I’m back! I didn’t upload a new post last week because it was my last week with my boyfriend and my head was somewhere else. I couldn’t make myself to write about anything (and I tried many times!). It’s hard to be productive when you are sad. Now, I’m back in Chile again trying to get my routine back after being five weeks in the US.
Today’s post is super fun! You know, Instagram is not only an app where you can post pictures. It’s also a great tool that can help us find new places in our own cities or help us to plan our next trip! And I’m going to help you with that.
[title align=”center” type=”line”]How To Plan Your Next Trip Using Instagram[/title]
I spent a week in Miami with my boyfriend at the beginning of April, and before going there I did my research on Instagram (and a little bit of Pinterest) to make a list of the places and restaurants I wanted to go. It took some time, but I enjoyed the process!
So this time I’ll show you how I planned my trip there and how I found new places to go.
1. ACCOUNTS
Search Accounts From The Area
Go to the search bar and write the name of the place you are going. Instagram offers you different options: Places, Tags, and Accounts. I recommend going directly to “Accounts” because it tells you immediately who lives in the city. And who better to tell you where to go than people who actually live there? This is the key step to plan your next trip using Instagram!
As you can see in the picture, Instagram will show you many accounts. Influencer accounts, Photographer accounts, accounts dedicated to the city, etc. All these will show you the best parts of a place.
By the way, if you are going to Miami, I really recommend following summerofdiane, miamifoodstop, and the thenaughtyfork for the best inspo!
Once you pick an account, you can start scrolling through their pictures. Also, if you are looking into an Influencer/Blogger account you will find many beautiful places to take pictures as well!
Save The Pictures
Ok, so now you have found a few restaurants and places you want to go. Instead of making a list, just save the pictures on Instagram by creating a collection (“folders”). That’s super easy to do and will keep everything in one place. You can access the pictures whenever you need it.
To do that, tap and hold the bookmark icon for the post you want to save. On the screen that appears, type in a name for the collection and tap Done. And ta-da! You created a collection. Now every time you see a post of a place you want to visit, just tap and hold the bookmark icon and save it to the collection already created.
Start Stalking
Once you have a picture you like, I click on the location stated.
Let’s take the example from the picture above! I click on OOH RAW! Poké + Juice Bar, many posts from the same place will appear, but they are from different accounts. I scroll a little and when I find a picture I like, I go into the accounts and stalk them. Most likely they are locals, so they will have pictures of other restaurants and interesting places around the area.
This helps me to discover new places! It can be a little weird, but it works.
2. PLACES
Another way to do it is by using geotags. Head to the search bar, write the name of the city and then click on “Places”. This will give you a list of places in the area. Click on one and many pictures will appear. Just scroll around and when you find a picture you like, open it and it will reveal the real location. Just like you can see in the pictures below.
I thought that was a cool unicorn and I wanted to know where I could find it. Once I opened it I realized it was in Wynwood Walls. I clicked again on the location and it showed me pictures taken around the area, and like I did before, I scrolled around looking for posts I like. Then going into the accounts to look for more places.
3. TAGS
This option is great too! Especially if you are looking for an activity to do and don’t know where to go. As you can see in the picture below, there are many tags related to Miami. If you are thinking about going clubbing there, this is a great way to discover great clubs to go. Just click on the tag and a ton of posts of people partying will appear.
If a club looks nice, just save the post into a collection for future reference.
That’s pretty much all I do to plan my trips using Instagram. It’s easy, and it lets you discover cool places in a city. It might feel a little stalky but that’s part of social media and it leads you to discover amazing accounts as well!
Do you also plan your next trip using Instagram? Or this is something new for you? Let me know in the comments!
Sincerely, Melissa
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