Nothing is more rewarding for a traveller than experiencing a destination from the perspective of a local resident. If you'd like to truly experience your next travel destination, keep reading and discover our tips on how to feel like a local, even in the most foreign places. Whether you're strolling through the cobblestone streets of a quaint European village or exploring the lively markets of a bustling Asian city, these tips will help you blend in with the locals.
#1. Do Your Research and Prepare for Your Trip!
It's hard to blend in with people in a foreign place you know nothing about. Learn something about the place you're going, but not just the most obvious, superficial information. Websites and travel blogs are a good start, of course, but if you want to experience the place, it's worth digging deeper. Familiarise yourself with the local culture, dress code, and language. You don't have to speak it fluently, but knowing the most common phrases will certainly help. If you have the opportunity to talk to locals before you leave, do so. You can find locals helping tourists in dedicated groups on places like Reddit or Facebook. Find out how you should behave, what the cultural no-nos are, what they don't like about tourists visiting their cities. This way, you will learn to blend in quickly and possibly save yourself from disapproving looks.
#2. Learn Something From the Locals!
Unsure how to leave your temporary home without ending up in some tourist trap? Most cities and towns worldwide offer the perfect solution for those who want to blend in—workshops and courses. Depending on the city, you can attend workshops on cooking local cuisine, baking, clay painting, drawing, and more. Not only will you learn new skills there, but you'll also meet locals and brush up on your language.
The internet will be your friend here. Workshops and courses are often organised by city communities and cultural centers, so check their websites to find something that interests you. You probably don't want to overspend by simply browsing the web or calling local numbers, so consider getting an eSIM app that will allow you to quickly buy a data plan from a local mobile carrier. Before signing up for a workshop, it's a good idea to ask the organiser if foreign participants will be able to understand what's going on. Usually, it's not a problem since many instructors speak some English, and even if they don't, with activities such as cooking or baking, it's often easy to understand instructions by watching others.
The internet will be your friend here. Workshops and courses are often organised by city communities and cultural centers, so check their websites to find something that interests you. You probably don't want to overspend by simply browsing the web or calling local numbers, so consider getting an eSIM app that will allow you to quickly buy a data plan from a local mobile carrier. Before signing up for a workshop, it's a good idea to ask the organiser if foreign participants will be able to understand what's going on. Usually, it's not a problem since many instructors speak some English, and even if they don't, with activities such as cooking or baking, it's often easy to understand instructions by watching others.
#3. Do Your Shopping Like Everyone Else!
Restaurants are the most convenient and tasty option for a tourist but also the most expensive and non-local option. Most people don't eat out every day. Sure, everyone treats themselves from time to time, but generally, people go to grocery stores and markets to buy their food. So if you want to live like a local, do what they do.
If you're renting an apartment with a kitchen, use that to your advantage. Do grocery shopping at the nearest market and try cooking something local. You'll find plenty of recipes online, in local book stores, in the cookbook section, and even in the magazine sections of stores. Don't forget to try the street food! Watch where the locals go when they feel hungry. You may discover delicious, inexpensive places that are not overrun by tourists.
#4. Live Like (And With) the Locals!
Obviously, local citizens in any given place don't live in hotels. If you want to feel like you belong, you should consider renting a place that resembles standard living conditions. Many Airbnbs have a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen area. Such places don't deviate much from the normal apartments locals live in. For an even more authentic experience, you could try couch-surfing—the practice of lending travellers your own couch in exchange for a small gesture, such as cooking a local dish or teaching a few sentences in another language. If you find a local willing to share their space, you'll have a chance to experience standard local living conditions, learn about customs and places unknown by tourists, and observe how people live from the inside.
#5. Travel Like Everyone Else!
Not many people use Uber services daily, at least in most parts of the world. Of course, locals also use taxis, but for most people, they're a last resort for economic reasons. If a city has reliable public transportation, it's most likely the cheapest and most preferred transportation option among residents. So, if you want to feel like a local and watch people go about their normal lives, travel like them—by bus, tram, subway, train. Buy a ticket like everyone else and forget about Ubering for a while.
#6. When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do!
Familiarise yourself with your destination beforehand, and accept that unless you are travelling within your own country, customs will differ from what you're used to. People may be too friendly or too shy. Too boisterous or too withdrawn. That's okay—it's the local culture. Observe how people normally behave and try to blend in with the crowd. Remember: it's quite easy to spot a foreign tourist just because they often dress and behave differently from everyone else and stand out like a sore thumb. For example, American tourists are often recognisable in Asian or European countries because they talk louder than everyone else. So, if you want to be treated like a local, act like a local.
What about you, do you try to experience the destinations you visit like a local? Feel free to share any tips & advice below!
ABOUTME
We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.
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