Release your inner night owl.
UNSPLASH Massimiliano MorosinottoLiving or visiting a popular world destination has several perks. Metropolitan areas boast historical monuments, decadent restaurants, and easy-to-use public transportation. Although a bus or walking tour will show you a city, taking a step out of the ordinary may show you more. My first encounter with Seville, Spain (a typically sunny city) was ironically, after the sun had set. My night tour, guided by a new Spanish friend, made me think of the perks of seeing a city by night. Obviously, I advocate night adventures with a friend, and never alone. From my experience, here are the best reasons to take a nap and roam after hours with a buddy!
1. No Crowds
Experiencing a culture does require living with and around local people, to best learn from the locals. However, getting to roam a city without getting lost in a sea of other tourist is an upside to adventuring at night. Fewer people around allows for quicker trekking from sight to sight, unobstructed views of monuments and landscapes, as well as no chance of photo-bombers.
2. Always an Open Bar or Café
Any city will have bars and cafés open late. Whether you crave a coffee, glass of wine, or a small snack, these convenient watering holes will never fail you. You can also take a little rest or dance the night away!
3. Multi-cultural Livin’
Mentioned previously, the streets of popular cities are not as inhabited at night as during the day. However, there is high probability that students from all over the world will be out and about. College students study abroad all over the world in major cities and crave exploration just like travelers do. College students also explore at night, and typically can be found at those cafes and bars (#4). After the sun sets, go out and meet your fellow travelers! If they had lived in the city for a while, they will also know the best places to see and grab a bite or drink.
UNSPLASH Joran Quinten4. Photos Galore
Americans are known for being “ugly” and taking obnoxious pictures while traveling. Hey, I understand. We all just want to properly keep our Instagram accounts updated and brag about our explorations on Facebook and Twitter. One plus to being out and about at night is that you can take all the pictures you want without being judged! Life’s responsibilities limit our abilities to travel as much as we would like. Therefore, document your trip! Selfies with Big Ben are always acceptable.
5. Beauty in the Buildings
The sun brightens up any national monument, historical fountain, and even just a cobble stone road. However, moonlight is in a category all its own. Structures at night appear very differently than they do during the day. Light catches them differently and they can be seen as their own entity without the hustle and bustle of the city. Typically, light fixtures also shine on them, showing off the cities beautiful treasures. Take a look and see for yourself!
