If you’ve been lucky enough to travel around the world to see other countries and experience different cultures, you’ve probably run into the same old, same old:
“Look at the stupid American tourist. They don’t know what it’s like to LIVE here, they just want to come in and see that one statue… then leave. Ptui.”
So that’s why TRAVEL + LEISURE threw together these TEN THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD DO IN ORDER TO NOT LOOK (or act) LIKE A TOURIST, and along the way – maybe you’ll find you enjoy your vacation a little bit more than anyone else would:
- Don’t stay at a regular hotel, but try renting an apartment in a neighborhood just outside the tourist zone.
- Get a massage or haircut
- Don’t buy any souvenirs – specifically any that were made elsewhere instead of the place you’re visiting
- Exercise
- Rent a bike instead of taking taxis everywhere
- Run an errand, shop like a local would
- Meet up with other like-minded people in the foreign country. Have a drink with a stranger with a common interest
- Got to church
- Go to a sporting event
- Don’t have an agenda. Just find a spot and watch the time, people, day go by. Relax and enjoy the show