Travel With Purpose: How to Culturally Connect and Experience Destinations More Deeply

My name is Mishana Sturdivant and I own Tad Bit Rad Travels. The purpose of this blog is to share tips, stories and recommendations to empower my readers to travel efficiently and unapologetically.

In this post I share ways to travel with purpose and connect more deeply when wandering solo.

Enjoy!

Traveling during my semi-sabbatical seems different this time around. Typically, during my solo travels, I spend most of my time alone. I would sign up for a few group excursions to spend the day exploring the destination with strangers and then return to my safe space afterwards. This time around, I booked fewer group excursions. I spent more time wandering through old towns, quaint neighborhoods, and local-recommended restaurants, and striking up conversations with kind, talkative strangers. For example, while wandering around Copenhagen, I bumped into a guy who insisted on exploring the city together. He showed me parts of Copenhagen I wouldn’t have seen on my own, and it completely changed how I experienced the city. In Kotor, Montenegro, I stayed in a beautiful bed and breakfast in Dobrota and took some time to sit and talk with the family who owned the property.

People say that solo travel is never alone, but it can feel that way if you don’t take the time to connect with people and immerse yourself in their local culture. That’s simply what cultural connection is: being willing to interact with people from different cultures, being open to learning about the world around you, and exchanging practices, beliefs, and values wherever you are. This guide will help you seek travel that promotes cultural immersion, in hopes of experiencing more meaningful travel that leaves you more empathetic and socially responsible to the world around you.

Solo Travel isn’t Actually Solo

We see that saying everywhere. It’s true, like I said before, when you’re willing to connect with the world around you, exploring the next destination solo doesn’t feel as lonely. Here are my tips to create genuine cultural connections while traveling.

Learn Before You Go

Yes, you should research your next destination before you travel. I want you to think beyond the logistics, though. You can select the best accommodation and book the excursions in advance, but it’s the small cultural norms that matter most. Research how to say Hello, Goodbye, Please, Thank you, How much does this cost? and other basic terms in the local language. Research the local customs. Learn what’s considered disrespectful in the destination that you are visiting. Learn what’s widely accepted and traditional activities that you should be aware of.

Stay Local

Staying at global hotel chains may be convenient and more affordable, but consider locally owned hotels, homestays, and guesthouses. I enjoy staying at locally owned boutique hotels because they are typically smaller and the hospitality is intentional and intimate. I get moments where I can sit down and enjoy breakfast with the owners, or I see the same couple every day for dinner, or enjoy décor in my living space that honors the local culture.

Eat Where the Locals Eat

There’s nothing wrong with eating at a TikTok-recommended establishment. I would recommend balancing your TikTok/tourist dinner recs and the recs you receive from locals. Leave space for the recs from your taxi driver, or your Homestay host. You can also eat like a local by joining a food tour or a cooking class. Airbnb Experiences allow locals to offer more intimate experiences to visitors than typical tours. The best cooking classes teach you how to create special dishes from the local cuisine. A food tour hosted by a local exposes you to local favorites and introduces you to the cuisine. I would challenge you not to share the restaurants you visit on your food tours; instead, refer other travelers to book the food tour. This protects the local gems from the negative effects of social media virality and supports the local business hosting the tour.

Say Yes!!!!!!!

Be open to invitations, experiences, and conversations. When strangers are curious, don’t be afraid to answer their questions. Ask them questions. Engage! As a solo traveler, I can relate to being afraid to talk to strangers. I can relate to lying when strangers ask if I’m solo or if they are asking personal questions. I would advise you to practice discernment. Don’t overshare, but don’t be afraid to engage with strangers. Personally, I don’t mind sharing that I am solo traveling when I am engaging with other solo travelers or locals in open spaces. I will not share that I am solo in a taxicab. If I’m solo dining and someone engages me in conversation, I don’t mind. I always ask if they have recommendations for restaurants, sights, etc.

Participate, Don’t Spectate!

Participate in the classes and workshops. Attend the festivals. Eat at restaurants serving local cuisine and featuring live music. I recently returned from Munich, Germany, and participated in their annual Oktoberfest. I learned about the history of the largest beer festival in the world and rented traditional dress to fully immerse myself in the fest. I highly recommend doing more than just attending events and people watching. Take that time to ask questions, be curious about history and significance, and honor their traditions.

