Have you explored a country that defied your expectations? Which destination surprised you the most? Share your travel tales! 🌍✈️ #Travel #DestinationSurprise #CountryVisit #TravelStories
Unveiling Myths About Countries
Have you ever embarked on a journey to a country only to find that your preconceived notions were completely off? It can be eye-opening and intriguing to discover how reality differs from stereotypes and media portrayals. Let’s delve into the places that have defied expectations!
Shifting Perspectives Through Travel
Traveling allows us to challenge assumptions, broaden our horizons, and embrace the diversity of the world. It’s fascinating to witness firsthand how a country can surprise us with its unique culture, landscapes, and people. Share your insights and let’s celebrate the beauty of unexpected discoveries!
– Have you visited a country that shattered stereotypes?
– Did your perception of a destination change after experiencing it in person?
– How has travel transformed your views on different cultures and societies?
Let’s spark a conversation and inspire others to venture beyond their comfort zones! Your stories could inspire someone to embark on a journey of discovery and exploration. So, which country has left you pleasantly surprised? 💫 #TravelInspiration #CulturalDiscovery #UnexpectedAdventures #TravelCommunity
Colombia. I went this summer and it turned out Cartageña is a tourist trap. Drugs, prostitutes, street hustlers, rappers, food vendors, and everything else. The city has been depicted as an area with beautiful women, and beautiful beaches which of course it has, but there is a brutal dark underworld operating right in front of us.
Walking thru old town, all you see dozens of women just standing waiting to be approached. The scary part is if you do decide to go home with one of these ladies, there’s a chance you could be drugged and robbed. God knows, most of these ladies have pimps or paid protection. The worst part of this entire trip are the rappers though.
There are at least 40–50 of these guys walking around ALL day and they will harass you for a tip when they start rapping. If you do not tip, these guys have been known to follow you until you give up cash. I hid in a store 1 time with my lady because they were traveling in groups of 4–5 and WALKING with you. All in all, most foreigners who are traveling here are traveling for sex. Passport Bros are horrid, and all they do is add to the mess Cartegeña is currently going through.
When I went to Japan, it was nothing like what I expected from seeing it in movies and stuff. I mean, sure, there were the busy cities and flashy lights, just like I thought. But what really blew my mind was how much tradition and history were still alive and kicking.
Japan.
Went there on my 2009 deployment on board USS Antietam CG54. Kagoshima, Japan.
Most mundane, normal place ever. Nothing particularly interesting about it. Could have fooled me by saying “Yeah this is just a primarily Japanese neighborhood outside of [Major US City]” and I would have believed you.
Also Mt. Sakurajima erupted while we were there and we had to leave 2 days early.
1. Spain. It does have its heat, sun, beaches, flamenco, bullfighting, Mediterranean food, dark-haired olive-skinned people, sangria, fiesta side. But more northern parts, like the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias, Salamanca, Galicia etc. really have their own character, geography, food and culture quite removed from the mainstream stereotypes of Spain. People are a bit quieter and can have very white skin, freckles and blonde hair, food is a bit more stodgy, landscapes are green and weather is rainier and colder, etc. Spain has a lot of variety.
2. Scotland. Coming from England, a lot of the online portrayals of Scotland are focused on the Highlands – bagpipes, tartan, Gaelic language, clans, lochs and mountains, etc. There also seems to be this stereotype that the Scottish “hate the English” lol. Well, I went there and nobody cares about tartans and clans. It’s certainly marketed as part of the national heritage, but it’s not woven into the average person’s identity. Nobody I met hates the English. Scottish people are by far the friendliest nationality I’ve ever met. They’ll say hi and joke with you without even knowing your name.
The Scottish Borders and Lowlands also have a very different culture and history to the Highlands – there’s no Gaelic for example, and the landscape is also different (but equally gorgeous)- lots of big green hills.
3. This is just a region of a country, but Yorkshire in England. I grew up near London and Yorkshire has gotten a really bad image in the media in the last decade due to grooming gangs scandals with a strong race-based element (the perpetrators were mostly of one ethnicity, the victims were mostly of another), and poverty. But when visiting, you see people of all faiths and ethnicities live side-by-side peacefully. The food is great. It’s not the “failed multicultural experiment” that the media portrays it to be. It’s just another part of the country, and far from unusual in having a diverse population.
