5 reasons to meet locals while traveling

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Going to a foreign country and not getting to know the locals there is a real crime.

1. Locals are the best guides

Locals know best where the most interesting places in their city or region are. If you meet people who have lived where you are for a few days, you will learn more about the country than from any professional guide.

Usually tourists are always taken to the same places and told the same stories. Remember at least our domestic beaches and resort towns. Not a single local goes where tourists gather. The best beaches, places for picnics and recreation remain inaccessible to visitors.

2. No overpayments for food and souvenirs

What seller, tour guide or restaurateur doesn't want to make money on naive tourists? If you have a camera around your neck, you speak with an accent and are poorly guided in prices, then write it all.

In addition, in tourist areas, as a rule, the default prices are two, if not three times higher than in the rest. And this is where acquaintance with the locals will be very useful. They will show you where to shop and dine, and where to go for souvenirs.

3. Savings on transport and accommodation

If you prefer budget travel, locals are your lifesaver. They can offer you a free overnight stay at their home or find accommodation for a symbolic price. And couchsurfing has not been canceled yet! You can also hitchhike, meeting nice people, learning their stories and saving on transportation costs.

4. Immersion in local flavor

It is impossible to get to know a new country or city without finding out how and how its people live, how their life is arranged, where they spend their free time. Historical information from the guide is good, but this is not enough. Getting to know the city only by dates and iconic buildings and monuments, you see its past, but you absolutely do not grasp the present.

5. Language practice

If you are learning the language of the country you are planning to travel to, this is the ideal way to practice: improve your pronunciation, learn to understand fluent speech, and expand your vocabulary. And for this you need to communicate with the locals. And the more the better. Even a week of this practice will definitely bear fruit.