There are so many things that make travel the incredibly rewarding experience that it is, immersing yourself in a new place can be incredibly liberating. Hundreds of sites, sounds and smells compete for your attention, and there is plenty of new cuisine to try. At HeadingThere though, we think one of the most important parts of the travel experience is meeting and interacting with the people who call the best holiday destinations home.

Locals can make a difference to your trip in so many different ways, a simple kindness can make such a difference when you are far from home and leave you with fond memories of a visit. Locals know the best places to eat, to drink and can help you to discover the places that tourists tend to miss.

From the response to this week’s blog carnival it seems like we aren’t the only ones who love to meet the locals when we travel. Our friends in the blogosphere have been sharing their experiences of the amazing people that they have met on the road and the ways they improved their trips.

Continue reading the contributions that are part of this article on the HeadingThere blog