I recently came across the 2006 Forbes Traveler 50 Most Visited Attractions list. After glancing at the top twenty or so attractions and feeling underwhelmed, I began asking myself – What do I enjoy more: popular tourist attractions or non-mainstream travel?

While pondering that query, I was reminded of one my favorite travel lines, from the early 20th century British writer, G.K. Chesterton.

“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.”

• Many travel to get away from the crowds and stress of everyday life. Why go where the people are and lines are long?
• Often at tourist locations I feel like I’m a walking dollar sign, consistently being preyed upon by salivating locals (I will call them ‘tourist poachers’).
• Everyone has a story that goes something like this, “We were supposed to check out the Eiffel Tower but instead we………and it was awesome.”
• My avid traveler parents try to hit the touristy spots early (sunrise) in the morning to enjoy sites in their serenity (especially for ancient attractions) and to avoid the ‘tourist poachers’.

• I’m not calling for the abandonment of all tourist locations. I think they can be a great starting point, and the intrigue of a specific attraction often drives initial motivation. For instance, I really want to visit the Egyptian pyramids, the sole remaining wonder of the original seven. But I would make it a priority to visit Petra (pictured) in neighboring Jordan, a more difficult to get to lesser-known wonder (albeit Modern). And of course walking through local street markets, interacting and bartering with peddlers in the global language of smiles and expressions of amusement (often at the initial price ‘quote’), is always a must.

This is the first in a series of posts surrounding the notion of mainstream tourism versus cultural immersion travel. But let’s start the conversation with your opinions and insights. Which type of travel do you favor? Who has the best “Do the Unexpected” travel story (’When everyone else zigs, zag’)?