It’s the people you meet travelling, who shine a light into the soul of a country you are visiting.

It’s the people you meet travelling who give you a better insight than any guidebook.

And sometimes, sharing a moment with locals, like that time we got invited to eat lunch in the field with local women in Tajikistan or the home-cooked meal in a home with women of Afghanistan, whilst completely lost in translation, has more impact on you, than anything else.

Their kindness, friendliest and generosity will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. It will restore your faith in humanity.

You will find that people with little to give are the generous ones.

The less fortunate are happier than the rest of us. You will learn that people in the less-visited parts of the world are welcoming to strangers and curious about your world.

So this blog is dedicated to the people you meet travelling.

We were lucky enough to capture a few moments on our travels and would like to share them with you.

The People you meet Travelling the World

Women of the Wakhan Valley in Tajikistan

These women were about to take a lunch break in the fields.We were invited to join them for a home-cooked lunch and it was the best afternoon ever!

Read more about this extraordinary experience here.

Cuban women people watching on the streets of Havana

Cuba is a surprising destination! It’s awesome, raw and real all at the same time.

We’ve enjoyed travelling all over Cuba and we share some of our favourite photos of Cuba here. It shows how diverse this island really is.

A market vendor sells fresh pistachios in Isfahan, Iran

What wonderful memories we have of Iran. And honestly, Iranians would to be some of the most hospitable people we’ve ever met while travelling the world.

Read more about what we loved most about Iran. We captured some great photos of this welcoming nation, view them here.

A local woman near the tea plantation in Ella, Sri Lanka

There is something special about Sri Lanka – perhaps it is the smiles we encountered during our visit.

We also enjoyed the cuisine here, and we share where to find the best food in Sri Lanka.

Local kids, we met in the Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan

They’re always so curious about foreigners as there are not so many tourists that make it this far.

Vietnamese fruit seller in Hanoi

Travelling in Southeast Asia is amazing, delicious, surprising, relaxing and challenging all at the same time.

It’s one of our favourite continents to visit – maybe it has something to do with the cuisine on offer?

Our Food Map of Asia will give you some food inspiration for choosing Asia as your next destination.

Worker on a tobacco farm near Vinales, Cuba explaining tobacco farming

Don’t miss a visit to Vinales in Cuba. So lush, green and colourful.

Older couple hand in hand on the streets of Havana, Cuba

One of our favourite photographs from Cuba. We love that Cuba has a real sense of community. It’s like no place you’ve ever visited in the world.

Local bread maker in Masouleh village in northern Iran

The famous rooftop village of Masouleh in Iran was so unique.

We enjoyed some fantastic food, spent time chatting with locals and wandered around the surrounding area.

The aroma of fresh bread is everywhere, so we made friends with this friendly baker at this little bakery located on a side street.

Bread seller on the streets of Bukhara, Uzbekistan

‘The Stans’ is a journey through history.

If you ever get the chance, go and explore this extraordinary part of the world.

Market seller in Almaty, Kazakhstan proud of his dried fruits and nuts

The freshest dried fruit and nuts we’ve ever tasted! We left this stall feeling quite full after this smiling man offered us everything to taste.

It’s always a great idea to buy snacks like this for long drive days in this region of the world.

Tea picker in Ella, Sri Lanka working the fields

Our favourite region of this teardrop nation is in the tea fields. Such lush scenery and cool mountain air.

Local women in the hutongs of Beijing taking a break

The elderly in China are always socialising, it’s fantastic to see!

Holy man wandering the streets of Kathmandu in Nepal

Nepal is one of the friendliest countries we’ve ever visited.

Thai food vendor at the floating market near Bangkok, Thailand

Yes, if you ask us what is our favourite country in the world? This is it.

And one of the reasons for this is because the cuisine is soooo delicious.

Local fisherman in Hoi An, Vietnam

Loving life in Hoi An, Vietnam. This man’s face tells a thousand stories – he was such a character.

Peruvian woman weaving a rug

Local traditions and cultures in Peru.

Mongolian family in their home

An experience unlike any other, taking the Trans Mongolian railway on an epic journey.

We met so many wonderful people and tried many new and interesting ‘nomad’ foods such as Yak cheese and milk.

A refugee from Tibet at Pokhara lake in Nepal

A Tibetan refugee makes handicrafts and sells them to visitors by the lake.

More Travel Tips

We have so many tips to help you travel more!

These 21 cheapest countries to visit will help you stretch your hard-earned dollars further.

Read our top 6 travel hacks to save money and the 20 best travel apps to make travel easier! 

For food lovers, don’t miss our top 10 best countries for foodies. And, if history is your thing, these 30 amazing historical places worldwide will fascinate you!

We have many tips to save money for travel and consider these 20 jobs that PAY YOU to travel the world to help you travel longer.

If you become a trusted housesitter, you can also get FREE accommodation worldwide. Read more about how this works.

Check out our ultimate packing list for travellers, and remember to pack travel insurance! We recommend these two travel insurance companies for excellent coverage.

Our 12 essential tips for safe travel in any country are worth a read. 

You’ll need to stay connected while travelling the world. We recommend eSIM. It’s easy, reliable and affordable. View eSIMs for individual countries, or consider a Global eSIM if you travel to multiple countries or regions. This eSIM connects you in 124 countries, offering data-only eSIM and data/call/text eSIM.

The Global eSIM has been a game-changer; we couldn’t imagine travelling without it now.

If you want to travel with like-minded travellers, consider joining a group tour.

Check our Group Tours first for any upcoming trips you may be interested to join, or view these deals on worldwide group tours with Tourradar.

Check out our best-ever travel tips compiled from more than twenty years of experience.