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The locals don't know

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Re: The locals don't know

#121

Post by swiftcoder »

mmarq wrote: post #113
ValentineC wrote: post #19

> I’m skeptical of the term tourist trap (it’s mostly used as a term to place yourself as higher status/taste than other people, and is often used out of insecurity) One thing I've read years ago about tourist traps is that one shouldn't be actively trying to avoid them, especially if they come from a country with higher purchasing power. Some of these "tourist trap" activities are locals trying to make an honest liv…

> Some of these "tourist trap" activities are locals trying to make an honest living doing what they can. The local working in hospitality is earning minimum wage, the premium you pay goes to the landlord.

While this is often true for businesses with fixed premises, it's less true for the market stalls along the street, or the random tour guides.

Also, as a visitor with substantially more purchasing power, you can afford to tip the lad working for local minimum wage

Re: The locals don't know

#122

Post by swiftcoder »

brewdad wrote: post #103
tptacek wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, it's a weird thing to travel for though.

My favorite vacations have been the ones where we've planned or been forced into a day of downtime amidst multiple days of go-go see the sights. I hope to never again be a seven countries in six days type of traveler. We just spent 14 days in Mexico City. We'd been before, so got to visit some 2nd and 3rd tier sights and also just spent a few days vibing in the neighborhood. Meals for two were anywhere from $5 to $60…

> Meals for two were anywhere from $5 to $600

I have to know what the $300/person meal was

Re: The locals don't know

#123

Post by kvgr »

There was one place i liked to go, it was kind of chill bar in a huge palazzo styled room. Like ballroom/theatre, with chill seats and sometimes small events. The place was huge and there was very little people. It got into tourist guides and is packed to the tits, with 4 western european teenagers getting out of bathroom stall at the same time... havent been there in years. So yeah. Locals used to but dont anymore :D

Re: The locals don't know

#124

Post by kvgr »

razorbeamz wrote: post #120

I think the writer of this misunderstands "tourist trap." Tourist traps, at least as I see it, are places or activities that are more expensive than they should be. For example, a tourist trap in Tokyo is going to the top of SkyTree. It's not something locals can really reasonably afford doing more than once, because it's really expensive. The price is such that basically only tourists would do it.

Tourist trap as i see it is restaurant that will give you below average local food, for 3 times the price a good local food should cost, just because it is in the middle of the tourist area. Or tacky bars for tourists with different "attractions" to sell you watered down alcohol for high prices. For me, this is much worse than one time entrance to attraction. Because tourists thinks that this is the local culture.

Re: The locals don't know

#125

Post by swiftcoder »

renox wrote: post #25
mft_ wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Further, he specifically mentioned Bordain, who focussed predominantly on food, and I think the concept of doing what the locals do is hugely rooted in choosing a restaurant. As in: locals won't eat in overpriced tourist traps, and will have had the chance to try enough local spots to know where's good. So if you want to choose a (e.g.) Chinese restaurant, choose one with lots of Chinese people in. (This applies whet…

Well, it dépends: there are a lot of places where the locals goes because they are cheap not because they are good. But yes, ask the locals.

> there are a lot of places where the locals goes because they are cheap not because they are good

Por que no los dos? The whole cheap/good-choose-one thing is not universal in my experience. I've rarely been steered wrong by trying out the cheap-and-cheerful local option

Re: The locals don't know

#126

Post by lbreakjai »

mft_ wrote: post #14
damnitbuilds wrote: post #2

Title: "The Locals Don't Know" First line: "My best piece of travel advice is to avoid doing what the locals do." The writer seems incapable of distinguishing between the special, cool local things the locals KNOW about, and which a tourist might well benefit from trying, and the things locals DO because they don't do those special, cool things every day. Instead locals are usually doing similar things to what we nor…

Further, he specifically mentioned Bordain, who focussed predominantly on food, and I think the concept of doing what the locals do is hugely rooted in choosing a restaurant. As in: locals won't eat in overpriced tourist traps, and will have had the chance to try enough local spots to know where's good. So if you want to choose a (e.g.) Chinese restaurant, choose one with lots of Chinese people in. (This applies whet…

That sort of advice never made sense to me. I used to live in a very non-touristic place, and there were tons of terrible food places, despite only being able to live off "the locals" who were supposed to know better.

