I think what separates a Real Traveler from a mere tourist is simply the enjoyment of objectively bad experiences so long as they are novel, at least in retrospect. For example, I got locked out of my abode once while in Chicago, and had to spend the night on the streets in the cold getting harangued by the local cretins. It was awful, but it's a cherished travel memory of mine because I learned quite a few things from the experience. I've noticed the people who I travel with that don't seem to enjoy traveling much are those who needs things to go according to plan, who are disappointed when expectations are not met, who need some minimum sense of luxury to enjoy leaving their home.
So a Real Traveler is not really defined by how many countries they've been too, or their passport, or their budget, but really just by their lust for going somewhere new just for the hell of it.
Dont fall for it
>traveler
me
>tourist
everybody else
Prove me wrong, you can't, I didn't even read your post nor will I read any subsequent posts in this thread.
If you wanna try the local experience in any city in the world, get a job, a girlfriend, get married, put a down payment in a house, have children, raise them (or not)... That's what living like a local is.
If you want to have a grasp of local life you should spend at least 1 week in a small city or one month in a huge metropolis. You'll be bored (and that's part of being local). But unless you want a change of scenery or you're really intered in a certain people/region/country intricacies there's no point in it.
Travellers/tourist are just the same. Famous places are famous (not always but usually) for some reason. Just visit them, do things you do not have access where you live, try new food and that's it. You may find some differences in how people behave, the pace of life, but there's not a real traveller experience. People that say that are bums, edgy without any reason (besides trying to feel superior) or those adventure seekers that do really dangerous things like crossing CAR on a motorbike (those I find respectable). At the end is all the same though. Just a matter of activities preferences. And a "tourist" that get a local guide from his 5 star hotel for a day tour might be much more knowledgeable about his destination than the real traveller edgelord that spent a week doing nothing.
True.
Yes.
That's actually a good statement.
Real traveling is when you are too hipster to visit popular attractions and aimlessly wander through residential areas, boring public parks, and playgrounds since you are too cool to have a plan. Make sure to never actually go to any popular or famous eatery, just visit grocery/convenience stores to experience the real local culture.
Always remember that you are not bored, the cope phrase is "living like a local", cause being a tourist is "cringe", and your vanity cannot allow that.
We occasionally buy groceries and try our hand at cooking, but usually we patronize local eateries.
We walk around for hours every day to burn calories and pass the time. It's not supposed to be exciting, it's literally just walking around. Yes, living like a local is boring if you have no job, no family, and few friends. Whatever.
>try our hand at cooking
Cooking isn't hard. If grown adults have to "try" it's just a tad bit pathetic
You must be moronic. One "tries their hand" at cooking local cuisine to see if cooking makes more sense than eating out. If not, he returns to eating at his favorite restaurant.
> "A tourist is someone who sails across the ocean, only to be photographed next to their boat. I plan to participate" -Some movie I saw
There's something to be said about moving to new places and living there for a bit vs. vacation for a few days or a week. You don't grasp the culture well by visiting for a week, especially spending half your time on a resort or sticking to tourist spots. You don't make long term friends, you don't usually build meaningful memories, you don't adhere to the culture.
With that said, there's not much point in visiting a place for a week and lodging far away from the tourist spots and main attractions. I see the appeal in finding a locals bar to chat up some people for recommendations, advice, and just enjoying their company. But, you can still find locals bars in almost any part of a city, no need to explicitly stay in some locals only neighborhood.
Basically there's travel like living somewhere for a bit, then there's travel like taking lots of vacations. It's cool to see the sights and taste the food, but vacations are something you do to blow off steam and reset once in a while. Travel IMO is more like genuinely exploring the world and its people.
Real traveling is getting the local's rate for prostitutes.
>lust for going somewhere new just for the hell of it
These are the toorists who endlessly blather about the gorillions of tourist destinations they have been, as if it makes them superior to Real Travelers who pick a country, settle in with the locals and call it home for a few months.
>enjoyment of bad experiences
Real Travelers who have survived multiple hairy situations involving violence or menace have a quiet confidence that I have respect for. Toorists who obsessively brag about mediocre inconveniences they have endured (like a delayed flight, or forgetting their keys in their rental) are the most insufferable.
Cringe post
It's when you vegetate in parks and beaches for hours every day since you're too out of shape so 2+ points of interests per day is "exhausting".
Usually for these people talking to the homeless is also counts as an exciting experience, and they take pride in not being a tourist even though they are only not one in their mind.
I don’t give a shit what term you use, I like going to cool places and doing cool things there that you can only do there. If I’m in Hawaii, I’m going to go snorkeling at as many places as I can, climb Mauna Kea, go cliff jumping, and swim with the manta rays. If I’m in Australia I’m going to go to the Great Barrier Reef and Fraser Island. If I’m in a European country I’m going to go to all of the museums and castles. Why even go somewhere if you aren’t going to eat it up.
I think real travelling is as simple as hacking it on your own.
No tour guides, no contiki tours, no cruise ships, no being constantly surrounded by people who are speaking English.
If you're able to get from point A to point B, learn about the history of a place, find a place to sleep, etc on your own or by using the means available to locals (public transport, taxis, etc) I'd consider it "real travelling".
That being said, I do think that real travel also means getting away from tourist spots and getting out of your comfort zone. I wouldn't call someone a real traveller just because they managed to get a taxi from the airport to their beach resort on their own.