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Danya's experience working with Anthony Bourdain in Saudi Arabia has left her asking the ultimate travel question. Click here to listen to Danya's question and then come back here to post your response.

That's easy! Watch "No Reservations".

It is a problem. Especially if you want to experience a place not just as a tourist but as the locals do. You don't even have to be talking outside of your country either. How do you know the best most authentic local places to go anywhere, whether it's San Francisco, Milan, Laos or anywhere. I think that is why so many Americans end up in McDonalds when in Paris (at least I hope that is why). It surely can't be that the food is great...just that it is not an "unknown".

Geez, I dunno...

I've been fortunate enough to have a guide/companion, someone who speaks the native language, when I've travelled to other countries.
It just sort of happened that way-- it was already pre-arranged for us (it was a business trip).

I am wishing to travel to a few foreign countries-- one of which is in the far east-- for pleasure.

I've not given this any thought, and now I'm feeling concerned, as well!

I prefer to NOT be with any sort of travel group, or take part in any tours... I feel you don't get the full flavour of a place that way.

I suppose I'm asking the same question as Danya!

Read a lot of guidebooks. If you flip through enough of them you can start to figure out whick places you want to see and what you probably want to avoid. Sometimes it's fun to see/do/eat the iconic stuff even if it's crowded and silly.

Then walk, walk, walk, walk, walk. Everywhere. Or take public transportation. Learn a few words of the language. Expand your comfort zone. Then leap right outside of it.

Ask people in shops (preferably the ones that don't sell t-shirts), restaurants, etc. where they like to go. Peek down alleyways. If they look safe (everyone's comfort level is different - I look for the presence of local families and kids to tell me whether a neighborhood is generally safe or not) walk down them. Get off the main thoroughfares and into the side-streets. But mostly be kind and open and try to talk to people. Eat the things they eat. Ask for suggestions. Be enthusiastic.

Leave your pride at home and be willing to look like a fool. Know that you'll make mistakes and have some bad experiences sometimes - but better to risk a few klunkers and find some gems than to play it safe and miss the boat entirely.

You know... like Tony does...like a traveler...and not at all like a tourist.

I love watching Anthony Bourdain because he's so open to learning from new cultures. To your question my answer is to be open and friendly. If you can try to read as much about the culture as you can ex. etiquette. The less control you have the better and follow your instincts and don't let fear over rule your emotions. When ever I have this attitude I tend to attract people and new experiences. Good luck!

I usually talk to some of the cook staff in the hotel,they seem to know the good places for food and drinks that don't have the tourist.I have tried to front desk,the wait staff,but they seem to guide you to tourist spots.Also,if you are in a place that has some fisherman,ask them.I have also even asked some workers on the side of the roads,garbage collectors ect.They all know seem to direct me to the right places.

First thing I do is take Bactrim (from Roche) twice a day for a week before my trip. It's an antibiotic prescribed by my physician. It helps prevent travelers' diarrhea caused from eating bugs on food you're not used to. Second, hit the streets. Like Tony says, that is where the best food is. Everything that happens from then on is consequential to your own personality. If you make friends with the lady cooking the food you're buying in the street, you'll probably find out she's the sister of the cab driver who took you there. She may also show you where locals go to get some drinks after midnight... OPEN your mind, and you will have much more fun!

I use one strategy everytime I travel: I find a place or an event the first day that I like and somewhat represents my values...it can be a retail store, a restaurant, a bar, or even a conversation with a friendly cab driver.

Then, I simply ask them where they would go to eat or where would they go to dance. At first he or she will tell you some cliche answer geared toward tourists but then ask them again and make sure you tell him or her that you want a local's persepctive. Then they will tell you wear to go. I have been lucky enough to have locals actually take me to their favorite places as their guests several times.

I use this technique even when travelling domestically.

Cheers.
Alec

Perhaps the key to visiting any place is a healthy balance between doing things that a “tourist” might do and doing things a local would do. After all, most of us will not be so lucky as to visit so many places in our lifetime and even more than that the places we do visit we are likely to only ever see once.

So the question becomes, do you really become lucky enough, have the honor to travel to India and refuse to see the Taj Mahal because it's “touristy”?

Perhaps having the good fortune to travel to a far away land so rich in culture and refusing to visit any of its most revered features on the basis of not wanting to be a tourist is on par with refusing to eat the food offered to you by your host when you are a guest in someone’s house. It's not to say that you should do these things if you are not interested in them, rather to say that if you are interested in them – to skip them because it will make you a tourist seems an ill conceived notion – one you are likely to regret later.

I understand the concept of not wanting to be a tourist and stick out like a sore thumb but perhaps it is merely isolation to the extremes of either side that are best avoided – the middle path if you will... occasionally taking a fork to the left or right.

You don’t have to go visit the Taj in a Hawaiian shirt wearing socks with your sandals stuffing your hip pack full of Taj statuettes from the “gift shop”. Nor do you have to stay in a hostel with a backpack, dress like the locals, eat only street food and skip visiting the Taj to avoid ridicule.

