Should you’ve been to any of those 10 cities, you’re extra well-traveled than 95% of individuals – VegOut

Last 12 months, I used to be at a cocktail party in Austin when somebody requested me about my favourite journey vacation spot. Before I may reply, one other visitor jumped in: “Oh, I’m such a world traveler. I’ve been to Paris, London, AND Barcelona!”

The desk went quiet. Not as a result of we have been impressed, however as a result of half the individuals there had been to these very same cities. And that is when it hit me – most individuals’s journey maps look remarkably comparable. We’re all hitting the identical Instagram-famous spots, following the identical guidebooks, consuming on the identical “must-visit” eating places.

But actual journey? The form that really adjustments you and offers you tales no one else has? That occurs once you enterprise past the vacationer path.

After dwelling in Bangkok for 3 years and spending numerous hours exploring locations that do not make it into most journey blogs, I’ve realized one thing: being well-traveled is not about checking off the preferred locations. It’s about experiencing the world in ways in which problem your perspective.

So this is my tackle 10 cities that, in case you’ve visited them, put you in a special league of traveler. These aren’t essentially the toughest locations to succeed in or probably the most unique. But they’re those that separate vacationers from true explorers.

1. Luang Prabang, Laos

While everybody’s combating crowds at Angkor Wat, Luang Prabang sits quietly alongside the Mekong River, providing one thing more and more uncommon: authenticity with out the vacationer circus.

I stumbled into this UNESCO World Heritage metropolis throughout my Southeast Asia years, anticipating simply one other temple city. What I discovered was a spot the place monks nonetheless gather alms at daybreak, the place French colonial structure hasn’t been became Starbucks, and the place the night time market really sells issues locals use.

The meals scene alone makes this well worth the journey. Ever tried Laotian river weed chips? Or buffalo pores and skin salad? These aren’t dishes created for adventurous vacationers. This is what individuals really eat right here, and it is unimaginable.

Most vacationers skip Laos fully, which is precisely why going there issues. It exhibits you are prepared so as to add an additional flight, take care of much less infrastructure, and discover a rustic that does not have its personal part in most guidebooks.

2. Medellín, Colombia

Mention Medellín to most individuals and so they’ll reference Netflix exhibits or outdated fears. But those that’ve really been there? We know it is some of the modern cities in Latin America.

The transformation story right here is actual. This metropolis went from being virtually unvisitable to successful awards for city improvement. The cable vehicles that now transport residents up the mountainside? They’re not vacationer points of interest. They’re public transit that occurs to supply unimaginable views.

What strikes me most about Medellín is the way it refuses to cover its previous whereas constructing its future. You can go to Comuna 13, as soon as probably the most harmful neighborhood within the metropolis, now lined in road artwork and filled with hip-hop dancers. It’s difficult, it is actual, and it is nothing like what you may discover in Cancún.

3. Isfahan, Iran

Here’s a take a look at: point out you have been to Iran and watch individuals’s reactions. The shock on their faces tells you every thing about how few Western vacationers make it right here.

Isfahan breaks each stereotype you may need about Iran. The structure rivals something in Europe, the hospitality surpasses even the friendliest nations I’ve visited, and the meals scene? Let’s simply say Persian delicacies deserves far more international recognition than it will get.

Walking by Naqsh-e Jahan Square at sundown, surrounded by mosques that make the Taj Mahal look understated, you understand how a lot of the world’s magnificence we miss due to politics and preconceptions.

4. Tbilisi, Georgia

Not the state. The nation. And in case you needed to make clear that in your head, you are proving my level.

Tbilisi is what Prague was 30 years in the past, earlier than the bachelor events and tour teams took over. It’s bought the cobblestone streets, the quirky wine bars, the combo of architectural types that should not work collectively however in some way do.

But what units it aside is the meals and wine tradition that predates France’s by a number of thousand years. They’re nonetheless making wine in clay vessels buried underground, the identical approach they did 8,000 years in the past. And the khachapuri? It makes pizza appear like newbie hour.

Georgia sits on the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and Tbilisi feels prefer it. It’s neither totally Eastern nor Western, which makes it extra fascinating than locations that match neatly into both class.

5. Kigali, Rwanda

Africa stays probably the most underrepresented continent on most journey itineraries, and Kigali exhibits precisely what individuals are lacking.

