It’s always risky to assume that some things are universal. From the side of the road we drive on to the meaning of a raised thumb, some things can and will differ, so it’s best to protect yourself from looking like a clueless tourist.
So one netizen asked people around the world to share the things tourists should absolutely avoid when visiting their country. We also got in touch with veteran traveler and blogger Jon Miksis to learn a bit more. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites, and be sure to comment your own thoughts and ideas below.
More info: Instagram | Global Viewpoint Travel Blog
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There are two places in Norway where the borders of 3 countries meet. One is between Norway, Sweden and Finland. So you can walk around the border marker and say "I am in Finland, now I am in Sweden, now Norway". It is by a lake, so they have made a wooden walkway around the border marker so people can do that.
Norway also have a point where the borders of Norway, Finland and Russia meet. If you try to do the same there, you will be arrested. If you throw a rock or pee over the border with Russia or even just in that direction, you will be arrested.
While the Nordic countries are like brothers, Russia is the unstable psycho living next door.
What are they gonna do, cross the border to get you? Now that I think about it, the answer is probably yes.
This is the actual three border point of Finland, Sweden and Norway: zFP24Jc.jpeg
That's really neat-- thank you for sharing. I also love your username as a fan of "What We Do In Shadows" (if that is indeed what is is referencing)
Load More Replies...Sweden, Norway and Finland are part of the Nordic countries where we all understand, respect and love each other. Further east... not so much.
Would love to walk in and about the Norwegian-Swedish-Finnish borders. ONLY. Hopefully, one day.
Americans need to stop trying to bring their guns into Canada. Just stop it.
And boast about being "Number One", despite evidence that people in some other countries have healthier and more peaceful lifestyles.
Load More Replies...I forgot I had a few bullets from a hunting rifle in my car a couple decades ago... I wouldn't bring bullets either. After talking to their border patrol and the U.S. border patrol, I ended up chucking them into the Detroit River behind the RenCen - by U.S. recommendation.
Load More Replies...how about those crazy Americans need to stop taking their guns anywhere! (and yes I am an American, and no I don't have any guns!)
Check the laws for what's legal, where, and in what circumstances, and be aware there are NO handguns. Zero, silch, nada, in all my life on the border even 40 years ago, no way you'd get a handgun across the border. If you have your paperwork for fishing in grizzly country, Canada will allow you to bring a rifle or shotgun for self-defense.
Yes. Yes they do. And a lot of them get seriously unhappy when told they can’t have their guns I’m our country
Load More Replies...Right!!! My mom and dad travel around North America in a mobile home after retirement with a handgun for protection. At the Canadian border, he forgot it was hidden in the vehicle, but my mom remembered. He answered "No, no guns" and my mom started shaking. They were searched, gun found, dad arrested. He paid bail and they headed back to the US never to travel to Canada again.
The levels of anger and divisiveness in the USA are appalling. I cannot t feel safe visiting the "open carry" state south of my province; and I won't go.
Is there any way to make us Americans stop acting like such Americans when we go to Canada (or anywhere else)?
Why??? Why is there a need to bring their guns to a different country?🤦♀️
Americans do a lot of hunting in Canada. You can bring in hunting rifles if you fill out the forms in advance and go through the simple procedure.
Load More Replies...Bored Panda got in touch with Jon Miksis from the Global Viewpoint Travel Blog to get some insight on travel from an expert. Firstly, we wanted to know what tips he would give a younger self. “If I could give my younger self one piece of advice about travel, it would be this: Be open to all types of experiences: good and bad.”
“Embrace the beautiful moments, the breathtaking landscapes, and the joy of new friendships. But also be prepared for the challenges: the unexpected delays, the misunderstandings, and even the disappointments. Both the highs and the lows are part of the journey, and they shape your understanding of the world and yourself. Traveling isn't always perfect, but that's what makes it real and enriching.”
UK here. Always queue. Even if there isn’t a queue, just look around politely and ask whoever’s around if they’re queueing. I know this reads like a joke but it really isn’t. There’s always a queue, and tourists always ignore it, and that’s usually why tourists get a bad rap in the UK.
If you are in a city or town in the UK and there is no queue, it's your responsibility to start one.
Yep, I learned that the hard way when I first moved here many, many moons ago.
Load More Replies...Yes! My mother (American) did her master’s thesis on queing theory. This really is a thing and it needs to be respected.
I have family in both the US and UK and I have do admit that standing in an orderly line just doesn’t seem to exist in the US. The concept of a line in the US is more an amorphous blob with people jostling and screaming to be first…
Load More Replies...Same applies in Australia. Must be because the convicts queued up to get on the prison ships. ;)
The worst punishment ever. Take you from drab, dreary and rainy then send you to beautiful and sunny. Of course that completely ignores the fact that every single animal there is capable of and actively trying to kill you.
Load More Replies...When I lived in the UK in the early 80's an Australian fellow student would start queues then walk away. It thrilled him to no end.
I'm British and I queue if there's something at the front of the queue that want I wouldn't just queue because there was one person standing there
Load More Replies...The word “queue” is starting to look like nonsense to me after reading these comments.
We also manage to queue in the most awkward of places. In our local post/sorting office, there is not much room, so the queue actually went past the door and people coming in had to step through the queue to get to the back of it. You can imagine the tutting when someone tried to join what was effectively the middle of the queue merely by walking through the door and expecting that to be the end of the queue. :D
For me, the quintessential example of a British queue was the five-kilometre queue during the Queen's funeral, and the other queue to be allowed to queue in The Queue.
Load More Replies...
If you are in Berlin and come across a monument, art installation or similar, treat it with respect. There is a 2/3 chance that it is some kind of world war 2/ holocaust/ german separation memorial. You would not believe the number of tourists that climb or even picnic on the concrete coffins of the memorial of m******d jews in Europe
The level of coddling that BP is stooping to has become downright ridiculous.
Load More Replies...Not to minimize the monuments in Berlin, but how about treating them with respect EVERYWHERE.
Should be the same for any art installation, never mind a monument. All treated with respect and don’t touch.
The word Murdered is factual and in this context totally appropriate!
Yes, it is bad taste to climb on memorials. They represent real horrors.
Those were my people respect them or I will find you and haunt you
Ridiculous censoring needs to stop. I am sorry, but every time I see something like m*******, the first word that comes to (my) mind is the one that starts with "mother." Ridiculous.
I'm a foreigner living in China. I feel pretty grateful to live here. The thing is, especially for teachers, foreigners are treated REALLY well, revered, even. So, perhaps it might be easy for a person to start thinking others are fortunate to be around them, who knows... Either way, I've met enough foreigners who do nothing but talk down about Chinese people, s**t talk their country, make fun of them, or just talk about how disgusted they are by them. If you come here, remember, it's not your country, things can be pretty different here. They're not as mindful of how their own actions are perceived by others in public. On the same account, they're also not judgemental of how YOU act in public, they're very "live and let live" towards others. Basically, don't come to China and be a huge d**k towards people who will, by default, be nothing but overly nice to you. They're not nice because they're weak, stupid, or lesser than you, they're extremely nice because they feel fortunate to meet and engage with you. It should go without saying but, if you have the chance to spend time with someone who is that happy just to know you, perhaps you could also try to feel grateful to have that kind of person in your life.
So the need to feel superior to others is nurture, not nature.
No, but I believe the ability to overcome it is
Load More Replies...I keep saying this! Iran, Afghanistan, China, even Russia have a majority of citizens, like us in the US, that are pretty f*****g tired of the saber rattling the so called leaders do.
A friend of mine, American like me, has recently traveled in Iran and Iraq and has nothing but wonderful things to say about the people she met during her travels. It’s a shame our countries can’t get along.
Load More Replies...Not true at all. China is a horrible place (looks nice sure but they didnt make the scenery). The people can be fine. But the country is a cruel and nasty slave owning place that will shoot you or imprison you for asking for freedom. They are usually massively racist. Im sure this teacher lived in a nicer area but thats like saying Germany was amazing in the 40s when you only went to munich
It's true for OP. It is not the fault of ordinary citizens that China is much like a police state, so be respectful to those ordinary citizens.
Load More Replies...I think you'll find that black people aren't very well liked in China, to put it mildly.
It’s 22:16 pm where I am now XD namely Beijing
Load More Replies...If foreign teachers are so "revered" then why was my friends sûīcïde in Beijing covered up by the Chinese government? They tried to say he fell off a building. No, he did not. He hung himself and the school he worked for and the government both tried to cover it up. And, since his family was having trouble getting his body back to the States (because it was expensive) the Chinese government threatened to cremate him if they couldn't come up with the funds. This family is Mormon, cremation is against their religion. Thankfully, the family was able to get his body back before that happened, and now I have been able to visit his grave, but this statement by the OP still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Sorry for your loss lisa... no country is perfect (except antartica /j) every country has its ups and downs... for most more downs than ups... take america for example, ive known people who havent realized how bad our gov/ pres is... and what they have done... but people still veiw it as the number one country.... the person making the thread could be left in the dark [or just in denial]... again sorry for your loss and i am sry your friend and his family were treated like nothing but an incovenience meant to be silenced... they didnt deserve that and i wish you and his family well <3
Load More Replies...S**t-talking and disrespect is awful approach in any country you visit.
