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Overseas holidays can be made more enjoyable by learning something about the history and culture of the location visited.
Too often holiday makers travel to another country and confine themselves to their hotel or resort and tramping around shops and commercialised tourist attactions like theme parks. They get to know little of the country and its people.Their vacation environment is often not much different to what they left at home. They have simply swapped beaches and bars for a week or two.
That's fine if all you want is to eat, drink, shop and travel the well worn, usually contrived tourist path. You might not even eat genuine local food or get to know the locals. If you are happy to stay in an artificial holiday world good on you. But why go to another country in the first place? Did you buy the resort or the country?
Visiting another country can be a great learning experience that can promote understanding and tolerence. It can also be very exciting.
Take history, for example. Checking this out before you depart can give you a better understanding of where you are going. Knowing how the country has developed and what the people have been through helps you understand them more. You get an idea of national personality and you learn of their achievements, culture, music, dance, literature and cuisine. You can also discover interesting places to visit, places not mentioned in the travel brochures.
Also take a look at the geography of the place and how it relates to countries around it, and the world. And look at what is happening there now. Maybe it's something that is history in the making.
Another aspect is wildlife and fauna. In some countries this is unique and it's your only chance to see it in a natural setting.
You might even care to learn a few words of the local language. The biggest compliment to the natives of a country is when a foreigner trys to speak their lingo. It shows you care and it opens doors.
Many tourists develop a love and respect for a country and visit it repeatedly over the years. They make friends there and their understanding of the other culture promotes a lot of goodwill in the world. Often they develop a permanent liking for the country's music, food and dance.
Similarly, people from your vacation country visit yours and learn about it. Their interest is often sparked by your visit to them.
So don't be restricted to travel brochure thinking. Expand your holiday horizons. Explore the real world. See the country and not just one of its resorts. It can be romantic, exciting and rewarding.
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