coliseum. Before leaving for your trip, why now sign-up for an Italian History class. Or maybe you will be Thailand and would like to learn the basics of the language beforehand. Enroll in a language course. During the trip, it is always fun to get to know the language through food and drink with cooking classes, wine tastings, and brewery tours. Local exercise classes, for example, a Tai Chi class in China. Figure out your interest, whether it be art, history, architecture, gardening, language, cooking, fitness, and sign-up for a class that will give you more insight into the practices and customs of the locals.

Avoid Hotels and Resorts

Avoid staying at expensive hotels and resorts, and instead look for family run bed and breakfasts, guesthouses, and, your best bet, home stays. For mom and pop type accommodations, a simply Google search can give you what you are looking for. Furthermore, if you volunteer somewhere, a home-stay can usually be arranged for you. Otherwise, CouchSurfing.com can allow you to stay with locals and get to see the area from their perspective.

Open Yourself Up to New Ideas

© Chris Owens / RumBum.comTraveling to new cultures is a great way to expose yourself to new ways of thinking and concepts. Because these ideas seem foreign at first, many tourists will look at them as being “weird” or irrelevant to their own lives. This does not necessarily have to true and, if you open yourself up to learning and understanding these foreign ideas and concepts, you may find that they have the ability to enhance your own life. Let’s say you take a trip to Thailand where this is a predominance of temples and Buddhist thinking. Seeing 100 Buddha statues in one room, giving food to monks at sunrise, and believing that you may have been the member of the royal family in a past life may sound crazy at first, but if you look deeper into the ideas of Buddhism and why practices of this thinking do the things they do, you may find a new way of gaining a peaceful mind for yourself. No wonder they call Thailand the Land of Smiles.