We were also curious to learn more about time and convenience and what were his thoughts on paying more over “roughing it.” “When I first started traveling, I'd cut costs in any way I could - even if it meant sacrificing precious time. However, today, my priorities are different. I'm almost always willing to pay a premium if it means that I get my time back.”
“Here's why: Time is something you can't get back. Once it's gone, it's gone forever. Money, on the other hand, can be earned again. When you choose to pay more for a direct flight, a comfortable hotel, or a guided tour, you're not just spending money; you're buying time. You're choosing to spend less time in airports, in lines, or figuring things out on your own. You're giving yourself more time to enjoy your destination, explore, relax, and create memories.”
i'm from the czech republic originally, and something every tourist should be aware of is privacy. if you're some american influencer, DON'T GO TO CZECH REPUBLIC. you will get arrested if you push yourself into other people's lives. us czechs are not tolerant of that kind of behavior.
Can we just get rid of “Influencers” period?They have no respect for other people, countries, and cultures.
Let's start signing a petition. I find them the menace of society.
Load More Replies...Just for the sake of politeness: Please don't do this, WHEREVER you are, WHEREVER you're from.
I do not want you obnoxious "influencers" in my business either I will always tell you to F OFF. don't give a rats a*s about your stupid videos
Do not touch the bison. I don’t care that they’re herbivores and look fluffy. They are incredibly strong and will k**l you if they’re in a bad mood
Hippos are herbivores and kill more people than carnivores in Africa. Just don't touch animals. Lady here in Tassie having terrible trouble after trying to help a platypus and she got stung
Forgot that on top of all their quirks, platypuses (hope I'm using correct plural lol) also are venomous
Load More Replies...What the heck is up with all the idiotic censorship on this site? Are you honestly censoring kill and murder now, BoredPanda?
They've been doing that for a while. Kind of follows the same pattern as YouTube. People can get demonetized on YouTube for saying kill or suicide, which is why the joke of using "unalive" is a joke because it's dumb, but it's what actually has to be used instead of kill. Censoring is definitely a bit much now.
Load More Replies...For whom does BP censor certain words and why? Here the word kill is censored. Do they think that anyone is triggered to practice the meaning of the word themselves? I am generally against censorship and in this case completely against it.
BoredPanda is one of the words sites I've seen for censorship. I have kept a whole list of all the words they've censored: twat, d**k, r****m, a**s, c**p, s**t, f**k, murder, kill, porn, sex, a*s, and w***y. They've also censored cartoon blood and censored uncovered breast on sculptured and paintings in an entire article about great works of art. Yet, I have seen some of the worst hate speech on this site and BoredPanda does nothing about it.
Load More Replies...I was told by a person from Australia that I don’t understand how “dangerous” it is in Australia, they have a bird that will seriously injure you, (I’m assuming he means a Cassowaries). Difference I know that, I wouldn’t try to “pet a Caasowary” while he doesn’t get you don’t “pet the bison” either.
Not a “country “ exactly but we may as well be, while in Louisiana remember a SWAMP IS NOT A LAKE. The sheer amount of tourist and northerners I see trying to swim in a swamp filled with swamp dragons is mind blowing. People have died, a Chinese tourist had her arm ripped off and another guy lost his dog throwing a ball into the water. We also have bull sharks
Not to mention naegleria fowleria, found in a lot of warm, stagnant waters of the South. Aka brain eating amoeba.
Alligators are not as dangerous as their reputation leads people to believe - I can't remember the exact number but fatal encounters between humans and alligators for the last decade are in the single digits. However, alligators are by far not the only thing in the swamp which will kill you. Crocodiles are far less common, but account for more attacks. Venomous snakes like water moccasins, poisonous plants (yes, some so potent even touching can endanger a life), bears, cougars, wild dogs, boars, and the aforementioned bull sharks all will make a person past tense.
I'm guessing crocodiles are why OP said that "swamps are not lakes." Crocs like saltwater, and bayous are commonly brackish.
Load More Replies...Remember in Florida, every single body of water contains swamp dragons. Don't be fooled.
And, "every single body of water" also refers to those innocuous water features often called "retention ponds". If it has water... it's potentially dangerous!
Load More Replies...Never swim in the Everglades either. Only place on Earth where BOTH species of swamp dragon live.
Um... I'm from up North, and we know what a swamp is. We have them. No sharks or gators, but we have hypothermia, and people who wander into swamps don't always come back out. Sooooo..... Yeah, add gators and sharks, it's a no-go right there.
“For me, this choice reflects a deeper understanding of what's truly important in life. It's not about having the most money, but about having meaningful experiences and making the most of the time you have. By paying a premium for travel, you're investing in yourself and your happiness. You're recognizing that the best things in life aren't things at all, but the moments and experiences that enrich your life,” Jon shared with Bored Panda.
Italy. The amount of morons (mostly tourists) climbing, scratching and desecrating monuments is stupidly high. Do these people really think it makes them cool to scratch their idiot name on someone else's millenary heritage? Beside being barbaric and ignorant, Italian taxpayers pay millions each year for monument restoration. I am a meek man, but any time one is caught in the act, I would instantly shoot them in the face with a rifle.
Yowza, OP clearly incensed and perhaps rightly so. Statues and monuments are meant to last millennia - my guess is that defacers unconsciously cannot bear their own fleeting insignificance and so strive for immortality by attempting to hitchhike on the statues.
Very rightly so. I've seen the Coliseum and the initials scratched in. Many other places as well. I've seen drunk tourists trying to climb Trajan's Column.
Load More Replies...Why do people carve their names into monuments? So they can be known as the person who ruined a historical artifact?
My opinion is they do it because they don't have respect for anything or anyone. Especially in my country (Bulgaria, the man who wrote his name on the Coliseum) it's visible everywhere and I hate it so much.
Load More Replies...Sadly, this has been happening for centuries. Way back, young English men would go through a 'rite of passage', the Grand Tour. With a tutor, they'd tour all over classical Europe, seeing the sights, etc. Some of them carved their names into monuments and sculptures. There's also Norse runes on the Hagia Sophia (around about the 9-11th C).
"Beside being barbaric and ignorant, Italian taxpayers pay millions each year for monument restoration." That's a bit harsh don't ya think? I've been to Italy and I didn't really consider the Italians to be "barbaric and ignorant". /S Fun with words - but I agree with OP being pissed at vandals. I find that stuff disgusting even when the thing being damaged isn't hundreds of years old.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Italy. I’m willing to bet that the smog, filth, and litter causes a lot of damage too.
If you are hiking through the austrian mountains with a dog, put it on a leash. The cows will hurt you if they feel threatened. In General don't disturb the cows and keep away from them.
Same for Switzerland. PLEASE don't hike through the fields with cows on. Yes, occasionally there are gates in public hike ways that would allow you to do so, and it might be the faster route, but still, don't do it. Cows can be aggressive, especially if they have calves or if you behave inappropriately around them.
This is true for any country with cows, actually any livestock in fields - put your dog on a leash, and stay away from the livestock, especially if there are calves/lambs/babies around.
Load More Replies...most cows and bulls will hurt you if they feel the need to defend themselves
Most people does not understand how strong, large and heavy a cow is. My parents had a dairy farm before they retired around 14 years ago. I have seen a cow turn a wall made out of solid 50 mm (2 inch) wood into splinters just because she wanted to be on the other side. A cow is half a ton of animal. Also, you will NOT run away from a cow if she wants to catch you.
If you have a dog with you and the cows have young, keep as much distance as possible. If they do attack your dog, try not to help the dog, the cow is stronger than you and dog is faster and more resilient than you. The dog might get away, you won't. A cow can kill you easily within seconds.
Let's simplify this. If you are walking with your dog in ANY country where there is ANY kind of livestock, put your dog on a leash and make sure it is kept it under control.
I'll go one better. If you are walking with your dog in ANY country put it on a leash.
Load More Replies...Same for the US. If you see cows, or cow-like animals, *stay back*. They will squish you dead.
We were in Switzerland and went up to the fence to get a better look at the cows. They were so cute! They came up to the fence and licked us! We did not go into their field .
Basically anywhere with cows. They are big and dangerous and can move faster than you realise.
If you're in the Western US and the cows are HUGE, shaggy and eyeing you, sidle away slowly and return to your car, bison are no laughing matter, they WILL mess you up.
Don't touch the King's guard.
amen. these folks are working. I can’t imagine you would like be heckled/touched/teased on your job. these folks are military guards who deserve our respect.
I have to say, I would hate this job with a passion. Having to stand, expressionless, non reactive , for hours. One more reason these people deserve mad respec and to not be bothered.
Load More Replies...That's just common sense. You don't bother active duty soldiers.
The guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery are every bit as serious about their jobs and regularly yell at tourists who fail to observe proper respect for those lying there and what they represent. I think it is the fanciful traditional uniforms of the King's Guards that brings out the worst in tourists. Tomb Guards in dress blues just have a more serious air about them.
The tomb guards WILL let you know they're authorized to shoot if need be.
Load More Replies...Sad that they have to have a policeman there to guard the guards (took me three tries to get that typed: gurs. gurads, guds).
Similar to the suggestions in this article, we wanted to hear his thoughts on how best to prepare oneself. “While there are many things travelers should do when preparing for a trip, I believe these two will have a maximum impact: understanding the local culture and planning a flexible itinerary.”
