Looking back on my travels, some of the most heartfelt and connecting experiences I've ever had with locals were only possible because of getting completely lost. Obviously, the vulnerability, humility and need to communicate that naturally comes with being lost, doesn't hurt when it comes to interacting with locals. But another key element of it was just being so far off the normal backpacker route, that you walk into encounters not possible on more typical routes.
The locals you'll find here are not the ones that are sick and tired of seeing travelers all the time. Or the ones trying to sell you some package tour. Get your body-language skills ready, as polished English speakers may be harder to come by or nonexistent. But here you will find the locals that are generally more excited to see you, learn about your world, and want to help if you're in need. But most importantly, these are the locals that are really just living their lives. No shows being put on here. No tourist catered venues and Western-styled hospitality. People here are just living. And doing so in the true local way, whatever that happens to mean.
Street-food stand with locals grabbing a bite to eat.
So how do you find yourself lost on the sidestreets with all of these amazing encounters with locals waiting for you? Step #1: Get lost. Now, listen closely because this is an area I have a special expertise in. It will require putting away your trusty smart phone with GPS or that beautifully colored fold-out Lonely Planet map, because obviously you know much better than both of those unreliable items combined anyway. So... now that you're lost, this is where the fun part begins. Don't get unlost just yet. Because being lost and off the beaten path is the whole point of all this.
I love this moment so much because I feel like I was just parachuted down into this whole other world of life where people are just doing their thing. There is so much to observe and learn from. And it doesn't matter whether the people around me are repairing a motorcycle or just working the field, there is this universal look on their faces like an open book saying "What in the hell are you doing in this part of town? Shouldn't you be at that temple or whatever." After that initial blank stare, most of the time everyone just continues on with whatever their doing. But a lot of times a conversation will strike up. Or if you're lucky, maybe you'll get an invitation to join them for a bite or drink. One time being offered shelter with locals in Fiji when a hurricane was flooding the town.
Woman selling spices on the street.
One of the greatest things about this travel tip is that you can do it almost anywhere you travel. You don't need to travel by helicopter for hundreds of kilometers to a remote jungle village or barter your first born to a village chief in order to gain access into the genuine untouched way of local life. A brief stroll into the sidestreets of wherever you happen to be, is really all it takes. Sometimes you will find the most amazing local side streets minutes away from even the most touristy hotspots. I never found this to be more so the case than when I first visited Agra. If you're not familiar, Agra is the small city where hundreds of thousands of tourists flock each year to visit the Taj Mahal.
Before having arrived in Agra, I mentally prepared myself for the tourist hoards that were sure to await me. But after walking only two blocks away from Agra Fort Railway Station; to my surprise, there was not a single tourist in sight. How could that be? Where were the tourist booths? The tour agents handing out fliers? The flashy signs of available hotel and hostels to choose from? Where was I? Surely, not in the city of the Taj Mahal. Kids were running up to me, playfully trying to get my attention. Grown ups were talking to me and not trying to hustle me.
Family shopping at a street stall in Agra, India.
I just walked and observed and walked some more. Talked to a man selling spices. It really felt like I could have been in a small country village at that moment, and yet I was probably a kilometer away from the most famous and touristy destination in all India, if not Asia. Obviously I eventually discovered all the camera yielding sightseers. The next day, I saw the most beautiful building in the world but can not say with certainty that my time wandering the streets the day before was any less enrichening.
While traveling I often find myself getting sucked back onto what self proclaimed "real travelers" like myself consider the "Banana Pancake Trail," the well catered, easy to navigate route from Lonely Planet destination to the next Lonely Planet destination. Where finding "First World" comforts, eats, hotels and tour packages takes little to no effort. And sometimes it's a necessary evil if you find yourself needing a break on the road, or quite simply unavaoidable if you are looking to check out some of the more impressive monuments in the world. But when I find myself a little too comfortable with Lattes and Wifi, there's nothing like getting lost again on the sidestreets, immersing myself in another world, and reminding myself why I travel in the first place.
