Authentic travel is all the hype now, and those of you that appreciate the good ol’ touristy attractions, might be feeling some prejudice coming your way just because you’re pictures are not #wanderlust worthy, or so they say.

Well, we at City Catt for once think that both touristy and authentic have their place in the realm of awesome trips. But, since “touristy” is fairly easy to be achieved, here are some tips on how to go full-on “authentic” on your next trip.

Know the country and its people

Authentic travel means you can experiment with the best and the worse of each country. And it also means your concept of best and worse will have to be largely widened. Try wearing the cultural glasses of the place you’re visiting. Leave your prejudice at home.
When you choose the authentic travel path, you know things won’t be roses and sunshine and that’s what makes the experience more unique: you are meeting real people, not characters on some well-scripted Hollywood movie.

Go beyond pre-packaged attractions

Now, we’re not saying you´ll be the one to reinvent a country, but one of the rules of authentic travel is looking beyond the pre-packaged attractions. It’s sort of like a game. While everyone else goes to the famous X attraction, you’re that exotic character who’ll get extra points for going for “attractions” Y or Z.

Travel = learning

Authentic traveling is like a BOGO deal. You have fun and end up learning tons. Once in contact with everyday people all around the world, and their struggles and successes, this will be a time where you can reevaluate yourself and your own way of life. Maybe your problems will become smaller, or you may find out there are different ways to solve it. One thing is for sure, authentic travel is a one-way journey to endless learning.

New cultures, all the same needs

While many countries speak different languages, universally speaking we’re all the same. At the end of the day, we all need food, water, a loving family, and a roof over our heads to keep living. In your search for authentic travel, try learning the different ways people have adopted in order to fulfill those needs. You’ll be surprised to learn there are many ways to love, live, and laugh!

Beyond meeting new places, travel can be a way to realize how we all are human and labeling things as “better” or “worse”, or 2 stars and 5 stars might sometimes keep you from getting to know this imperfect yet wonderful world!