“Firstly, take the time to research and understand the local culture, customs, and etiquette. This goes beyond merely knowing what to wear or how to greet people...it's about immersing yourself in the mindset of the people. By grasping the nuances of how people interact, what they value, and even what might be considered offensive, you can engage more authentically with locals.”
Order an ‘Irish Car Bomb’ shot. Doesn’t exist here, and the name has roots in The Troubles, a dark time in our history that people north and south of the border who are still alive lost people to.
Just searched up the story... neat education lesson and whoever orders it knowing what it means is a jerk
Load More Replies...Saw a story where a guy ordered it by the ingredients. The bartender goes, "oh, does that drink have a name?" "Uhhh nope, don't think so." "Yeah, it better f*****g not."
Who the f*ck would order a "car bomb" in Ireland?!? Northern or Republic of?!?!
English tw@ts trying to be edgy. Or Americans who are ignorant. Most places would tell you to get out, but pick the wrong place and it could end very badly, potentially fatally.
Load More Replies...I was going to say the same. It still stands true, if I'm not mistaken.
Load More Replies...Ahh classic British. We’ll literally kill each other and refer to it as “The Troubles”, as if talking about a great Aunt who’s a bit forgetful…
We called it the troubles because it wasn't quite a war, To admit that it was would make it harder to ignore- Ricky Warwick
Load More Replies...I watched the serie Once Upon A Time In Northern Ireland. It was eye opening, worse than anything I remembered from the news in the 1970's, 80's and 90's.
It's excellent. I grew up there during that time and found it a hard watch.
Load More Replies...What...are the ingredients? Sorry if that's offensive, I've never heard of the drink until now, though I think I have heard about the original story.
It's a Bailey's and Jameson whiskey (or any other Irish whiskey) dropped into a pint of Guinness. I'm an American expat living in Belfast, it's usually ärsehole American tourists that they to order it. It's not funny and it's not on, and it's a shīte drink, besides.
Load More Replies...Also, in every country everywhere, don't pick up a shot off the bar and drop it in your beer. Unless you'd be willing to also lick that bar.
based on the pic, i think what you're referring to is called a "depth charger" in the us
I live in Barbados. Don't wear camouflage. It's illegal unless you're a part of the Defense Force.
Yes, its the equilvelent of going to someones home... you are a guest, act accordingly no guns means no guns, no camo means no camo... be nice too peeps :]
Load More Replies...I have heard also that if you are gay, do not let them know.. Supposedly it is “illegal” there and they take it very seriously. I had considered moving there for work a few years back… Ann declined the position because Barbados is known to be anti-gay.
Good point, Leigh - I don't quite get the camo attraction...
Load More Replies...Don't take your camouflage with you when traveling, no matter where you are going.
If you come across Canada, don't ever dare touching our geese, thanks.
…or this is the face you will see right before you are smacked in the face by a bill.
I live in the US and we make a big deal to call them Canada geese, not Canadian geese. Canadian people are friendly when you meet them in the local park. A Canada goose will try to kill you, steal your wallet to track down your entire family, then kill them.
Right?! and then burn down your house & spit on your grave. They are so mean, but it secretly gives me a giggle when you tell tourists to mind the geese (you can see on their faces that they are not taking you seriously), and then 10 seconds later there's running and screaming. Tee hee🤭
Load More Replies...That's not even a Canada goose. Cobra chickens are kind of different. It's probably a good idea to leave these, in general, alone but that is not a Canada goose.
They are taking over the world...and breed like rabbits
Load More Replies...Ahh - the predatory Canadian Cobra-Chicken. As a Detroit native, these geese had a reputation of being invasive, aggressive, and a general nuisance where I grew up.
My God, why would anyone touch ANY goose?? Geese are terrifying! The only things worse than geese are swans.
“This enriches the overall travel experience, turning a mere visit into a profound exploration of a new way of life. This is the difference between a traveler and a tourist. Secondly, creating a flexible itinerary strikes a balance between planning and spontaneity. While it's important to know the must-see attractions and how to get there, leaving room for unexpected discoveries can lead to the most memorable experiences.”
“A rigid schedule might get you to all the tourist spots, but it's the unplanned moments—like stumbling into a local festival or a hidden café—that often become the highlights of a trip. Over the years, it's the serendipitous moments that I remember the most.” You can find more of Jon’s writing on the Global Viewpoint Travel blog, as well as his Instagram.
If you're not a strong swimmer, please don't wade out into our ocean expecting that you'll be okay. If you want to swim at our beaches, stay between the flags where there are lifeguards on duty.
Funny how the two Australian entries so far don't have a title saying as much, but everyone knows what country it is!
That could be every single coast on that planet here lol
Load More Replies...As an Australian comedian put it. "You'll never drown if you swim between the flags. Because the flags are on dry land."
We have those beaches in France as well, on the Southwest coast. Easy to be caught in the current, and carried away.
In northern CA, the ocean will even try to eat you on the beach... had a rogue wave nearly take out my family (~30+ ft from shore), a stranger, and our dogs (my husband saved her as she was somersaulting out to sea). We all survived. The next week, another family (different location, same coast) wasn't so lucky :-(.
My oldest son got caught in a riptide in the ocean at Myrtle Beach. I pulled him up right after he went under. I swam out to him, and blindly grabbed, and he was there. This is been over 20 years ago and I still relive it in slow motion, knowing it could have gone so much differently, and one or both of us could have been dead. Lifeguards were around. Absolutely nobody saw us. Just be careful. My son still won't go into the ocean. He sticks to swimming pools. BTW, he was on the shore and was also a very good swimmer. He went into the water a little bit and got into a bad situation very quickly. He wasn't in deep water. Never take your eyes off your kids even for a second.
Myrtle Beach can be brutal that way. It has a steep grade in most places, with the exception of the very southern end. It's much more gradual on the southern end of Myrtle Beach. I love it there.
Load More Replies...And never go for a swim at Bondi: Iconic it may be, but it’s a surf beach and often dangerous and unpredictable.
Also, learn how to read the beach. The smoothest water is usually the most dangerous.
Australian mantra - always swim between the flags! Don't go swimming alone!
Don't go for a drive in the outback without making sure you're properly prepared if you get stuck. There's a reason you see so many abandoned cars on the highways out there.
And take water, and make sure someone (not in the car with you) knows where you're going and when you expect to get there.
Load More Replies...I bet! I've never been to Australia but I've been to the deserts of Arizona, and also drove through Wyoming. I drove for hours without seeing another person. I imagine it is so much worse in Australia.
I went on a holiday with friend, 3 4wdrives, through the Simpson desert...3000s kms, saw no one but each other for a week
Load More Replies...Same thing in parts of Western United States. There are places it takes hours by car to get somewhere. And yes, there are less travelled roads.
And always remember the golden rule: If you wanna explore the outback, take a Land Rover. If you wanna come back, take a Land Cruiser.
Done that! 6hrs drive one way after the sign said "two wheel drive with care, drove past a bunch of tanks, then met a flood plain. 1hr daylight left, used any and all liquids to keep the windscreen clear. Terrified girlfriend cried all the way back, but we made it. Just, felt like tinned meat. There had been huge floods, crocs lacking there lips. Northern Territory, stunning yet tad deadly.
Where I grew up in Alberta (granted, not Australia), there was one highway with a sign that said 'No gas for 400km'. Take that shït seriously!
When visiting Denmark, don't sit next to people on public transport, unless there are no other seats available. And don't speak to strangers on said public transport also. Danes are incredible sensitive about their personal space and privacy. Also, not big on small talk.
I'm from the UK and if there are other seats available and you sat next to me I'd think you were a weirdo.
There's the old story of two British gentlemen who were stranded for ten years on the same tiny island but didn't speak - because they had never been properly introduced.
Load More Replies...This should be just common practise, don't sit next to anyone unless there are no empty seats, I don't know why you would ever do that! Just be decent people
May not that talkative to strangers, but if you show clear signs of being lost or not understanding something, they are incredibly helpful. I was slowly trying to figure out what a sign said about our train only going as far as a particular station and then having to change, and someone helpfully told us what was happening. I'd have probably got there in the end, but my Danish is somewhat limited!
Thank you. I was gonna ask what if you were lost and needed help.
Load More Replies...You can ask questions like, "Is this the stop for the museum?" etc. Just don't try to force a conversation.
I was just about to ask! I'd thank the person and then go about my day.
Load More Replies...Same in the UK. Anyone who sits next to you when there are separate spaces is a weirdo or after something.
Brits and Scots aren't hep for small talk either, I learned. Due to lack of space they may be forced to sit next to you, but I don't recommend yakkin' to them. A polite nod and neutral smile is enough. And don't crowd them. They paid for their space same as us.
I am in the US and apparently it is common in other countries when a cop pulls you over, to take your papers out of the glove box yourself and walk it up to them.
Do not do this. It is a great way to get shot or tazed.
Due to the gun culture here, the cop has no way of knowing if you are or are not armed. Getting out of your car without being ordered to do so will be perceived as a hostile act, and the cop will pre-emptively defend themselves.
Stay in your car, roll down your windows. Keep your hands visible (resting on the steering wheel is good). If you need to reach anywhere, tell the cop exactly what you're doing, aka, "My passport is in my jacket pocket, I'm getting it right now."
If the cop asks if you know why they pulled you over, you don't. Be polite, be apologetic, and you'll probably get let off with a warning.
