Travel without looking like a tourist
A lesson from Taxco, Mexico:
Here I demonstrate the appropriate use of a backpack and shorts . . . while backpacking.
May 2003: Officially lost after wandering up a few winding side streets into the hills. Salvation came in the form of a smart, white BMW bus with a sign for the city center. I hopped on, greeting the locals who gave me the customary polite nod and away we went.
When we arrived back in the city center, everyone on the bus (myself included) stopped to gawk at the herds of chubby, tourists who appeared to have taken over the city.
Wearing shorts and toting large backpacks full of water bottles, sunscreen and presumably enough equipment for a small safari. . . these folks really caught the eye.
Prefer not to become your own roadside attraction when traveling?
Try the following if you want to focus on the people, places and perspectives you came to see:
Dress like other people. If you are going to be wandering through a city, don’t dress like you’re going backpacking. Look around you: do other people in this culture wear shorts and tennis shoes around town? By the way, if you’ve only brought clothes appropriate for going on safari, it will be a little tougher to dress appropriately, so consider this when you pack. I usually get by with long pants or capris, plus a comfortable blouse and comfy non-sports shoes.
Ditch the backpack (and don’t even think about the fanny pack.) When I lived in Marseilles, I walked around often in my work clothes and carried a briefcase. Or when I wasn’t headed to and from work, I usually had a purse and possibly a reusable shopping bag for groceries. The Old Port in Marseilles in ground zero for gypsies . . . which normally was not a problem for me. But I noticed that they stuck like glue to people who were strolling around with backpacks–even to the visiting French.
Note: I have a leather shoulder bag that can hold a small water bottle, a book (even a guide book), maps and a wallet. It would work for men too. And it doesn’t cry–Hey, Look at me! I’m a tourist.
Watch your speed. First, take note at the speed at which other people are walking. Some places, people click along at an incredibly fast pace and in others they kind of wander by. Adjusting to the speed of the people around you will help you go unnoticed.
Walk with purpose. The only time I ever got pestered by gypsies around the Old Port of Marseilles? I was cruising around on a warm, sunny Sunday, smiling to myself and basically spacing out. I probably looked like a tourist just waiting to be harassed. If you’re lost, it can be difficult to walk with purpose–but you can always walk with purpose into a local shop and ask for directions . . .
Take note of local customs for eye-contact– Do you think this sounds weird? Well, pay attention to it for a little while and you’ll see what I mean. Different cultures have different norms for eye-contact including with whom you make the contact and how long you hold it. And different genders sometimes have different rules! Just be aware of this fact and watch what people around you are doing. In the States, I tend to go heavy on the eye contact, in other places, not so much.
Special Cases: When fitting in is just not an option.
The above tips will help in many situations, but of course, they have their limits! Sometimes you just can’t blend in–in that case, I recommend accepting it gracefully.
When I studied in Antananarivo, I think I was one of only 10 people who looked like me in town. Literally after a few months of living in the (huge) capital, people I didn’t know would stop me on the street and say, “Don’t I know you, oh yeah, you live in the Betongolo neighborhood!” And that was in the city. In one village, I actually had about 20 of curious children follow me for about half an hour.
I did what I could to fit in but was careful not to go too far! If you want to make an African laugh when you’re a tourist, try carrying something on your head or wearing traditional attire. In some places accepting your role as an outsider in society can actually help you fit in as much as possible.
But that is still no excuse to dress like you’re on safari!
Now you . . .
Any travel tales, tips or musings you’d like to share?
Those are great tips. We need to dress suitably wherever we go.
However, I love taking pictures of everything (food, kids, whatever). I bring the camera everywhere; so probably look like a tourist even here in Jersey, NY, PA, or just the next town over.
Taking a camera doesn’t make you a tourist, how you handle it does. If you are taking pictures of things, you might be a photographer, if you are taking pictures of yourself or group in front of everything, you are a tourist. The solution, pick and choose the important things to be in a picture with. Most things are to grand to fit meaningfully in a pitcure with yourself.
Move to Portugal–Have fun in Paris! I don’t know about the beret, but you strike me as someone who might be able to pull it off 
Jersey Mom–I like to take pictures too sometimes, but I’m good at doing it discretely, and without apology — I also keep it in my bag (not strapped to my chest!) when it’s not in use.
Tree–I also love snapping photos of ’stolen moments’ that aren’t necessarily the main attraction, but something you’d find down the side streets. I do that a lot to get shots for my blog and just because I like photography. But sometimes, not taking a camera is a lot of fun too.
Particularly in Europe, I’ve found that the locals are friendlier if you don’t look like one of the obvious just-passing-through type of tourists. (Learning ten words in the language helps immensely, of course, too.) I don’t think they scorn white sneakers so much as they tire of busload after busload of fresh faces. If you look like you could live or work there, they’re more likely to be interested in you, and open up. And meeting people other than waiters and concierges is one of the sweetest things about leaving home.
I grew up in a rural tourist area, not very far from where I live now, in a seaside town that screams “HOLIDAY!” I was brought up to gently despise holidaymakers (as we English call them), because they drove slowly, wandered all over the place slowly and got in the way. I don’t despise them now, after all, I go on holiday too.
A few years ago, my West Indian husband took me to meet his family on the small Caribbean island where they live. As a white woman, I found it exquisitely delightful to be welcomed into the homes of family and friends, while occasionally spotting busloads of tourists being carted about to the beauty spots, barely interacting with the local community which generally welcomed me with open arms!
One funny thing that happened; my husband was several times mistaken for his half brother, who visits from another island much more often than my husband is able. This was all the more likely because we borrowed his Dad’s car with a very distinctive number plate. One day, he drove the two of us down to the beach, and a group of local people were muttering, giving us filthy looks and I heard his brother’s name. “They think you’re your brother; you’d better go and introduce yourself,” I said. “Let them wonder,” said my husband. “But you had better talk to them; I’m white and his wife is black; do you want him lynched next time he comes?!” I’m glad to say he DID go and explain who he was and his brother remains un-lynched!
Julia–excellent observations and true. (I didn’t mention speaking the language in this post because I think it’s worth separate consideration). “meeting people other than waiters and concierges is one of the sweetest things about leaving home” I could not agree more!
Attila, isn’t it more fun to travel when you can somehow get out of the tourist trap. Your story is hilarious by the way. It reminds me of some very small towns I’ve visited before where everyone knows everyone’s business! I once came into a town like that in Madagascar with an acquaintance and watched him be barraged by people he knew upon arrival so he could hear all the news he’d missed while gone.–verbal gossip is much faster than facebook.
I just wanted to say that I love this picture. What a great place to hike.
Let’s see … you can *not* say, while waving around some US money in front of a distinctly unamused German train ticket-seller: “How much is that in REAL money?” (Yes, I actually witnessed that.)
One of my cousins, who has traveled widely, told me he made a point of learning how to say, in the local language, “I’m sorry I don’t speak your language well.”
Our only foray out of the country was to San Juan del Cabo. Smaller and less Americanized than Cabo San Lucas; we had a marvelous time visiting and site seeing with the locals help.
I was wearing a leg brace, I was still recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture, Everyone wanted to ask if I needed help. They were all so caring and sweet.
We even bought a toy for their community Christmas Giving Tree. It was right in front of the police station. The local police chief invited us to his home for dinner the next night, unfortunately we were leaving that that night.
Just interacting and showing kindness made us feel welcomed by the locals.
Aggie, thanks. I was just thinking, I have to stop putting pictures of us hiking on the blog. People will think that’s all we do . . .
Clisby. Oh no! Once again my husband thinks I’m a freak because I’m up here laughing alone. Real money–oh, where’s the video camera when you need it? But truly, this is why I avoid traveling with other tourists like the black death. I far prefer to go it alone.
And I like your cousin’s idea. Really, I always attempt the local language wherever I go. I’m not easily embarrassed so it works for me and it seems to make it easier to get around and meet people. Besides, how can you visit a place without learning just a little of the language? That’s the fun part!
Susan, I’ve never been to that area of Mexico, but I will say that when you can interact with locals, it’s usually the sign of a good trip.
I usually travel alone when I go abroad. Most of my friends and family do not understand that but I have never had a problem with it yet. I like to meet locals as much as I can but take a cautious approach.
When I travelled to Africa though I was very fortunate to be taken under the wings of friends of friends and they help me when I got there (to Kenya and Ghana). I was thus able to see much more than I would otherwise and also to meet the locals. In Nairobi when I was shopping alone around for some shirts, a female proprieter of a small shop was amazed to discover I was not from Africa or living there. She said I acted like I was from there and I thought that was the nicest compliment. On another occasion as I was making my way back to my hotel alone, a man came out of “nowhere” to grab the earring off my left ear lobe as I was walking (fortunately he didn’t do more) and before I knew it he was a block away. Now what would he do with one (admittedly gold but small) earring?
I do try to take care of my person (and don’t carry a bag of any kind in Kenya when in the city). My friends think I am not cautious enough but I think there is only so much one can do as a foreigner to blend in.
oooh, this gives me the travel itch!
I agree with your guidelines, SIF.
