Make Your Travels More Meaningful By Getting Locally Involved

Get a real taste of a different culture

Most of us take vacations to simply get away from the daily grind. We take a road trip to get out of the city or travel abroad to set our sights on a different horizon. But while it’s a great thing to step away from our lives and breathe once in a while, it’s our responsibility to let the experience open our eyes in more ways than one. 

Immerse yourself in the different

It doesn’t matter if you’re going through an airport gate or passing below a simple provincial sign that reads “Welcome”—both offer you the chance to dive into something new. This could mean taking a walk through a different landscape or trying out a dish that’s unfamiliar to you or even getting on a new means of transportation. It doesn’t matter. Leave the hotel car at the lobby. 

Embrace the culture

Then again, you can take the route less traveled and leave the hotel alone altogether. Various places have their own cultures and their own ways of living. So why let yourself drown in them? Remove the tourist traps from your itinerary and go where the locals go instead. Listen to their music, dance their dances and learn how they live.

Speak to the locals

Observation itself is a wonderful experience, but speaking to the locals will bring your travels to a higher dimension. It’s the same difference between reading about something and actually being in that moment. And why would you choose staying on the sidelines when the court is right in front of you? 

Get involved

Each country and locality will have their own struggles, problems and initiatives. Figure out what these are and sign up. Get to the root of the problem and do your part in helping solve it. You’ll not only feel great for doing a good thing, but you’ll also ensure you never forget the place you visited. 

Take inspiration

All these things are exactly what Solenn Heussaff did during her visit to Samar for #Scenezoned season 2. She visited an Island that hardly any tourists have left their footprints on, she laughed with the children and she listened to the stories of fishermen. Moreover, she wholeheartedly joined them in their activities. She dove into the waters to do her part in the Biri Initiative, which aims to save the local marine life. 

Her adventure was inspirational and it was proof that there’s no better way to travel.

Get the Samsung Galaxy S8 with Globe’s ThePLAN. And don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for more of #Scenezoned season 2!