If you are looking for a more active experience than the traditional guide-led tour, then a workshop or volunteering opportunity are the perfect alternative. For example, traditional handicrafts are a window onto the local culture, its natural resources, and symbolic life. By participating in a handicrafts workshop, guests produce something with their own hands that they can take back home with them that is far more meaningful than any generic, mass-produced souvenir that they might purchase in a local shop.
Similarly, by preparing food together with locals, guests have the opportunity to spend time with their hosts, learn about their life experiences in an intimate setting, enjoy a meal that they helped prepare while directly supporting the local economy. Even better, guests can take these recipes back home with them and not just reminisce about the delicious foods that they ate, but also share these tastes with family and friends. Last, but not least, opportunities for guests to volunteer – even for a couple of hours – can be deeply meaningful and offer a way to actively give back to the communities that they are visiting.
