WHEN IN HOME: TRAVEL SNOBBERY

---

<< back << home

He might not say as much, but he is inwardly sneering at your choice of destination, wondering why anyone would want to join the masses on Khao San Road or Bondi Beach when they could be camping in Kazakhstan or exploring uncharted Albania.

He feels he’s a cut above the rest because he gets way off the beaten track, snubbing any destination he's likely to find in a "places-to-visit-before-you-die" list. There is usually a reason why a place becomes exceptionally popular.

As a recovering sufferer of this strain of travel snobbery, I could tell you stories of dull experiences in grotty, uninspiring towns in a bid to avoid the crowds and be original. I soon came to realize that people are drawn to certain places because destinations have something special to offer. It’s all very well to want to get away from the masses, but if that means visiting sewage plants and the local tax office, then perhaps following the crowd isn’t such a bad thing.

HE HAS A POINT BECAUSE: Traveling is all about new experiences, and as globalization takes hold, some of the more popular places are losing their identities. Heading somewhere new might give you a real taste of another culture, rather than a second rate clone of what you left behind.

TYPE TWO: The Spending Snob

RECOGNIZABLE BY: His professional attitude toward bartering, which he employs in hotels, restaurants, shops, bus stations, public toilets and even with beggars.

MOST LIKELY TO SAY: "I got it much cheaper than that."

This strain of travel snobbery makes the sufferer believe that spending less makes him a superior traveler. He haggles for everything and likes the world to know that he paid less.

Okay, so many people like to travel on a budget and don’t mind doing without a few of their comforts of home in order to save a few dollars, but never spending any money isn’t really playing fairly. What “Type Two” doesn’t seem to realize is that another point of independent travel is to inject cash into the local economy. Cutting back on spending is one thing, but bartering people out of their livelihoods is something totally different. He is likely to miss out on some great excursions if he’s not willing to put his hand in his pocket now and again and treat himself.

HE HAS A POINT BECAUSE: The less you spend per day, the longer you can travel and the more you’ll get to see of the world. Although it is nice to splurge occasionally, both for the locals and for the traveler.

TYPE THREE: The Comfort Snob

RECOGNIZABLE BY: A haunted look, fleas and a perpetual backache.

MOST LIKELY TO SAY: "Don’t you have anything less comfortable?"

There are some people in the world who seem to thrive on discomfort and “Type Three” belongs to this breed. He always stays in the scummiest hole of a hostel he can find and travels third class when he isn’t hitchhiking. He scoffs at anyone who favors deluxe buses or the odd three-star hotel room, insisting that doing without comfort makes the experience more "real."

I say that it turns traveling into a chore that’s only fun in retrospect. It’s alright to slum it now and then, when nothing else is available or a significant saving is to be made, but surely there’s a limit to the number of rat-infested dungeons anyone can stay in without losing it.

HE HAS A POINT BECAUSE: Admittedly, the best stories tend to come from hardships, so “Type Three” will always have some gripping travel tales to tell.

TYPE FOUR: The Short-trip Snob

RECOGNIZABLE BY: A worn look from being on the road for so long.

MOST LIKELY TO SAY: "Oh, are you only here for two weeks?"

She seems to have unlimited time to devote to traveling. She would rather not visit a country at all than visit for just a week or two. "How does she manage it?" I’ve often wondered as I return from my all-too-short trips.

"Does she have a bottomless bank account? Or perhaps she slaves away for years without a break so that eventually she can plan a mammoth voyage?" Countless times, I’ve caught myself making excuses for the brevity of my trips, but then I tend to choose short but frequent trips, rather than save up for years to enjoy an in-depth break.

SHE HAS A POINT BECAUSE: Obviously the longer you stay somewhere, the more you’ll see, the more you’ll learn and the more you’ll get involved in the local culture. Unfortunately, not all of us can afford six months in every country we visit and “Type Four” should understand that all of our bank balances and bosses won’t permit it.

TYPE FIVE: The Guidebook Snob

RECOGNIZABLE BY: The lack of a Lonely Planet tucked under his arm.

MOST LIKELY TO SAY: "I think guidebooks are ruining independent travel."

A rare breed, this one, and one that usually shows symptoms of other strains of travel snobbery. He sneers at you and your fellow travellers as you wander around clutching your "Bible." Most of us enjoy reading up on our chosen destination before we set off and value the opinions of our chosen guide.

“Type Five” maintains that travel books spoil travel by drawing all travelers to previously unknown spots, which ruins the spontaneity. I think he has lost the plot. Traveling without a guidebook is great if you have unlimited time and funds and a command of the local language, but anyone who has ever turned up somewhere unknown without a book knows what stressful business it is. You would miss some of the finest spots as you wander around blindly, relying entirely on the help of strangers and a healthy dose of luck.

HE HAS A POINT BECAUSE: Traveling without a guidebook really gets back to the roots of travel—the original pioneers and explorers. Alas, it’s not really a practical option for most of us 21st-century backpackers.

So there you have it, the most common types of travel snobbery. You may have diagnosed yourself, and that’s the first step to recovery. To complete the healing process, get back on the road, start chatting to your fellow travellers and respect them, whether they travel in luxury with a hugely over-packed bag or wander around for years, hardly spending any money and sleeping in shop doorways.

If you come across someone suffering from acute travel snobbery, remind him or her that travel is supposed to be fun. As long as people enjoy themselves without harming others, leave them to it!

Lucy Corne is a freelance writer in the Canary Islands and has just written a Bradt guidebook on the islands. She has traveled extensively in South America and South Africa and has visited Mexico, Mongolia and China.Published clips and photos can be seen at www.lucycorne.com.

<< home

<< back

<< discuss article >>

 

Copyright 2003-2004 InsideOut Travel Magazine

<< disclaimer