Candice LandauLast Updated on January 2, 2025 by Candice Landau
I bet you’ve never actually asked yourself this question. Don’t worry, most people haven’t, not even the writers and photographers I frequently work with.
The truth is, the best way to travel depends on both your personality and the goals you have for your trip. Both “tabla rasa” (a blank slate approach) and “informed” travel have advantages and disadvantages.
Typically, I find a mix of both is the best way to travel for me but I’ve often wondered, what if I went HARD down one route or the other? What would that mean for my photography and writing? Would it be more like the difference between candid and staged photos? Or would it mean I missed the best sites, cultural experiences, and interview opportunities? Does planning in great detail take precedence over living in the moment if you’re on a working trip?
I still don’t have all the answers and this may be because I’ve never truly given tabla rasa the consideration it deserves—it does feel a bit like a luxury of the rich who can afford to return to a far-flung destination. That said, I have thought (in detail) about the pros and cons of each method. The next step is to try each one in its purest form.
>> Related Reading: How to Pick the Right Destination For Your Next Dive Trip
Tabla Rasa (Blank Slate) Travel
So, why might you consider tabla rasa as an approach at all?!
Well, for one thing, you prefer to live in the moment and experience life as it comes. This can be personality driven or it can be a choice.
While some people think this is the easy way to travel (seat-of-your-pants travel), it’s not. For many, it can create a sense of anxiety and FOMO. But, for those looking to experience things in a manner that prompts them to talk to others, to ask questions, and to get their knowledge on the ground from the locals rather than a guidebook or a web search, it might just be the perfect opportunity or challenge.
How about it? Tabla rasa travel?!
Advantages of traveling tabla rasa
This approach allows for spontaneity, adventure, and discovery without preconceived notions getting in the way. It can make you more open to new experiences, as you’re not bound by rigid expectations, or a Pinterest board of bucket list items you need to check off (okay, I love Pinterest so no judgment there).
You might also find you interact more with locals, you experience things you might otherwise not have experienced or planned for, and you are more alert when traveling.
Drawbacks of traveling tabla rasa
It can be inefficient if you miss out on significant sights or experiences, and you might waste time figuring things out as you go, not to mention ramping up on stress!
It might also not alert you to things that could have been useful to know, for example, how to travel safely, or specific customs to follow.
It could also mean you miss getting the information you needed to get. If you travel for work, this could mean interviews with specific people that need to be planned for or shots you need to capture of specific experiences.
The other disadvantage is that depending on where you travel, a lack of planning could mean you miss out if things are booked up when you arrive, or if there are specific requirements like “cash only.” This happened to me in Turks and Caicos (cash only at the Conch Bar caves) and as a result, I missed out on getting to explore a famous cave system. Of course it didn’t help that when I did return with cash an hour later, they’d lock the gates and not bothered to explain why…
Still, my point is planning could make the difference between seeings the things you want to see and missing out. The best thing to do is not get attached to your itinerary if you’re traveling this way. You will be less disappointed.
Tabla rasa travel is best for
Travelers who thrive on flexibility, who like to wander, and who enjoy immersing themselves in the unexpected will really benefit from this style of travel.
A word to the wise: be particularly alert to customs and culture and to safety. There are many people in positions of trust that you can speak to when you land/arrive. One of my favorite experiences on this front was in BVI when I asked my hotel receptionist to recommend a private guide for my land-based tour of Tortola. It was a tour unlike any other and I got to hear the history from a local’s perspective one-on-one. If you’re ever in need of a tour, hit this man up!
Oh, PS: I stayed at the Village Cay in Road Town in order that I was close to Aggressor’s BVI liveaboard.
Informed Travel
Chances are, if you’re a journalist or photographer traveling for work, you’re going to say “duh, informed!” You do after all need to prep your shot list, figure out what research to do so you can interview various persons of interest, see the most important sites, etc.
Many people who travel with the mind to see specific things, stay in specific places. If you don’t plan for this, how will you do it?
The catch is, it doesn’t keep you open to experiencing a more genuine side of the country or place. A writer, for example, or someone with a lot of time, might genuinely want to experience life as it comes.
Advantages of traveling informed
Researching beforehand helps you make the most of your trip, hitting key attractions, experiencing the best local cuisine, and being aware of cultural nuances. This can be important if you have dietary restrictions (for example, I’m plant-based) or it could be important if you need to go on an excursion only offered in a particular place (team with the Bedouins in the Egyptian desert, anyone?).
You can plan for things like high season, local events, or natural wonders that require advanced bookings or timing. For divers, this means seeing aggregations at specific times of the year, or a particular species of marine life. It could also mean traveling when the water is warmer, or when prices are more affordable.
Disadvantages of traveling informed
Being overly planned can reduce spontaneity and discovery, leading to a more rigid experience where you’re just checking items off a list.
How does this make you feel? Try it at home to see. Do you actually feel you got a good sense of the country or place? Does it feel adventurous enough for you? Would you have liked to be surprised?
The other thing to consider is what you don’t know. You don’t know what you don’t know and if you’ve planned everything in advance, how will you increase the likelihood of seeing or doing the things you didn’t know were available to do? In this case, you actually might want to plan for some spontaneity. I know, sounds weird but it could be as easy as planning to speak to three strangers to ask what there is to do, or where the locals go to eat and drink.
Informed travel is best for
Travelers who want to maximize their time, have certain goals or interests (like diving at specific sites), and prefer structured plans.
Usually those on specific work assignments will adopt this approach but the general public is more often than not also likely to do as much as it alleviates stress and anxiety on the ground and ensures you see what you want to see in an often limited timeframe.
>> Related Reading: Keeping a Log Book: Your Essential Tool for Writing Compelling Travel Articles
How I travel
More often than not, I’m traveling for diving and writing assignments. In this case I’ve generally opted for an informed plan for my diving experiences while leaving more room for a tabla rasa approach to cultural and nature-based explorations. It gives me the sense of adventure I seek in a trip but also ensures I accomplish the things I know I have to do.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to try a fully tabla rasa approach—mostly for the challenge—but it’s a notion that’s a little hard when I always have to take the appropriate camera lens, consider the reels and angles, and well, see what I have to see.
How do you prefer to travel?
