I’d Do Anything For Travel (But I Won’t Do That)

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To me travelling is all about going out there and hitting the unexpected, but there are certain things that I won’t do or things that just aren’t for me.

Swim with dolphins, ride/bathe an elephant, pose with a koala are just not for me. I’ve heard all the excuses: “But this is a place where animals are treated well”, “These elephants have been saved from a horrible place and all money goes to the elephants”, “the dolphins can go to the sea, but they prefer to come here”, but I just can’t believe that and it just doesn’t feel right to me.

It’s not that I have fear of heights and I sure do love an adrenaline kick but I don’t see how you can get that out of bungee jumping. People really pay big money to do that? It doesn’t look comfortable and I can’t imagine you get much time to enjoy the view really.

This might change by the time I hit 50 and don’t care about anything, but for now I wouldn’t book an all-inclusive-holiday to a sunny destination. Especially if it’s in a resort where it’s not safe to go outside and mingle with the local people. For now I like planning and figuring things out myself.

Disaster tourism is another thing that bothers me, it’s obviously fine if you are passing the place or want to pay respects. But disaster tourism just to see the damage is not really ok.

I mentioned this in my regrets post, but I have to repeat – Go on a 10 hours bus ride because I can save a twenty extra on a hostel. When I was 20 this was ok…but I learned that taking the night bus to save money is not worth it because I can’t sleep on the bus. This makes me cranky and mad and tired and means I will enjoy the city less, even if it’s wonderful.

Fly all the way to Thailand, then try to get to one of those full moon parties, throw away my money on whatever there is to get and wake up barely remembering anything. Because look I am not 18 anymore. While we are taking about Thailand don’t get me started on ping pong shows.

I don’t think I’ll take photos of locals or orphans. You know the Lonely Planet style portraits of people in exotic countries that will secure for 100 of likes on social media? I just feels uncomfortable to me – maybe because I grew up in the Balkan war and we often had photographers who came to our village to take photos of people. I remember them trying to lure us out with sweets and I felt used in a way. I don’t want anyone to ever feel like that.

I am not planning on going to the Middle East via Turkey to find myself.

Do you have any travel-dont’s or things that
just aren’t for you?

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17 Comments

  1. One of yout best posts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    xxx

  2. BAHAHAHAHAHA at this comment:
    “I am not planning on going to the Middle East via Turkey to find myself.”

    THE BEST ONE LINER EVER.

  3. I agree with you 100%, especially regarding tourism that stresses out fragile ecosystems and, over time, contributes to animal endangerment.

    Great post!

    Best,
    Magda

  4. I feel so awful for all the elephants, dolphins, camels, and any other animals that are used as tourist attractions. They should be out in the wild! I’ve seen pictures of them in treatment facilities and it’s so heartbreaking.
    http://www.looking-glass.ca

  5. I am with you on the animals, I just feel terrible when I see them and couldn’t handle paying to enter a place that keeps animals as tourist attractions.

  6. I totally understand your point, but at the same time, it’s funny to think that different people have different boundaries. For example if ridding a horse is fine, what makes ridding a camel wrong? (I can see several answers to that, but still one has to ask)

    and I could see why sky dyving could be controversial (I mean don’t we take enough planes already?), but bungee? actually never thought about doing it on holidays and always practised it “at home”, but it’s interesting you ask the question!!

    I think one of the answers is that it all “depends”, doesnt it?…or does that give us too much wiggle room and just let us justify situations that we clearly should not be justifying?

    I agree I wouldnt feel appealed by a resort holiday either…but I can undertsand that a young mom can just decide at some point in her life that a 2 weeks all included beach holidays in Greece with full time nany could feel like heaven (maybe)

    …all interesting points!!

  7. While I don’t completely agree with everything you have said…. I love to bungee/skydive :)… I think it is really important to think about how our actions affect other people (and animals). I think we can get wrapped up in ourselves, wanting to experience everything and forget about others.

    1. amen! Skydiving is actually something I would do as you can enjoy the view and the fall. With bunjee I just don’t like the idea of yoyo-ing and the rope.

  8. Haha this made me chuckle. I’m totally with you about the animal excursions and bungee jumping – no way, not for me. I think I’d give sky diving a go though; I guess the views would be a lot nicer and it’d be more comfortable. xx

    Abby | Eärendil

  9. Absolutely agree on this one; ‘ I mentioned this in my regrets post, but I have to repeat – Go on a 10 hours bus ride because I can save a twenty extra on a hostel. When I was 20 this was ok…but I learned that taking the night bus to save money is not worth it because I can’t sleep on the bus. This makes me cranky and mad and tired and means I will enjoy the city less, even if it’s wonderful.’ Great post! Something I would definitely do next time in Indonesie; spend money on a private driver. I hated the discussions we had with taxi drivers on Bali

  10. I’ve not travelled enough to know what I wouldn’t do yet. That said, because of my irritable bowel syndrome, I won’t go anywhere unless I know I can find a public toilet. Sorry TMI.

  11. Love this post. In 2010, there was volcano eruptions at where I live. It wasn’t so bad at my place but the houses near the volcano were badly damaged. When the condition was getting better, people went to the damaged area just to see around and take pictures! My sister’s friend who had to be evacuated because her house was ruined was really saddened and offended

  12. Love this!! I totally agree with the rather spend some money on an extra night than sleep in a bus/train/car/whatever. I need my sleep. Like really sleep. Oh and actually I will never, never do dorms. As in NEVER. Not to repeat myself but I need my sleep. And no snoring, late at night drunken guys or whatever it is, and given the fact that on the other hand I cant sleep with earplugs, it will be private rooms for me all the way.

  13. It’s so refreshing to read something so straight forward and honest, even if I personally don’t have the same opinion on all of the points you’re making. Love this post!

  14. I am SO with you on the traveling comfortable. I had the amazing idea to cross the border between the US and Canada by bus. NEVER AGAIN. That experience taught me that saving a few extra bucks is not worth it.

    I think I would totally bathe an elephant but I wouldn’t swim with dolphins. Those things are creepy. Same with Koalas. Hey, I watch The Simpsons.

  15. Great post! I really don’t get the swimming with dolphins craze anyway! Who asked the dolphins if they want to swim with us? And I don’t particularly understand the appeal anyway. All that typical bucket-list stuff is a massive cliché – I’d rather make my own experiences than tick my way through all that. Plus I totally agree about night buses and so on – decent sleep is vital for me to enjoy the trip, although you can’t always avoid horrible overnight journeys.