Want to know the best places in a new city/country you are traveling to??? Make NEW friends.

One thing that I have learnt from the travel I have done till now,is that the best way to get to know about the new city you are in; is by- making new friends. Whether the friends you make are residents of the city or are travelers like you, it doesn't really matter.

Both have their own benefits. Some of these are listed below:

1) You get to increase your friend circle, make friends in different parts of the world, know about their world and you also get to hear their experiences.

2) While chatting up with other travelers, you get to know about the best and the worst part of their trip. Thus ensuring you get the free ticket of enjoying the 'best' part and skipping the 'bad' part. One such thing happened to us when we were traveling to Quito.We had few days at hand and lots to cover, and so we had made an itinerary of what to do and what to skip.

Thankfully we happened to meet 2 Canadian backpackers in the hostel we were staying, who mentioned that the best part about their trip was The Basilica and the climb to the top of the church.
We hadn't even put it in our list of places to cover and were most probable going to end up skipping it. Thank god that we got talking to our new friends, as truly The Basilica climb was magnificent.(Read more about it in a section I covered on Old Quito in my blog About Quito: Paradise between Volcanoes- Day 2).

3) At times, it gets boring and a little lonely(especially if you are traveling alone) in a new place. With new friends, time flies and you might do things which you would not have done if not for them.

4) Make it a point to discuss the next day plans with the people you meet for tips on where to eat, what to visit, how much price to pay/expect to pay, what areas to avoid, safety tips etc.

5) You can save a lot of money on transport if you are traveling in a group. The cab fare can be split, the costs of the guide can be split and also the food and drink bill can be split.

6) Lastly and most importantly - there is SAFETY in numbers. Specially at night if you are walking alone or even if you are two; it can be unsafe. Walking in a group is more safe and secure.

So yes, I enjoy meeting new people and sharing with them my experiences. I suggest, next time you are traveling- TRY IT. :)

Keep reading for more travel tips.

Till then, 

Chao!
Adiós!
Hasta Luego!