Apparently most free thing you can get there is free bullet or free electric shock.
Load More Replies...Regardless from the country, i will stay in my locked car and wait until the police person shows their police badge. Also - if not required - i will only open the window a tiny bit. Safety first, too many fake police stories and i‘m a woman. My friend and i once got pulled over by real cops, who were just trying to hook up with us. And no, we were not in the US.
Too right. Only a couple of years ago a woman was picked up by a cop and brutally killed in the UK. Although in her case she had little chance of escaping, it is always better to err on the side of caution.
Load More Replies...When they ask “Do you know why I pulled you over?” … always say no. They are trying to get you to admit a traffic violation. Even if you know what you did .. always say no.
I've actually found answering honestly and respectfully apologizing to be more helpful and have had every cop that has pulled me over say that they really appreciated my honesty. No one wants to deal with lies and b******t all day long.
Load More Replies...While roughly 2/3 of Americans do NOT own guns, 100% of cops are trained to think 100% of all people do, in the US. Source: Local civilian police academy. It was depressing AF to learn tha tcops are trained to be hyper-gun-happy paranoid nuts.
Genuinely curious here: I've read that police in the US receive less than a year of training to become cops. This seems incorrect and an inadequate amount of time to be properly trained in law enforcement. Can someone please share their knowledge of the duration and content of police training in the US? It IS alarming that they're trained to believe every person is carrying.
Load More Replies...Being pulled over by a cop is like going through the McDonald's drive-thru. Stay in your car, speak only when it's time for you to speak, and hope your health won't be severely damaged.
I've had to remind a few foreign friends of this one... In many countries, bribing officials is just how things are done and there's a dance to it. Don't try to do that in US.
US congressmen are a different case altogether.
Load More Replies...If you get pulled over in US by a cop, stay in your vehicle. He will come to you
" pre-emptively defend themselves" means that you will be shot (more so if you're not white). It's not self-defense on the cops' part, it's their atrocious militarized training.
Your "more so if you're not white" shows that it's more than just atrocious militarized training.
Load More Replies...If you are a minority, say NOTHING until they speak first. They can and will perceive an innocent question like "what did I do" as a threat.
Yup! And open up and unloading 60 rounds (or more) on your person, only 1 or 2 of those bullets hitting your body,THEN claim they did it because the cowards feared for their pathetic lives. AND after ALL that shooting and body-cam footage proving you absolutely, positively did nothing wrong, they WILL find that cop innocent of any wrongdoing and put it back on patrol to do the same thing all over again in the next few days
Load More Replies...Just to clarify that "hands visible" thing, make sure your hands are at the top of the steering wheel, with your fingers outstretched and fully visible. Source: I'm an American who was trained properly.
Don't walk the bicycle lanes.
Yes, i get it. You will get run over by a bike. But which country?
I've seen many people do that, then they have the audacity to complain that the locals are rude and obnoxious. WTF?
Tell me you're in the Netherlands without telling me you're in The Netherlands
So if there is no sidewalks you walk in the car lane?, how about, if there is a sidewalk, use it.
DO NOT MESS WITH POLICE.
US cops are *not* your friend.
If you get lost while touring, ask a native or a firefighter.
All my homies love the fire department
It must be different for other states? I am a retired Deputy Sheriff. If you were foreign and asked for directions, I would have happily given directions and have even escorted others to their destination. The department I worked for was huge on community and service towards others. Shame to see this isn't always the case.
For some police, a foreigner's reception may be different if he's from a Hispanic country or one where people have a dark skin. As always, keep your passport with you.
Load More Replies...By way of contrast, Australian and English police are your friend.
When I went through my last breakup the Australian and English police came over and brought pizza and liquor and told me he doesn't deserve me.
Load More Replies...Part of this is due to two Supreme Court decisions. DeShaney v. Winnebago County (1989), and Castle Rock v. Gonzales (2005) which established the precedent that the police are under no obligation to "protect" anyone from imminent harm. Their job is only to arrest people after the fact.
Load More Replies...Oh, stop. This is absurd. Just because there are a few bad people in every bunch, now all cops are bad?! BS. Most police officers are in their positions because they want to HELP people while putting their own lives on the line.
Too many points of data becomes a pattern. A pattern I'm not going to toss the dice on. If a cop won't turn in his colleague for breaking the law, then yes that cop is bad as well.
Load More Replies...NEVER answer questions from the US police, unless it's something you ABSOLUTELY are *legally* obligated to do, and do NOT trust them if they say something IS a legal obligation, because they lie about that all of the time. They don't ask you questions to help you, they ask you questions to INCRIMINATE you, even if you did nothing wrong.
Never say anything before you have asked for legal representation. Once you have asked for a lawyer then nothing that you say without that lawyer present can be used against you from that moment on. It is vitally important that your request for a lawyer be completely clear. "I think I need a lawyer" does not count, but they will not tell you that.
Load More Replies...I'll never forget the cops blaming me for being abused, and laughing with my ex while they read my text messages aloud. I had a broken leg. That was the day I know the police of my dad's time in the US were over.
I'm an abuse survivor too, but I hope you don't think that all cops are like that.
Load More Replies...Cops aren't necessarily unapproachable here but the problem is that even if you ask them a simple question, such as directions, they might start questioning you, and put you in an uncomfortable situation by making you feel like they suspect you of something. Just be careful. Don't trust them but for the most part you can speak to them, unless you're wanted for something. However, you can drive right up to a fire department, get out and talk to them, and normally they are super friendly and glad you're there.
London Don't go to Madam Tussauds - it's c**p Don't fall for the shell games near Waterloo. The person who has just won in front of you looks exactly like the guy who's running it and his sister has just picked your pocket. Learn to read a map, I have no idea where your hotel is but I will confidently give you directions to Covent Garden as I think you'll like it there. Don't complain when people step into your photo. Your attempt to capture big ben on an iphone is just a waste of everyone's time and data. Walk faster you dawdling f*****t Stand on the right, walk quickly on the left If you must go to a local pub read up on how to behave in one. Queue, order beer, wine or a simple drink and mixer and leave the bar area. Yes it's busy on the train at 17:00, that's why it's called rush hour. Complaining that I'm standing too close to you is not going to have any effect. I live this hell every weekday.
« Stand on the right, walk quickly on the left » So you do know the right way to do it. Why can’t you do it with a car?
Because they still need to use their sword hand to defend against oncoming traffic.
Load More Replies...I lived in London for 30 years and you're precisely the sort of entitle d**khead that gives the city a bad name. Wind your neck in and take a long hard look at how you behave in Torremolinos or wherever you go on your holidays.
Everyone I met in London back before we all had maps on our phones was extremely courteous and helpful when they saw me struggling with the A-Z
Load More Replies...And do not stop dead in the tube. You will cause a multiple-commuter pile up. Make sure you know what lines you need and then follow the signage- which is very good. By all means walk slower than average, but please just don't stop. And for God's sake let people off the tube carriage before you try to get on.
Have your travel card or ticket out before you get to the ticket gates - don't wait until you get there. Don't stop at the bottom or top of the escalator.
Also, remember...standing on the left hand side of the escalator is not the London way.
The tower is Tickety Ted, the Time Telling B***h (and everyone, including the English, refer to the Tower as Big Ben).
Load More Replies...It's pretty dated. 30-40 years ago it felt impressive, now it just feels tacky and a bit sad. London Dungeon is a tourist trap too that seems to get its 'history' from a comic book, try the Tower of London for something both visually impressive and full of actual history.
Load More Replies...BTW, try up north for visiting! Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle. Midlands try Worcester, Hereford and Stratford upon Avon. Devon & Cornwall try Helston, Truro, Dartmouth
When visiting the US, do not have any Healthcare related issues. You'll lose every penny you have and then some.
*sigh* speaking as an American, this is probably true, at least for major medical issues.
Don't take an ambulance if you can help it. You'll end up owing 1000s of dollars bc you're paying for idiots who take the ambulance due to a cold or something ridiculous like that. You're paying the high price to cover them since they will never pay.
Load More Replies...How ignorant are you of the high costs of US healthcare even with insurance?
Load More Replies...Ahhh the USA... land of UltraCapitalism, where literally EVERYTHING is profit-driven!
the medical bills are insane here, even with insurance. (we have from the govt. and the insurance sucks)
… not as a tourist I think. As far as I know I will be insured with my insurance at home, when I go on vacation. I might have to pay a small fee for that, but I won‘t be bankrupted.
I knew someone would be this dramatic. Ugh. If you have an emergency issue, you can still get care. Yes, it will be a big bill but like most Americans, you’ll just skip out on it. For Americans, they would turn you to a collection agency and ruin your credit- neither of which you have to worry about if you don’t live here. Don’t let this be a reason you don’t visit the US. And if you have a health concern while visiting, ask a local where they suggest you go based on your issue. They may can recommend some clinics that have smaller fees for non-emergencies.
Compare everything and anything to your home country and complain how it’s “so much better back home!”
I don’t get this at all - said whiners and complainers should immediately book flight home.
And no matter where you are, don't assume that no-one can understand what you say in your native language! Some will understand your tone, and there might be someone who understand it all.
I am so sorry. This was me 15 years ago. I was SO facinated by how differrent things were, that I told everyone who wanted to listen, how we did it in the Netherlands In my mind it was pure logic that since the differences were so fascinating (not better or worse, just different) eveybody must be equally interresed. Boy was I wrong...
