Enjoying Any Cities Without Breaking The Bank
Everyone knows the secret behind every great travel story isn’t about seeing tourist trap after trap, rather, it’s enjoying the cities and places as a local might; engaging with the local community and businesses, frequenting spaces that are of particular importance to the city or region, and learning about local history and customs while you’re there. Because FlightHub understands that travelling shouldn’t have to break the bank, FlightHub Review has compiled a low risk way to enjoy almost any city.
Visit A National Park
They are there for a reason. National parks are an excellent way to see the pristine beauty and pride of any city or country you visit. Parks and gardens (or generally any open space) is a great way to see locals go about their day and enjoy the smaller things in life and slow your trip down. Bring a book or a camera and snap some photos of people, scenery, or local wildlife.
Seeing how locals spend their time is an excellent indication of the activities you should be participating in. For example, not many Parisians visit the Eiffel Tower every day, so why should you? FlightHub encourages you to explore every crevice of a new city, and step aside from the beaten down tourist road.
See A Museum
To the same effect as a national park, museums are an excellent way to appreciate the art that the city and culture themselves appreciate. Taking tours of contemporary museums or even strange and eclectic ones are excellent ways to spend your days in a different space, all the while not breaking the bank. Most local museums have donation-based entrance fees, meaning you can pay as much (or as much as you can) to enter and explore!
Take the time to find out some local sweet spots and spend some time wandering around aimlessly. Most major universities have museums or galleries that are open to the public most days of the week, so FlightHub recommends starting there.
Go To A Show
Depending on what your tastes are, finding local talent can be as easy as 1-2-3. FlightHub thinks this is a better option for the budget-conscious travellers and those seeking to have a more “homey” experience on their travels. Opting for local shows and seeing local talent instead of star-studded Broadway events is an all-together different experience, and is one that FlightHub believes is worth having. A quick scan on Facebook or Google will direct your attention to local shows at bars or independent theatres, most of whom will have a very small (if at all) cover to get in. Sit back and enjoy your evening out surrounded by locals and fans of the genre alike, and take this opportunity to meet new people while you’re away.
Eat Local Cuisine
Forget the comforts of large chain restaurants and opt for local mom and pop’s while out on the town. Dining is one of the best ways to eat your way through a culture, and experiencing local dishes is an absolute must while travelling. Load up on Gravol and Tums and get ready for a gastronomical feast. Review sites like Yelp are an excellent source for finding local grub, but if you’re in a smaller city or locality, opt to asking your hotel concierge, hostel staff or your Airbnb host for where to eat. Even checking Instagram for geotags of local restaurants is a great way to see what kind of foods people are eating and where to find them.
If all else fails and you become just too hungry to decide where to eat, street vendors are an excellent source of food and culture, and conveniently located on literally almost every corner. If you’re travelling in areas where sanitation may be an issue, FlightHub suggests looking for stalls that don’t use water, ice, or seem to have flies flying around as these are indications of either stale food or poor water. If you’re purchasing fruit, make sure the husks on items like bananas, mangos and oranges are intact and you should peel these items yourself.