Joyful, That is a wonderful compliment–being mistaken for someone who is African or lives there–it never happened to me. . . well maybe the closest was when a family I was staying with invited me to come and see the local entertainment “Foreigners on motorcycles” and then told me that I should consider marrying a rich foreigner because I was ‘pretty enough’ to pull that off. That’s probably the highest level of integration I achieved–not being lumped in with foreigners. . .
As for blending in v. taking precautions: I like to take the same precautions as the locals. For example, in Antananarivo, you could have the sunglasses swiped right off your face, so I was careful to wear cheapo’s or at least watch out where I chose to wear them. Some locals wouldn’t even wear sunglasses, but the tropical sun hurt my eyes! The same goes for rings, ear rings and necklaces. I don’t like the idea of having something like that swiped off my person because it could hurt! So I just don’t wear any jewelry while walking around urban areas. That said, in villages, I noticed people wore more jewelry and I felt ok doing so. As for a bag, I saw that people had them in Antananarivo, but I never put more than the loose change I’d use to pay a street vendor for a bunch of bananas or some bread. Anything higher than a few dollars and something like checks or credit cards, I just kept tucked away in an internal pocket.
Margo–I know, the travel itch is a killer. Lately, I’ve been thinking it would be fun to spend a year someplace . . .like Argentina . . . or Ireland . . . or Nepal! But I hopefully can control myself.
SIF, I agree that it is a good idea to take the lead of locals in what you wear. In Nairobi, the locals do wear jewellry and carry hand bags. But foreigners are usually easy to spot so I didn’t carry a bag at the suggestion of my friends and my jewellry was very minimal or as unobtrusive as possible. Nonetheless my earring was stolen. I do have to wear sunglasses when I travel as the sun hurts my eyes. Come to think of it, I don’t recall that the locals wear sunglasses. That might have been the giveaway “*sigh.
In another matter, I read your latest blog. Thanks for the blog recommendations. They look intereting. As for me I find new blogs by reading comments on blogs I follow (like yours) and tracking back the blogs of the commenters.
Joyful, Nairobi sounds like a fascinating place! It’s interesting that people wear jewelry around town, yet not sunglasses. I don’t know if it means that theft is less of an issue there than in Antananarivo.
The thing I noticed about american tourists while traveling abroad was that they were always COMPLAINING! No joke! I was alone, too, and accustomed to being in Hungary amidst a language I couldn’t understand, so it was really noticable whenever I passed an american, they were bitching about something! It’s like those people who left our France trip early…if you know you’re never happy with anything, why do you ever bother going anywhere? It’s amazing how people can’t just enjoy their surroundings.
I always feel very self-conscious when traveling abroad anywhere because I feel like I don’t fit in due to my stature. It doesn’t matter how low-key I dress and whether or not I wear a fanny pack or a back pack or what have you, I just stick out like a sore thumb! I just recently saw the movie Julie & Julia, about Julia Child living in France, and I could totally relate! She was easily pegged as a foreigner due to her stature, too. But she didn’t care, she just laughed, and ate, and enjoyed herself!
PS Going to Peru in July for certain. So excited! Julio is concerned about going to certain areas with me because I will stick out like a sore thumb. For example, his grandmother lives in a poor area in the outskirts of Peru. He would normally take a taxi to get there, but because of me he’s going to have his sister come pick us up. Should be interesting! We are going to Cuzco and Macchu Picchu, to the north to Chachapoyas/Tarapoto (which is a place the “honey” and his mama have never been so it will be new to us all), to Chiclayo, and to Lago de Titicaca & Puno. Can’t wait!
Pickler, I’m so jealous. Can you convince Julio’s family that I am your insane sister and drag me along? Seriously, Peru with Peruvians. I can’t wait to see your photos! Oh and have fun speaking Spanish!
As for those people that left our two week trip to France because their curling iron melted down in the ‘foreign’ electrical outlets, remember they thought it was an “emergency” to be without poofy, curled hair. I believe it was the 90’s . . .
Great tips 
I think that taking note of how to dress like the people of the place you are visiting is also a sign of respect for their culture.
For instance when my friends and I were in Egypt – a very conservative country, even our capris and loose fitting shirts drew a lot of attention from locals as being “sexy”.
Even though the weather was crazy hot, I would never be one of those girls caught in a tank top and short shorts.
Aspiring Minimalist–you’re right, it can be surprising what is considered appropriate. If I were headed to Egypt, I’d probably go with long pant as well. And thinking about it, in Madagascar, I either wore long pants or long skirts. I had one skirt with a slit up to the knee. . . I couldn’t wear it around downtown without getting ‘oggling’ looks. And I was out with some Malagasy guys one weekend who were appalled at some peace corps workers from the States we saw at the nightclub. It was very interesting to hear what they thought!
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Does this mean that I shouldn’t wear a beret in Paris this weekend?!