Here I am at the Blue Nile Gorge in Ethiopia. It’s about 2.5 hours from the capital, Addis Ababa. I was there during the dry season, so there was no Blue Nile to be seen. The area has been compared to the Grand Canyon, but with far fewer tourists! I booked with a local tour company, and they were able to get us into Debre Libanos Monastery while it was closed to the public!
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re planning a solo trip abroad, perhaps somewhere off the beaten path. When you’re travelling solo, it can be tough to decide what tours to book and which companies to use. But I’m here to tell you that booking local tours is almost always a good idea – especially when you’re travelling by yourself.
Why? You’ll get an authentic experience. When you book with a locally owned company, you can be sure that you’re getting an authentic experience. You won’t find any generic, cookie-cutter tours here – only the real deal. Trust me, it’s hard to find a North American company that wants to take you into the middle of the hottest place on Earth and leave you there for two nights.
Booking a tour with a local company isn’t just about getting the inside scoop on the must-see sites — it’s also about giving back to the area you’re visiting too. By supporting them with your business, you’re providing valuable income to vendors and small businesses, which can help fuel their economy. With this route, your money goes toward nourishing the communities that help forge unforgettable experiences while travelling abroad.
One of the most common phrases you hear from travellers or wanna-be-travellers is, “I want to experience the culture” — and with a local company, you get to do just that. You can explore hole-in-the-wall eateries, hidden gem overlooks, and other unique spots that only they know about. With smaller groups, guides are often willing to personalize the tour as well. Perhaps you’re in Lebanon and the itinerary originally suggests a winetasting, but none of you are all that interested — there’s a good chance your guide will either propose something else or give you more time in Byblos! Yay!
One time, I even got a whole city tour to myself! We cruised around Addis Ababa in the guide’s car, and he asked me if there was anything specific I wanted to see.
These guides also usually make an effort to ensure everyone in the group is having a great time, which bigger tour companies lack.
I booked an incredible day tour to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Uganda with local company Gracelands African Vacations. If you’re planning a trip to the Pearl of Africa, I can’t recommend Grace enough! (I don’t get any kickback from this — I just really believe she’s the best of the best!)
If you’ve booked online, a lot of developing countries don’t charge you until you actually arrive. Oftentimes, they have poor credit card systems (always have cash on hand!) or have to call back to head office with your card number. Talk with some of the other tour members and see how much they’re paying. It’s possible they will try to change the price, overcharge, or have even changed the price from person to person. I learned this the hard way. Luckily, I had a former local on my tour who let me know that it’s okay to barter pricing — even on tours! You want them to be paid fairly, but you don’t want to be gouged either.
That said, going with a local business is always a great way to ensure that you’re getting the best deal — and experience — possible. Chances are, they’ve made connections with local guides and vendors that can’t be found online, meaning you’ll end up with an even better return on your investment. Don’t worry about feeling overwhelmed by not knowing where to look; ask whoever you come in contact with and you’ll find yourself picking from an array of top-notch tours at unbeatable prices. So leave the searching to the locals, sit back and enjoy a fantastic deal!
Reminder: have reasonable expectations.
What I’ve learned is to always expect a little bit of chaos — hardly anything ever goes exactly as planned. But that’s what makes things interesting! You were supposed to be at that fancy lodge by 11:45 am? Welllll, you’ll be lucky if you get there by 1:00 pm thanks to that giant herd of elephants on the road!
When travelling abroad, why not make the most of it? Booking a local day tour with a reliable and reputable company is a great way to make that happen. Locals know the area best and make excellent guides — they provide rich information about the culture and history and can often make changes if you need to change your plans en route. So if you’re not headed out on a full-blown tour with everything covered, booking with a local guide is definitely the way to go.
What kind of day tour do you want to take?