When traveling, it really isn’t enough just to fly the “friendly skies.” Friendly interactions with the native people of the places you’re visiting are what make the experiences you have the most memorable. After all, monuments can’t speak.
People are the guardians of their country’s heritage, culture, and history, and they, better than any guidebook, can tell you where you can find the best places to eat and play and learn.
Ben Groundwater, well-known Australian travel writer and blogger, has compiled his own list of favorites. Groundwater looked up an old acquaintance in Scotland and was given a bed in his home, never left a pub alone in Ireland, was invited to play badminton in Laos, received genuine wishes for a great day and helpful directions from Americans, witnessed Fijians’ intense love for children and older people, found Indians notorious for their curiosity and their desire to truly know him, experienced abundant smiles in Thailand, discovered Kiwis of New Zealand completely lacking in cynicism, and felt emotionally and physically embraced in genuine love by Brazilians.
If you’d like to get to know the locals while traveling abroad, try the following:
- Travel Alone. Don’t be afraid to go to a bar or a cafe or a restaurant by yourself. Someone will befriend you.
- Go to events. Find out what the locals are doing on any given day–going to a football game, a concert, or a festival–and join them.
- Learn the language. Making an effort to greet people in their native tongue will demonstrate you’re open to further interactions.
- Book a homestay. Choosing your accommodations through AirBnB will immediately immerse you in a neighborhood, not surrounded by other tourists.
- Just do it. Don’t give in to fear; approach strangers and you’ll be surprised how many are genuinely pleased to meet you.
What have been your experiences with friendly locals in different countries? Share your stories and memories in the comments section or on our Facebook page.
Photo credit: Francois Schnell (Flickr/Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons)