4 ms·
«I try to find non-traditional tourist destinations. Cities that are viewed as ugly, or without a lot to see. Cities where the residents are more focused on liv
by mrb 4y ago
«I try to find non-traditional tourist destinations. Cities that are viewed as ugly, or without a lot to see. Cities where the residents are more focused on living their life, for themselves, not for a global audience.»
This resonates so much with an experience I have had once. My wife and I visited Japan for a couple weeks and we went to 4 cities: 3 big classic ones (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima), and a small city that a relative used to live in: Beppu, which is not at all a tourist destination. In fact Beppu is so off the radar that one of the only guided tours available there to see local gardens and one monastery was by a guide who didn't even speak English. I didn't see a single restaurant menu in English. There was not much to do except randomly exploring neighborhoods and trying random shops, walking along canals, people-watching, bathing in the local hot springs (which were completely empty), etc. We were immersed in a tiny city with just people living their normal lives. And yet, Beppu was my most favorite experience in Japan. It felt like the real Japan.
- sosborn 4y agoBeppu is one of those places that lives off of domestic tourism. I wouldn't say it's the "real" Japan, but it is certainly in the realm of "traditional" japan.
- bnralt 4y agoThe thing is, most people in most cities are living for themselves, not a global audience. Even a place like New York isn't all Broadway and haute couture, and there are a number of interesting neighborhoods that are generally overlooked by tourists. I saw this recently with the issue of migrants in Martha's Vineyard, where people thought the entire island was populated by millionaires. There's a lot of wealthy people who go to these places for the summer, but the year-round population is much more complex. About 1/5 of the population are actually recent immigrants from Brazil[1], and if you look at the local school notices you'll see they're printed in English and Portuguese. In an effort to get an "authentic" experience, it's possible to overlook the authentic experiences that are right in front of us. [1] https://web.archive.org/web/20220920163318/https://www.businessinsider.com/marthas-vineyard-is-more-than-just-a-posh-vacationland-2022-9 https://web.archive.org/web/20220920163318/https://www.busin...
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]