Or better yet, when I am out of town and staying at the home of a friend or family member, I ask the locals where I can get fresh crabs since I enjoy cooking when on vacation.

WSJ: Endless-Summer Baked Blue Crab

For a more cultural experience, check with the owners of La Sirena ecohostel or ask the locals about arranging a trip by horseback to stay in a traditional Kogi or Arhuaco village in the heart of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta national park.

BBC: Colombia��s virtually vacant paradise

Dubbed "Ask the Locals, " the campaign features general advice--from celebrity New Yorkers like Robert De Niro and Jimmy Fallon on print ads and phone hot lines--on navigating the city and finding the best hot spots beyond obvious landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building.

FORBES: Magazine Article

There was a red cloth wound around the tower, and Sopheng said that the cloth showed that this was a living temple where locals came to leave their offerings and to ask the gods to answer their prayers.

BBC: Piecing together puzzles in Cambodia

Whenever I ask for a show of hands on how the locals feel about the economy--local and national--Texans, Minnesotans and New Mexicans invariably are bullish, while New Yorkers and Californians are bearish.

FORBES: California Leavin'

With a good map, a bit of luck and a few stops to ask directions from friendly locals, you will eventually reach the ancient town of Baalbek, best known today for being the headquarters of the Hezbollah party.

BBC: Lebanon in a week: The ultimate road-trip guide

Later, as we wander through the evening throng of locals and mediums mixing side by side, dodging kids on bikes, I ask Junior what time they close the doors for the day?

BBC: The Valley of the Dawn - Brazil's refuge for lost souls