Gray Line Wanderings Travel Blog

Photo by Author. Spicy, Crispy, Street-Side Samosas in Myanmar

Crispy empanadas stacked and sprawling emit fragrances that could make even the most finicky of travelers scarf down a plate. Pad Thai is twice as flavorful and half as expensive in Thailand, and street Kebabs after a night out in France have a higher turnover than their restaurant counterparts anyway!

Traveling offers an abundance of opportunities to sample local favorites and imported flavors. How could you turn that down? As long as you have a discerning eye, you can sample some of the best food in the world like a mad man without even losing a day to stomach grumbles.

Wondering how to eat street food without getting sick? Here are 4 essential tips for eating smart on the street:

1. Choose your Food Wisely: Sure a street ceviche and an already-cooked pork skewer look tasty, but only if you’re willing to gamble upon the food’s freshness. Typically, a smart street-eater might steer clear of meats and fresh fruits and vegetables in favor of something fool proof– fried, boiled, and seared are always good! Pick something that is stored and cooked to order for the least chance of contamination.

A couple options include Vegetarian Pad Thai, Churros, Chow Mein, Samosas

2. Follow the Crowd: Step down trendsetters, this is the time to do as the locals do. If a crowd of Mexican diners are vouching for a burrito stand, chances are it’s not only safe, but delicious. Also, the more people blowing through, the quicker the food turnover… which means less chance of a yucky stomach bug for you.

Eat at the standard local breakfast or lunch time to see the most popular places in action.

3. Screen for Sanitation: Food cleanliness is part of a huge realm of subjectivity and you’ll have to set your own standards when you see it– flies are a serious reality in many parts of the world and a quick rinse is considered “washing” at particularly busy food stalls. Use discretion and ask questions about water or cooking methods if necessary. Soon enough, you’ll develop a new standard for “clean” and knowing what to look for will make is not so scary anymore.

Watch them clean up the previous order to see if they’re using clean water and soap.

4. Eat it Anyway: Sometimes the best food comes from an establishment that looks flat out shady. If you’re brave, it might be worth taking a risk on a mango lassi or an agua fruta, as long as you know basic precautions (ie. purified water) have been taken. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and enjoy every last sip. Usually, you’ll have no problems at all!

Theres too much to sample in the world of cuisine to always stick to restaurants. Flavors emerge in an entirely new way and the breadth of local food is broadened significantly if you’re willing to experiment. If you’re new to street food, take it slow, but I’m confident your first trip won’t be your last! Enjoy!

Interested in experiencing the local cuisine? Check out one of Gray Line’s foodie tours on GrayLine.com!

Where and what was the best street food you have ever eaten? (If you can’t see Facebook comments below, click here to go to the full version of the Street [Food] Smarts: Traveler’s Guide to Eating Street Food Blog Post. 

Only in India can a quick walk to the bank be interrupted by a scuffle with a petitioner, a negative aura reading, and a near death-by-rickshaw experience…

Notorious for its touts and scams, navigating your way through New Delhi is a learned art. Whether you’re walking to your favorite spot or exploring a new part of the city, the best way to avoid any unwarranted attention is to walk like you’ve had the direction in your mental-GPS since the day you were born… and when you walk past the same street again 10 minutes later, utterly lost, you act like you just wanted to check out the area.

It’s a confidence and an assertiveness that you’ve got a direction, and usually, with the walk, you can avoid some unnecessary ventures into tour shops and rickshaw rides without even breaking your smile.

Usually, I pride myself on my ability to stay out of unwanted situations when traveling, but today, the hawkers were coming on strong, and there was no amount of poise that could get me through unscathed.

At this point, I had been a solo traveler for approximately two hours. My friends took off in the morning and I was left behind in the hotel room with a head cold, an almost empty wallet, and a nearly unplanned itinerary. I took initiative and peeled myself out of bed for a quick jaunt to the bank, but as I was reminded, nothing comes so easily in New Delhi.

I pioneered my way into my alley and was immediately accosted by a woman collecting “signatures and no money”– as usual, “no money” actually meant “some money”– but I managed to decline as politely as possible and escape her sharp-nailed grip before getting seriously trapped into anything.

I had barely strided away when I received a complimentary-yet-unwelcome aura reading from a baba pacing beside me on the road. “Hello ma’am. I want to tell you… You have a good heart but a negative energy from my three very serious problems. Very very serious. Your life is terribly out of balance. I think you are a little insane.” …Thank you? I suppose I could have paid to learn that I am oversensitive and that I lack focus, but I actually already know that, and I really just need an ATM.

“Oh Wow. Thank you sir… maybe I come back later?” I said as I quickly changed to the other side of the road.

Listen guys… I’ve got a head cold and an attitude, do you think we could do this later?  I thought. Maybe they would have left me alone if they realized I had less than $8 in my possession.

Finally, as I rounded the corner to the bank, a bicycle rickshaw sharply cut left behind me. I jumped back to find my space obstructed by a mango stall. Luckily, I made it up on my toes, pinned against the steel table and barely avoided getting my feet crunched by the passenger cart of the rickshaw. I didn’t expect an apology, or even wait for some acknowledgement of what just happened. It happens at least thirty times on a good day.

