I have done both. All travellers ever talk about is where they have been and how much it costs. If you have been to the same place, in some strange way I have allways paid to much and didn't see the true beauty of the place. I start talking about the sunrise in Bagan, the evenings in the Pantanal. Yes I become obnoxious too.

Second point: every person you meet on your holiday or travel is real. The taxidriver that is extorting you. The hotelclerk twho has seen a zillion tourists come by. The Sukhumvit beggar without legs who has been there for the last eight years. All real people and all part of the culture. Poverty isn't culture. Poverty is poverty.

Love this article. Great stuff.

I think the author is rather missing the point. In this day and age, it is better to open your eyes to the real world. Rather than merely spending huge dollars on a luxury cruise or a 5-star hotel, why not try to make a social contribution during your trip. Visit a less "touristy" spot, see how less-privileged people live. This will help you realize how privileged we are and perhaps spur some humanitarian feelings and action. Yes, it is better than just going to more affluent areas. And if "boasting" about it gets other people to also visit and do some good for this messy world, I for one can suck it up and pay attention.

Good on you Dean #33, you are so right, but don't tar us all with the same brush. Not all of us who visit countries such as yours go round patting kids on the head and feeling like we've changed the world. However I disgreee slightly with your last comment. While I'd certianly take the oppurtunity to live in one of those villages (governements not allowing us to do that asside), connecting with people can happen in an instant, you just need to take the time to do it and in my expereince many of the people I've been lucky enough to meet have also been glad to briefly connect with somebody from another place and culture. Even the smallest interaction helps break down barriers to understanding (in my view anyway). Regardless, well said!

if you want to stay in a comfy bed, drink beer and eat well - why don't you just stay home?

Err... because I live in New Zealand where those things are hard to get! Only someone who has never lived in Europe could say that!

Remind me again - how many Michelin starred restaurants are there here?

Having spent much of my life living in the UK and thus begun visiting France at the age of 3 (and almost every other EU country by age 15) I'm with you.

I've done the hellholes and still do them - but nothing compares to cafe au lait and fresh croissant in a backstreet Parisian cafe.

They've banned smoking now, so sadly the old men with their Gitanes and Gauloises are no longer a feature. The tobacco (which smells like the inside of Ghandi's sandals..!) was always very evocative of France to me.

If anything tempts me back to the northern hemisphere, it will be a desire to live amongst that civilisation again.

aww i love cruises... no shame in that! and since when have the locals want to be met? i've lived in nz for 8 months now on a working holiday visa, and getting any "locals" to give me the time of day has been a constant battle. so im thinking you'd rather have them on their cruise ships anyways, since when we are in your local pubs all you do is moan. all the countries really want is for you to leave your currency behind on your way out. i've been fortunate enough to travel, but i won't go as far as to claim to travel "more than most" (by far the most pretentious phrase i've heard since i left LA) and some of the best memories are sometimes the most "touristy" places.

I was Born and raised in one of those impoverished countries. I have been the tourist and the traveller,The intrepid traveller who thinks they are emersing them selves in our culture are fools, you come and spend a few weeks in a village take some photos chase a cow or two give me a choclate then pat your self on the back and think you are a wonderful person.All for what so you can go home and compare achivements and see who's was more dificult. if you want to emerse your self in our culture come and live in my impoverished country in a village for a couple of years. You are all tourists dont fool your selves that you have connected with the people cause you where there for a couple of weeks pitying them.

I think people should travel for themselves not to impress other people or try be cool... what is the point otherwise, if you love getting amongst different cultures do it! whereas others may not have this ambition just want a comfortable break.. who cares! Every trip i go on encounter some know it all backpacker who has to one up you on every place you been!

In my opinion a tourist is someone that still has a fixed address somewhere else. A traveller is someone that has no fixed address and nothing but the gear they are carrying, and has no timeframes so the ability to be very spontaneous about where they go. By my own definition I have never been a traveller although I have been to many places and for long periods of time , but am OK with that -I don´t consider that I have ever been a traveller as I have always had a ticket home or to another destination, and have never stayed in one place longer than a week unless I have been actually living somewhere.