I have turned the area around the cantina into kind of a resort area, so my sims go there more often to relax and do stuff at the spa, cantina and museum (with playground and picnic area added) than they go exploring. It makes a nice family or romantic vacation spot, and they can learn the rumbasim and some new recipes even if they're not all explorer types.
I do enjoy the exploration every so often, but it's a bit repetitive so I don't do it with all my sims. Archaeology I haven't fully explored yet.