Want to Travel Like a Local?

As travelers, we are inherently on the outside looking in on a culture. We are tourists, outsiders, interlopers at a disadvantage when it comes to finding the best places to visit in a destination.  So we buy guidebooks that promise to show us how to “travel like a local”…and then we show up at a restaurant or attraction full of travelers clutching that same guidebook to their chest.
No matter how many guidebooks and travel articles we  read about a place, we still lack that knowledge that can only be gained from day in-day out experience. That’s because most guidebooks and travel articles are 1) written by travelers who only spend a short time in that place and 2) showcase the most popular and famous sights, those places that everyone wants to see when they visit a destination. It makes sense; those places are famous for a reason. Most travelers who go to Madrid want to visit the Prado; not as many want to go to a tiny cave-like bar that specializes in mushrooms.  Guidebooks work within a page limit and these quirkier places with less mass appeal are the first ones to get cut.
So savvy travelers know to supplement their guidebook research with advice from the locals. That’s why BootsnAll’s WhyGo sites are written by locals – because they know those hidden places that are missed by most tourists. Spotted by Locals takes the same strategy, relying on local knowledge to offer travel tidbits that help you get off the beaten tourist path.  They currently profile 33 cities in Europe, offering suggestions for where to eat and drink, and things to do, including arts and culture, music, shopping, relaxing, theatre, and events.
I spent some time browsing around the site and found it to be very useful. It does take a bit of patience though, unless you use the search function. Want to know where to get the best Thai food in Prague or where to find the freshest seafood – on a budget – in Lisbon? You can find it here, you just may have to do a little digging. And if you just want an easy list of suggested restaurants to scroll through, you’re out of luck unless you download one of the city guide for €3.99. The city guides do look very comprehensive though, and are a much cheaper alternative (or supplement) to a guidebook. An iPhone app is available for the same price.
Spotted by Locals certainly won’t replace your need to do additional research on a city’s main sights, and it’s not a fully comprehensive resource yet – but if you like seeking out the places that locals love, then the site makes a worthy addition to your trip planning toolkit.