What if for your trip you were to experience the journey on foot? It is indeed possible to discover an unknown land only by walking along paths that are accessible on foot, equipped or not, to see things differently and not to depend on anything. So ready to set off on an adventure, you will find in this article some good reasons and tips to get started.
Good reasons to travel by foot
1) Saving money
Living on the road forces you to review your relationship with money. Once you’ve walked through the door of your 4-star palace, you’ll realize that tourism is not synonymous with overspending.
Between bed and breakfast and shopping in local mini-markets, it’s easy to spend little when traveling on foot.
2) Discovering the real face of the country
What a mistake to sum up Bali to its paradisiacal beaches. Behind these postcard landscapes, devoid of imperfections, hides the real face of the country. By accepting to go off the beaten track, you risk exchanging crazy laughs with the locals, discovering authentic rare pearls, and avoiding being drowned in the tourists’ bath. If this doesn’t tempt you, it’s better to forget about the walking trip.
3) Enjoy every experience
When was the last time a sightseeing tour blew your mind? Between false cultural experiences and extreme marketing, the tourist is trapped in an illusion where everything pushes him to consume. Is it different from your everyday life? Running between two buses, rushing into the so-called “must-see” attractions, moving in the middle of the crowd?
Tips for traveling on foot
1) Always give your position to a relative
It is occasional for a walking trip to end in disaster. As long as you keep your common sense and don’t venture into dangerous areas, you won’t risk much. Contrary to what you were told as a toddler, the world is a relatively safe place. However, don’t overdo it. Share your travel plans with someone your family, your partner, or one of your friends, trust, and check in regularly with your loved ones. That applies to both solo and group travel.
2) Learn the local language
Even outside the tourist circuits, English can still be used. Although, unless you are visiting an Anglo-Saxon country, it is not unlikely that you will come across someone who does not speak the language of Shakespeare.
It is up to you to adapt to local customs and not the other way around. It’s essential to learn the local language in this type of trip so that you can get by with the locals and get an early start by deciding to get serious about it by downloading an application and sticking to that new resolution to make progress before setting off on your adventure.
3) Define your route
To make a light and efficient bag, you need to have an idea of the terrain you’re going to face. Moreover, skipping this step is a guarantee of getting lost in the middle of nowhere. Don’t forget that the Earth is vast and that it is highly probable that at any given moment, there is not a human soul within miles. To avoid any misadventures, mark out your path well before putting on your hiking shoes.