To experience the culture of a new country, I tend to favour bed & breakfast accommodations (Gîtes in France) or small independent hotels. These places are usually run by individuals who take customer service seriously. The ones I have experienced so far offered personalised services and provided a lot of information about local places of interests. If you wanted to hire a guide, they could recommend local people with excellent knowledge of the region, its history and its secrets.
You also get the chance to meet other travellers who are happy to share their own discoveries over breakfast (particularly the ones not advertised in the brochures).
Finally, I like to find out if there is a local market in the area as it is a great place to discover how the local people live. In Turkey, I was amazed to see the choice of fresh fruit and vegetables produced locally. Markets are sometimes a good place to get gifts and souvenirs made locally. In the south of France, artisans sell a lot of their goods at various markets. You can find potteries, jewellery, clothes etc...
I really feel that by choosing small hotels, I contribute more to the local economy. Do you agree?
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