Travelling locally and interacting with locals is always encouraged. It allows you to gain real insight into the culture of a country and the life of the people that live there. This is all very well and good if you are on a round the world trip, and should be the only way to travel if that is what you are doing however, it can be quite difficult to incorporate those kind of local experiences into a short trip or conventional holiday. Many people still desire the ‘travel’ lifestyle but cannot afford to up roots and put their heart and soul into it. However there is always a work around, and there are modern ways to help you travel locally even if you are just visiting somewhere for a week.
Staying with the locals
A great way, would be to stay with locals, or at least stay where they stay. There are companies who offer the opportunity to rent out private rooms in local apartments or even whole apartments, from local hosts, immediately taking your trip away from the norm of repetitive hotels. This allows you to get a unique perspective of the city and simply gives your trip that little unique feeling. The benefit of renting from the hosts themselves, means you can communicate with each other and they are on hand to offer you their advice on all the best hot spots and hidden local gems you might have otherwise missed. There are also extra guarantees, such as Wimdu’s, that hold your money until 24 hours after your check-in making sure your apartment or room is everything you expected. So you can stay in a unique local accommodation without losing out on the security a hotel chain would provide.
Putting technology to good use
Taking a short trip or visit allows you to take certain luxuries that you might not risk taking on a round the world trip. The beauty of modern technology means that if you want to visit a place like a local then surely ‘there is an app for that’. Whereas a smartphone might be a risk in south east Asia, it is perfectly fine to take on a weekend trip to Prague, and there are some great applications that can help you find great places to eat, drink and play and just generally help you get by. Anything from a list of the best local restaurants to basic translators can be invaluable tools.
True travel purists may say that no matter how you try to get around it, the only way to really experience a place, is to travel and visit thoroughly and live with the locals. However if you want a local experience and need to get away from the standard trips, a unique room is an excellent way to do it.