THE travel guidesIt's good. That’s reassuring. We know where we're going. We know what we're going to see. We know what we're going to eat. Etc. Stop! Where did the unexpected part of the trip go? Discovery and astonishment. These guides are both a gold mine and an imprisonment. Should you Skip these guides altogether during your travels? Here are some ideas.
No travel guide = adventure?
Going to a country without a guide (and to avoid cheating, without a tablet or computer), would that be THE real adventure?
Discover a country by gleaning information from local tourism organizations, locals and other travelers. Nothing planned. Everything is possible.
Why not. But it takes time. And the risk is to miss the tourist attractions. So, of course, if you want to stay far, very far, from mass tourism, no worries.
So, yes, going without a guide and without Internet is for adventurers. Are you one?
The travel guide in your pocket = return to organized trips?
With a guide like Routard or Lonely Planet it's great. You know what to see, how to get there and even where to sleep and where to eat. In addition, you learn lots of things about the history of the country, the people, the culture, etc.
Tremendous ! So, you don’t even need to speak with the locals. No need to try to figure out how the transportation system works and where it might take you. Don't try to find a good restaurant off the main avenues: sit down, it's served. And what's more, it's good and the staff is friendly. Finally, that's what they say in the guide.
Hmm. Wait ! That's called organized travel. So, yeah, you're not stuck on a bus with a group. But where is your freedom if everything is planned with the travel guide?
Take the transport recommended by the guide, go to the restaurants recommended in the guide, sleep in the hotels recommended in the guide… It means finding yourself with other tourists who have read the same guide as you! Because, yes, the guide was not written just for you! Even more so if your guide is a guide translated into dozens of different languages…
I remember, during a trip to Cuba, a French couple who had written down their entire itinerary on the island on paper. Day by day, and almost hour by hour. While we, on the other hand, let ourselves be guided by our desires and, a little also, by chance. I didn't envy them at all. Quite the contrary…
A travel guide, OK. But know how to forget it.
So finally, after having seen the two extremes, wouldn't the ideal be to take your guide, but not necessarily always take it out?
The guide reassures, but the guide kills improvisation…
Know how to take out the guide when you really need it. And leave it in the backpack the other times.
Are you arriving at the airport after a 14-hour journey? The guide will help you reach the city and find a hotel.
Conversely, do you arrive fresh and ready in a new city? Walk around, feel things, talk to people… You will most certainly come across little nuggets! (Or not, but that’s also the journey!)
Are you visiting a site famous for its history? Find a local guide to show you around. He will certainly know much more than your travel guide. And it will undoubtedly be more exciting than reading the guide.
And you, what do you do when traveling: guide or not travel guide?
