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Around the world in two weeks: My American friends pride themselves on their meticulous vacation planning. They cram in as many travel destinations as possible during their two-week maximum vacation (most Americans now have almost no vacation days). The most extreme example: Florida to Milan, Paris, London, Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand, and a stop in Tokyo and back to the Sunshine State. And all of this happened in just 14 days.
So what did they see? You’ve ticked off your to-do list: a visit to the cathedral and shopping galleries in Milan, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Louvre Museum and the Moulin Rouge variety show. So it’s the typical thing that every travel guide and every blogger claims are “must see” items. So, have you wandered the confusing streets of Bangkok, explored the workshops where Buddha statues are made, and talked to a monk in an “extraordinary” temple? Of course not, there isn’t enough time for that.
There is almost no time for deeper experiences
And sometimes it seems to me that travelers are increasingly losing the desire to delve deeper into the culture and peculiarities of a destination. Instagram and Co also support this trend. If everyone is posting a selfie with the lovely Horse Guards in London, then of course this photo shouldn’t be missing from their feed either; social media peer pressure.
Admittedly, as a travel journalist, my trips are similar to the trips of my American friends. Tour operators and destinations organizing press trips squeeze the maximum number of screenings into as short a time as possible. This barely scratches the surface and diversity of the travel destination.
slows down travel
While this is part of my job requirements, on my personal travels I tend to go to the other extreme: I reduce my travel speed to a minimum. I either stay in one place for a long time or I went to St. Petersburg last summer. Like when James was on the French Trail, I explore an area on foot.
I walked from Montpellier to Spain in four weeks and immersed myself deep in the south of France, experiencing picture-perfect landscapes as well as poverty-ridden suburbs, attending local festivals and talking to shepherds in the fields – most likely this gave me an idea. For a more authentic experience, the south of France is more enjoyable than choosing the most beautiful villages of Provence, which have already become tourist traps.
Beyond to-do lists lie authentic experiences
And now, as I look back on my dozen or so trips in 2023, the memories of that long-distance hike are by far the most vivid and colorful. And unlike some brief trips to the other side of the world, I’ll remember this for the next few years.
Of course, it doesn’t have to be four weeks on the Way of St. James. But I still recommend this: When traveling, less is more. Because even though the Instagram feed has long been buried in the depths of the internet, more intense experiences live on in the memory.
Source : Blick
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
