In simple terms, in off-beaten path experience, If you want to see the part of town where people live, you need to go visit them. J.R.R Tolkien once said that not all wanderers are lost. So, how about you become the unconventional tourist who do not just travel for travel’s sake?
How about you become the unconventional tourist who does not just travel for travel’s sake? Whether you have visited a lot of places, there are always new destinations to be explored. There is always something novel to be discovered. Sometimes the experience you seek is to go somewhere unexplored by the conventional tourist where you feel warmth, reception and authenticity. The ultimate feeling of an off-beaten path experience.
Whenever you are looking for suggestions, you are always searching for something different that will set your travel apart from others. In the words of Andre Gide, those who fear to lose the sight of the shore will never discover new lands. Traveling is one of the most exhilarating, enjoyable and memorable experiences you will ever have. Individuals are not meant to stay at one place their entire lives. In the evolution of mankind, we have always been nomads, always seeking out new lands. It was until the Agrarian revolution and the Industrial revolution that people have grown too accustomed to sedentary lifestyles that majority of individual’s innate desire to explore new places, destinations has been suppressed. Sometimes, what you experience during your travel is not because you are special, it is as a result of genuinely interacting with the people you meet, communicating and smiling with them. They may be holding your key to that special place you are looking for.
A few months ago on our coast trip, we went on a quest to find hidden gems purely based on the concept of mingling and learning from the locals to get the most authentic experiences. We met with locals from various communities who warmly welcomed us sharing with us stories about their communities and livelihoods while at the same time, introducing us to the most hidden gems not many people know about. We really loved and enjoyed that trip so much because we established a deeper connection with the people and nature.
Are you a curious traveler? Your strengths should be on human interactions.
Off-beaten path travel will ignite the sense of adventure in you. It is unconventional. It is not just about going to the well known, crowded, in the map, destinations. Not only that, but it requires you to have a high level of curiosity. Furthermore, it is daunting. It requires you to actively seek out hidden gems that most travelers are unaware of. It is exhilarating and at the same time it will make you fearless, courageous and hardcore. Likewise, it requires you to go off grid.
You can only discover these hidden gems by genuinely connecting with the local communities in the destination you have travelled to by interacting with them; learn their way of life, respect their culture, try out their food, be curious and ask them questions, purchase commodities from them, and let rooms at where they live.
You would be surprised how communities are hospitable to foreigners and are so open to people who genuinely are interested in their culture. They would be open to show you around and in turn discover locations, hidden gems and sceneries that you would otherwise not have stumbled upon if you did not show interest to learn more about them.
You might face a few challenges, though:
Off-beaten path travel is not for the faint-hearted. You may face challenges such as rough terrains or roads, lack of network connectivity, inadequate supply of water or challenges in finding your way to this hidden gems due to hostile hosts, or maybe they just want to take advantage of you and, lack of adequate knowledge by the host on a particular kind of experience you are looking for. However, the completion of your adventure will leave you happy, with a sense of satisfaction, confidence and a positive mindset with the appreciation of the beauty of this marvelous world. Additionally, it will leave great memories, and you will definitely have stories for days on end to tell.
If you loved to travel and explore more often but feel uncertain or do not know where to begin, please just start small even in your hometown then take your adventures on the road but, remember that you do not have to do isolated places only, consider more of human interactions by joining the locals as they move through with their daily activities.
Take that leap, go on an adventure. Get lost on purpose. You never know what novel wonders of this beautiful world you may discover. If you are not sure about these experiences, check out our packages to start you off, or check from a variety of off-beaten path experiences we have curated for you.
Leave a Reply