1 Plan
In life, some of us are planners and some of us are spontaneous rebels. I’m probably somewhere in the middle. But regardless of which type you are some sort of planning will do wonders for your holiday. I would not advise planning every single minute of your holiday, but what I’m talking about here is to plan the milestones. We all have our own mini bucket lists for the holidays we go on. There are places you want to see, things you want to do and dishes you want to try. Jot them down and slot them into days. You don’t have to follow the plan religiously of course, but it just helps you organise your holiday to a certain extent.
In life, some of us are planners and some of us are spontaneous rebels.
2 Try the local food
This one is close to my heart. I cannot stress this enough, so much so that I have actually written a blog post solely on this topic. I cannot understand how and why people would go to foreign countries and especially food rich countries and then all they eat is McDonalds and KFC, every single day. I do not understand it. I really do think trying the local food is one of the biggest parts if not the biggest part of traveling. There is no better way to experience a culture than to indulge into their cuisine. So, next time you’re abroad make sure you at least try one dish that the country is famous for. There are many ways to experience this and it just depends on how adventurous you are. You may want to visit a local street food market, go on a food tour (probably the best way to experience local culture) or even sign up to a cooking class.
3 Book an exciting excursion or an alternative sightseeing tour
Sightseeing tours are not for everyone. They can be an expensive boring experience. So, what I am suggesting here is to book yourself something different. Something that will enable you to experience the local culture or see some the country’s sights, but in a fun and exciting manner. Cooking classes and food tours are great as mentioned in the above point. If there’s a mountain nearby, see if there are any excursions that go up there. Have lunch with a local family. Hire a moped in Rome. Drive a quad bike or a buggy through the open desert, fly a helicopter over the towers of Dubai, or a drive Mario go-kart through the streets of Tokyo! There are many things out there that you can do to see and experience the local sights in unique and fun ways. Just google the city name you are in plus excursions – and see your options open up.
4 Visit a unique place
Every city has a guidebook for tourists. The places you must visit. Put that guidebook to one side now. Look for places that off the beaten track. Places you won’t find in tourist guidebooks. Places that are mainly frequented by locals. Places that has the original charm of the country and culture. There are many ways you can find these – check out blogs and vlogs done by others. You can also check out Unesco world heritage sites. They are usually worth the visit. Finding hidden gems can be challenging, but they are worth it – I mean who would’ve thought there is a Jewish quarter in Rome? And one even in Marrakech!? And a Muslim street in the capital of China!!?
5 Buy something unique
To find something truly unique to buy as a souvenir or a gift, you have to avoid the fancy malls and go deep into local markets. This will push you to experience shopping like you’ve never experienced before. If you’ve visited Marrakech and wandered the Jmaa al Fnaa markets, you’ll know exactly what I mean. A shopping experience that everyone will be an experience and not merely a chore. So, for example if you’re in Dubai, don’t settle for the Dubai Mall or the Mall of the Emirates, go and shop at the Gold Souq.