I get it. I find it equally interesting. Just going grocery shopping when in a foreign country is an adventure for me, or maybe more of an excursion. Some things are "better" at home (my German countrymen in particular sorely miss "proper" bread when abroad - meaning sour dough, rye, lots of different seeds, VARIETY), some things are "better" in the Netherlands (SPRINKLES!), some in Portugal (Pasteis), in France/Italy/Spain... comparing isn't bad, I think. It gets bad when you start telling people how their way is wrong.
Load More Replies...Basically is such behavior an infantile reaction on overload of impressions. However if strange places have such effect on one he/she should not have left home at first!
Do not go for a hike or drive your hire car to ‘the outback’ as a person who has never done either of these things in Australia before. Ways you will die: 1. Fatigue - underestimating the distance between places and then running off the road or crashing into another vehicle due to exhaustion 2. Exposure and dehydration - people have a car break down and then leave their vehicle to find non-existent help. If you leave your vehicle the chances of being alive by the end of the day are almost zero. There’s no mobile reception. There may be 1-2 cars passing by your location per day if you are lucky. The nearest hospital could be literally 1000 km away. Temperatures can be 50 degrees Celsius in the day and/or -10 at night. If you break down in a place like this, you’ll will possibly die of heat exhaustion whilst waiting for help in your car. If you leave your car? Yeah you’ll definitely die. ——— Other dumb s**t to do in Australia that can and will k**l you: 1. Jumping or diving into water bodies without testing their depth. Most are shallow and many tourists have been harmed or k**led doing this. 2. While we are on the subject of water bodies - stay TF away from water bodies north of the Tropic of Capricorn unless you fancy a crocodile encounter. Most Australian wildlife risks are greatly exaggerated. Crocodile risks are not. 3. Swim in the Ocean between the f*****g flags for f***s sake or don’t even put your f*****g foot in the f*****g water. Every f*****g year, multiple tourists drown because they’re f*****g idiots who do not understand ocean swimming in Australia. Most people over thirty can recall at least one story here of an *Australian* person that they knew or was from their region who was lost at sea or drowned due to unexpected conditions, and these are *experienced* people. So don’t expect that you know what you’re doing, or that the flagged zones are all part of our socialist nanny state for you to ignore. Just f*****g don’t, mate. Our people have been traumatised too many times by your f*****g stupidity.
"Most Australian wildlife risks are greatly exaggerated. Crocodile risks are not." Best advice ever.
Yeah, we love a drop bear story. The bush is another easy way to unalive yourself.
Load More Replies...We loss a Prime Minster due to an ocean swim, though we did name a nice pool after him.
Even we make mistakes from time to time. I remember a few years ago, there was a minute's silence at my school because a kid who lived about 20km away dived into one of the swimming holes and landed badly and died. He had done it thousands of times before, probably a hundred times just that day. Every school holidays, someone drowns in my area at the beaches - often tourists who don't know where the rocks and shipwrecks are. You have to be careful. Stuff goes wrong. Especially if you're anywhere near dropbears. Be careful of those cheeky bàstards.
This is similar to the Pacific Ocean coast in Oregon, yet, we don't even have swimming zones. The Oregon coast is notorious for "sneaker waves" and rip tides. It is also f*****g freezing, even if the weather is or has been warm. Never turn your back on the waves, and if it is stormy, stay inside or a very good distance. I grew up in Oregon and going to the coast, and I still got swept out and drowned (a long with 8 other people, 6 died, I was lucky to have been revived) due to a huge rogue wave. It was stormy, and I thought I was safe standing between 2 houses on top of a hill, but I was wrong. People die every year on the Oregon coasts. Unless the conditions are great and you understand how unpredictable and dangerous the oven can be here, don't so swimming in the ocean.
Also if you visit Australia get used to hearing strong language apparently.
The stronger the language spoken at a normal or slightly excited level the more we like you - but we'll curse just as much if we don't - but you'll know you're not liked.
Load More Replies...Same goes for the deserts in California. Yes, Joshua Tree and Death Valley are amazing. Please don't visit in the summer.
Like the Australian PM in 1967 who went into the ocean for a swim and was never seen again.
And if you are driving along and pass someone, if you're able check if they need help as you might be the last person to see them alive.
Same is true North of 60 (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut, Northern Provinces). Anywhere remote, actually. I always stop and offer help.
Load More Replies...The largest demographic for drowning in Australia is males over the age of 45
Approach wildlife, especially when they’re with their offspring.
The amount of idiot tourists I’ve seen outside their cars within mauling distance of a bear or moose is mind boggling.
Unless you want to look at this behavior as a means of culling our own (stupid) herd…
We have to put down the animals after so it's not ideal
Load More Replies...OMG, this. Black bears do kill if you're taking pics of their squalling cubs. (Looking at Blue Ridge Mountain USA tourists. Seriously. THey are bears. They will kill you if they think you upset the baby.)
"Bear made is NOT like mosquito spray. Please stop rubbing it on your skin." -the Twitter of one of the USA national Parks that I can't remember which one right now. Also, if I'm remembering correctly, one of the fairly funny national Park Twitter accounts is the Wyoming national Park services Twitter. I think that's over of them. There are a couple.
That should be "bear mace" not "bear made".
Load More Replies...And keep in mind, in America, if you are mauled by a wild animal, said animal may end up being euthanized. It's not fair for the animals to lose their lives because of stupid tourists (and I'm including stupid Americans in this).
just last week I saw a bear chase a woman after she got too close with a camera. and people were all telling her to get back. so if she got hurt, she brought it on her self.
If you’re visiting Brazil, specially a big city, avoid using your smartphone while walking on the streets, as you become more prone to being robbed.
Holding a phone like that while walking next to a road is a good way to get rid of your phone in many places, Vietnam being one of them
Romanian and Albanian are the biggest thief's not just in Italy but around Europe and they are not necessarily gypsies
Load More Replies...Small cities are less prone to robbery due to better policement and infrastructure. People that don't find jobs in small/medium cities go to the bigger cities. And some of them, unfortunately, has to recur to robbery.
Load More Replies...Any time you're distracted, you're a target. Pay attention to your surroundings. The phone can wait.
Try to pet/feed bears. For some reason tourists to Banff seem to think bears are mascots or something.
They have a booth right by the park entrance. You can buy one ahead of time, or they'll give a free one to your family upon exit.
Load More Replies...https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/parks-canada-reveals-additional-details-about-deadly-bear-attack-in-banff-1.6587263
Load More Replies...A couple and their dog just got killed out in the park. And they were experienced hikers!
Yes! and ffs if you see a cub by itself, leave it alone. Trust me, mama bear is probably very near by, and she will come at you like you took Liam Neeson's daughter!
I'm convinced that Disney and other cartoon films did great damage in making kids and people in general think that animals are like small humans that talk to you and so on
My fiance was walking and texting in Whistler and she walked right into a Black Bear.
Fingers? Who needs 'em? Worth it to show everyone I hand-fed a bear! (sarcasm)
Don't ask where the animals are in South Africa, we do not have lions walking in the streets, you are more likely to run into wildlife in America.
Kangaroos don't hop down suburban and city streets. Usually, I should say, because a couple of months ago one hopped in front of my car (I stopped in time). Very rare and quite a bizarre drive to work that morning.
Load More Replies...Wildlife in America vary in size and appearance, and are best found in Walmarts in certain areas. (the U.S. South and Florida have the most sightings).
As someone who lives in the South US: the later you go at night is when the weirder ones show up
Load More Replies...Well, we do sometimes have lions and hippos walking around. We had a lion escape near my home a few months ago, and I saw a hippo in St Lucia this week....
To be fair, St Lucia is mostly a nature reserve, isn't it? (iSimangaliso Wetland Park) I'd be very sad to hear if there weren't hippos about anymore.
Load More Replies...I live in South Africa and the only animal I avoid are chickens that somehow love to chase me and be all aggressive towards me
Ditto for America. They go where they please, and it's usually on private property. Americans are gun-happy people and the laws are often on their side. Can't walk across private land without permission from owners, who'll probably follow you suspiciously.
Yes!!!!! Used to live in SA...got questions when I moved to California about where our lions were. I was like Uh...the zoo?? Or a nature preserve somewhere...I dunno man I lived in Joburg we got malls n stuff...
Ladies, do NOT lift a man’s kilt to find out if he’s commando. And if you insist in a grope, be aware you’ll only find sweaty and hairy
Had this happen to me too many times .....I always question them why. They often put their heads down and quickly walk away
There is a special form of words - "Excuse me, is there anything worn under the kilt?" The traditional answer is, "No. Nothing is worn under the kilt. Everything is in full working order."
I can't seem to fathom the idea of caring about strangers' undergarments/lack thereof, some people just baffle me..
Don't go for a nice walk in the hills without checking the weather, taking suitable clothing, and telling someone your intentions. We lose a few tourists from this every year in New Zealand. Due to our geography it's easy to get lost and the weather can change very quickly.
Amen. Please do not treat NZ like it’s some kind of Eco Disneyland, DO let people know where you are going. Do use the hut sign in system, have cold weather gear and boots. The NZ mountains and high country change very quickly and every year a handful of tourists freeze to death.
I'll second that. We don't have creepy crawlies like Australia, but the landscape can be treacherous, and hypothermia in the mountains can be a problem at any time of the year.
