Local travel has risen to the forefront as it remains an easier, safer, and often more sustainable travel option as a result of the pandemic. Staying closer to home continues to retain its importance on the travel agenda as research by Booking.com reveals that more than half (59 per cent) of Indian travelers are planning to travel within their own country, with 43 per cent want to visit places of interest they normally overlook and 50 per cent look to take the time to appreciate the natural beauty of India.

The travel platform shares some tips on how to be a tourist, as travelers demonstrate enthusiasm to explore and experience incredible India with a fresh outlook.

Book a Unique Place Like Villas, Beach Homes, Boathouses

Book a Unique Place to Stay Boutique stays continue to trend with Indians, as 74 per cent of travelers plan to stay in a unique accommodation for their next trip. Alternative accommodation listings (homes, holiday homes, villas, beach homes, boathouses, etc.) have seen growth in demand last year in the pandemic. While travelling domestically, you can experience the destination uniquely by booking alternative accommodations (for example tree houses) that will complement the destination and enhance the experience it has to offer.

Indulge in a wellness destination

Escapism has always been crucial for travelers. Close to half (47 per cent) of Indian travelers are seeking simple, relaxing trips to get away from it all. If you are looking to get pampered for the day or stay for a wellness weekend and experience pure bliss on your next trip, you can try Varkala in Kerala.

Varkala is one of the top three most endorsed destinations for wellness by Indian travelers on Booking.com. This town located along the coast of Kerala, with palm-covered red cliffs and golden beaches, instills a sense of calmness for you to unwind.

You will find several wellness studios, and ashrams throughout the destination, including on the beach. The destination’s hot springs are believed to provide mineral water that has medicinal properties, which add to its wellness appeal. Varkala has also become popular for the growing ‘Naturopathy’ practised in several of its Ayurvedic centres. So you can add ayurvedic massages to your to-do list to de-stress your mind and body.

Visit Lesser-Known Markets

India is full of charming markets you should visit at least once.

West Bengal is home to several lesser-explored wonders. But one of the unexplored gems you could consider is Mandarmani, a seaside village offering captivating views of rural Bengal. Along the way, you will find plenty of local markets that trade in fish, cashew nuts, vegetables and oils.

Some of these markets include Digha Mohana, Radhamoni and Ramnagar fish market. While in Mandarmani you can also make your way to Mandarmani beach and indulge in authentic seaside Bengali cuisine and photography. And if you are looking for some adventure, you can also explore jet ski rides, banana boat rides and parachute rides along the beach.

Travel Through Time and Shop Vintage

Step back in time with a visit to this vintage shopping district in India and get a glimpse of its fashion and style through the decades. With its great value, rare finds and the possibility to uncover the hidden tales of the past, you never know what you may discover.

Jew Town in Kerala is a narrow street between Mattancherry Palace and the Paradesi Synagogue famous for its antiques. If vintage interests you, then you will find abundance in the antique shops on this popular street. The artefacts you will come across date back to the colonial period in the relic shops. Even the houses in the area are inspired by medieval Portuguese-style architecture.

Discover Secret Gardens

Embrace yourself in the tranquility of India’s hidden gardens and green spaces. Have a picnic in the park or simply uncover its lesser-known beauty with a stroll to indulge in the most enchanting pathways in this oasis.

Aaraku Valley in Andhra Pradesh is an unexplored cove of biodiversity, full of captivating flora and fauna. Padmapuram Gardens, located 2.5 km from Aaraku Valley is 26 acres of natural beauty that dates back to World War II. The rose gardens and jackfruit trees in this place are among the most visited spots. The entire garden can be explored in a special train operated by the place. And if you wish to spend a night among all the plants, you can book a stay in the hanging cottages in this botanical garden.

Act like a tourist

And finally, act like a tourist Visit the local Welcome/Information Center, take a city pamphlet from the hotel lobby, embrace a bit of history and culture and join a museum tour, take silly photos of yourself in front of tourist spots, eat at a popular restaurant, and visit the most well-known attractions that people travel the world to see.

Vietnam is a diverse and fascinating destination, which is why it pays to learn about it before you go. Nomad and frequent visitor Ronan O’Connell shares his tips on things to do (and what not to do) in Vietnam, cultural etiquette, weather, currency, and getting around.