Slow it Down

When we first start traveling, we want to see as much as possible in as little time as possible. Whether we are early in our careers and have limited PTO, or took a gap year and have a limited budget. Our early traveling habits are fast-paced and focused on checking off lists. However, to immerse yourself in culture, you must slow it down. Give yourself time to wander and get lost in a new city. Don’t just visit one city in a country; make it a multi-city trip. The idea of packing up and moving every 3 days is exhausting. Extend the trip for at least a week or two. You have time to travel the world; there’s no rush. Consider returning to destinations you really enjoyed to explore beyond the touristy must-visits!

Here are some of the best destinations for Cultural Connection:

Japan

Vietnam

Colombia

Kenya

Continue reading to learn why.

Japan

Japan is such a vibrant country. I recommend taking your time exploring many cities in Japan. Tokyo offers a totally different experience from Kyoto. Kyoto is super traditional, while Osaka is laid-back and expressive. Osaka is similar but totally different than Kobe. And then there’s the “Hawaii of Asia”, Okinawa. Japan is such a diverse island with many opportunities for cultural connection, from visiting shrines to trying street food, enjoying omakase, participating in a Tea Ceremony, or watching a Sumo wrestling match. There’s so much to do, and visitors often try to fit everything in a single trip. It’s impossible. Here’s my travel guide for the first-time traveler to Japan.  

Vietnam

Vietnam is another culturally rich country. I recommend that travelers visit both North and South Vietnam because they offer totally different experiences. What’s not to love about Vietnam? I enjoyed the Pho, Banh Mi, Vietnamese iced coffee, egg coffee, and salt coffee. I enjoyed sitting on the sidewalk and having meals with locals. I enjoyed exploring the streets of Hoi An, cruising on a boat, marveling at Ha Long Bay, and immersing myself in the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City. Here’s my travel guide for the first-time traveler to Vietnam.

Colombia

Though I’ve only traveled to Cartagena, Colombia is a country of culture worth exploring. Cartagena is vibrant with great food, fun nightlife, and powerful African history in Palenque.

Here is my list of top things to do while in Cartagena. The next time I travel to Colombia, I plan to visit the coffee region, Medellín, and other towns along the colorful coast.

Kenya

Kenya has everything a solo traveler can ask for: vibrant nightlife in Nairobi, beautiful beach towns in Mombasa or Lamu, wildlife safaris in the Maasai Mara, and many opportunities for cultural immersion. Kenya is full of warm people and powerful animal encounters. During a load-shedding incident (when the city turns off electricity to conserve it), I enjoyed the best Kenyan meal of my trip at a local restaurant. The lack of electricity didn’t stop the restaurant from preparing our meals and offering the best hospitality. It felt like such a common experience for Kenyans, and I appreciated being welcomed in that space.

This list is not exhaustive; however, it includes some of my favorite countries that I’ve felt most culturally connected to.

What if you want to be culturally connected but need help? Here are my favorite tools that help me connect to the people of any destination

Babbel – I just started using this language learning app to learn Spanish. I’ve visited more Spanish-speaking countries recently, and it's helpful to practice conversational Spanish.

Google Translate or DeepL – a digital translator that translates on the go with a microphone and camera. I can take pictures of menus and signs to better navigate on my own. I don’t know how many times I had to communicate with a taxi driver, and I was thankful I could use the microphone in the apps.

Airbnb Experiences – In the Airbnb app, local hosts can offer experiences such as food tours, walking tours, cooking tours, and other activities common in that destination.

Apple Calculator – In the Calculator app, there’s a currency converter. I use this tool when negotiating prices or purchasing goods and services internationally. It allows me to know exactly how much something costs in USD before committing.

For other travel apps and sites, check this blog post.

In this article, I shared recommendations on how to connect deeply when you travel, the best destinations for cultural connection, and some of my favorite tools to make it simpler. Solo Travel can seem boring when you don’t have a purpose beyond seeing pretty views and eating delicious food. It may get redundant and uninspiring. After traveling solo for years, I’ve amplified my experiences by seeking connection. Not only with other tourists and solo travelers, but also with locals and their cultures. It allows me to leave with something from each destination that is beyond a physical souvenir.