Load More Replies...I lived by the Alps and the amount of stupid people that try to hike on a glacier (+3000m high) with sneakers, shorts and t-shirt is appalling.
Load More Replies...I can strongly affirm this! I once was hiking in NZ and hat a terrible accident slipping down on ice for maybe 200 height meters. I just stopped when the ice changed to stones. Luckily the slope wasn't too steep. My thoughts while slipping down were anyway: I don't wanna die. It was quite a remote location, no mobile reception of course and I was hiking over a pass (Gunsight by the way). On the one side there was fluffy snow and I just didn't realise that I would not have any grip on the melted and refrozen snow on the other side. Nobody knew where I was, so well... After provisionally caring for several wounds, I collected my reachable stuff (still could not get some of it) and continued hiking. I had no other choice. Soon it got dark, but I was then on a semi-marked path again, still there was one spot where I should cross the stream, but just did not find the crossing. So I was wandering around for maybe 30min, maybe an hour looking for the path.
Finally I reached the cabin where I planned to stay. I hoped for some company but unfortunately there was nobody. The next day I hiked back to my car and drove to the nearest doctor. They did not help very well, but that's another story. I know, I was on so many levels very stupid (even though I had a rescue whistle with me which may have helped in a more severe case). I've definitely learned from that experience. However, I see a problem with hiking in NZ for Central Europeans: there are a lot of little hikes or even the great walks which almost feel like a "motorway". Quite broad, amazingly well marked,... And then there are those remote tramping paths where sometimes even the path does not exist. Europeans, who are frequently hiking in the Alps, are used to the thing in between: small path, maybe some climbing, well-marked, but always a path and mostly secure. So please, fellow Europeans: inform yourselves better than I did about hikes in NZ!
Load More Replies...
You don't want to drive out in the desert in the southwest. That dirt road might not have had a car in ten years and if you blow a tire where it's washed out you gonna be a pile of bones faster than you think.
The American Southwest is very empty. Very. Treat it like it's the Australian Outback: Take fuel, survival gear, water for a week (you'll be done with it in a day), and don't assume you get cell service. It's a lot of empty out there.
It's also worth noting that quite a few roads which are signed and appear on maps are not passable by your rental car. Somewhere out there in the world is a 2017 Kia Optima with no shocks and a significant dent in the floor. Thank goodness for black carpet.
Load More Replies...And don't drive on dry stream beds. The rain that causes a flash flood may not even be visible to you; you might be under a completely clear sky, but flash floods move fast and can easily kill you.
The entire western United States from just east of the populated part of California (Coastal strip) to the Mississippi River is MILES AND MILES OF MILES AND MILES. Long stretches of rangeland, grazing land, small towns (or usedtobe towns). Don't let your fuel go below a quarter. Ever. Unless you know that there is gas where you are going.
I was in the Arizona desert in June. Way out in the middle of nowhere, between 2 ghost towns. That's where family lived. We went for a short walk, less than a quarter of a mile, to visit gravesites. Didn't leave the house until we grabbed a couple bottles of water and had long pants on. Most friendly looking plants are not at all friendly and can make your ankles ache for days! The desert wants to kill you, but in a passive way as opposed to the jungle which is aggressive about killing you.
Top off your fuel before you go into a desert park or off pavement. Even though fuel in remote places may seem appallingly expensive, how does the value of a full tank compare to the value of your life. And, you can't carry too much water.
Do not mess with the Tomb of the Unknown soldier.
That place is almost sacred. You do not screw around in Arlington, ever. It should go for all cemeteries, but I know people on Halloween like to occasionally go for spooks.
Most countries have a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, actually. In Canada, alt-right anti-vaxxers defaced ours during their "Freedom" convoy. Jackasses made it impossible to sleep
Load More Replies...Wherever you are I’d have thought that stepping out of line at a Military Cemetery or Tomb is 1) incredibly disrespectful 2) totally unnecessary 3) thoughtless. If you aren’t sure what you can or can’t do then assume you can’t do whatever it is you think you’d like to.
Do not take young children there. There's a periodic moment of silence. I've seen videos where all you hear are babies and kids crying, shouting and parents shushing, then their feet scurrying off. It's not a reenactment. It's real life and a real military duty.
If you simply can’t stay quiet and calm, go to the Tomb of the Unknown Sailor instead (shown here in blue: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/A_large_blank_world_map_with_oceans_marked_in_blue.PNG)
The changing of the guard is an amazing ceremony! Takes a bit, but worth a watch even on Youtube..
Several countries have a similar monument, I know France, Belgium, Canada, Greece, and Bulgaria, though the one in the US is the most famous. It is literally a tomb for an unidentified soldier from a major conflict (the US tombs are for soldiers who died in WW1, WW2, and the Vietnam War). Often these monuments have a permanent military guard. So it's not only "be respectful at a cemetery", but also "foreign national at a military facility shouldn't act sketchy".
Load More Replies...Americans are the worst for desecrating their own cemeteries. They are more likely to abuse the sanctity of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier than most tourists. I don't know of one local cemetery in my area that hasn't had some form of desecration, including several graves of my relatives! Please don't copy bad Americans!
Don't even talk above a whisper, and then, only if you have to. If you do, you'll get yelled at by a pissed off soldier with a loaded gun who has permission to use it. And if you don't comply with his "request" to be quite and respectful, you will be escorted away.
Don't be stupid. Nobody is going to get shot for talking but it is very very rude and you can get asked to leave.
Load More Replies...India. Don't try to pay attention to people staring if you're white or black. People here just aren't used to different ethnicies. Most of us see only Indian/Asian/brown people most of our lives. Seeing tourists just peaks interest. People are not being rude. Don't wear those awful "Indian" clothes and jewellery. Idk who told tourists that it looks good, but there seems to be a costume of loose tunics and bead necklaces amongst tourists here. You stick out like a sore thumb and look like your fashion sucks. It also shows you're clearly a tourist so shopkeepers and vendors WILL try to scam you. You'll be better off in just basic tshirt and jeans. Haggle and bargain prices everywhere, unless it's a fixed price type store. Do not talk about Pakistan, or say how similar India is to Pakistan. Just don't say anything about it altogether. People will not be kind. The political situation is delicate rn, so tread carefully there also. Don't do the entire "seeing the poor people here made me so grateful for what I have" etc BS. You come off as snooty and entitled. Yes, we know the country is overpopulated, and with that comes the inevitable repercussions. The government is working on it. We don't need others to poverty p**n us. Don't compare to other countries. Don't mush the entire country into one. If you travel to North India, your experience will culturally be very different from South India, or East or West. It's almost like a different country. Food, language, clothing, weather... everything changes. India is like lots of different countries brought together in one. On the same note, plan your trip to one or two areas. You cannot cover entire India in a week. Learn about the culture. You'll be surprised to know how much of the west has adapted from different countries. Have the chai (if in the North) and the filter coffee (if in the south). Try the local cuisines of the places you're in. If you really do want to try out Indian clothing, ask some locals to help. The handcraft and fabric industry here is amazing. Buy natural fibres if you can. Cotton, silk, khadi, linen. It's amazingly cheap. You can find local goods here for a lot of similar stuff: try it all. It's a refreshing change of pace from store bought, packeted, mass manufactured stuff. Even food, footwear, clothing, etc have local goods. If you can find the good stores, you'll see that the quality is far superior than mass manufactured stuff. The embroidery is stunning and most of it is done by hand, which you can get at unbelievable prices. There's a reason Indian clothing is so rich and intricate: we have artisans who make these locally. My foreign relatives like to stock up on just good fabric when they come here. If you know where to go, you can even get custom leather goods made. My father has his shoes and jackets made custom by a local guy. They last him forever and he gets them repaired by the same guy. He says it's much comfier than store bought stuff. I can't say to this, i haven't gotten anything made. I am planning to have a leather bag made for myself in the design of a popular designer bag (LV neverfull). The food is mostly free of preservatives and the fresh spices and veggies are something else. Don't miss out on this. Despite the stereotypes, Indian lifestyle is much healthier and wholesome. Don't be surprised if your vegetables don't look "perfect". Most of the stuff here is locally sourced or produced. It won't look like supermarket stuff, but thankfully it won't taste like that either. Take advantage of how cheap and good things are. Once you get over your initial bias and the fact that stuff here isn't as shiny, you'll soon see WHY it's not shiny. Buy good fabric and get your clothes tailored. It'll be a steal for you. You can get entire outfits stitched for like 50 dollars. Also, getting clothes made to your size (in natural fibres!) is soooo much better than ones given by the fast fashion. Definitely buy khaadi. It's like linen, except that it's hand spun. It's cheap, lasts really long, isn't really available anywhere else, and is amazing for both summer and winter. Also looks very "old money". Buy fresh spices. Not the ones in packets, but ones at local stores. You can even buy raw stuff and grind it to make your own spices. The food made from these home grinded spices is out of the world, and a secret Indian mothers like to keep to themselves. Ditch the ginger garlic paste and make your own. Same for other industries. Like healthcare (sorry Americans, but I'm looking at you). If you have a skin or dental concern that needs to be looked at, GO NOW. And go to the biggest, fanciest place you can find. India has really good doctors which won't cost you a kidney. My relatives who live abroad like to get a full body checkup, dental work, eye checkup and new glasses, skin treatments etc done every time they come here. They also buy all sorts of medicines etc. My appendectomy cost me about 300-350 USD total, without any insurance plan or benefits. Even if you go by Indian standards, that's not a lot, as it's lesser than a lower middle class person's monthly salary. As an upper middle class person, it's about 2-3 days pay for me. (But I should still get insurance, don't be like me). You can also get specialists available very quickly. I get annoyed if I have to wait more than a day to see a specialist, so you can understand how spoilt we are. I think I'd throw a tantrum if I had to wait over two weeks to see a doctor, idk how y'all manage. I like to just barge into the doctor's office and then wait for them to see me. Labour in India is REALLY cheap. So cheap that most middle class families don't clean or do dishes or laundry themselves, but have hired help for it. You'll rarely find houses where people are doing the dishes or broom/mopping the house themselves. This is really common here. I personally have a maid who cooks, cleans, does laundry and dishes, washes bathrooms, and dusts the house. It's a huge privilege we enjoy. These maids get paid okayish as per the PPP. I like to overpay them to get good service. The same extends to carpenters, electricians, etc. You can find services here for ANYTHING. So if you're here for longer and staying in a rented place or an Airbnb, do not fret over getting stuff done. There will always be someone to do all these things. The upper middle class here enjoy a very leisurely life. And for god's sake, get used to using a "bum gun" or "jet spray" or whatever you call it. Indians do not use toilet paper, we wash ourselves. It's much cleaner, and I will not argue about this. You'll be hard pressed to find toilet paper in most local households. But once you start washing, you'll probably never be able to go back to using TP. I did not expect this answer to go on for this long. I guess I just had a lot to say about our lifestyle here! The experience of living like a true Indian is very different from the life in the western countries.
