12 Comments

  1. Larry
    August 18, 2014 @ 4:33 am

    Good list … I did a lengthy stint of Slow Travel in Chiang Mai this past winter and I look forward to doing the same in Playa Del Carmen or a less busy place in Mexico for a couple of months soon!

    • Andrew
      August 24, 2014 @ 1:52 pm

      Heard many things about Playa, both good and bad. Thailand is starting to crack down on the long termers I hear though.

  2. Anna
    October 19, 2013 @ 6:21 pm

    A University! Yes, this really is such a brilliant indicator of ‘good travel things’ if you think about it. Which I didn’t, until this post. It actually just explained why one of my favorite spots in Paris is quite so awesome.

    • Andrew
      November 3, 2013 @ 11:56 am

      Glad you enjoyed it. Where is your favorite Paris spot? I have been to the city a few times and just don’t take to it. It would be nice to know of a spot that fulfills a lot of these.

      • Anna
        November 4, 2013 @ 1:01 am

        place de la contrescarpe. magical, real and so very parisian

  3. At Home in Valencia - Grounded Traveler
    September 29, 2013 @ 7:17 pm

    […] really enjoyed being in the residential neighborhood and not the tourist one downtown. Like most things this comes with a number of pros and cons, […]

  4. Renuka
    September 3, 2013 @ 7:53 pm

    I completely agree with all your points – especially ‘friendly locals’ one. Whenever I have interacted with locals I have felt closer to a destination.

    • Andrew
      September 4, 2013 @ 6:44 pm

      Yup, meeting people is one of the best parts of travel. This is true whether those people are locals or other travelers. I guess locals just get defined as those that know the locale pretty well and can show you more things about it. Hence your feeling that meeting them gets you connected to the place more.

  5. Christy
    September 3, 2013 @ 3:32 am

    Great list! I never thought about the university aspect. It does make sense though!

    • Andrew
      September 4, 2013 @ 6:32 pm

      The university aspect is one of my favorites. I grew up near a Uni town and we live in one now. I really like the lifestyle of students. They seem to understand priorities better than businesspeople. Food, cafes and greenspace.

  6. Gillian @GlobalBookshelf
    August 31, 2013 @ 1:59 pm

    Love this Andy!!

    • Andrew
      September 4, 2013 @ 6:29 pm

      Thanks. 🙂