Jun 25, 2011

Travel Without Being a Tourist

While it's sometimes fun to check out all the tourist-ey stuff in a new place, sometimes there is nothing better than seeing a destination as it really is.  Often when we go running from one attraction to the next we can miss so much of the real beauty of an area.  One way to avoid missing the hidden treasures of an area is to view it from the eyes of the locals.  When we visit somewhere new we like to stop and ask people who live in the area what places we really need to see.  When we were in South Carolina several years ago we were in the middle of a tourist destination with hundreds of things to do...except many of them were closed because it was the off season.  We took the opportunity to check out more of the lesser known sites at the recommendations of the staff at the resort we were staying at.
Another way to explore a city like a local is to stay off the beaten bath.  One great way to do this is to check out short-term rentals from a site like Roomorama.  With short term rentals you can find the perfect place for your family.  With a quick search, I was able to find a ton of places that would be big enough for our family of 5 in Orlando (where we hope to vacation to next) complete with multiple bedrooms and our own kitchen.  A full kitchen is a huge plus for families because it allows you to save a lot of money on dining out.  Which you can use to do more fun stuff.


Untitled from Roomorama on Vimeo.

This post brought to you by Roomorama.

5 comments:

  1. I've thought about that, but don't know if I could do it. I'll have to check out that site!
    Kas

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  2. I don't mind being a tourist, haha. Makes the experience more fun. It can be awkward sometimes though!!

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  3. I definitely like staying off the beaten path when I travel. SO much more to see that is much more interesting than the tourist traps.

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  4. I agree, I think I've been caught up being a tourist so much that I see things/visit places every other tourist sees and does. I think it'll be really fun and cool to actually hang out at places locals love, I bet I could save a bit of money doing so too, since every local can't live like a tourist. It'll be nice to visit restaurants that locals love, instead of those TripAdvisor loves. Really neat article, I am going to check out their site now. Can't wait to explore a city from the eyes of a local!

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  5. I liked their video alot!! For those of you who only read the article, do take some time to watch a video. I haven't seen any video like this that teaches me (very effectively) on how to use their product/service. Cool concept too, to like like a local. i like it!

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