Travel is about so much more than sitting by a pool and topping up your tan. Or visiting the same tourist sites as everyone else or heading to the hotel restaurant every night. Travel should be about soaking up the culture of the location you are visiting. Getting to know the locals, trying new things and having an adventure.
This adventure should start with the food that you eat while you are away. You can experience the culture of a place, really experience what it is like, and meet the locals while you dine so long as you stay away from the tourist places and really try to eat like a local. We will show you how you can do this, with our foodie travel tips.
Vist local food markets
Food markets are bustling with culture and provide a great atmosphere. And they offer lovely fresh food at cheap prices. Visit one and you can witness directly exactly what the locals eat and begin to understand how they operate. Spend a good amount of time watching people, watch how they interact with each other, how they go about completing transactions, and also what seem to be the most popular street-food stalls.
Once you've got an idea how to go about things, have a go at buying something and talking to the stall holder. You never know you might be able to ask them for tips about the best places to eat. Why not head to the food stalls that are the most popular, they must be offering something delicious if the locals are flocking to them, you should be giving them a try too.
Give the supermarket a try
This one of our foodie travel tips might seem a bit crazy, after all, you're on holiday to escape everyday life, so why visit a supermarket? Actually, though, supermarkets can tell you a lot about how the locals eat. You can see what foods are important to the locals by looking at how much space various items are allocated in the aisles.
You can teach yourself the names of some of the foods, which might help when it comes to ordering food in restaurants. Heading straight to the supermarket can be a really fun way to immerse yourself in the culture. It's the first thing we do when we arrive in a new country… Or city.
Eat local
It can be really tempting to stick to the foods that you are used to. Trying to do this in a foreign country will only cost you more though and really doesn't help quench your thirst for adventure. Try and stick to eating what the locals do, it will be easier on your wallet and will taste better.
Local food doesn't have to travel far so will be much fresher, plus the locals will know exactly how to cook it. You taste buds will really appreciate you giving it a try.
Be adventurous
One of the best foodie travel tips we have is to get yourself out there, away from the typical restaurants that attract tourists and try to find the places that attract the locals. It is in these places where you will be able to sample local food at its best.
To do this, you are going to have to be adventurous, try walking the unbeaten track or going into the restaurants that haven't been recommended by your hotel. Look for restaurants that just offer local food, these are the ones where you will be able to try something different and maybe discover your new favourite food.
Check out local food bloggers for tips
This is something that every foodie does, it is one of the best foodie travel tips going. The local food blogger regularly visits different restaurants and knows what they like when it comes to the food they eat. They are not going to review a restaurant positively because they have been paid to do so, any money they generate will be from advertising on their website.
If they give a restaurant a good review, it is because it is good. Spend some time before your travels reading some local food blogs to discover some hidden gems in the place that you are travelling to, the places that the locals would recommend, not your travel agent.
