Any post that contains a Terence McKenna quote is great in my book! Seriously though you make a good point here, I have often found that if I visit somewhere and get a guided tour my appreciation of what I'm seeing is so much greater. Another way is to get a local person to show you around, it's amazing how many great restaurants, bars and other hidden gems there are that you would never be able to find on your own.

Here's something I posted about the Deer Park in Nara that you might find interesting https://steemit.com/travel/@captaincanary/nara-japan-home-to-1200-wild-deer