Too many easily accessible restaurants and attractions cater heavily to tourists, and, in doing so, create an environment that they feel will be comfortable to people from other cultures.

Spending too much time in these locations sometimes leads with only a superficial understanding of the culture. This is especially difficult when you do not speak the local language.

For travelers who want to learn as much about the authentic culture and day-to-day lives of the people in the areas they are vacationing in, what are some techniques for avoiding the heavily tourist-oriented attractions? How do you work around the language barrier? How do you avoid areas that are unsafe?