"Getting lost is fun.", you may have heard this several times from an avid traveler, and I agree wholeheartedly that getting lost in foreign countries is quite an experience. However, for a casual traveler, that may not be the case.
Imagine you are in China where no one speaks English, you are lost trying to find your hotel, and it's getting darker by the minute. That does not sound fun anymore, does it? How could getting lost like this be fun? It's nerve-wracking. Well, this exact scenario happened to me last week when I was traveling around Zhangjiajie in China, and even though it was nerve-wracking, I ended up coping with it and embracing it instead. Why? Let me tell you from my experience why getting lost is fun and how you can cope with it without being overwhelmed.
Why you should get lost on purpose?
You will learn more about the area
When you are lost, your sense of exploration expands in order to survive. You will become more vigilant of your surroundings, noticing details that you may not have noticed before. You will try your best to learn the structure of the area while figuring out your location, ultimately gaining a greater understanding of the locals and the city compared to when you know where you are going.
For example, when I was trying to find my hotel in China, I was looking around and noticed this crowded little street food stall by the corner, and I decided to give it a go. As it turns out, it was one of the best meals I had, at half the price. If I had not been lost, I wouldn't have found this place. I would have ended up in a restaurant near the hotel instead.
The local's touch
You will become more open to talking to strangers when you are lost because that's where you will find help, and with that, you will be able to experience the real locals' touch firsthand. They will not expect anything back from you, unlike those scammers you see infesting tourist spots. These are locals, living their lives each day, offering help to struggling foreigners without expecting anything in return. These are the kind of people who will leave you with positive memories of the place.
As I was waving my hands like a monkey, trying to communicate with this Chinese lady, I realized how, even though they cannot speak English, they did try their best to help me out. Some even led me to the bus station and sat with me while I waited for my bus. I was impressed by this simple act of kindness, which left me wanting to stay in the city longer.
It makes your story, yours
If you are traveling to places without getting lost, how else would you differentiate your stories from those of other tourists? Traveling is about stepping out of your comfort zone and experiencing the dynamic aspects of life. If everything goes according to plan, then you are not truly traveling or exploring; you are simply touring the area. There's no unique story in that. It's merely a repetition of other people's stories.
Four months ago, I went to Bagan in Myanmar and biked around the area. As I was trying to find my way around this one remote temple, I ended up in what looks like a cactus farm owned by the locals. Such stories don't come if you don't put your Explorer's helm on and get lost on purpose.
How to get lost more comfortably?
Come prepared and take control of the Situation
In order to cope with being lost in a foreign country, first, you need to be able to take control of the situation. Here are the things you should prepare:
- Before you travel to places, get familiar with the map of the area. You should know which direction is north or south at all times, so you know that you are heading in the right direction.
- If you have Google Maps installed on your smartphone, make sure to download an offline map of the area to your phone so you can use it on the go.
- If you have Google Translate installed, make sure you have downloaded an offline pack of the language you are translating to, so you can communicate better with the locals.
- Save all your hotel information, including location, addresses in their language, and phone numbers, so that you can ask the locals for directions.
Be flexible
You must be flexible in your plan in order to allow time for unforeseeable circumstances. It doesn't help if you have a tight schedule and are currently lost. If it's getting dark and dangerous, don't ignore your instinct and panic while trying to find your hotel; just crash at the next hotel you see and call it a day.
That's what I did when I couldn't find my hotel in Zhangjiajie. I ended up crashing at another hotel that is nearer to the sightseeing spot and equipped with a heater. I did not regret my decision. :-)
When in doubt, stop.
When you are in doubt, stop and explore other options. If you come prepared and know that you are supposed to go north, but instead, you are heading south, stop right away and ask the locals. Don't take unnecessary risks and go with your instinct. It is better to trust your sense of direction than risk it for the sake of exploration.
As I was walking around the Zhangjiajie national park, trying to find a restaurant, I saw a sign saying that there's a village up ahead (without the distance) with Fast Food restaurants. I decided to follow the sign so I could finally eat lunch, but as I walked further and further into the forest, going down endless stairs, something didn't feel right. "Shouldn't I be going up instead?" I started questioning myself. I walked for a bit and looked down, trying to find other stairs going up. I didn't find one, and as it got steeper and steeper, I feared that I might be heading in the wrong direction, going down mountains and accidentally exiting the national park. I decided to backtrack and go up the same route, heading in another direction. Thank god I decided to turn back, as I learned afterward that the village I was heading to is situated down the mountain and is connected to another exit.
