#TTOT Round-Up: Non-Tourist Travel

Every Tuesday it's Travel Talk on Twitter! Follow the #TTOT tag to see what all the commotion and Tweets are about! There are two sessions to join, one at 9:30am GMT and the other at 9:30pm GMT.

Here's the round-up of this week's #TTOT: 

Q1: What defines non-tourist travel? (submitted by OysterWorldwide)

• MalloryOnTravel: The tourist seeks souvenirs, whilst the traveller seeks experiences
• AlexPlim: Non-tourist travel is heading wherever the wind takes you, which takes guts when you've only got a finite amount of time
• belleandi: Going with the flow and see what and where seems a good idea on the spur of the moment. No: packages, resort hotels, plans
• AnthonyOFlynn: Traveling instinctively and putting down the guide books- make your own plans and immerse yourself in culture
• travel_thoughts: Non-tourist travel is when don't have a predetermined agenda. Doing something you didn't hear or know about before arriving.  
  

Going off the beaten track in India

Q2: Describe your most shameless (or embarrassing) touristy moment. (submitted by athomeaway)

• markosul: Switching "bottoms" with my wife so I could swim in a speedo-only pool in Brazil 
• MyPostcardFrom: Buying plastic clip on Koalas from Sydney. We gave them away to family on our return. Too embarrassing to have around the house.
• 25travels: Eating at McDonald 
• WFTristan: Having to wear a cotton wool nappy after taking most of the skin off my backside whilst in France 
• WomanSeeksWorld: A 17-night, 12 country Contiki tour when I was 20...I hang my head in shame thinking about it now

Buying "tacky" souvenirs at The Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

Q3: At what point in your travels do you start feeling more like a local than a tourist? (submitted by conniehum)

• beforeiam35: When I don't get stared at anymore!
• TotalTravelBug: When you stop paying tourist rates for everything!
• corduroy08: When the dogs stop biting me and start licking me
• insidetravellab: When I can use the underground/metro/subway without looking at a map!
• AtHomeAway: I feel like a local when I begin unconsciously swearing in a foreign language. "Merde!" Excuse my French
  

Navigating NYC's subway system like a local

Q4: Best experience with locals? (submitted by trekkingnut)

• chippy2u: A homestay in a small village with locals in Yap, Micronesia. Ate betel nut, husked coconuts, home cooked island food each day
• carlitarocks: A samba contest in the countryside of Salto, Brazil
• nishim3: Being taken for a tour of the Amsterdam red light area by a former prostitute
• QunoSpotter: Kissing the boys and making them cry in Le Marche, Italy
• jetsetgisele: I lived in Mombasa for two months and everyday I would get a "Jambo" and a hug from the local fruit lady 

Eating with local Bedouins in Petra

Q5: When have you felt most at home when traveling? (submitted by OysterWorldwide)

• NickAtFeynan: Sitting in a Bedouin friend's tent near Feynan, listening to his family's stories and sipping sweet tea by a fire
• RickGriffin: Always feel at home where ever there's Charmin in the restroom 
• monaibra: When staying with a Persian friend's family in Montreal and eating authentic Persian food in my PJs! 
• KirkShack: Finding Vegemite in a shop in Vietnam
• verty: Of course Stockholm is my holm away from holm
• travel_thoughts: Any time I have the time to unpack the ENTIRE contents of my bag
• InAForeignLand: Home is where my backpack is when traveling 

Feeling at home with my backpack

And there you have it, "Non-Tourist Travel!"

Next weeks #TTOT topic is: "Adventure Travel" submitted by traveldudes. Submit your questions here! And don't forget to tune follow the #TTOT every Tuesday at 9:30am and 9:30pm GMT!

As always, a HUGE travel community thank you to our #TTOT hosts and organizers: traveldudes, roniweiss, toddwassel, traveldesigned, insidetravellab, WildJunket, tbloggersunite and mobilelawyer!

Have you got anything to add? 

© Connie Hum 2011