It’s strange writing an article about being a tourist at such a time where the only place we can really be a tourist is in our backyard. And I don’t mean our backyard like our own country, I mean our actual backyards. Lockdown really has done a number on most of us and so it is maybe perfect timing to look back at your travels and determine what kind of tourist you are. Perhaps it is in preparation for your next adventure, which I hope will in fact be in our backyard…the country version, that is.
A-TYPE TOURIST
You have already printed out your itinerary and placed it in a Flip File two months before you leave on your holiday. You plan everything down to the last detail and leave absolutely nothing to chance. You triple check every booking and send 500 email confirmations to establishments just to make sure. You prefer to be picked up and dropped off, rarely using public transport, and enjoy staying in nice hotels with great reviews. You only dine in restaurants you found on Tripadvisor and enjoy ticking off all the touristy spots listed on your itinerary.
GO WITH THE FLOW TOURIST
You are just happy to be going on holiday! You will do what the majority of your travel group want to do. You’re happy to just go with the flow. If plans need to be made, you don’t mind helping with them, but you will mostly go with whatever anyone else decides. If you stay in a hotel or a camp on the beach, you don’t mind either way. You’ll go to the top of the Empire State building with every tourist in site or eat local cuisine in a makeshift home in the middle of a rural farm. As long as everyone is happy and having a good time, your holiday will be fantastic.
FLY BY THE SEAT OF YOUR PANTS TOURIST
You love a backpack and no plans. You hate nothing more than to be told where to go and how to get there, unless it is from a local in the area you are exploring. You want to find your own way, meeting random strangers who become close friends along the way. You seldomly go to touristy spots and prefer to go to places only the locals know about. You will often travel alone and don’t enjoy staying in expensive hotels…unless you’ve wound up in one spontaneously. You are all about spontaneity.
If you are looking at going away anytime soon, have a look at Afristay.com for some amazing places. You can be any kind of tourist you like, as long as you have a good time!