Re: The locals don't know

#127

Post by techblueberry »

> They might grab some mediocre Mexican food on the outskirts of Helsinki because they already eat Finnish food at home and want something different. They might hang out with some friends at the Kaivopuisto park. Maybe they would go on a hike? What I’m getting at here is that, even in the best case, the locals are usually not having very exciting (or very ‘authentic’) days.

Unironically this is the experience I’m often looking for in another country. I want touristy days, but I also want to see their supermarkets. Their stores. Walk through a local park. Sit in a coffee shop and read a book. One of my favorite things to do is try foreign food in another country, because Chinese and Japanese and Mexican food is different as it’s adapted to different counties tastes.

To paraphrase the philosopher Vincent Vega, it’s the little differences.

Re: The locals don't know

#128

Post by techblueberry »

throwaway894345 wrote: post #45
kapep wrote: post #40

It is obvious that "do what the locals do" should not be taken literally, because locals are likely working most of the day. So the authors actual advice seems to be "avoid what the locals do, when they don't want to do anything". Everyone else likely interprets it as "do what the locals do, when they want to have fun" which is good advice. My daily routines are of no interest to tourist. They are probably similar to…

Yeah, I felt this was obvious as well. I like to "do what the locals do" when I travel, but by that I don't mean work during the weekdays of my vacation or spring clean an apartment. And if I say "do what the locals do" no one else would think I mean that I worked or did house chores.

One of my favorite trips was a business trip to Barcelona. Worked during the day in a unique office with folks I didn’t get to work in person a lot, toured an 800 year old church I passed waking back to the hotel.

Im sure im an outlier but one of my favorite things to do is literally “do what the locals do”

Re: The locals don't know

#129

Post by roryirvine »

gib444 wrote: post #94
esseph wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For example, despite living most of my life in London, I've never been to the Tower of London. Why would I? Why wouldn't you? Note: It's great, you should go.

Not the parent but it's lowbrow to do touristy things in London. And if you aren't going on holiday or an expensive weekend away or to an expensive restaurant, you're poor and your career is failing. I only half jest

It's mostly paid-for touristy things that are sneered at, in my experience. No-one's going to look askance if you spend a day in the BM, V&A, or National Gallery even though they're listed in every guide book and are always rammed with tourists.

Madame Tussauds, The London Dungeon, The Clink, The Sherlock Holmes Museum, though? Ugh.

The ToL isn't entirely contrived like those, but is paid-for so you can see why people might feel awkward about it. As others have noted, though, Tower Hamlets residents get in for £1 which makes it pretty much acceptable - especially if you go on a rainy Tuesday in February when queues are at their shortest...

Re: The locals don't know

#130

Post by aragilar »

anitil wrote: post #106

I live in Sydney, does anyone have any recommendations on things I should do? Things I'd like to try - * Visiting the tank stream (I believe there are tours) * The Greater Sydney Bike Trail * Walking from Manly to Bondi (80km along the harbour) Things I've done but recommend if you visit - * Walking the bridge (free) * Catching a ferry to Manly or Taronga * Climbing the bridge (expensive!) * Centrepoint tower (since…

I also live in Sydney, and the first question to ask is always "do you have a car?" (and then "how long you here for?")? A car makes it much easier to visit various spots (e.g. the national parks, Mount Annan (https://maps.app.goo.gl/WJRcJY8RHtRLV7Tm9) IMHO is a better botanic garden than Royal (the one in the city) because it focuses on native plants, Blue Mountains/Hawkesbury, the various zoos which are further out), whereas if you don't have a car the city has enough things close by to do. Powerhouse is great (the real one, not the one which is going to flood), Australia museum is great, if you can go on a ghost tour for the Rocks and the QStation. There's lots of other minor museums throughout the city, esp. the Rocks.
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