The best travelling experiences happen when you step off the tourist trail and start fitting in with rhythm and flow of local life – and start thinking about how to make sure the impact your trip has on the community is a positive one.
Brush up on the basics. Being able to say a few words of the language – please, thank-you, excuse me – is often all it takes to break the ice, no matter how bad your accent. As well as avoiding glaringly obvious cultural no-nos such as baring too much flesh or being overly tactile in public, read up on the finer points of etiquette. In China and Japan, you should never stand chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice, as it echoes funerary rites. In Thailand, feet are considered unclean – so pointing your foot at somebody is the height of bad manners, and your feet should never point towards the altar in temples. If in doubt, watch how locals behave and follow their example.
Get involved. Instead of hiding behind a camera or guidebook and following the tourist trail, immerse yourself in different experiences. Buy figs from a market stall, not vacuum-packed in a supermarket, or search out the lake where locals swim instead of lounging by the hotel pool. Better travel means slower travel, so abandon the itinerary and see where the day takes you. Absorb the atmosphere, sights and smells, instead of snapping a picture, ticking it off your itinerary and rushing off to the next must-see.
Talk to people. Insider information is better than any guidebook, and a tip-off from a local is probably the only way you'll discover that the dingy-looking seafood shack by the quay in Miami serves up the freshest lobster in town, or that the offbeat art collective in the back streets of Berlin is throwing a party on Friday night.
Respect the environment. Don't take unnecessary plastic and non-biodegradable packaging with you, as less developed destinations may not have the waste disposal facilities to deal with it. Be sensitive to local environmental issues such as scarce water or energy supplies, and minimise disruption to fragile ecosystems: stay on the path when you’re out hiking, avoid damaging or picking plants and never drop litter.
Buy local – and buy ethical. Buy locally made products rather than imported goods to boost the local economy, but be aware of environmental issues. Even if it's on sale openly in the country you're visiting, anything made from ivory or sea turtle shells is illegal, and you need permits to bring back everything from coral jewellery to crocodile-skin bags or belts (for details, check www.wwf.org.uk/wildlifetrade/buy.asp). Don't buy traditional Chinese medicines without being sure of the ingredients: according to Heather Sohl of the WWF, they're the most commonly seized illegal wildlife product at UK customs. "If you're in any doubt, don't buy," she says. "The things on this list aren't necessities, they're just luxuries or trinkets – and there are plenty of alternatives."