Getting to the bank, the intention of the trip was nowhere near as significant as the trip to get there. When traveling, it always takes a while to find your feet and even longer to grow your teeth. There is a steep learning curve to knowing when to talk and when to walk, when to smile and when to scowl, when to be polite and when to argue.

After today, I suppose even walking like you know where you’re going isn’t always enough, but it’s still worth a shot.

Here are a few quick tips for avoiding touts when traveling:

1. Most important of all is walking with purpose!

2. Throw on sunglasses and look straight ahead in touristy areas. Pretend not to hear the “hellos” and “where are you froms” coming out of nearly every shop if you don’t have the time or interest in buying.

3. When confronted directly by someone, simply say a genuine “No, thank you” and keep walking. If you slow down, it becomes a lot more difficult to walk away without being rude. If they are persistent, it helps to have an excuse about why you’re in a hurry.

4. Ask for information from people with no vested interest. Don’t get directions from a rickshaw driver or shopping recommendations from a silk shop owner! Instead, ask at an upscale hotel, someone on their way to work, or a fellow shopper.

What’s your best trick or tip for avoiding touts when traveling? (Can’t see Facebook comments? Click here to view the full version of the Walking Like You Know Where You’re Going Blog Post)

Sure, traveling with a significant other or a group of best friends is a total blast–but sometimes, a little alone time in a new-to-you destination is just what the doctor ordered. Whether your sense of adventure is the size of Africa, or you feel the need to nudge yourself outside your comfort zone a bit, check out these tips for a safe solo trip to the destination of your dreams. (Gentlemen, my apologies if this seems a bit gender-biased; you can benefit from this information too, so read on, my friends!)

9 Tips for the Solo Female Traveler

What’s your best tip for staying safe on a one-woman (or -man) trip? What trip would you LOVE to take on your own? Let us know in the comments below!

Recently I had to travel without my 3 wonderful children. Translation: I ran out of town for an impromptu weekend to visit some of my friends…..all by myself! Now don’t get me wrong, I love traveling with my kids. I really do. They are actually very good travelers and I find a lot of joy trekking around with them. It’s just I had not traveled without my kiddos in quite some time and was amazed at just how darn easy it was.  It wasn’t without some hiccups (flight delay, friend’s flight cancelled, etc.) but it was still relatively easy. In case you haven’t traveled without the accompaniment of small people in some time or if you always travel alone and have forgotten the joy of it all, here are some reminders of why solo travel can be so darn easy:

It’s Quiet:

Ok, not collegiate library quiet, but relative to the noise level in my house, it is quiet. Yes, airports are noisy but all of that eventually just levels out as white noise.

Good Old Fashioned Reading:

I love a good book. I love pop culture magazines. Traveling alone gave me uninterrupted time to cash a book. I read a whole book in one setting plus caught up on the latest in pop culture news. Pure joy.

People, in General, Are Mostly Interesting and Nice:

I am normally not a “talker” when I travel. It’s not that I won’t talk, I just prefer not to. When I’m alone and if someone tries to chat me up, I generally give short answers and keep my headphones on. But once in a while there is someone next to me on a plane I can’t resist. Oftentimes it’s someone kind and interesting. That, I like.

It’s Just You and Nobody Else But You:

What’s so great about being alone you ask? Well, that’s just it. You are alone. You can eat what you want when you want.  You can walk instead of taking the moving sidewalks to stretch your legs. You can grab a cocktail in the bar.  You can think and zone out and just be…and THAT is easy.

If you’ll forgive me one brief Twilight Zone reference, for some people, the thought of flying is actually more terrifying than the monster on the wing.  If you ever need to leave your neighborhood and unless endless bus rides or cousin Eddie-style RV trips are on your fun list (you show me that list, I show you a liar), conquering that fear of flying is most likely in your best interest. Luckily, this non-medically-endorsed, completely unofficial, and in no way responsible for your decisions blogger has compiled a short list of tips for the un-terrified traveler:

1)   Make yourself comfortable. Often stress results from an unfamiliar situation. Lose all inhibition, forget the comfort of your neighbors, flight attendants and pilots, and do what you need to do, sister. Gnarly flannel nightgown? Sure. Massive body pillow for snuggling? Why not. Your new mantra: keeping it comfy keeps it sane.

2)   The more you know (thanks late 90’s NBC Saturday morning teen programming). Check out every book the library has on flight. Actually more realistically, read every article and blog post the internet has on flight. Once you’ve reached the end of the interwebs, you’ll know all the ins and outs of flight physics—and knowing exactly how you’re staying up might just help.

3)   Pharma-snooze-ticals. Again, massive disclaimer, neither myself, this blog, or any affiliates thereof hold any actual medical certifications, so you’re on your own with this one. But seriously, anti-anxiety and sleeping medications were divinely ordained for just such scenarios as white-knuckled trans-Atlantic flights. Get you some.