There was a time in travel when the touring was simple. Arrive in a new city and consult with the thick travel guide (Fodor’s, Frommers, Lonely Planet, or Rick Steves), that always took up too much space in your day bag. Then, venture off to the main sites. Often, it was even simpler than that. For years, many first-time visitors to Europe and other parts of the world climbed onto buses and just went wherever the driver and tour leader took them.
These days, travelers want more. On your first visit to Paris, you’ll probably get to the top of the Eiffel Tower, walk along the Seine, maybe see the resurgent Notre Dame. In the past, that would’ve been plenty. But today, everyone wants to return home with a really good story. Preferably, one nobody else is telling.
1. Walk. A Lot. And Be Curious.
Finding cool places is often very simple: Just get out there and walk around as much as possible. View everything with inquisitiveness and curiosity.Here’s an example from my travels. Laos is not on the main, Southeast Asian tourist track like Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, but Luang Prabang is its biggest draw. I knew very little about this place before my arrival. Once home to royalty, this city of palaces and many Buddhist temples sits on the broad bends of the Mekong River. It is picturesque in a way that’s difficult to describe, the mighty river set under ripples of lush, green mountains.
Weary from the journey, I was very tempted to take a bath and head to bed. But the night market beckoned.
Every evening, hundreds of vendors set up shop right in the middle of town. Walking through the last tendrils of humidity, I encountered everything from hand-painted postcards to jewelry created from munitions left over from the darkest days of the 1960s.
The sellers were friendly and eager to chat. I purchased a few small items and lingered a little longer than I’d planned. Now bone-tired, I could feel the deep-soaker tub in the room drawing me back.
At the end of the market, I saw a light glowing a couple blocks away. The intervening area was dark and a little lonely, but I was determined to check it out. I secretly hoped it was nothing, and I could just hop into a cab and head to the hotel.
It wasn’t. Inside, I found a small rollicking space, where the tables and bar were almost full. I grabbed the last barstool and chatted with the young female bartender. She was the owner of the place, and a local. She introduced me to her boyfriend, who had lived in Luang Prabang for years.
2. Talk. To Everyone.
Some experts say: Never talk to the concierge. He’ll send you to the places the tourists like. You’ll never find the real destination that way.But I talk, literally to everybody. The concierge, too—you just have to ask the right questions (and make it clear you’re looking for a place off the beaten path). I chat up store clerks, waiters, and even workers on the street. I ask them their favorite spots, for food or fun or whatever, and let them brag about their hometown or nation.
A few years ago I visited the Balkan country of Albania. Mountainous and set on the Ionian Sea, it is a nation filled with natural wonders. Yet, it’s only just gained a degree of popularity with Westerners.
The night I arrived, the national soccer team was playing a major international match. They triumphed. While I had no allegiances in the game, I was happy to join the party, which was taking place on every corner in the heart of Tirana, Albania’s capital.
After hours of frosty beers in raucous bars and dancing in the streets, I ended up at a fast food joint. And, as I always do, I chatted with the guy at the table across from me. In the course of conversation, he told me—rather vociferously—that I was visiting all the wrong places in his home nation.
3. Play Dumb. Really.
It’s one of the luxuries we have as travelers—we don’t need to know everything. In fact, we don’t need to know even basic things. Even if I’ve researched a place and know many of the main items, I still let local people explain, as if it’s all new to me.Here’s the thing: It’s a kind thing to do, and they’ll almost always throw in something you didn’t know. For example: On a trip to Copenhagen, I was having a bowl of soup in a museum restaurant and chatting with the server there. I told her I was writing a story about the nightlife and didn’t know where to start.
4. Be Willing to Visit Un-Pretty Places
A final, quick tip—the best stories often come from gritty places. The pot of gold isn’t always (or even usually) at the end of the rainbow. Sometimes it’s found on the wrong side of the tracks. So go beyond the tourist traps to where people really work, live, play, and you’ll find the heart and soul of any destination.Keep Safe
While exploring can be exhilarating, safety is always paramount. A few thoughts:- Ask the hotel concierge or front desk (or even better, local friends) about areas to avoid, and when to avoid them—sometimes a place that’s perfectly fine during the day can turn risky at night.
- Have a couple different plans to get home. Carry a little cash. It will come in handy if you need a taxi because your phone dies and can’t do Uber.
- If in doubt, don’t go out—your gut feeling is probably right.
- If it’s your first time traveling solo as a female or if you have any reservations or doubts, traveling in a group can raise your comfort level, especially in a marginal neighborhood.
- A number of hostels now offer female-only rooms, and online groups help women traveling in the same city connect.
