We are all generally comfortable in our house, home city, and home country; however, traveling outside of this familiarity can throw any of us off balance. When you travel there are new sights, new sounds, new smells, maybe a different language and most definitely different food.

Some people shy away from exploring but the things you can see and learn if you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone can be incredible. We have lost track of how many anglers we have encountered, in various fly fishing locations around the world, who felt that the location would be better if only it was more like home. Many of these people are the same ones who exclaim that they wish they had thought to take a side trip similar to the one we took – and raved about at dinner.

What about you? Do you travel to a fly fishing destination and experience your lodge and the flats but not much else? Do you make friends with your guide? The bartender at the lodge? The wait staff? The people who clean your room? Venture in to town or explore the local sights?

Don’t get me wrong, Alan and I have gone to fly fishing destinations to fish hard and then fly home but even on those trips we still end up making friends with locals at the lodge. More often we plan an extra day or two, either at the beginning or the end of our trip, to explore. This kind of planning has taken us to places that not many other people see. For example, the rock art caves on the Isle of Youth, Cuba. That location is not on the regular list of tour destinations. We had to make special arrangements and get access permits to see this one of a kind archaeological site, knowing full well that it may not all come together. We have also found that visiting some of the best known and most visited tourist sites can be a lot more fun if you are not there at the same time as the tour bus(es). During one of our trips to Ascension Bay, Mexico we worked with our lodge hosts to plan a visit to the famous Maya site, Tulum. We arrived just before the site opened on a Wednesday morning and we were the first people through the gates. We spent a few hours roaming around and exploring virtually by ourselves. By the time we were finished and ready to leave the other tourists started showing up. Another time, at an ecolodge in Belize we went canoeing for the morning on a lagoon on the lodge property. At lunch that day we talked to the other guests about how beautiful and quiet that location was – the next day two other couples scheduled a morning canoe trip on the lagoon.

We have many similar stories. Sometimes we plan ahead and our adventures are all mapped out before we get to a destination. However, there are also quite a few times when we just show up with an extra day or two in our itinerary. There are also trips when unforeseen bad weather has kept us off the flats for a day; on those rare days we may put on our raincoats and go exploring inland. It is truly amazing what you can find to do if you ask around and see what the locals think you would enjoy. I doubt we would have explored that old pirate island off Roatan if we hadn’t asked around about the local history. Nor would we have met Ed at The Hole In The Wall bar! That guy has some great stories. . .listening to him spin his tales, while sipping rum, was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon.

Maybe you already take advantage of your travels to explore new cultures and experience new sights. If not, and you aren’t sure how to find out about extra activities at your next destination, let us know what you are interested in and we can help you out. We are happy to share our knowledge with you!