by Daisy Liu
Can a tourist's experience ever be truly authentic?
If you talk with the locals, share their cuisine, and, heaven forbid, even do a little work while you're traveling, you can get pretty close.
Many tour companies out there make an effort to submerge their guests in a local culture, sharing stories, sampling the food and practicing traditional customs.
Some of these programs also help to boost rural development and raise awareness of environmental sustainability.
1. Stay with an Amazon tribe, Ecuador
The Huaorani Ecolodge immerses visitors among one of world's most isolated ethnic groups in the Amazon.