Traveling to an indigenous area can be both exciting and daunting for the avid adventurer. This is particularly true if a visit is planned to an unfamiliar area. In order to ensure a successful trip, you should first spend time learning about the area in which you will travel. Learning local customs, history and culture is the perfect place to begin! In the TV series Tribe, with Bruce Parry, Bruce immerses himself in local culture. “I don’t see how you can understand someone else’s culture until you’ve experienced it,” says Bruce. Although the average traveler may not be able to spend the amount of time that Bruce Parry can in an indigenous area, they can make the most of their opportunities.
If you’re heading into an indigenous area, do try not to flaunt material goods and try to dress and act as the locals do to jumpstart a sharing of ideas and cultures with local people. Travelling to an indigenous area means you are an ambassador for your culture, not a superior entitled foreigner!
An educated traveller also understands that their visit to an area must have a minimal ecological impact, living as the locals do, avoiding wasteful use of natural resources. As much as possible, when visiting an indigenous area you should aim to spend money in local economies. This can be done by purchasing local food, hiring local guides and shopping at small, family-owned establishments.
Take the time to learn about your new home: traveling to an indigenous area without any understanding of the culture and attitudes can even be unsafe. An act or phrase that may appear harmless in one culture, can be considered rude or even hostile in another. Bruce Parry has said about the Western way of life, “We have our negative things. That’s not to say that I’m not proud of our culture, but we don’t do everything right. There are a lot of ways of living this life, and other ways of looking at the world. We still have a lot to learn. I certainly do.” So make the most of your time by learning about your host country and people to avoid miss-haps!
In Bruce’s own words, all travelers to exotic or indigenous lands have a great deal to learn about a culture that is different from their own. However, taking an active role in joining a culture, not just visiting a culture, can mean the difference in a so-so trip and the adventure of a lifetime…trust us, it’s worth the effort!
Tags: Bruce Parry Tribes television program, How to visit tribes like Bruce Parry, I want to know more about Bruce Parry, Who is Bruce Parry