In India, people may stare out of curiosity at tourists of different ethnicities, but it's not meant to be rude. Avoid wearing stereotypical "Indian" clothing as it makes you stand out as a tourist and may lead to scams. Haggle and bargain prices unless it's a fixed-price store. Avoid discussing sensitive topics like Pakistan and be mindful of the delicate political situation. Refrain from making condescending comments about poverty in India. India is culturally diverse; each region has its unique characteristics in terms of food, language, clothing, and more. Plan your trip to one or two specific areas; India is too vast to cover in a week. Embrace the local culture, try the chai (in the North) and filter coffee (in the South), and sample local cuisine. Explore the local goods and handcrafted items, particularly in natural fibers like cotton, silk, khadi, and linen. Consider seeking medical and dental care in India, as it can be of high quality and more affordable than in some others
Load More Replies...Yeah! Completely agree, but I checked and they are in separate paragraphs on the original Reddit post. BP just dropped the ball.
Load More Replies...Wow. After reading this, I want to go to India even more than I did before (been on my bucket list for years) Thank you, OP for your gracious explanation!
I was just thinking the same. I'm even more interested now.
Load More Replies...How do you guys have such crappy attention spans? If you don't want to read it, scroll on by to the next post.
Thank you for your Ted Talk! It was clearly written, had a nice range of topic, and made me wish I was rich enough to travel to your exotic and beautiful land!❤️
Cannot upvote this enough. Although I don't travel to India, my contacts with people of Indian descent here are pleasant and educational. I have made many l positive lifestyle changes from these experiences.
I will have to disagree with OP. I am from southern Europe, used to heat. And it was impossible for me to wear tshirt and jeans. Way too hot and humid and sticky. Ended up buying clothe locally that would dry extra fast because i was sweating so much. I did look like a stupid tourist cause i was one
Yeah I don't understand why UK people go to Turkey for elective surgical procedures when India has a much better track record.
If you are in Central Europe around the alps in countries like Switzerland, Italy etc. don't underestimate the mountains. Don't think stupid things like "We are near civilization, it's no problem, we can't get lost and it's easy to go back anyway". This can end in a deadly disaster. Weather can change quickly, even when the report says it should be stable. If you get caught in a snow storm in winter, you'll lose navigation and you won't see even your hand in front of your face. You can even miss a SAC building that would save you because you can't see it. If you don't have the equipment and experience, you can die there. Also, keep in mind that not all glaciers are that stable: Some have deep holes in the surface of the ice, you can fall down there. Even when you survive the fall, you die quickly by hypothermia. If you are alone, you are done. But even with friends and with the rescue by chopper, it's a run against time. These holes can sometimes be covered with fresh snow, so don't walk there when signs are warning you, it's a minefield.
Please don't go hiking in sandals when in Switzerland, you will regret it, your feet will bleed, and local children will make fun of you
BUt thEy Are HikINg SaNDaLS ~ said so on Amazon and there were pictures of people hiking in them. LOL
Load More Replies...Please don't put the rescuers lives at risk because you are so dumb to put yourself in danger
About how Swiss hiking trails are graded: Even in the best weather - The moment when you're just about to pass out from exhaustion on a nearly vertical path the other side of the tree line, two Swiss people will overtake you - chatting casually - while jogging uphill - backwards. So if they say a trail is 'medium', think twice if you're up to it. If they say the trail is 'difficult', you might be in for a ride in a Swiss mountain rescue helicopter later.
A good tip even for natives in the Alpes is the SAC hiking scale. Check the level of your planed hike and compare - if you're not cosy with routes that do not always have a visible path, don't even think about a T3 or higher.
I can remember a suddenly storm at 2600 meters at les due Alps....... We make it but we were fully equiped and man, it was terrifying
I was in the Army in Northern italy and we went out in the countryside often. It will kill you. We were geared up like crazy, we had 4x4 and 6x6 or tracked vehicles, radios, the works, but almost every year we lost somebody.
This is true anywhere. You can get lost while you think you're gonna always be able to see town/road/whatever. I'm in the US in Virginia and we lose people not 200 meters from the trail or road. Fog, fatigue... You can get hypothermia when the weather changes.... Ugh, I'm depressed....
I'm in the US too, my area we get constant blizzards all winter long. Most years from December on through May we normally have one a week
Load More Replies...The same in Czech mountains, the Mountain Service has already a lot of work.
America: assume this country is as small as a European one. I constantly saw people saying they were going to visit California so they wanted to see San Francisco and LA... in the same day. Check a map for scale!
As they say: Americans do not know what 'old' is, Europeans do not know what 'big' is.
Europeans know that : Europe covers about 3.93 million sq mi.
USA : Total area : 3,796,742 sq mi . emoji-6527...7284cb.png
It took me four days to drive from the East coast to the West Coast and that was with minimal stops.
I thought four days was only if you had at least two drivers taking turns and thus driving constantly around the clock (with only potty breaks). I thought it was 7-8 days with just one driver and minimal stops.
Load More Replies...Something of this sort happens here in Italy. Tourists, also italian tourists, want to visit Sicily which is an island so they assume they can see everything in a couple of days. Nope. I live in Sicily and keep saying my friends that from east to west tips there are more than 500 kms
Check a map when visiting NYC as well. It amazes me how many tourists have asked for directions over the years who don’t seem to understand that an avenue or street can be very, very long and don’t seem to have looked at a map at all. They think that because they are on the right street, the address they want must be a short walk away. No, you might need to get a subway or taxi if you’re mot prepared to walk for 30 or 40 minutes. People also sometimes struggle with whether they want an uptown or downtown subway. You need to have some sense of where you are.
Pretty much the same in Australia - land in Perth with a 1 day layover before flying to Sydney "lets drive to (insert any place not greater city metro) for the day" no, don't even try, odds on chance that it is like trying to drive from Portugal to Paris (or Copenhagen) and back in a day
Genuine question, how far apart are SF and LA? I am aware that they're considerably far, even though they're in the same state, but I'm curious about how far
Native Californian here, plan on 7 hours, depending on what time of day you're heading out at. Californians don't generally go by distance, we go by time, because of traffic.
Load More Replies...Driving my visiting aunt in San Jose, and she saw a freeway sign that pointed LOS ANGELES. She said, let's go there. I've always wanted to see... Took some time to convince her that LA was 400 miles away.
I have seen French tourists in Montreal be convinced they coud visi tMontreal, Québec City Toronto and Vancouver in a week. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 The first time I went to Europe, I felt like I was in a dollhouse. In Canada or the US, unless you happen to live near the border, it takes more than 2 hours to change country!
Same goes for Australia. We might think Brisbane and Sydney are "relatively close" but it's still a 10hr drive.
decide to stay but refuse to learn the language
Nothing worse than an arrogant interloper tourist who expects the locals to conform to him/her/them.
𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲 "𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦". 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥, 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭.
Load More Replies...Warning: In America, saying that can get you branded for hate speech.
Or if you're already there for good, at least let / help your children integrate. And don't talk only bad about the country you're staying in... Having what feels like a third of young people just bash the country they live in and not take school serious hurts everyone... (son of a teacher talking about switzerland)
Even if you are just passing through, have the decency to learn enough to be polite, have the ability to order food/drink, and ask for directions. If you make the effort, so will the locals. You'll probably have a good giggle, too.
I have never understood why anyone would do that. If you plan to immigrate, prepare for your new location.
Depends though... I travel a lot for work, and have been to about 15 different counties this year alone. It's just not possible to learn so many languages.
it says " decide to stay but refuse to learn the language " !!
