This is especially true for frequent travellers who want to stretch their budgets as far as they possibly can while still getting that authentic holiday getaway feeling they’re naturally looking for when visiting a faraway place, that being how the best thing you could ever do for yourself is befriending at least one local who will help you explore the destination from their perspective. Yes, there are indeed some times when all you really want to do is relax completely and not even have to worry about things like your budget when you’re travelling, but even in that case, exploring a destination through the eyes of the locals will give your trip the kind of authenticity which is often lacking from all those glossy travel brochures and websites.

Besides, in many of the exotic destinations such as the likes of Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, etc, the fact that you’ll find locals themselves stopping every now and then to snap some shots of themselves enjoying their surroundings should speak volumes of how exploring destinations through the eyes of the locals takes nothing away from the allure of those destinations as the getaways they are. So basically this means that the advantage you enjoy takes nothing away from the destination’s allure as a holiday destination. If locals never get tired of it then rolling with them will be every bit as exotic and fun as it would be if you were perhaps rolling with an expensive tour guide or something of that nature.

Stay in less “touristy” places

For at least a little portion of your stay, choose some of those places which aren’t quite as “touristy” as the ones which headline the destination brochures and online getaway profiles. For example, you could choose to stay with a family via platforms such as AirBnB as opposed to seeing out your entire stay booked into an international chain hotel brand. The owners who rent out their places in this way always but always take great joy out of connecting a little more deeply with their guests and showing them their environment from the local’s perspective.

Just hanging around these “less touristy” places counts just as well as it puts you in a position to meet locals who could go on to become good friends of yours.

Make actual conversation with the locals

The easiest way to show keenness in making friends with locals is taking the conversation beyond the here and now. Don’t just ask about the price of whatever they’re selling for example, in the case of street vendors and the like. Ask about where they go to do their shopping or something along those lines – while showing a desire to support their own businesses, of course.

Connect with locals on social media

If all else fails or if your social skills are a little rough around the edges, you could always make your intentions to befriend a local very clear over platforms such as the social media sites you’re registered to.

Exploring destinations through the eyes of locals will afford you many advantages, the biggest of which will be saving on the regular costs associated with being a typical tourist.