So me and my friends at work have been pretty much everywhere and anywhere across the globe and we’ve learnt a thing or two about travelling! If you’re making a must-do list before you set off on your adventure here’s our top 5 ‘hit list’ of the things that we think should be on every explorer’s list!
Eat the local food Whether it’s fried snake in Vietnam (that’s me!) crocodile in Australia (Tom) or grasshoppers in Uganda (that’s Katie’s snack of choice) there’s a local delicacy wherever you go. It might be the most disgusting thing you’ve ever tasted (sparrows don’t come recommended I’m afraid) but you might just find a new favourite snack! Whatever happened, it’s a great travelling tale to share with your friends and a golden photo opportunity!
Conquer a fear Terrified of spiders? You should be aiming to hold a tarantula by the end of your trip. Don’t like deep water? Go diving. Snakes make your skin crawl? Have one slithering around your neck before you head home. The exhilaration of having done something so out of your comfort zone will leave you on a high for days, and you’ll be ready to face anything. I conquered my fear of heights by climbing the massive Sydney Harbour Bridge, and although I fainted halfway up (there’s another great travelling tale!) I came back down ready to do the whole thing all over again! Heights? No problem anymore =)
Spend time with the local people There’s a great quote from a traveller that I love: “just enjoy what the people have to offer you and listen to their advice, they might just know what’s best.” The people you meet in far flung places will be very different to those you know at home, but they’ll open your eyes to a whole new way of life and can give you invaluable inside information about what to see and where to go. Stay in local places, go to cultural events and get to know the “real” country from the people who know it best. You’ll have a much more fulfilling and awe inspiring experience!
Teach a local person some English phrases You can make a positive impact in someone’s life just by talking to them! Even if you’re not participating in an English teaching project or job, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to help someone local learn some English. As it’s a global language, if a person can speak English they have much better job prospects – being able to communicate with tourists opens up a whole new range of employment options for somebody, and they’ll be keen to learn as much as possible from you. Take the time to help someone master some basic English and you’ll not only help them, but also get that warm “feel good” feeling for yourself!
Learn to say more than just hello and goodbye Picking up a new language is always a highlight of any of my trips, and the locals really appreciate you making the effort to integrate into the community. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the surprised look on people’s faces when I hopped on a bus in Vietnam and asked for “1 adult’s return to Mai Dich please” in near perfect Vietnamese! Communication is key to the enjoyment of any adventure, so the more local lingo you know, the better. Don’t be shy, give it a try!
Eat the local food Whether it’s fried snake in Vietnam (that’s me!) crocodile in Australia (Tom) or grasshoppers in Uganda (that’s Katie’s snack of choice) there’s a local delicacy wherever you go. It might be the most disgusting thing you’ve ever tasted (sparrows don’t come recommended I’m afraid) but you might just find a new favourite snack! Whatever happened, it’s a great travelling tale to share with your friends and a golden photo opportunity!
Conquer a fear Terrified of spiders? You should be aiming to hold a tarantula by the end of your trip. Don’t like deep water? Go diving. Snakes make your skin crawl? Have one slithering around your neck before you head home. The exhilaration of having done something so out of your comfort zone will leave you on a high for days, and you’ll be ready to face anything. I conquered my fear of heights by climbing the massive Sydney Harbour Bridge, and although I fainted halfway up (there’s another great travelling tale!) I came back down ready to do the whole thing all over again! Heights? No problem anymore =)
Spend time with the local people There’s a great quote from a traveller that I love: “just enjoy what the people have to offer you and listen to their advice, they might just know what’s best.” The people you meet in far flung places will be very different to those you know at home, but they’ll open your eyes to a whole new way of life and can give you invaluable inside information about what to see and where to go. Stay in local places, go to cultural events and get to know the “real” country from the people who know it best. You’ll have a much more fulfilling and awe inspiring experience!
Teach a local person some English phrases You can make a positive impact in someone’s life just by talking to them! Even if you’re not participating in an English teaching project or job, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to help someone local learn some English. As it’s a global language, if a person can speak English they have much better job prospects – being able to communicate with tourists opens up a whole new range of employment options for somebody, and they’ll be keen to learn as much as possible from you. Take the time to help someone master some basic English and you’ll not only help them, but also get that warm “feel good” feeling for yourself!
Learn to say more than just hello and goodbye Picking up a new language is always a highlight of any of my trips, and the locals really appreciate you making the effort to integrate into the community. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the surprised look on people’s faces when I hopped on a bus in Vietnam and asked for “1 adult’s return to Mai Dich please” in near perfect Vietnamese! Communication is key to the enjoyment of any adventure, so the more local lingo you know, the better. Don’t be shy, give it a try!
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