And while deprivation exists, there are many parts, including Hull and Leeds, that have regenerated and are doing well. It’s also very beautiful – you don’t hear much about it, but the valleys of Yorkshire are unlike anything I’ve seen in the rest of England, and you just get cute historic villages randomly nestled in them.
France, but mostly Paris. I loved Paris, had a wonderful time, and not a single person was rude.
France but mostly Paris. Hoped for a happy time but met with a surprising amount of rudeness and racism.
When I went to Canada, I was expecting to be greeted by a cohort of mounties astride giant moose with shining maple leaf epaulets, a flask of syrup at each hip and a hockey stick in each hand.
Dude they need to stop playing, they’re 99% just like Americans but with funny accents and some speak French. That’s it.
I have dealth with many new money or old age people in Mexico that are surprised by how many “africans and muslims” are in London and Paris instead of “europeans” or blondes
Trash is another thing they don’t expect from “rich countries”
USA has surprising amount of undisturbed wildlife. I thought it would be something like one giant New York, silly, I know, I fell victim to 80-90 Hollywood. Seen a herd of deer scouting around hotel on my first week here, never seen a wild deer before.
Mexico. I never felt unsafe. Lots of cool restaurants, night life, tradition, cute small towns. There are cities and states that make you think, “how does nobody know about these places?”
When i went to college in England from the US in the 80s I thought most of the women were going to look like the women on Benny Hill. That was not the case.
Paris. I was a kid and I thought all of Paris would be like in the cartoons, cobblestones and cozy cafés. Turns out most of the city were not.
Rwanda. Most beautiful place I’ve ever been (by far), with the nicest people and absolutely incredible food.
Belgium was the most surprising by far. The absolute lack of investment in infrastructure while pouring money into diamonds and chocolate, made this country look so different than all its neighbors. The first thing I ever saw resembling a taco truck was a white van parked in the middle of it wide open rural areasurrounded by cow fields. The van was selling Palm Fritz with a homemade warm yellow mayonnaise. The description sounds awful, but it was the most sublime thing I’ve probably ever put in my mouth.
Romania! I was thinking Gypsies, Vampires and Borat (That’s where it was filmed) Yes it has all of those things if you look hard enough, but it’s SOOO much better than I thought! The food, the people, the friendliness, the history and boy the architechture! I’ve been to almost 100 countries and it tops the list by far! (I’m Australian). And I know Egypt gets some shitty reviews, but the south sinai isn’t that bad compared to Egypt Major. Currently been here in Egypt for 3 months as a solo female.
Lav Vegas. I was really disappointed.
Greece! I accidentally went to Exarcheia. It was over run but anarchist. Definitely not what I was expecting to see in Greece.
Canada. Gravy and cheese curds did NOT rain from the sky
Shanghai – 24 million people in one of the most modern cities in the world in terms of infrastructure. I moved there for work. My local Shanghainese coworkers were all so kind as I got to know them before moving there. But strangers treat each other (including you) like garbage or competition. For example, I often hard a hard time getting a stroller onto elevators because a dozen people who could have taken the stairs would cut ahead of me even when I was first in line.
Also the food scene is incredible there. And there are hundreds of thousands of Americans, Europeans, and other foreigners who speak perfect English and are looking for English speaking friends. I had more American friends in Shanghai than I’ve had in San Diego, Los Angeles, or Salt Lake City.
Tanzania. I foolishly expected it to be a very obvious third world country, was met with modern cities and beautiful rural towns. And I do not think anyone can ever capture in words or photo’s how breathtaking the nature is.
LA. My least favourite part of the US.
It’s a hole and not even close to being as glossy as it is depicted to be.
USA or specifically New York… The vibe of the city is so much more and better than any show could depict.
Ireland but not because of how it is depicted, but my own expectations. I read that it is (one of) the richest countries in Europe with a big tech scene. When I went to study there at a university (Tallaght) I was expecting a very modern university with modern tech all around. Turns out it is kind of a shit hole, it was closer to the IT trade school I used to go to rather than a university.
