Travel can carry a lot of weight, especially if you don’t get to do it very often. Once we’ve selected our destination, paid good money for flights and hotels, and finally arrived, the question tends to be: how do I make this worthwhile?!
The odd thing about travel is that it’s a leisure activity that can induce a lot of stress. Vacation time and resources are precious; in the meantime, being in unfamiliar territory can be scary.
Traveling with other people can also be a pressure cooker, because everyone wants to get the most out of their vacation. The truth is, all of us (even within the same family) move at different paces and have unique interests. This can end in conflict if we’re not prepared!
Takayama Jinya, Japan
So how do we go about making the most of our travels?
More specifically, how do we travel with depth and vision? Because the greatest value in travel is allowing that new place to change us: to give us a new perspective, to refresh our tired soul, to inspire our thirsty minds.
Most of us do not want to be the tourist that comes back with hundreds of photographs but not a single ounce of inspiration. We want our travels to have an impact– we want this rare opportunity to carry meaning. Whether it’s 3 days in a new city or 3 months overseas, here are 8 ways to get as much as you can out of your adventure!
A glimpse of Quito Old Town
8 Ways to Make the Most of Your Travels
1) Prioritize your hobbies and interests.
Presumably you’ve selected a destination based on your interests. But even within that destination are likely numerous options, so you’ll still have to pick and choose. I like to delineate my vision for a trip before I get to planning. Am I interested in the history? Architecture? Food? Hiking? Art museums? Gardens? Choosing a few of these to focus on makes the process easier; and it’s good for all travelers in your group to understand each other’s priorities and interests too!
2) Read, read, read (with a grain of salt).
Oh, the resources available to us! It’s a bit overwhelming, isn’t it? There are traditional travel guides, travel memoirs, history books, online resources, podcasts, TripAdvisor, YouTube videos, blogs, and the list goes on and on.
Here’s the thing: the more you know about your destination, the better off you’ll be. However, this does not mean you should allow someone else’s experience to set your expectations. Being an informed traveler includes knowing which places you want to visit and how to do that, but it also means knowing the culture well enough to conduct yourself respectfully. Once you’re well-prepared, then let your destination surprise you!
3) Get up at 6AM.
This is generally a good idea for most destinations. Getting up early means beating the crowds, finding great light for photos, and having enough time to enjoy a location. Of course, certain places aren’t open this early, but there’s usually something amazing to be found. Then, when the area is hot and crowded in the afternoon, you can take a nap!
Kyoto at 6AM
4) Talk to the locals (that are willing to talk to you).
Not everyone is interested in chatting up a tourist, and we must respect that. However, your tour guide, hotel hosts, coffee barista and other local friends might be willing to answer questions! It’s so much fun to hear the perspective of people who actually live in the area you’re visiting (even if it’s within your own country); I always try to take advantage of any locals who are willing to chat with me. I’ve learned so much by doing this!
5) Visit an open market.
Markets are the best places to be immersed in the local culture! Whether it’s a farmer’s market or an artisanal market, there’s lots to see. When we were in Paris, we decided to go out to a market that is rarely frequented by tourists. It was an absolutely amazing time, just watching people buy and sell, and getting to wander through without anyone really noticing us. In Taiwan the night markets are famous (and becoming more of a tourist hub), but many locals still visit regardless. Drink in the noise, commotion and good vibes!
Marche Aligre in Paris
6) Put down the camera (occasionally).
Boy do I struggle with this one. Photography has grown on me this past year and it’s hard for me to not respond to something exciting by picking up my camera. But sometimes we forget to soak in our surroundings and enjoy the moment when we’re so busy capturing it on (digital) film. We care so much about how our trip will be represented that we forget to look, listen, smell, taste and feel.
One thing that helps me slow down is to close my eyes for just a few seconds (more is not a good idea in some locations!). I don’t want to have to rely on my photos to remember what I did. I want to remember because I was there.
7) Balance rest and activity.
