Traveling is so much more than merely visiting destinations. You’re supposed to feel and explore the world around you, not simply tick off places on your to-visit list. Make sure that no matter where you travel you always make the most out of it. Visiting it more than just seeing, because it’s about experiencing what the world has to offer. Dr. David Crawford knows all about this having traveled the world extensively with medical charities, and here is his take on experiencing the world.

The first tip from David is to visit unexpected places

Every corner in the world is worth exploring. Beauty can be found even in the unlikeliest and unpopular places, so whenever you’re feeling the mood to travel don’t simply look for the most visited destinations. Instead try to explore a place that’s not a lot of people opt to visit. Choose a country that’s not a regular tourist trap, and go to a place that you’re sure will have appeal to you, but it’s inherently popular. You’ll be surprised at how good of a time you’re going to have.

Tune yourself to nature

Whenever you’re traveling always make sure to find the right natural place. Getting in touch with nature is one of the deepest human urges and needs, so no matter the destination there will always be a natural place nearby that you’re going to love. Sometimes it may take you a couple of minutes, sometimes it could take you hours, but in the end you’ll be glad you took the extra time to get in touch with Mother Nature.

Indulge yourself with local food

It’s a shame to visit a foreign place and not eat like the locals. That doesn’t mean to simply go looking for restaurants. Sometimes it means to get in contact with locals that will show you just how the local population eats. That’s not only great for trying out new foods, but also amazing because you’ll be making friends throughout the adventure, which is one of the best feelings about traveling.

Get lost when wandering

Traveling with a map is fine and dandy when you want to get to a specific place, but getting lost is so much better when exploring. You’ll be finding unique paths and passages all the time, and you’ll get to have that wonderful feeling of discovery once you find something out of the ordinary. There’s something so majestic about discovering something that might be mundane to some, all without the use of the map to tell you exactly what you’re looking at.

Visit the same place in different parts of the day

Something so simple can have such an amazing effect on your travels. It can feel downright magical to explore a place you’ve already seen before, but under a new light. Alternating between day and night should be mandatory for exploring a place, and if you manage to see the place on either dusk or dawn, then make sure to snap the perfect photo.

Traveling should be all about exploration, according to the experienced Dr. David Crawford. The world has so much to offer that it’s impossible to see everything in one lifetime. However, that shouldn’t stop you from experiencing as much as possible, as the satisfaction you’ll get is not comparable to any other feeling.