Overall Ireland seems to be very behind on a lot of things however it’s still fun to live in. I’m currently working there in the IT sector and it’s alright but I’m looking to move back as soon as my lease ends as good housing is completely unaffordable.
Overall Dublin is very trashy and full of weird characters. It makes me somewhat happy as it means I’m not as weird, but I think I’d rather live back home in the Netherlands if I’m not out drinking every day. I’m more or an EDM clubbing guy, which is quite shit in Dublin.
Beijing was beautiful and a lot of five star hotels . But I was shocked to find out that China (2012) still could not supply clean tap water. Even in the five star hotels, bottled water is supplied (but who knows what is in that?)
As we traveled from city to city with our guide and group, we found the bathroom facilities in many of them to be abhorrent….potty holes that were unsanitary and no hand soap or TP. China has a rating system for their restrooms using ‘stars’. Hotels and upscale restaurants earned four stars. A dirty pit toilet likely was two stars.
Shockingly, in Tattoine, Morocco, while public bathrooms were not available, …you paid a small amount to use a small store owner to use their loo. The loo was a pit toilet, but exceedingly clean. Flush with a bucket of water.
Israel. I was stunned by how multicultural and otherwise diverse it is. And I expected a lot of history, but the extent of it was astonishing. Here’s another castle from the crusader era. Here’s another Roman wall, this time next to a beach. The ruins on the golf course are in play, no relief. In one day, you can see ultra-Orthodox kids speaking Yiddish and then go to a gay dance party or to the beach where there are women in tiny bathing suits next to women wearing traditional Arab coverings.
China – Being in Shanghai made the US feel like a 3rd world country…the buildings and infrastructure, the transportation system, etc. Most of the people I met were super nice.
Italy. Pulling up in the train station in Milan in the morning my first sight was homeless peeing in the public square. Entering into the city I saw elderly people working in the fields. This was in 2005, but it seemed as if the country was still battling poverty caused by WW2. Still a lovely country and I had a wonderful time and met many wonderful people.
Scotland. It was actually nice and beautiful, while I expected a lot of farmers eating Haggis and drinking ale. Generally I feel people are really healthy and food was good. Tourism is also very active, and there is a lot to do and to see (highlander history was amazing). The sights are something I’ve never seen in Europe. But the locals say, don’t go in summer or you’ll get fucked up by the Midgies (little musquitos).
Paris (it’s not a country so technically France). It’s always made out to be the most beautiful city in the world but going there it felt very normal. There’s definitely a lot of cool statues and architecture but not overwhelmingly better than other historic places in Europe. It’s a lot like Rome, if you just walk down the non-major streets, it feels relaxing and normal, which is a nice way to refresh after spending all day touring and seeing sites
All of them, and I’ve been to a lot. It’s just tv and movies. Everything is fake, even the location of the collisium in Rome.
Mexico. It wasn’t in sepia like all the TV shows and movies suggested it would be.
Went to Cairo years ago. Phew, never again.
Mexico, the North. Me (as a German) went there naively expecting some scenario like they depict in movies or series like breaking bad: Huts where time has stood still, poor people herding goats, dusty bars with outlaws, people desperately trying to find salvation in the USA (thanks Hollywood). Once my sepia filter has worn off, I could see reality. It’s really the border region which accommodates mostly worker quarters (very similar to German border areas). Once you go further south, you’ll reach beautiful cities (e.g. Monterrey, Chihuahua), which have a very elitist lifestyle. Mexican cuisine also is my favorite cuisine of the world and I love the norteño/banda music and culture around it
I wouldn’t say it was nothing like how it is depicted, but Japan’s climate (to be specific, Tokyo in August) is so unbelievably hot and humid. All the art and period movies and TV shows depict Japanese people wearing multiple layers of silk robes with long sleeves like that could be bearable, but with that kind of heat and humidity I’d expect historical Japanese to go about shirtless or with minimal clothing.
USA. Such friendly and hospitable people.
I wonder why the country gets such a bad wrap. I get it if people want to complain about their government but the every day people you meet are awesome.