Rediscovering Local Travel and Exploring Hidden Gems in Your Area
Due to an increasingly crowded travel landscape, hidden gems may seem harder than ever to discover. But with some research, local tips, and creativity you can discover unique experiences.
Explore local restaurants and cultural institutions that don’t get enough recognition. Search social media platforms such as TikTok or Instagram for suggestions from local users; inquire at your hotel for advice.
1. Take a Tour
Taken correctly, tours can be invaluable components of your travels. They take away some of the stress associated with planning an itinerary on your own and allow you to rely on an expert who knows where all the best sites and attractions are in their city. In addition, tours offer great ways to meet other travelers as you’ll likely travel together and can share tips about restaurants, attractions and activities they recommend!
No matter your travel goals – whether they are spectacular attractions worthy of Instagram likes or quirky destinations with plenty of character – there are numerous hidden gems within reach. A few places you should look include local tourism boards, lifestyle publications that cover your region, local influencers and photographers as well as Instagram searches with relevant hashtags. With travel restrictions limiting international trips becoming less appealing due to border closures and travel bans limiting international trips more travellers are opting to explore local regions instead.
2. Ask for Recommendations
No matter if it’s for food, mechanics or hair salon, asking friends for recommendations is always recommended. Facebook makes this easy by posting statuses with “Ask for Recommendations” enabled – prompting friends to suggest restaurants, businesses and destinations near your location which appear on a map.
Use online travel apps and websites such as TripAdvisor, Yelp and Atlas Obscura – websites dedicated to quirky attractions and Instagrammable locations – to discover hidden gems.
Google Maps and Explore Your City can also be invaluable tools in discovering local gems. Explore Your City uses your location to suggest restaurants, cafes, bars, museums and more based on user recommendations; Instagram provides another means of discovering potential hidden gems as it’s frequently used by influencers who share their favorite spots on Instagram.
3. Follow the Visuals
As travel becomes more crowded with tourists and overrated attractions, more and more travelers are turning towards local travel as an alternative. This trend, known as the Renaissance of Staycations, is driven by travelers seeking unique experiences they often overlook for more exotic locations.
Search engines are an excellent way to discover hidden gems. As generic terms such as “tourist attractions in [city]” might bring up too many duplicate results, try searching with images or specific locations instead. Forums like Reddit can also provide invaluable resources that provide more details about a hidden treasure.
Instagram can also be an incredible resource. Browsing through the accounts of your city’s tourism board, lifestyle publications, and local influencers may reveal some interesting venues and activities – or do a quick search with #yourcity and see what pops up – you may be amazed at what surprises await! For instance, Rochester’s ARTISAN works is described as “an interactive kaleidoscope that fills visitors’ senses with visual delights”.
4. Stay Local
Eating and shopping locally is an invaluable way to understand a country and its culture. Choose foods produced in the area or try street food if it’s popular; both will give you an authentic experience at a very cost-effective price point.
When spending money, support local artisans and craftspeople by purchasing locally produced goods. Not only will you help the economy while simultaneously reducing environmental impact.
Staying local means taking advantage of local transportation options. Ride public transit and get acquainted with your surroundings by gazing out the windows, listening to local language spoken out loud by fellow passengers and watching people interact in real time.
Staying local means finding accommodation that is owned or managed locally. Sites like Airbnb and Couchsurfing make it simple to connect with locally-run home sharing options; Booking provides an entire section dedicated to “local places”, often more cost-effective and homey alternatives than hotels – including bed and breakfasts, hostels and small private rooms.
5. Keep a List
Recognizing local culture and exploring beyond the most tourist-populated paths can unlock an array of hidden gems. Beyond exploring on your own, taking an architecture or cooking/food tour may reveal places not listed in most guides. Be sure to ask your tour leader or fellow participants honestly about their favorite spots – they are more likely to open their doors when asked directly!
Keep a list of destinations and experiences that interest you to help guide your search for hidden adventures near home. Explore websites of local tourism boards, lifestyle publications or Instagram influencers in order to uncover venues or locations not featured on standard travel lists; alternatively Reddit forums provide useful platforms where conversations may spark suggestions that you could follow up on later.
Traveling closer to home not only saves costs and carbon emissions, but it can also provide unique experiences you would otherwise miss. By following these ten tips you’ll discover an abundance of hidden gems near home that await you for exploration!