Travel takes you out of your comfort zone and may expose you to a different environment and culture, especially if you follow these 5 Secrets To Find the Best Food While Traveling. People travel for different reasons. It might be for business, relaxation, adventure, or a desire to experience a new life entirely.
This post may contain affiliate links which means we receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclosure and privacy policy for more information.
5 Secrets To Find the Best Food While Traveling
Irrespective of the reason for your travel, there is a purpose everyone seeks to fulfill, experiencing the best delicacies at the travel destination of choice.
Finding the best food in your travel area can be tricky as you are most likely to be presented with options most frequented by tourists. Most of the time, these tourist-targeted restaurants are expensive and may not offer the best local cuisine.
Here are some tips for finding the best food during your travel.
Talk to locals
No one knows the ins and outs of the area like the locals. There are different ways to reach out to locals without stopping a random stranger on the road.
Before traveling, you can make a post on social media to seek recommendations for the best places to eat during your visit.
Also, confirm if certain social media platforms are not blacklisted in the country or area. If that is the case, you may want to join forums or the social media the locals are likely to use.
Another way to seek locals’ guidance is by asking those you may find at your hotel, such as the attendants. You can also ask the driver on your way to the hotel.
Be specific; let them know you want a place you can enjoy the best food even if it is less popular than the tourist-targeted restaurants.
Book a culinary tour
If you plan to have a complete experience of the local cuisines and the story behind them, then book a culinary tour, also called a food tour.
According to Pacific Coast Palate, a firm that offers Private Chef and Catering Services, a food tour can be based either on the local culture or the area itself. It involves the tasting of different cuisines at various establishments in the area. Typically, a tourist may need help locating these places.
Aside from the food, a culinary tour offers you the opportunity the interact with the locals and also gives you first-hand knowledge of how their culture as the places you would be visiting are locals' favorites.
You will also likely get tips about the area from the tour guide and the local people you meet on the way.
Check review sites, but be careful
Review sites are fantastic places to start your search from the comfort of your home before or during the travel.
Unfortunately, only some of the reviews on these sites can be trusted. For areas with fewer tourist attractions, they may be helpful.
Sometimes, a one-star rating does not necessarily mean the restaurant food is bad; it might be written by an angry tourist who was delayed before being served.
Scan through the reviews and pay more attention to lengthy comments with a vivid descriptions of the experience.
Use the search box on the review site to filter the comments in case you are searching for specific foods such as gluten-free.
Visit the local market
If you are a foodie, you can never go wrong when you visit the local market to find out about the foods people enjoy eating.
If your travel arrangement affords you the opportunity of cooking, here is a place to get fresh farm products which are better than what you will get from the supermarkets.
Ask locals questions about how to prepare it; you will be amazed at the tips they would offer you, which you may never find from watching online videos.
For people who do not have the opportunity to cook but would prefer buying ready-made food, ask the locals in the market for directions to where you can get the best delicacies around.
Local restaurants are usually in the market or around. Watch out for those with queues or lots of locals seated. There is a higher probability that the food is both affordable and delicious.
Read experts’ reviews
Blogs, vlogs, and social media posts by food experts are great places to get a perfect view of the destination you have in mind.
Travel bloggers, for instance, will take pictures and write about their experiences at a destination.
A vlogger will record the journey's videos and offer tips on places to visit in the area. Social media posts usually summarize an expert’s experience at the destination.
If the expert’s post does not include the best places to eat in the area, you can ask by dropping a comment or sending a private message to the expert.
Victor Harbor
Helpful guide and ideas that travelers can follow on their next vacation plans. Thanks for it.