The Beach
In Alex Garland's novel, "The Beach" a group of backpackers journey to a remote Thai island in search of this paradise utopia. Funny enough, this island utopia the travelers find is full of nothing but other travelers - not one local person in the bunch. And yet, in their minds, the journey is a success. This tale exemplifies what I believe many travelers want when they say they want to get "off the beaten path."
What they really mean is they want a place that is still new enough to tourism that the people are friendly and unaffected but also manage to speak a little English. They want a place that lacks Internet, but still has electricity and maybe hot water. They want a few cheap guesthouses and restaurants, some local brew, and an eclectic mix of travelers with whom to spend long nights discussing the world's problems. Oh, and ideally it should be a picturesque village near a nice mountain or beach, if you don't mind.
Truly being off the beaten path is HARD. It is being in a place where no one else looks like you no one. It is the realization that all communication must be done with gestures and the odd word picked up from a phrasebook and even then there will be misunderstanding. It means regularly ordering one thing and getting something else but not having any idea how to rectify the matter. It means not having anyone to talk unless YOU learn the local language.
I have never really been off the beaten path. Sure, I've been to places that are less frequented by tourists places that felt remote and exotic. But even so, there was always another traveler or two or ten to ease the burden of communication someone you could turn to and wink and say, "what the hell do you suppose that meant?" and laugh as you both realize you have no clue.
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