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Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,076,059 times
Reputation: 11862
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Some people seem fairly content just to visit somewhere, domestically or in abroad, and return none the wiser about the place. They may superficially experience the place, but they don't take the effort to learn about the place, geography, culture, history, people, food.etc.
Whenever I travel somewhere, mostly another country, I like to read about it, it's history, culture, or watch videos/documentaries or talk to people about it, online or in real life. Both before the trip, during the trip and often after the trip. Often going to a place makes me interested in it, especially one I didn't have as much interest in before.
If I am going someplace I have never been I read up on it a lot. I also look for things to do in the general area. I don't care much for going from one motel one night to another the next and so on. I like to find a main location and motel/hotel and then make day trips from there.
We travel a fair amount, and love experiencing, and immersing ourselves, in new places. I tend to do a lot of research, learn a few words of the language, plan the kinds of places we'll explore. My husband doesn't do much of that, preferring to go into a place with fresh eyes, and learn everything first-hand. But we do both learn and experience a lot of new things, ways of life, culture, art, music, whatever we can get. Of course my husband gets the benefit of my research before we go!
My second favourite part of travel is reading up on the place for months or weeks ahead of time.
Yesterday I was at a bookstore and heard some guy complain out loud that the resort he is visiting in Jamaica wasn't listed in the guidebook he had. What's the point of that? Can you even leave resorts?
Before the days of the internet, I would purchase book on top; of book when we were traveling out of the country particularly. Now, I depend on the net. No matter where we are visiting, if it is more than a weekend trip we do a lot of research. Even when cruising we research all the ports prior to the cruise. That is part of the fun of going someplace new.
I can't imagine going to the time and expense to travel afar and not learn about the history, customs, and people of the region you are travelling to. By not doing so you really miss the real experience.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,076,059 times
Reputation: 11862
I guess a lot of people just stay in a resort for maybe 5 nights or a week, never or barely leave it (if so to places dominated and catering to tourists). Most of the locals they meet are shop keepers, hotel staff, sellers, restaurant staff.etc, who relate to them as tourists with money. But it's hard to escape that sometimes even if you go off the beaten.
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