This could be the cleanest metropolis I’ve ever visited. Plastic luggage are banned, there is a nationwide cleansing day each month, and the group stage rivals Singapore. But it isn’t sterile. The hills (they do not name it the “Land of a Thousand Hills” for nothing) create neighborhoods with distinct personalities, and the espresso tradition right here places Seattle to disgrace.

The genocide memorial is heavy, mandatory visiting. But the town’s story since then? It’s some of the inspiring city narratives on the planet. Tech startups, girls in parliament, a buzzing artistic scene. This is not the Africa you see in charity commercials.

6. Osaka, Japan

Tokyo will get all the eye, however Osaka is the place Japan lets its hair down.

This is the town that gave the world conveyor belt sushi, immediate ramen, and the idea of kuidaore (consuming your self into chapter 11). The meals tradition right here is not about Michelin stars. It’s about takoyaki stands run by the identical household for 3 generations and kushikatsu joints the place the one rule is “no double dipping.”

What I really like about Osaka is that it exhibits you a special Japan. People really speak to strangers right here. The comedy tradition is big. It’s grittier, funnier, and extra approachable than its well-known siblings.

7. Lviv, Ukraine

Writing this now feels heavy, however Lviv deserves recognition for what it has been and what it hopefully can be once more.

This metropolis is what occurs when Polish, Austrian, Ukrainian, and Jewish cultures spend centuries creating one thing collectively. The espresso home tradition rivals Vienna’s, the structure spans each European model you may identify, and the creativity right here places most capitals to disgrace.

Lviv exhibits you Europe with out the EU gloss. It’s romantic with out being treasured, historic with out being a museum. And the truth that it isn’t on most Western European itineraries? That’s exactly what makes visiting it so rewarding.

8. Valparaíso, Chile

Street artwork normally will get relegated to particular neighborhoods in most cities. In Valparaíso, the complete metropolis is the canvas.

Built into unimaginable hills overlooking the Pacific, this place makes San Francisco look flat. The funiculars aren’t vacationer points of interest; they’re how individuals really get residence. Every staircase is painted, each wall tells a narrative, and each view makes you rethink what a metropolis could be.

The poet Pablo Neruda cherished it right here, and you’ll see why. It’s chaotic however stunning, crumbling however vibrant. Most Chile journeys cease at Santiago and wine nation. Making it to Valparaíso exhibits you are occupied with greater than checking bins.

9. Yangon, Myanmar

Myanmar’s political state of affairs is difficult, and that is precisely why considerate journey right here issues.

Yangon looks like a time capsule in some methods, with its colonial structure and road meals tradition that hasn’t been sanitized for vacationers. The Shwedagon Pagoda at sundown is a type of uncommon websites that really exceeds the hype.

But it is the individuals who make this place particular. After a long time of isolation, there is a real curiosity concerning the outdoors world. Conversations right here go deeper than typical traveler small speak. You’re not simply one other vacationer; you are a window to locations they’re interested by.

10. Salvador, Brazil

Finally, whereas everybody heads to Rio, Salvador presents one thing extra advanced and arguably extra Brazilian.

This is the place African and Portuguese cultures created one thing fully new. The percussion you hear on the streets is not efficiency; it is apply for Carnaval teams that characterize neighborhoods and inform tales. The capoeira right here is actual, not a vacationer present. The acarajé bought by girls in white conventional costume is not Instagram bait; it is a non secular providing turned road meals.

Salvador makes you’re employed a bit tougher. The metropolis’s structure is complicated, the historical past is difficult, and you’ll’t simply hit the seashore and name it a day. But that is precisely why it issues.

Final ideas

Look, I’m not saying these cities are higher than Paris or Tokyo or New York. Those locations are in style for good causes, and I really like them too.

But in case you’ve made it to any of those ten cities, you have proven one thing completely different. You’ve confirmed you are prepared to transcend the straightforward selections, to take care of much less handy flights, to elucidate to family and friends why you are going “there” as a substitute of someplace extra acquainted.

Real journey is not about counting nations or amassing passport stamps. It’s about looking for out tales that have not been informed 1,000,000 occasions, discovering magnificence in locations that do not high the “must-visit” lists, and coming residence with views that really shift the way you see the world.

That’s what separates well-traveled individuals from those that merely journey nicely.