Some people aren’t satisfied until they’ve seen every last thing in their destination of choice. Whether they’re excited about it or not, they need to check off that list to feel fulfilled. I think there’s a point at which an additional site or activity is not beneficial. We need to rest in order to fully observe and absorb our surroundings. Sleeping early is generally a good idea when traveling (so you can get up at 6AM!), and slowing down to appreciate a favorite location is sometimes the best decision we can make.
8) Blend in.
It’s ok to be a tourist (and look like one); none of us should be in denial of that. But for a more authentic experience, I usually try to blend in. If the locals don’t wear shorts, then I don’t wear shorts. If the locals linger at dinner, then I’ll linger too. By behaving like the locals, I become more aware of how their ways are different from my own. I get to, in a sense, try certain elements of a lifestyle that is new for me. I’ve never been a fan of transplanting my American preferences to my international destination; the point of traveling is to experience something different, even if that means a bit of discomfort or awkwardness. It’s worth it.
How do you get the most out of your travels?
[Tweet “How do we travel with depth and vision? 8 simple ways via @daisylinshih”]
Thanks girl!! 🙂
I love this post so much!
#3 surprised me, Daisy! Thanks for sharing!
these are fabulous tips that i couldn’t agree with more! your blog is gorgeous and i can’t wait to read more posts because so many of the titles were calling my name! fun to find a fellow travel-lover 🙂
xoxo
welltraveledwife.com
Thank you Karen! Yes– waking up early is a great thing to do!
Yes that’s a great point– off-season travel can be awesome. And I completely agree about wandering around the city instead of making off for just the landmarks. Exploring is so much fun!
Thank you Erin! I bet Rome was GORGEOUS in the morning and without people. I wish I did that when I was there!
Thank you Van! And yes I have that issue too– at the very least I tend to leave my smartphone at home!
Such a good post. I agree with all your tips. We are night owls by nature, but we wake up early when we travel. It really helps you get the most from a place.
love the tips…travelling of season helps too…less crowded and usually cheaper. What helps me the most is planning my trips before hand and make a schedule. It is a loose one usually, but if I follow it religiously I can end up with a “free” day! Oh and I prefer walking around a city rather than seeing museums…I feel more “local” that way!
I love the tip to get up before 6AM. On my recent trip to Rome, we got up extra early to visit the Vatican, and seeing the city without throngs of tourists was really special. You also can’t beat that early morning glowy light. Thanks for sharing!
Great tips! I too often forget to put down my camera and just enjoy the moment and then totally regret that later!
Hopefully next time!
Thanks so much Jessica! And yes, summer light in the evening is just as good. Loved it too.
We went to the Marche Aligre in Paris! You should definitely check it out. 🙂
Thanks Monica! I love combining plans with some unstructured free time when it comes to travel. Stuffing our days to the brim with planned activities just makes me tired!
Thanks Maaike! Yes it’s hard to be disciplined enough to get up early, but it’s so worth it! 🙂
Ah thank you Gina! 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed this post! 🙂
I liked so many of your points! Getting up at 6 am totally did not happen on my Europe trip because I was up exploring the city so late (all that summer light <3). Perhaps another trip!
Which market did you go to in Paris?
WONDERMENTARY @ http://blog.jessicapei.com
So much great travel advice in this post 🙂 After recently returning home from a month-long overseas trip followed by a road trip, I think I’ve learned that the best trips are well prepared ones where you “read, read, read (with a grain of salt),” set a loose itinerary and be adventurous enough to not necessarily go by it!
Totally agree with all the points in this post! Actually, some of them are very straightforward, yet I’ve to admit that I don’t follow up on this advice, even though I know that it would be better for me. For example, I can’t put my camera away. The minute I start doing that, I’m afraid that I see something beautiful I want to take a photo of. And getting up at 6am, and taking a nap in the hot afternoon? Great advice, yet, never done it…
I am 100% in love with this post, Daisy! I love the idea of traveling with depth and vision. i think it is so important to research where you are traveling and then, once you’re there, have a plan but go with the flow! It should feel more like a journey than an itinerary! I am so refreshed by your travel posts, girl! I think you are such a good example of inspired travel. I love your idea of getting up early and taking rests. It is so important to listen to your body as you travel, too! Thanks so much for this epic post!!
