Whatever I feel like on a given day. I hate itineraries. I like going on vacation with a general idea of what I can do, and then picking and choosing when I get there.
That’s difficult to say, because it’s entirely dependent on the destination.
I like both urban and scenic exploration. I have trouble sitting around, unless my body needs the rest. So, I stray away from most “leisure” activities. Sitting on the beach for hours is not for me. If the destination has a high walkability factor, I will walk everywhere I physically can, and I will do it A LOT.
I barely take any pictures. I find that they detract from my being in the moment, and they never capture what I hope.
I do like thrifting for niche, often older electronics and peripherals.
I like food.
I like cigars, and love cigar bars, because the atmosphere and activity is excellent for meeting locals and travellers alike. That is one thing I will always scout out and do.
As little as possible.
Discovering food and places
Depends on where I’m going, whether I’ve been there before, and how long my trip is, but as a rule I’ll always seek out the local food and try to see a mix of famous big-name sights and weird niche things that interest me. For example, when I was in Tokyo last, I went to the top of Tokyo Tower at sunset (normal tourist sightseeing thing) and also went to see their underground flood-control tunnels.
I don’t enjoy “sit on a beach and do nothing” vacations, but more power to you if that’s your style.
If I am traveling out of town, I try my best to eat locally at my destination city. I would rather get the flavor of a city by its local cuisine offerings rather than from its underpaid chain fast food workers that I can suffer at home 😂
Not the person you’re replying to, but I’m also a “try the local cuisine” person. A good percentage of the places I’ve visited have had some local thing that you’d have to really look for to find elsewhere. I don’t end up liking all of them, but I like the experience of trying something new. Some specific examples:
- St. Louis, MO, USA: Gooey butter cake which is as gross and as delicious as it sounds.
- Changsha, Hunan, China: Stinky tofu. The local Changsha style of stinky tofu is completely unlike the more common style you’d find in night markets in Taiwan or elsewhere; it’s only a little stinky but is dense, savory, and spicy.
- Singapore: Kaya toast. Kaya is a sweet coconut-based spread and they put it on buttery thick toast. I was addicted to this when I was in Singapore for work.
- Scotland: Haggis. It was… okay? Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, don’t see why it has the reputation it has.
- Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, China: Jiaoziba, which is a little local style of dumpling that’s rich and quite spicy.
- Hiroshima, Japan: Okonomiyaki, a kind of savory pancake. Okonomiyaki is common in Japan but it’s usually Osaka-style. The version they make in Hiroshima includes noodles in the dough.
In my experience, if you talk to a few locals, one of them will usually think of a local specialty and tell you where to try it.
