What is Cultural Travel?

Our blog caters to those who want to experience more ‘cultural travel’. So what does that mean?

“Cultural travel is a type of travel that emphasizes experiencing life within a foreign culture, rather than from the outside as a temporary visitor. Cultural travelers leave their home environment at home, bringing only themselves and a desire to become part of the culture they visit.”

Source: Wikipedia definition

What does cultural travel look like?
1) This might mean you take a bus, or rent a car (or motor bike) to explore more on your on. Why do this you may ask? So you can enjoy the journey as you get from Point A to Point B, and maybe decide to make a few stops along the way. Live in the moment. Get lost. Meet some locals. This is all assuming you feel you are a safe country. Often the best things that happen on vacation, are not planned and just happen organically.

2) You probably will stay longer, instead of just staying for 1 week. So you can relax and immerse yourself in the environment.

3) You’re not staying in a large chain hotel, but may decide to rent an apt. or home and stay in a regular neighborhood with the locals. Or you may want to rent a guest house, or couch surf.

4) You will try foods that are local favorites instead or ordering what you normally eat back home.

5) You at least try to learn a few helpful words and phrases of the country you are visiting (before your trip) and try to conserve with the locals.

6) You don’t have every day totally planned out or set in stone. You may have plans but you also leave some room for the unexpected.

7) You might plan your trip to coincide with an annual local festival or concert. Or attend a sporting event. In an upcoming trip to Italy, I’ve purchased tickets for two professional soccer/football games and have even purchased the local team’s football jersey to wear to the game). So then the next day, I can talk to the locals at the cafe and let them know I attended the game. Of course, that is assuming their home team wins (and I hope they will). If they lose, I probably won’t say anything.

8) You drink what they drink (or at least try it). If you’re an American in Istanbul, try not to ask your waiter if they serve American coffee. In Turkey, drink Turkish coffee or chai. In Thailand, drink Thai Iced Tea. Drink Cafe au Lait in Paris, and Italy drink cappuccino at breakfast and Espresso in the evening. Then when you get back home, drink your normal coffee. But while you are in another country, try to embrace the feeling of eating and drinking what they eat and drink.

9) Take a cooking class at your travel destination. You will learn so much about the vegetables, spices, etc. that they use, and plus it is fun and usually you eat what you cooked. In my past experiences, food prepared in cooking classes has always been delicious, and is something you can try to reproduce when you return home to share with family and friends. Now that is something they probably really appreciate rather than a refrigerator magnet or souvenir cup. I’ve taken two cooking classes in Italy (Florence and Venice), and one in Thailand (Chiang Mai).