You can visit the wonders of the world and eat at street stalls, immerse yourself in the local customs and take pictures of the Golden Pavilion.

You can do both, with grace.

“You went all the way to India and didn’t eat any street food?”

“You went all the way to Agra and you didn’t visit the Taj Mahal?”

I would hope my answer would be, “I did both.”

-Nate

This message has been edited. Last edited by: odonata,

Thats a question I would think about when I started watching "No Reservations". I ended up thinking about the show`s title: To have no reservations means much more than not having a pre planned trip; it means to not hold back, to not avoid the less attractive places, because those can be the best ones once you really check them out. This idea sounds dangerous to most Americans, we tend to insist that one must have rather tight guidelines
when eating in foreign countries. We think this way due to fear, and not really out of logic. Passing up chances for new expriences will land you in the same bland stuff every time.
Even in our own country, Americans avoid the less known places, this is just not right '-.-

To better answer the question:

Look for places that the locals are attracted to, look for many people. More often than not, with any place, the more people the better; as long as it isn`t too packed and the staff too rushed. This mean that those familiar with the area prefer that place over the other options. The main obstacle from that point will be knowing the language.

Well I can tell you one thing is if you not a lucky cop out like Anthony Bourdain, not rich, nor connected, you going to have to get a job or jobs that allows you to travel.

This is how I have been doing it since I graduated High School. I always am traveling because of my job choices.
I have been outside the US only once (I have been to South Korea and enjoyed it.) yet been almost every where else in the US because of me searching for work and getting it. Currently residing in Vegas and due to a job change, am ready to move again. However, unlike Anthony, it has NOT always been a picnic. Sometimes it has been hell.

The trick to doing this is having a skill that is in demand. You are ahead of me in this department and that is you speak more then one language. Knowing Arabic and English will take you far, especially if you do not mind who you work for. The US government is looking and hiring people who are skilled in Arabic and English. I worked for these people once and I guaranteed they WILL get you to see many places. Perhaps go to your nearest US embassy and see what you can arrange?
Provided it will not cause any problems for you of course. (I do not know how it is in your country yet the US is not very popular right now and have no idea what personal ramifications it would present to you if you did this) Look for jobs who are in need of translating. This I guarantee this will be your ticket to see the world if you constantly seek to expand your knowledge in the area of languages.

Also a word of caution. I said I lived in Korea and that was for a year. Be very careful as a woman going there looking for work Korea is the world's center for human trafficking and it is best to be aware of that. Unlike Anthony who got people who's full time job is to be on the look out for him, you only have your self to rely on to avoid such trouble. Use caution. However since you got your contacts through Anthony, I believe you will do fine.

Enjoy and have fun. Korea is a wonderful place and the people are friendly once you get to know them. Not to mention the language is easy to pick up if you give it a chance (which I highly suggest you do to enhance your job skills if interpretor is what interests you.)

Another suggestion is make it a point to meet as many people in your travels as possible and keep them as contacts. Making and having friends in many places will get you to many places. Thats my best advice.

Take Care!

As for everyone else who responded or will read this post and wishes to be a traveler, my advice is the same. Always seek contacts in places you wish to go, and figure out what you may have skill wise that is in demand world wide and will get you around. If you do not have any skills that are in demand, I highly you suggest you get into a career field that will. Right now that field is Nursing or medical or Languages.

Or you can do what my brother has done repeatedly in the past which is go where you wish and to the hell with the details. No baggage, no luggage, and the only thing to live off of is his wits. Thats how he landed in Vegas (plus many other places before) and he always managed to work his way up from nothing (and I definitely mean with nothing except the clothes on his back). This method is definitely not for the squeamish. And yes he has a very strong case of wanderlust. He can't help it. It runs in the family.

Any ways, Have Fun!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: willworkfortravel,

hello, "willworkfortravel" i really liked you post, really interested me. im south american and i speak english and spanish. currently im a music student, i have traveled a lot and i would love to travel more, i hope i can get in touch with you to see if you could give me tips on how to travel more. thank you very much

How do you become a traveller rather than a tourist? Start by doing your homework. I wish I could offer some magic formula, some secret technique, but spending time doing research on the destination is always the first step. Look for serious guidebooks, ones that focus more on the cultural aspects and less on where to find pizza and beer and discos. Learn a bit of the language, enough to ask directions (and understand the answers), enough to inquire about someone's tastes and interests. Learn a bit about the place's history, and current events in the country.

Are you a friendly, outgoing person? Can you talk to strangers? Many people will talk your bloody ear off about their country/region/city/neighborhood if you give them half a chance. But remember, they have their own reasons for liking things. The cop might recommend his favorite bistro -- where the food is mediocre at best -- because he's got a crush on a server or because they give him free meals. I've learned a lot by talking to people and getting their recommendations AND using my own judgment about the places they recommend.

