A local is a term used to define a person that knows a certain place all too well. A local doesn’t necessarily need to be a person that was born in that place, but spending many years on that particular place is necessary in order to be considered as a local. Anyone can be a local regardless if you’re an expat or not. As long as you know the place all too well even with your eyes closed.
If you’re a tourist in a specific area, there is this certain anxiety about going to a certain place, no matter how safe it is. This is because you don’t know the place and no matter how good a mapping software is, it’s still not going to eliminate your anxiety. This is the reason why most people that go to a foreign land (if they can afford it) will get a tour guide. But don’t you know that tour guides can limit you? No offense, these guys are good at what they do, but it’s a very limited time and it’s not going to give you a good experience.
Why are tour guides limited? These companies are limited to fun, basically, they play safe for the most part. This is because they aim to make everything standard. Human connection is very limited and you’re crammed with other tourists in their tour bus. Although that is fun, it’s not totally fun and there’s no personal experience. In fact, most of the trips are well rehearsed and not spontaneous. If you’re okay with that then it’s fine, but if you want to experience the place more, then hire a local instead.
Is there a better way? There is actually a better way of doing trips. This is through getting a local guide. What are local guides? Basically, local guides are the same as any other guides in terms of the definition of what they do. What makes them different though is that they offer a truly personal experience in terms of how you can explore the area. With locals, you can go to the places and experience things that you can only see in various travel shows. They give you more access to the place, be with you as a friend and lead you to foods that only a local knows.
Where can I look for one: As much as its a very promising idea, the fact is that you can’t just simply ask any local around to be your tour guide for the day. Not all people will be willing to do that and you will be lucky if you end up with one at the end of the day. There are actually locals that partners with various websites like tripbefore.com to offer their services. In these places, you got locals that you can go with to enjoy your trip.
If you go to a foreaign land for vacation, there are three ways to explore, be on your own, hire a tour service or hire a local. Which is better? Depends on your preference. But if you don’t want to get lost and still experience the place like a local, then hire a local because they can offer you more versus what travel and tours are offering.
