Why travel guides are not really useful?
This is a guest article by Benjamin from the travel blog Partir Voyager, who left for 9 months in Australia to tour the island continent by van. Since then, the “travel bug” has taken hold of him and he shares through his blog his stories as well as his tips to show everyone that travel is accessible to the greatest number.
Before my departure to Australia, I was someone quite stressed and I researched as much as possible about the country I was going to visit. I wanted to know everything even before setting foot there. But since my return, things have changed a lot…
A minimum of organization? Yes…
With hindsight and my various experiences abroad, I realized that it was useless to plan everything to the letter. It brings nothing! What’s the point of trying to avoid every unexpected event on a trip? Moreover, organizing everything often means missing out on the best encounters and sometimes on places unknown to everyone.
However, I am not saying that you should arrive in a country with no information and no organization. There is, of course, a minimum, especially for the first few days… For the rest, leave room for the unknown, you will gain a lot from it!
Nothing replaces the experience of locals
During my trip to Australia, as we traveled through the country, we met many locals or other travelers. These spontaneous encounters were undoubtedly the best. Each person advised us on places we shouldn’t miss, things to do, etc…
For example, when taking the boat to Tasmania, we spent more than 5 hours chatting with an Australian couple who had been traveling the country by van for over a year. Needless to say, this conversation was worth far more than all the travel guides combined.
It just goes to show that sometimes it’s important to live your trip day by day, letting yourself go with the rhythm of meetings and discoveries. When traveling independently, the main thing you seek is simply freedom; the freedom of movement. Being able to change plans whenever you want is very important for a relaxing trip. During my last trip to Swedish Lapland, we completely changed our plans at the last minute, notably by spending a day in Norway. Why? Because some Samis (Lapland people) had recommended it to us! And that day was undoubtedly the most beautiful of our trip.
In my opinion, the experience of other travelers is the best travel guide, and that’s why I wanted to write a book about my Australian adventure. I tell the whole story of my trip as well as many tips so that yours will also be a success. “The Journey of Ozcar” will be released on January 14, 2013, so if you want to know more, here it is!
In any case, travel guides will always be useful to have a minimum of organization, but after a certain point, they might well end up in the trash or make someone else happy much sooner than expected!
Thank you Benjamin. I myself looked at this book and I find it quite nice and I gave him some advice to improve it.