Being lost is part of the ride
When you decide to travel, no matter how much you prepare, the chance of you getting lost is still pretty high. There's no way of knowing what situation will play out when you're out there, and there's no use in sweating and worrying about it. What you can do is shift your perspective towards being lost, and instead of flagging it as a failure, try to cope with it and embrace it. If you're an optimist, you will likely find goods in any situation, no matter how bad it gets. There's always something to learn from.
Further Reading for Inspiration
Looking for more articles to help inspire you to travel more? Here is a collection of articles you might like:
- Hiking to the Everest Base Camp is one of the most memorable epic moments of my life. Here's a long-read piece about my experiences hiking the Everest Base Camp: On My Way To Everest Base Camp.
- Ever wondered what it is like to travel the world on a third-world passport? Check out: Traveling The World On A Third World Passport.
- Here's why I always celebrate turning a year older with a hike: Climbing Kilimanjaro On My 33rd Birthday.
- Are you currently planning a trip around the world and looking for cheap countries to visit? Here are the 13 Cheapest Countries To Visit in the World.
- Traveling in Europe can be cheap, really cheap. These are the 12 Cheap European Countries to Visit.
- Looking for the most beautiful travel blogs to follow? Here are the 24 Most Beautiful Travel Blogs to Follow.
- For adventurers and backpackers out there, here are the 10 Best Adventure and Backpacking Blogs You Should Follow.
- I truly believe we need more Asian representatives in the English-speaking travel blogging industry, especially for blogs about Asia. Here are the Top 10 Kick-Ass Asian Travel Bloggers To Follow.
- Did you know that you can travel without leaving your couch? Here are the 8 Great Travel Books You Should Read.
- For the best travel videos to inspire you to travel even further, here are the 20 Most Creative Travel Videos of All Time.
- If you are looking for travel vloggers to follow on YouTube that aren't cringeworthy, check out: 10 Best Travel Vloggers to Follow On YouTube.
- The best way to improve your photography skills is to learn from the best. Here are the 10 Best Photography YouTube Channels to Follow.
- A photo is worth a thousand words. Here are the 25 Most Beautiful Travel Photos I Ever Took From Around The World.
- Ever wondered what it is like to be a travel blogger during COVID-19? Check out: Being A Travel Blogger During COVID-19 - What Is It Like?
- Looking for off-the-beaten-path destinations to visit this year? Check out: 8 Best Off-The-Beaten-Path Destination to Visit.
- Can't travel internationally for the time being? How about traveling in your own country? Here are the 7 Reasons Why You Should Travel in Your Own Country.
- To find the most inspirational travel quotes and captions to go with your photos on your Instagram, check out 34 Short and Unique Traveller Quotes for Instagram.
- We often hear bad stories about locals from travelers, but what about the other way around? Here are some of the Notorious Stories Of Terrible Backpackers.
- If you lost your bag while you travel, here is how to deal with the situation: My Bag Was Stolen in Germany.
- Have you ever felt that you do not belong in a place where you were born? Read this: Where Is Home? - My Quest In Search Of Where I Belong.
- People often preach about how important it is to live in the moment, but sometimes, that may not be such a good idea. Here is The Problem With Living In The Moment.
- Solo traveling is not for everyone, and even though I love it to death, it is not always flowers and sunshine for solo travelers. Here are the 10 Things I Hate Most When Traveling Solo.
- Travel friends come and go, but that may not be such a bad thing. Here is why you should embrace your travel friends: A Life of Brief Encounters.
- Hiking is life. Here's why: One Year Of Incredible Discomfort - 10 Things I've Learned From Climbing Mountains.
- Here's why having no plan is the best plan: Magical Things Happen When You Have Nothing To Do - The Art Of Doing Nothing.
- Is life getting you down? Here's why you can't always blame life for everything: Life Doesn't Suck. We Are Just Bad at Living It.
- Want to know why I chose to travel alone? Read this: We Travel Alone, NOT To Be Alone.
- For a meaningful solo trip, you need to share it with someone. Here is why Happiness Is Only Real When Shared.
- Traveling is no longer for the rich. Here is why: "People Think I'm Rich".
- The Himalayan Mountain is one hell of a teacher. Here are the 7 Life Lessons The Himalayas Taught Me.
- Want to travel alone but scared that you might get bored out of your mind? Here is How to Enjoy Yourself and Have Fun While Traveling Alone.
- Want to start traveling solo as well? Here is What It's Like to Travel Alone.
- Here is a simple story on how I started traveling: F*ck It, I'll Do This Alone.
- For more inspiring articles like this, visit my Inspiration page.
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1 Comments
I haven't been lost in a foreign country yet... but I am also going to China soon and I found this very interesting. I do believe what you say about getting lost makes the journey more exciting and opens your eyes to a lot more, because your mind is sharper. On the next holiday I may try and have a day where I can just wander around and get lost "comfortably"
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