A new way to travel – Going Local: Experiences and Encounters On the Road
Nicholas Kontis is an avid traveler that shares his time in between travels at his four home bases of San Francisco, The Napa Valley, Los Angeles and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Born in Santorini, Greece, Nicholas grew up traveling between Greece and San Francisco. I met Nicholas at one of the North American Travel Journalist’s conferences and when he wrote his first travel book and offered me a chance to review it, Going Local: Experiences and Encounters On the Road, it made sense because it was a book I wanted to read.
As a travel writer, I am always fascinated by this man that immerses himself in distant cultures and travels to places I have only dreamed about. I was not disappointed in what I read, Nicholas has crafted a book that truly offers up ideas, of different ways to travel.
Going Local: Experiences and Encounters On the RoadGoing Local offers. Along with ways to save money while traveling, Nicholas Kontis also raises the topic of responsible travel reminding us that when visiting, keep the mantra, “take only photographs, leave only footprints” in mind. In this section Nicholas states, “Responsible travel creates authentic journeys and keeps the world intact, creating strong local ties among travelers and local citizens.”
Being prepared for differences in people, their beliefs and respecting them is key to a happy trip for all. In this book, he provides the names of responsible and reputable tour groups for traveling to some of the out-of-the-way hard to get to places.
Volunteering he brings up is another way to travel and learn about the world while making a difference. As a farmer’s wife, I can see how a chance to help out on a farm in a culture different than mine would be eye opening and beneficial.
Buy this book and read it before planning your next trip. You might decide to step it up a bit. Even if you go with the usual hotel and tourist sites, taking the time to ask the concierge about local tours, local dining, and local shops will add a flair to your trip that will set it apart from everyone else. You can find Going Local on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Mr.-Nicholas-Kontis/e/B01MEE9Q07. To find our more about Nicholas Kontis, his website ishttp://www.nicholaskontis.com/. 
