This is a post that’s been a long time coming. I finally got to the point of wanting to get it off my chest. The boiling point came about during a discussion with another blogger who is temporarily residing in Seville, Frank and his wife Lissette of BBQboy blog. We had gone out for some beer and international food at this year’s Festival of Nations in Seville. I covered it last year, you can check out this awesome food post that l wrote last year. I finally decided to put pen to paper. I know people will hate me for this, but c’est la vie! That’s just the way it goes.
Top Ten Lists – Right off the bat, l am guilty of that with this post Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. . I hate what is known as Listicals, or as l put it “the lazy man’s way” of reporting. It can serve its purpose in some cases, like for this post. It becomes a problem when every other post is a “Top ten things to do”, “Top ten things to see” etc.
Best Anything – I have a real problem with someone telling me what they feel is the best restaurant to eat at after a 48 hour visit! It’s one thing to say “this was the best place l ate at during my trip”. It’s quite another to call it the best in the whole city. Even residents would shy away from making that claim Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. , what qualifies you as the expert?Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Glossing over everything – I totally get the fact that most places are wonderful. More than likely, that’s the reason why you choose to go there. Most of your experiences will be overwhelmingly positive, but l think we owe it to the readers to give a fair and balanced account of the trips. It’s hard to believe that every single second of your trip was bliss. I think readers appreciate the honesty because it prepares them for what to expect. From reading travel blogs, I thought Amsterdam would be the bomb, but it was just okay for me. If a place is more expensive than normal, l want to hear it. If you had a epic disaster, I definitely want to hear it Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. .
Living like a local – There are some true nomad travelers out there for sure, but l think most travelers now consider staying at an AirBnB as “living like a local”. Mmm..No! Yes, you can cook, but l suspect most people don’t. Picking up croissants for breakfast and making coffee in the flat is not living like a local. Most people hardly interact with their hosts, either because the host is busy working or the guests are busy sightseeing. Our stay in Japan a few months ago, we had 3 separate hosts, and met only one face to face, and just for a few minutes. The other two flats had combination locks on the doors and there was zero interaction with the hosts.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.This is how the locals live Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. .
Writing about places they’ve never visited. I’ve been at this for a couple of years and then some. I was a bit naive at first when reading some blogs. Sometimes l would comment with a question, only to have them say they never actually visited. I could no longer trust what they wrote and I crossed them off my reading list.
Elitist attitude – The feeling of superiority over others. Travel is a luxury that most people can not afford. It can expand your knowledge and improve your life experience. It does not, however make you better than the person who doesn’t. If you’re a twat, you just become a twat who travels. You don’t suddenly achieve superiority Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. .
Shunning the tourist sites. There are bloggers who insist on going “off the beaten path” only. That’s fine, and it’s their choice. There is no reason to belittle others for not traveling your way. I’ve said it before, and l will say it again, with very few exceptions, l think most of them don’t do the “touristy” things that cost money because they can’t afford to. Oh yeah! Denying yourself from seeing beauties like famous cathedrals with free entry just so you can gloat about it? Who’s the idiot then? These places became tourist destinations for a reason. They are gorgeous and historic!!!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Skip the Vatican! Too touristy. Go off the beaten path.
The everyone can and should travel attitude. I think a lot of people from the western world, especially the United States don’t realize how fortunate they are to have their passports. Most of the world population can only dream of traveling. It took my brother over four months of trying to secure a visa to India for much needed operations. It also takes money! Current visa fee for Nigerians wanting to travel to India is $252! A college graduate earns about $256-350 per month salary, and I’m talking Banking Industry here, not your average person. Priorities!!!
The quit your job and travel preaching. This really burns my hide! I’m not going to say much as l have already said it before. It’s kind of irresponsible to encourage people to chuck it all for a life of uncertainty. I believe in the 6 P’s – Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. This is the end of my rant.
Have l missed any of your pet peeves? Please share. Am l being too hard on travel bloggers and writers in general? Do you feel cheated when you read about a place only to find out there are gaping holes in the reportage when you visit?
. I hate what is known as Listicals, or as l put it “the lazy man’s way” of reporting. It can serve its purpose in some cases, like for this post. It becomes a problem when every other post is a “Top ten things to do”, “Top ten things to see” etc.