Thanks, Catherine! Haha, sometimes those evening scenes are worth staying awake for! 😉
These tips are great Daisy. Jordan and I have somewhat created a good system of roughly determining key places we want to hit, while still allowing flexibility. We get up really early too, almost to a fault though. We completely forgot to see the Eiffel Tower at night all lit up because we were in bed so early! Haha.
Thank you Jenna! It’s great that you naturally wake up early! If my jetlag is timed juuuuust right, I can usually get up early too. 😉
This is so good, Daisy! I love the one about getting up at 6am. I’m an early riser in general, and usually when I’m in an unfamiliar place I’ll wake up even earlier. I love getting out and exploring before the rest of the crowds arrive. And you’re right, the heat of the day is the perfect time to take a nap instead of sleeping in!
Yes!! I used to just rely on my husband for photos, until I started using lots of photos on my blog. Then I felt a little… dependent. Hah! And yes, early mornings are SO great in hot climates. Then you beat the crowds and the heat, and get to nap in the afternoon. 😉
Ahh Mandi! I’m so glad to read that! 🙂 I hope you experience even more richness in your upcoming travels.
I love having photos of our trips, but I don’t like carrying a camera or taking photos at all–so my happy medium is to travel with people who do like using cameras–that way I get the best of both worlds, haha! As a morning person, I really like your idea of starting the day at 6 am. We usually travel in really hot climates, too, so early morning hours are key exploration time.
I am SOAKING up this post right now <3 Planning more vacations and I want to know ways to truly CONNECT to what I'm seeing and places I'm going since traveling is so pricey but so worth it for the soul. Thank you for writing this at a time I needed to read it.
Yes tripadvisor is helpful!! I do take some of the reviews with a grain of salt though. 😉
Ah thanks Kat! I’m so glad to hear that 🙂 I’ll check out your blog now!
Thank you Erica!! 🙂
so much great advice. I love tripadvisor on planning trips. They always have such fun things to do.
Just found you through The Nectar Collective, and am so glad I did! These are such great tips, and your photos are beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
xoxo
Kat
Wonderful post, lots of great advice! Thank you, also your pictures are lovely! Cheers!
Thank you Heather!! There are so many different ways to go about travel, and I’m glad to know this was helpful! 🙂
All excellent advice! I’ve travelled quite a bit but really only focused on the logistics… next time hopefully I will come away even more inspired if I plan for it and soak it in the way you recommend. Thanks!
Yes… it’s really tough not to try to record everything for posterity (or the blog)! 😉
Yes!! I think my favorite travel memories have been times when I’ve relaxed a little!
Thanks friend! And you are so right– these do apply to living well too. Thanks for pointing that out! 🙂
Thanks Nabihah!! Yes, sometimes I feel sort of “lame” to not see absolutely everything, but it also makes me get more value out of my travels to do less, and to spend more time in places that really call to me!
Thanks so much Kaelene! Glad this resonated with you 🙂
Thanks Carly!! Glad to hear it– and sometimes it’s hard for me to wake up, but getting up early has always been rewarding! 🙂
I have to agree with #6. I’m absolutely terrible at it, but I find I remember more when my camera is not involved.
I love your “stop and breathe” rule. I sometimes get too caught up in getting to see everything that I forget to actually enjoy it! LOL
This tips are fantastic. I love that you balance the best of slow travel with the natural desire to want to see and do everything. So much of this advice could be applied to regular life as well! Narrowing your focus through your favorite activities, seeking time to rest, putting down the camera (or phone) — all such good stuff.
I completely agree! x
Such great tips – I think my biggest mistake when I travel is trying to see everything that’s ever recommended rather than things I genuinely want to see! This makes my trips hectic and I often need a vacation after that vacation!
These are all such great tips! I love starting the day off early and getting tips of must try things from the locals. I think having a good balance between rest and activity is super important as well:)
Great tips here Daisy, and certainly things I live by when travelling! Can’t agree more with getting up early and taking advantage before the crowds set in! xx