France, Canada, Ireland.
When I land in a new country, I usually go straight to the local market, and check out the type of produce they have, pay attention to the way people communicate and what they eat. Then I usually proceed to the nearest food stall and order whatever people around me seem to be eating and enjoying. Best way to get an immediate shot of local culture!
I was sitting at this tiny elbow to elbow yakitori place in Tokyo. I started ordering whatever people around me were eating. This was a very local joint, and after a while the table next to me proceeded to send me a round of sake, to avoid a diplomatic incident I immediately returned the favour. After a few exchanges of “courtesy”, we ended up bringing the two tables together where they introduced me to an array of dishes I had never heard of before. They were all colleagues, office workers decompressing after a long day at work. This was my first night in Japan, and it could not have been a better introduction to what it is to be a Tokyoite!
France, England, Canada, and Spain..
Try to get to know the locals! They always have the inside scoop when it comes to knowing the best restaurants, bars, music scenes, activities and places to visit. Locals are locals for a reason, they either grew up in the area or have chosen to make it their home, make it yours too!
I absolutely love skiing and ever since I was a teenager, I had dreamt about doing a Working Holiday Ski Season at Whistler Blackcomb. In 2019 I began my 1st season there and on 6th March 2020, I successfully dropped into the notorious Air Jordan double cliff drop-off Peak chair, Whistler. What an experience, but not for the faint of heart!
Sri Lanka, China, United States, South Korea, Mexico, Canada
Arrange to meet or make an effort to meet locals during your first week of arrival! Starting out at a hostel is great as you can meet other travellers and quickly learn about the best spots, but meeting and living like a local is another level of travelling – it doesn’t get any better. For example, find a local roommate or stay at a cute bed and breakfast place owned by locals.
In Dubai, my friends and I went on an impromptu tour to the ‘ghost town’ after our car wheels sank into the sand. Two camel farm owners from Saudi Arabia greeted us with their beautiful Jeep Gladiator and drove us seamlessly to the ghost town. I know that there are professional and organized safari tours that go there, but we did it at a much cheaper price. Plus, we got the unforgettable experience of holding dearly onto a rope as we were not able to sit properly on the super hot Jeep trunk surface. This is when I learned the meaning of interacting with locals to get the most unforgettable experiences, as well as the fun of spontaneity during travels.
The United Kingdom, Australia, The Netherlands, Ireland and now Canada!
Australia was my first ever working holiday experience abroad and I was able to visit all states (Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, Victoria, ACT and New South Wales) and take in all their very unique natural beauty. I took 6 days to explore and understand the Indigenous culture in Uluru and I will never forget camping underneath the stars and waking up at 4am to watch the sunrise.
Spain, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, United States and Canada.
It does not matter if you don’t speak the language, you will be surprised by how many conversations you can get started just because of that and how much you will learn when you get immersed in a new culture.
South Tyrol and the Dolomites will always have a special place in my heart! The Alpe di Siusi in Italy, Munich, Lake Garda, … are all wonderful. Italian lakes and german castles are a top combination and if you are heading to Europe, you should not miss it, what about a road trip?
France, Canada
Sniff out the food scene.
Meeting sea dogs for the first time!