Measuring 1,000mi (1,600km) from top to bottom, home to more than 50 ethnic groups, and bordered by the contrasting countries of China, Cambodia, and Laos, Vietnam is perhaps the most diverse travel destination in Southeast Asia. That helps explain why it continues to intrigue and thrill me, even after more than a dozen visits. It’s also why travelers should study up on Vietnam before visiting. Here are a few insider tips to know before you go.

Get out of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam’s cities are so lively, so captivating, that I didn’t venture outside them on my first three trips. When I finally delved into its countryside I was transfixed – not just due to the natural splendor of its misty mountains, dense forests, photogenic rice terraces, and sun-laced beaches, but also the wonderful heritage that’s preserved in its villages and towns.

While Vietnam’s cities have modernized greatly in the past 20 years, becoming increasingly Westernized, beyond those metropolises are many communities which showcase unique and ancient architecture and lifestyles. For example, Duong Lam, a charming 1,200-year-old farming village of mud brick homes which lies about 37mi (60km) west of Hanoi.

Perhaps you want a simultaneous dose of heritage and scenery? Then visit Lao Cai, a rugged province in the far north of Vietnam that hugs its border with China. This is one of the first places I ever traveled solo, and I still have daydreams about its colorful hill tribes, spectacular hiking trails, and historic mountainside villages.

Etiquette when visiting religious sites in Vietnam

Encompassing gilded Buddhist temples, colorful Taoist pagodas, and stately Christian churches, Vietnam’s regal religious structures are among the country’s finest attractions. I highly recommend Hanoi’s lakeside Tran Quoc Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City’s flamingo pink church, and Hue’s ancient Thien Mu Pagoda.

Although visitors to these religious sites aren’t directed to cover up, there is an unwritten dress code. These are, after all, places of solemn worship, so don’t wear anything too casual or too revealing. Vietnamese people are so polite they likely won’t confront you even if you’re dressed inappropriately, so take it upon yourself to be neat, tidy, and reasonably modest in appearance, to keep your voice down inside these complexes, and not to be intrusive with your photography. I’ve never had anyone object to me taking a photo inside a Vietnamese religious site, but while doing so I keep as much distance as possible, so as not to disturb worshippers.

Vietnam currency advice – be prepared to become a millionaire

Changing just USD $50 in Vietnam will make you a millionaire – that’s because $1 normally converts to more than 20,000 Vietnamese Dong. I’m good at math, but even I struggle mentally converting a Vietnamese price tag of, say 1.4 million Dong, which is why my phone’s calculator gets a lot of use.

Further complicating matters is the fact Vietnam has 17 different varieties of coins and notes. The lowest denomination is 100 Dong, which comes in both coin and note form, and is worth about USD 0.5c. So, your wallet could bulge with 200 of those bills, yet combined they’d only amount to USD $1. Because of the bulk of notes, I don’t carry any denomination less than 10,000 Dong (worth nearly USD 50c) and leave the remainder in my room as part of my daily tip for the hotel cleaners.

Managing the weather in Vietnam

One of the few things I dislike about Southeast Asia is its year-round hot and humid weather. So, I treasure the fact that Vietnam actually has a real winter. Home to some of the northernmost points of SE Asia – including national capital Hanoi, stunning hilltribe town Sapa, and spectacular Halong Bay – the upper third of Vietnam can be refreshingly cool.

From November to February, maximum temperatures there typically rest in the friendly 66°-77°F (19°-25°C) range, compared to 86°-93°F (30°-34°C) in places like Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In the wonderful mountain villages of northern Vietnam, temperatures can drop as low as 39°F (4°C) in winter.

You can buy brand-name clothing for next to nothing

Southeast Asia is famous for markets which sell fake versions of popular clothing brands. In Vietnam, though, you can buy real brand-name clothing for as cheap as those copies. That’s because Vietnam is a hub of manufacturing for many leading clothing brands, and their factory seconds end up being sold for one-quarter of retail prices in places like the Old Quarter of Hanoi, or Ho Chi Minh City’s Russian market.

These factory seconds are not torn or stained or misshapen – typically they just have tiny blemishes, like interior labels that are off-center or smudged. Over the past decade, I’ve bought dozens of these brand-name shirts, jackets, shorts and pants in Vietnam which looked perfect from the outside, and over years of wear proved to be the genuine article.

