The thrill of waking up in a new port is one of the best parts of any cruise, a chance to explore a new piece of the world for a day. But a fantastic day ashore can be quickly derailed by a dead phone, a bad sunburn, or the frantic realization you don’t know what time you need to be back.
Packing a smart day bag with a few key essentials is the secret to a stress-free and memorable excursion.
The U.S. Department of State issues travel advisories for a reason, acting as a crucial guide to the safety and security landscape of a given country. For a handful of destinations, that advice is the stark and unambiguous “Level 4: Do Not Travel.” This isn’t a suggestion; it’s the government’s strongest possible warning, reserved for places where the risk of arbitrary detention, armed conflict, or other dangers is unacceptably high.
While these countries may hold a certain allure for adventurous travelers, they are places where your passport offers little protection and the U.S. government has extremely limited ability to help you.
Traveling abroad is an incredible opportunity to broaden your horizons, but it’s also a chance to make a terrible impression if you’re not careful. Certain behaviors that might be normal or acceptable back home can come across as rude, ignorant, or just plain uncouth in a different cultural context. These are the tell-tale signs of an inexperienced and clueless tourist.
Avoiding these common blunders is the key to being a respectful and welcomed guest, rather than becoming a walking stereotype that makes the locals cringe.
One of the great joys of travel is the opportunity to experience a culture different from our own. We seek out “authentic” experiences that promise a real connection to a place and its people. The tourism industry, however, is very good at manufacturing and packaging this authenticity for mass consumption. Many of the most popular cultural experiences are actually carefully staged performances.
These are not organic traditions but commercial products designed to look the way tourists expect them to look, often having little to do with the real, modern lives of the local people.
The modern travel dream is to find a “hidden gem,” an untouched paradise far from the tourist hordes. Travel bloggers and influencers are constantly promoting the “next great undiscovered destination.” The ironic truth is that the moment a place is labeled a hidden gem on a popular social media account or travel blog, it immediately ceases to be one. The secret is out.
These once-quiet destinations have been so thoroughly “discovered” that they are now firmly on the mainstream tourist trail, often complete with crowds, high prices, and the very things travelers were trying to escape.