The other day, I booked a flight for $31.86. Yeah. Talk about budget traveling. A lot of people tend to browse big mainstream websites for their travel advice. For instance, they might look on Tripadvisor or Lonely Planet; essentially, websites that pop up first in the Google search. While these are perfectly fine and full of information, they tend to cover the surface of most locations, but don’t provide any deep information. That’s why you have to look out for those secret travel tips and destinations that aren’t discussed regularly.
So, how does one learn the secrets, the hacks, and the ins-and-outs of traveling?
Well, it’s all about networking, meeting people and finding unique places to visit that aren’t well-known on travel websites. Fill your agenda, passport, and Instagram with unique attractions, awesome food, and hidden gems of every destination so all of your friends can have an immense amount of FOMO.
Look for hobby communities that travel frequently
I have two words for you. Facebook groups. Facebook groups are the conversation starters for all things. If you’ve got other hobbies or are part of communities that travel for the sake of a hobby, then you might find some wonderful travel tips if you get involved in conversations. For instance, if you have a love for extreme sports, then there are some unmissable extreme sports locations in the world for you to travel to and experience. Your fellow extreme sports enthusiasts will probably have plenty of advice on where to go and what to do in this realm.
Similarly, if you love exploring different cultures and histories, then you’ll likely find communities that can recommend some unique attractions and destinations that are related to your interests.
Some of my favorite groups for travel advice are Girls Love Travel and The Sassy Club.
Speak to natives over the internet to learn more about the country
If you’re a regular on social media then networking with natives in different countries and getting to know them is a fantastic way to learn a couple of secret travel tips that you won’t find on mainstream websites. I typically search the location I’m looking at traveling, look for a caption in English (language barriers, man), and look for photos that look intriguing enough for me to friend them and ask questions. Most people would be more than happy to tell you about their country and its secret attractions if you show interest, and now you just made an online friend!
Search websites that are in the native language of the country
This takes a few extra steps but can lead to some awesome information. Instead of just looking at websites that are in English, why not consider looking at sites in the countries native language. For example, if you are planning a trip to Austria, Tripadvisor will give you plenty of fluff about Austria from a tourist perspective. If you want to know about vacation clubs, go straight to the source like Markus Wischenbart of Austria and auto-translating them for some tips.
It’s a good idea to look at sites that are in the native language of the country since the articles and travel destinations are probably reviewed by people who have far more experience than the typical traveler. This will almost guarantee that you’ll find a spectacular hidden gem that isn’t talked about on most common websites.
Look for niche travel bloggers and YouTubers
This is where hashtags and geotags come in handy. Instead of just looking for general travel bloggers or YouTubers, why not look for creators that travel with a purpose? Let’s say I am headed to Austin, Texas, I am absolutely, positively, 100% going to search #texastravel, #austinblogger, etc. I am bound to find some locals that will show me all of the hot spots and hidden spots to check out. Everything great is on the gram in my opinion. Use Instagram as a told for you! I’ve made so many online connections this way.
Even if they’re not natives to the city you're looking into, whoever you are reaching out to has probably explored far more destinations and had unique experiences that most people haven’t even heard of.
So there you have it. A few travel tips to finding genuine, unique places, that kind of throw you off the beaten path, but still let you explore the mainstream realness in every new location. Do you have any travel tips and tricks for finding new places? Let's chat in the comments below.
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