Two Words on Being a Better Traveler: ‘Be Counterintuitive’
Travel Blog • Michael Yessis • 06.13.07 | 10:42 AM ET
Wall Street Journal travel writer Stan Sesser, a man with 40-plus years experience on the road, says that’s the key to escaping what he calls the “tourist bubble.” “When conventional wisdom tells you to do A, consider doing B,” he writes. “In practice, this might be something as simple as eating food from a street vendor or as heart-stopping as going to a country when everyone else is fleeing it. Counterintuitive thinking inevitably gets me out of the bubble, and even though it might provoke some anxiety, it usually works out fine.”
Specifically, he suggests avoiding hotels in favor of apartment stays, leaving cities in favor of countrysides and eating where the locals eat. It’s not mind-blowing advice—and such practices may sound familiar to long-time World Hum readers—but it’s a good reminder heading into the busy summer-travel season. Sesser’s tips are also available via podcast.
Related on World Hum:
* Ask Rolf Potts
* Tips on Using TripAdvisor, or How to Not Get the Room Next to the Jackhammering at 5 a.m.
* Globespotters: IHT’s Correspondents Blog Paris, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Beyond
* Experts to Americans: Easy On the Tipping!
* A ‘Random Guide to International Behavior’*
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Michael Yessis is the cofounder and coeditor-in-chief of World Hum.
Craig of Travelvice.com 11.18.07 | 12:55 PM ET
Getting out the bubble is essential. How many have traveled to a resort, and only to experience the airport and their multi-star accommodations.
I found myself in a similar situation recently, and walked down the highway from the resort to get some inexpensive, local cuisine.
http://travelvice.com/archive/2007/06/five-star-backpacking.php