Since travelling became a significant part of my lifestyle, I’d come to realize that a conventional travel itinerary was just not enough to feed my thirst for complete cultural immersion or adventurous endeavors. It was time to ditch the guidebook and delve a little deeper, to get to know my destination inside out. Slow travel (usually means spending more than a month at a place) definitely does the trick, but if you haven’t got the time, here are some other ways to help spice up your journey and make it more than just travel.
1. Volunteer
Over the past ten years, voluntourism has gained popularity, especially among young travelers. Many people include a short volunteering stint in their travel plans. I personally volunteered at an education office in a small village in Tanzania two years back – the emotional ride was one of the best times in my life. Programs such as the Peace Corps assign volunteers to places that need help. Many organizations require a program fee, so do your research before signing up.
2. Hop on a Cruise
I’m not talking typical Caribbean party cruises. Think mid-sized cruises that bring you through the isolated Norwegian fjords or the massive icebergs in the Arctic and island-hopping in the Galapagos. Cruising offers a different perspective, especially in remote and secluded areas like the North Pole. They allow us to get to territories that cannot be visited otherwise. Discount cruises can be an interesting way to travel and even a cost-cutting one.
Photo from Destination360
3. Learn A Skill
From culinary classes to meditation courses, there are plenty of learning opportunities that gives you the chance to know the local culture better. Traveling to China? Take a tai-chi class or a kung-fu introductory course and you’ll leave with more than just photographs. In Japan, you can take a class from a veteran geisha to learn about their traditional ethics and behavior. Many embark on culinary tours around Italy and Spain to dig deeper into their gastronomy, learning to whip up typical Mediterranean dishes and sample local wine.
Photo from Tripadvisor
4. Couchsurf
The trend is here to stay: couchsurfing is now used worldwide, where members contact locals who are willing to offer them a couch to crash in or just meet up for a coffee. I personally have tried couchsurfing several times and have had amazing experiences every single time. It’s the perfect way to meet locals, understand their lifestyle, cultural habits and customs. Check out my previous post on couchsurfing.
Photo from shoestringmag
5. Book an Adventure Tour
Whether you are climbing icebergs in the Patagonia or trekking through the Amazon Jungle, an adventure tour definitely gives you the thrills of travel. It challenges you to your limit, gives you an adrenaline-pumping experience and allows you to explore a part of the country you might not be able to on your own. A tour usually takes up a chunk of your travel budget, but hey, no pain no gain. It’s often cheaper to book the tour at your destination rather than through the internet.
6. Pick Up a New Language
Another popular traveling option is language immersion: the most typical being Spanish classes in Guatemala, Argentina or Spain. Latin America is a top choice for language courses thanks to the low cost of living, rich culture and wide range of options available.These days, Mandarin is becoming the hottest language – so why not head further afield to Beijing? English is not commonly spoken, so you’ll definitely get plenty of practice.
7. Homestay
Most study-abroad programs consist of homestays where local families host you in the comfort of their homes, cooking you typical meals and speaking to you only in their language. Those who have had first-hand experience only have good things to say about this. Many build strong relations with their host families and often keep in touch after returning home. Even if you’re not a on study-abroad program, there are still many opportunities to go on a homestay. For instance, accommodation in Cuba is often in the form of homestays. They are cheaper and a better choice for many.
8. Get a Part-time Job
Work as diving instructor, teacher, chef, au-pair or cruise crew, there are thousands of working options available. For many countries, being a native English speaker gives you the advantage to find work easily. In Spain, you can easily find work as a teacher in an English summer camp. Depending on your skills, short-term work not only allows you to earn an extra income, but also gives you the experience of living and working in a new country.
Photo from Season Workers
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These are great suggestions! One thing I'd really like to do is take my husband and I to Oaxaca for our anniversary so he can take cooking classes and I can take Spanish classes. It would be a trip unlike any other that we've taken before.
JoAnna, it’s good to see you here! Well I hope your plans to take cooking and Spanish classes in Oaxaca materialize, I took Spanish intensive classes here in Spain and also got to experience a culinary class in Barcelona – they definitely made the trip one of a kind.
I highly recommend home stays! They give you the opportunity to be immersed in the family lifestyle of another culture. Also, your home stay family becomes very attached to you, which is endearing especially if you tend to feel like a loner when traveling.
Thanks for sharing! Home stays definitely allow you to experience local life and give you that warmth of having a second family when living abroad.
This list makes me want to book a flight this minute. I might have to settle for getting a head start on a new language from home. (And thanks to you it looks like I can start with Spanish swear words!)
great list! do you know where I can find homestay online?
Thanks Adriana, there are plenty of homestay resources online, such as this one: http://www.HomestayFinder.com. But it all depends on where you’re planning to visit. I really liked homestays, made me feel more integrated into the community and I got a better sense of their lifestyle and living. Good luck with that!
Hi, it's great post. I also like travelling and also do sometimes the same things as you. For instance visiting foreign country I'm trying to learn its language. furthermore I also used to take part in so called adventure tours (the matter is I"m fond of mountains, so there is no lack of adventures).
Hi, it's great post. I also like travelling and also do sometimes the same things as you. For instance visiting foreign country I'm trying to learn its language. furthermore I also used to take part in so called adventure tours (the matter is I"m fond of mountains, so there is no lack of adventures).
Volunteering is a favorite option of our client base. Most are long term travelers and are not looking for the tourist attractions. Been there done that. They actually look to involve themselves in the community in which they are living. This is true for when in the UK or any other exotic location.
Thank you for sharing this great article. These days we often see an increase in self-catering travellers as well; booking themselves into homestays or apartments, and often prefer to shop in local markets than supermarkets!
Excellent article. Like with everything else, you can do superficially, or you can go deep. Great tips on how to go deeper in your travels!
Yes Man, these are really the best ways to spice up yours travel. In all of them, homestays is my favorite. Homestay is the place where u gets comforts of home and at reasonable rates. I always prefer homestay & in my last trip to Coorg I had made an arrangement with mygreatstay.com, the host was excellent and we were treated like family. For see that homestay you can check http://www.mygreatstay.com/stays/country/India/st…
Good article man
hi Man Nice info
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I briefly lived in Japan in high school, and I had a homestay. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Very rewarding, educational, and I got to see real Japanese life. This was almost ten years ago, and I still keep in contact with my host family. They're my family on the other side of the world!
Thanks for dropping by Gretchen! Great to hear about your experience. It\’s definitely a great way to experience local life and the country. I also keep in touch with the family I stayed with while teaching in Tanzania, they really made an impact on my life and I can\’t wait to go back and visit them!
Great post, but be careful about volunteering on your travels as there are many horror stories of travellers doing for free what a local person would have been paid to do had you not arrived. But, I completely agree with the homestay idea! I did a few and had the best time from all of my travelling.
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Thanks for writing this informative post. I never knew that opinions could be this varied. Peace