Instagram as a travel guide
There is plenty to read about your holiday destinations on the internet and travel guides also give you a lot of information about the place you are going to. But those guides mainly describe the places where everyone goes. If you want to avoid the crowds and look for special locations, you sometimes have to dig a lot in travel guides or contact local residents. Something that is not always easy. Fortunately, Instagram comes to the rescue in a surprising way: here you can specifically search for photos taken at a specific location. Instagram is not just an app for selfies and meals, but can also be useful for getting interesting information about your next holiday destination.
- Search by hashtag
- Search by location
- Inspiration for photos
- Local customs
Instagram as a holiday guide: search by hashtags
Fortunately, Instagram offers the solution with the search function. By searching for your holiday destination in Places, you will see recent photos from that area. By searching for certain keywords (for example #backpacking) you can easily come up with ideas for interesting destinations. Search for #mountains or #beach if that is your favorite holiday destination. You could also search for terms like #coffee or #pokebowl, but those searches are less ideal because you probably don’t travel all over the world for a nice cup of coffee. But you will probably get on a plane for special places.
It’s a shame that you can’t search for multiple hashtags at the same time. This is only possible with third-party tools. These often involve quite expensive solutions for which you have to take out a monthly subscription of a few tens of euros in order to professionally manage your Instagram account.
Search by location in Instagram
Sometimes an attraction is a bit remote and you doubt whether it is worth traveling there. Instagram also comes in handy then. If you want to know in advance what there is to do, Instagram will give you an overview of photos that have been taken previously. This takes away the surprise of what to expect, but your traveling companions will be grateful if you saved them an unnecessary detour (or conversely: that they wouldn’t have wanted to miss it).
Instagram as inspiration for photos
The nice thing is that Instagram immediately gives you some inspiration from which angles you can best take selfies and other photos. You may not be completely original, but at least you have a nice photo. And if you insist on it yourself, it is still unique and personal. The bookmark icon lets you save photos to a collection so you can quickly find them later.
Learn about the local customs of your destination
You can get a lot of inspiration and information from the recent photos. Consider, for example, the weather situation, clothing regulations, certain dishes that you really should try and special locations. If you go to an Eastern temple or to a fancy restaurant and you have no idea what clothing is appropriate, photos can provide a lot of clarity. Can you go in with jeans and sneakers, or is something more expected?
By clicking on the photo you can also see whether the person has written something about it. If you have become very curious about that person’s experiences, you can always leave a message.
Also view our other holiday tips from the iCulture Holiday Special:
- The best travel guide apps for your iPhone and iPad
- With these travel apps for the Apple Watch you can travel without worries
- Plan a holiday with your iPhone or iPad
Learn more about Instagram in our comprehensive guide or check out our Instagram tips roundup for even more ideas.