Unless you’re experienced, don’t ride a motorbike in Vietnam

It strikes me every time I arrive in Vietnam – the remarkable volume of motorbikes, which outnumber cars by more than 20 to 1 in this nation. It’s tempting to join in because motorbikes are very cheap to rent, it’s legal for foreigners to hire versions that are 50cc or less, and Vietnamese scenery is splendid and begs to be explored on two wheels.

But, as explained in our guide to motorcycling in Vietnam, this is not a country for novices. If you’re a veteran motorcyclist, then by all means, savor the ride (be sure you’re properly licensed, and always wear a helmet). But amateurs can easily get into trouble due to the swarming and unpredictable traffic, often uneven road surfaces, and their lack of familiarity with Vietnam’s road rules.

Take these steps to ensure you know what you’re getting before clicking the reserve button on that cute mountain cottage or condo by the sea

From Hobbit-inspired abodes to secluded treehouses to beachfront cottages, travelers can live out their fantasy vacation at an Airbnb rental. However, a dream retreat can easily turn into a nightmare when your chosen property falls short of expectations. The last Airbnb I checked into was an adorable yurt tucked deep inside a rainforest on Hawaii Island (also known as the Big Island). The property itself was clean and quaint, but the road leading to the yurt was unpaved and nearly impassable in a rented convertible. Located at an elevation of 3,000 feet, it was a lot colder than I expected, and the yurt itself was not heated or soundproof, which meant three sleepless nights of hearing singing coqui frogs, crowing roosters, and distant sounds of gunshots. Horror stories from other Airbnb users have run the gamut from moldy bathrooms and unsafe neighborhoods to aggressive hosts, neighbors, or even pets.

“Most of the complaints we receive about Airbnb come from travelers who have a misunderstanding about what Airbnb is and what it isn’t,” says Michelle Couch-Friedman, executive director at Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps mediate consumer complaints. “Airbnb does not manage any of the properties it lists, nor have these properties been inspected by Airbnb,” she says. That means it’s up to consumers to do their own due diligence and properly vet the lodging and the host before booking. I asked eight frequent Airbnb users for their best advice on how to do that. Here are some of their tips.

Read the Listing

This might seem like a given, but people are often so charmed by a property’s photos that they overlook essential details in the listing. When you’re searching for accommodations, Airbnb pulls up a mix of results that include entire houses, private rooms, hotel rooms, and shared rooms. “You should carefully check what type of place you are booking before actually booking,” says Dymphe Mensink, a travel blogger and Airbnb superuser. That way, you won’t accidentally book a shared rental space when you were looking for a place of your own. In addition to reading about the amenities and check-in and check-out times, you should also make sure you understand what the cleaning fee covers. When travel blogger Trysta Barwig first started using Airbnb, she assumed it was just like a hotel. “I found out that wasn’t the case after being charged a cleaning fee for not doing dishes,” she says. In fact, the host determines what’s included in the cleaning fees, and some have additional requirements, such as dumping dirty linens in the washer or putting away the dishes before departure; failure to do so can incur an extra fee. “Read the entire listing to avoid these types of issues,” Barwig says.

Don’t Skim Over the Cancellation Policy

Travelers should pay particular attention to the cancellation policy, which is set by the host. “There are Airbnb listings where you can cancel last minute, while there are others you can’t cancel at all. And sometimes you only get a refund for a percentage of your booking costs,” says Mensink. Couch-Friedman cautions that the listing is a legally binding contract. “Failing to review or completely understand the cancellation policy of an individual property is not a foundation to break the contract,” she says. “In my experience, especially during the pandemic, the one thing travelers overlook and then regret later is the cancellation policy.”

Go Through the Reviews

Reviews can help provide a fuller picture of the neighborhood, the quality of the amenities, the accessibility of hosts, and any other potential red flags. Travel blogger Michelle Chang relies heavily on reviews when she chooses a place to stay on Airbnb. She looks for things that a host might not include in their description, such as street noise and strength of Wi-Fi. A listing with only a few reviews can be a red flag. “The one time I didn’t follow my own advice and booked a place with a solitary review that lacked any real feedback, the place turned out to be extremely sketchy,” says Chang. “I made sure my own review on Airbnb would be more helpful to future travelers and tactfully ward them off.” Look for consistency in the reviews. “It’s normal to have an off review or two,” says family travel blogger Kristy Esparza. “But if several reviewers comment on something that would bother me, I move on.” It’s also worth noting that Airbnb reviews often do not appear in chronological order, so it’s important to scroll through all of them to make sure you’re finding the most recent testimony, says Couch-Friedman. If a property has changed owners, new guests might have complained of a subpar experience at what was previously a well-reviewed rental. Conversely, a formerly struggling Airbnb might have made improvements in recent months.