Oh. Learn a bit about yourself! Why do you want to travel? What interests you? If you're interested in brewing and viticulture and distilling, Saudi Arabia would not be a great destination. Ireland would, on the other hand. Are you interested in art? Really? Sure, the Louvre is full of fascinating and beautiful objects, and it's worth a visit just to gawk, but maybe your time would be better spent visiting a farmer's market if your real passion is food and gardening.

I live in San Francisco, in a neighborhood much-visited by tourists. I see people trooping about like robots, seeing things in which they have no particular interest because some guidebook or TV show said it was a must-see.

Doing your homework has never been easier, with the vast resources of the Internets. And, dare I say it, there are places called "libraries" where you can go and look at books, which might lead to other books that have interesting information. Go beyond the guidebooks, and the travel books, valuable resources in their way, but ultimately they lead you to be a tourist. Look for books by *travelers* if you want to be one.

Will you be limited to where you go with Anthony Bourdain since you are a woman? Will you have to have a chaperon when you go to Saudi Arabia with Anthony? Anthony likes liquor sometimes with the meals he has. Will he be permitted to have liquor in Saudi Arabia, with meals or around you? Are there certain places he can go and you cannot because you are a woman?

First, in response to chesig, those questions don't even come close to answering the question that Danya had and I'm sure that Anthony would be able to avoid liquor for a little while.

As for your question, Danya, it certainly is a tough one. I think the best thing you could do is not be afraid to talk with the people. I met a Muslim crepe seller in Paris simply because I wanted a crepe, but we ended up talking for over an hour, mostly about how to say Bon Appetite in English. That is still one of my fondest memories of the country.

Regarding being a tourist vs. being a traveller, I think that it is valuable to be a bit of both. I usually try to be a traveler the majority of the time, speakign with the people and eating the local foods, attempting as much as I can to pass for a local. However, I do think it would be a shame to miss certain touristy things such as visiting the Eiffel tower in Paris or the temples of Borobudor in Indonesia simply because you didn't want to stick out. I believe that a balance of both makes for the best traveler.

quote:

Originally posted by chesig:
Will you be limited to where you go with Anthony Bourdain since you are a woman? Will you have to have a chaperon when you go to Saudi Arabia with Anthony? Anthony likes liquor sometimes with the meals he has. Will he be permitted to have liquor in Saudi Arabia, with meals or around you? Are there certain places he can go and you cannot because you are a woman?

Chesig,
I am able to go anywhere I like. In fact Tony got to go into places he would not have been otherwise able BECAUSE I'm a woman. No alcohol, none whatsoever. Watch the show tonight and you'll see everything that happened. Are you excited?!

I wouldn't be able to travel like a regular person in Saudi Arabia, Danya. For as you probably know, Saudi Arabia does not allow Jews in your country. It is official policy!

I have to say that I love everything about Tony...I think only his friends call him that and I would love to be considered in that category. I love his writing, his shows, his point of view, humor- everything.
One thing you said at the start of the Saudi Show...about how he'll never do a show on Denver. There is so much meat in Denver and Colorado, that he would be in heaven for weeks. There are many chefs who've made home here, a great local bar scene- and many surprises in the area.

Firstly, Thank you Danya for being such a wonderful hostess to Anthony and for allowing us to see an inside view of your world. What an interesting program-Saudis are beautiful people!
For an inside view of any culture I suggest advance reading with a good travel guide book (a hip guide book not a here's where you can eat in four star restaurants guide book) Using the book make your list of Must sees-whatever intreagues you. Recommendations from friends and relations are iffy unless you are similar people. Make a sturdy framework so you're not wandering and let it be flexible. Try to go with a friend or let only a portion of the trip be guided. However, if you don't speak the language and do not want highly structured/commercial tour a local guide is invaluable. Confirm everthing in advance after booking. Once arrived at your destination talk to the locals-probably not the people at the front desk-police and wait staff, strangers, try to communicate even if you dont speak-most people like to be helpful and it's Fun. #1 - go grocery shopping! More fun is shopping for intimate apparel in a foreign land, it's a riot! Or the beauty parlor or gym. Women love to talk in those environs are will freely speak about all kinds of personal things. Go to a record store and buy what their listening to, watch local tv and eat in bed at night! Go to the theater and movies. Movies are great b/c you sit in the dark and don't feel self conscious but they are so reflective of culture. Then discuss movie with a local. Go to museums and read up on their history. Go to their center of government and take a tour. Visit gardens and buy the latest big selling author at the bookstore! Always be guided by your intuition as to peoples knowledge and your own safety.
Thank you Danya-have a safe trip, best of luck with your work and Enjoy!

Danya,
I just had the oppotunity to watch the show in saudi arabia. The show was fantastic and the insight into your culture was amazing. The generousity of the people and your sense of humor were eye opening thank you for the view of a world we havent seen.