Talk to the Host

Travel blogger Marc Tonkin encourages travelers to get to know their hosts prior to making a transaction by clicking the Contact Host button and sending them a message. “You should ask the host all of your questions, and don’t be hesitant to inquire about the specifics of your stay,” he says. The way a host responds to your initial questions could clue you in on how likely they’ll be to handle any issues that might arise during your stay. Some hosts are hospitality experts, while others are just trying to earn a side income by renting out their property. Digital nomad and podcaster Rax Suen checks to see if the hosts are staying near the property. “I generally prefer the owner to be somewhere close, so the response time is quick if something is wrong,” he says. “It’s also good to have access to local help if anything comes up while you are overseas.” Suen prefers booking with superhosts, a designation given to those who fulfill requirements such as a 90 percent response rate and an overall rating of 4.8 or higher; he believes it “provides an extra layer of social proof that the experience will be a good one.” While a superhost badge is a plus, it doesn’t guarantee that your stay is going to be a trouble-free experience. “Travelers need to understand, the superhost badge applies to the host, not a particular property,” says Couch-Friedman. “Many superhosts have multiple properties, and a host earns that badge by achieving a certain number of five-star reviews by former guests.”

Study the Photos

When Couch-Friedman books an Airbnb property, she looks at the photos carefully. “If they don’t look recent or appear to be screenshots, I scroll to another property,” she says. Family travel blogger Besa Sumovic takes the time to notice the details. “It might be a ‘family friendly’ listing, but does it actually look family friendly?” she asks. “Are there cords everywhere, are there glass tables, are there a lot of stairs, is there an open space [children] can play?” To avoid being scammed by a nonexistent Airbnb rental, Couch-Friedman vets the property by dragging the photos into a Google Images search, to determine whether the photos exist elsewhere on the internet.

Don’t Leave if Your Airbnb Has Problems

If the property is not up to snuff when you arrive, do not reject the property on sight or hastily find an alternate accommodation. “A common mistake of novice Airbnb users is they’ll arrive at the property, take a look at it, decide it isn’t what they hoped for, and leave, expecting a refund,” says Couch-Friedman. “This isn’t how Airbnb operates.” Travelers who decide the property is not as advertised should immediately alert both the host and Airbnb. Then they should document everything by taking photos and videos of the issues, such as stained bedsheets or an unhygienic kitchen. The host is typically given 12 to 24 hours to fix any problems that are correctable, for example, sending a cleaning service or replacing a mattress or broken TV. “If Airbnb determines that the problem is not fixable, then it will make an attempt to reaccommodate the guest with a comparable Airbnb property,” says Couch-Friedman. “Airbnb will only require a refund from the host to the guest if the property significantly deviates from the listing—for example, a property with three bedrooms instead of the advertised five—and there is no way to correct the problem.”

The solo guide provides a comprehensive guide on solo travel, ensuring that readers can enjoy and appreciate the experience.

1. Pre-solo travel anxieties vary based on personal preferences. For sociable travelers, choose a language-speaking destination; for introverts, forget language barriers and explore vibrant cities.

2. Talk to experienced travelers to gain insights on travel options and avoid mistakes. Utilize social networks, online meetup groups, and expat groups to connect with others in your destination.

3. Starting conversations with strangers can be challenging, especially for introverts. However, developing these skills is life-changing. Traveling alone after my husband’s death helped me.

4. Solo travelers often encounter more travelers and locals, gaining valuable advice and recommendations from them, which can greatly enrich their trip.

5. Flexibility is key when encountering opportunities or suggestions, often requiring a change in schedule, especially during road or rail trips.

6. Self-managed travel requires more energy than traveling with others, so it’s crucial to allocate extra time for leisurely activities like market wandering or exploring new mountains.

7. Arriving in a new city alone can be challenging, so take a day to relax, observe the city’s functioning, and settle in.