Load More Replies...What is a person able to master 3 languages called? Tri-lingual! What is a person able to master 2 languages called? Bi-lingual! What is a person able to master only one language called? American! ;-)
Especially in Québec - even the most tolerant of us do NOT appreciate immigrants who come here so tjhey can gang up with the English minority/majority.
I love learning other languages, and I don't understand why someone wouldn't want to learn a new (and exciting) language.
In the USA, don't haggle retail prices, especially at local one owner stores. You can ask for better prices at flea markets .
For your shopping convenience... https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/dhio84/this_sign_in_an_antique_store/
Also in the USA, tax will be added, it is not included in the marked price.
In retail stores, the price stands. Flea markets and resell shops are more flexible, but Americans are very ingrained to pay posted prices. They don't know how to haggle, and the idea of bargaining is frowned upon by many.
Stand in public spaces filming TikTok videos. Actually, that goes for even when they’re back in their own country.
I hate taking photos or movies. Just love postcards! I sometimes mail them to myself for authenticity. By paying less attention to stupid electronics, I get so much more from local culture!
I don't even know how to make these. Do you use a special camera? If not, if I'm making just a little film with my cell phone, how would anyone know if it's for TikTok or not? - And for which country was the warning originally meant?
This might be an unpopular opinion, but you don't have to completely get off tik tok (not on it myself, but whatever). However, if you can't take your head out of your a*s and be cognizant of where you are, the environment you are in, and the propriety of what you are doing in the place you are in, as well as the people around you, you should not get to play anymore. Be aware that if you are trying to do what the pros do, the pros also get permission and clearance and remain aware of what's going on in the area. Do not expect others to capitulate to your needs. If your video is being done at 17:00 in the tube, guess what, that's on you.
Be aware of the drugs law of the country you are visiting. For example, someone from my country accidentally had a single pill in glove box of his car. This pill is legal in my country but not in the neighbouring one. So when he crossed the border, the customs discovered the pill and he ended spending 6 months in jail over there.
I am guessing this is Thailand, Singapore, or one of those countries?
Could easily be the USA. You must have all paperwork if you're carrying a controlled substance. I got pulled over and my girlfriend had left her Klonopin in my car. I would have went to jail if she hadn't came immediately and informed them of the situation. The pills were unopened and still in the purchase bag from Walgreens. It's that bad.
Load More Replies...Even in the United States, this can be a huge problem. People have been jailed for vitamins that were kept in a plastic bag instead of the original bottle. Many supplements have no markings on the tablets which makes the police assume they are illegally manufactured drugs. (Keep in mind that our police departments intentionally avoid hiring the smartest applicants.)
ALWAYS have medicines in the containers dispensed! Have a separate list, with doctors' info, at hand all the time. Contact your consulate in any country, prior to traveling, for up-to-date drug information. This is very serious!
Good advice for any country. The one that surprised me was an article about an American being arrested in Japan for having nose spray. Some decongestants are close cousins to illegal drugs (think Pseudofed being made into meth) and are illegal in Japan even though they are just over the counter basics in the USA.
Not tip in America. Doesn’t matter how you personally feel about it, it’s what we do here and you’re a d**k if you don’t.
What if the wait staff is crooked, dishonest and incompetent? Serious question, do you still have to tip?
Same question here. I come from a non-tipping country and have had some pretty s****y service in the US. I thought tipping was about rewarding good service?
Load More Replies...This tipping culture is getting out of control. Pay your employees a livable wage.
This should come with a disclaimer, because I am not just tipping you because you believe it's your right. If you barely do anything & have a surly attitude, I ain't giving you s**t. I understand it's a difficult job, and if you're cool, we're cool and I will gladly tip you well but I hate the expectation that I should tip no matter the service.
I'm an American. Most if not all of us hate that business don't pay the employees a living wage so they expect tips. I really hate it. I read restaurants reviews and a lot of American restaurants are actually adding on a 20% gratuity. So the service can suck or be horrible and the tip is already being included. I went to an Amish donut shop and paid for 6 donuts, the register had a tip portion. Of course I selected skip or none. Like really I'm not tipping for that. I hate the tip culture here.
Don’t cut in lines (queues). Some cultures don’t seem to understand the concept of lining up.
I don't understand why people would do this. Do you not learn to line up throughout school? I feel like half my day is taken up by getting kids to line up, how have they not learned it by adulthood?
Some people never attain adulthood, despite their age.
Load More Replies...Meanwhile in China if you leave a space in line, someone will take it. That is the culture there and I'm glad I read about it before I visited.
We travel a lot and the Chinese tourists don't seem to grasp queueing. It's unfortunate for them because they get a lot of aggression from other tourists.
Load More Replies...Naming the country they all talk about is also a consept not understood here much
As an American, I am always in line. School? We stood in lines. Stores? We're in line. Airports? Lines. Lines, lines, lines, queues, queues, queues, whatever you call 'em, we're in 'em.
And holding places for friends who haven't arrived is extremely rude. It can make the difference if the people behind you get access or not. Don't leave a line except for a bathroom break or emergency, and get the permission of those behind you in those instances. Do not let anyone else get in line! First come, first served.
And do not stand so close to the person in front of you in the queue! Personal space FFS
I nearly came to blows in Berlin with a guy who cut in front of us in a queue that we’d been standing in for an hour before he turned up. I threatened him with my walking stick- he moved and slid in directly BEHIND us but I didn’t realise until it was too late.
Australian here. On my first every OS trip in 2009 I was with a group of friends queueing for something. A couple tried to jump the queue, and all of my friends and I worked together to prevent them. We got smiles of thanks from other people in the queue.
Don't get out of the car immediately when you're pulled over.
Yes! Wait for law enforcement to tell you what they want you to do. This will greatly reduce your likelihood of being shot (esp. while driving/walking/or innocently breathing while black/brown in the U.Sl).
If you are in an encounter with the police, you're much more likely to be shot if you are White. Yes, Black people in America get shot on a per-capital basis more than White people, but if you adjust for the greater likelihood of being in an encounter with the police, White people are more likely to be shot.
Load More Replies...Hands on steering wheel or on dashboard. Wait for officer to tell you anything, such as rolling down windows or presenting permits. Tell officer where your hands must go and get their OK before reaching. As a woman, I do not roll my window down even for law enforcement until proper documentation is shown, as predators sometimes have elaborate uniforms, vehicles and credentials. I have respectfully asked an officer in an unmarked car to call for a marked vehicle before I rolled the window down. They know I have a right to do this. If you are non-white, take especial care. There's still stigmas against other races, despite being totally illegal. Speak with your consulate about this prior to visiting America. Know your rights!
Avoid ANY contact with American cops whenever possible. 90% of them are sociopaths who can and will kill you immediately if they feel the slightest bit threatened. They're bullies and cowards.
FYI America is a continent with several countries. Geology 100
Load More Replies...
Don't go to Hollywood expecting something. Also, don't spend tons of money just to see famous people's homes on one of those bus tours. You should go to all the cool museums around LA though, those are pretty neat. And the beaches aren't too bad either
La Brea tar pits. Highly recommended, especially the Dire Wolf skulls and the exhibit where you try to pull yourself out of the tar. As a bonus, just walk the grounds and see the places where the tar is bubbling up.
I've taken one of those "see where the stars live" bus tours, was an easy way to kill a couple hours and see some beautiful neighborhoods around LA that I wouldn't have stepped foot in otherwise. Also, met some really interesting folks from different states and other countries.
Hollywood is a tourist trap that smells like p**s. Though the El Capitan Theatre is there which is Disney's theatre and worth a checkout. Get there early to see the pre-show!
Hawaii here -- don't go to Sandy beach, don't stick your head in the blowhole, don't go to toilet bowls. We have far too many people die here while on vacation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanauma_Bay#Toilet_Bowl It's a particular blowhole located near the very popular Hanauma Bay. It's been closed for a while for safety reasons. Not sure if the danger was the rough water, or getting "flushed" and then stuck in the rock tubes on the way out, or what. But folks would get in, and then they'd get hurt, so they finally roped it off entirely.
Load More Replies...Sandy beach is a popular destination for professional water athletes. Videos are taken there. Its nicknamed the Broken Neck beach because the waves and bottom break necks. Too many amateurs get in the water and don't know how to handle themself. Blowholes are holes in the rocks that connect to the wider ocean and it erupts out of them. Its the entire power of a tide shot through a tube. Imagine a 3 foot wide firehose with the pressure of the entire Pacific ocean hitting you in the chest. It can crush bones. Toilet bowls are natural pools that are formed by the ocean carving out the volcanic rock. They get their name from similarity to a toilet flushing when the ocean rushes out of them. Its a real bad thing for the ocean to suck you across volcanic rock.
I live close to Sandy Beach and I just can't go there anymore. I see so many tourists with their small children going into the water and I just cringe. They have no understanding that it has a crazy shore break and they just don't listen to the lifeguards, or don't speak English and honestly can't understand the danger. Too stressful anymore.
Why? What? Why? These rules are very unclear. Could someone translate this to generic english?
The only one I can explain is tge blowhole...basically a hole eroded into a rock on the coast, and when the waves rush in, the water coming out of said blowhole would be at a speed less, but slightly similar to that of the geysers in Yellowstone, so say buh-bye to your head if you decide to do it.
Load More Replies...Well, "TIL". I DID go to Sandy Beach in the 80s and I had a wonderful time body surfing. Full disclosure - I did also fall off the crest of about a 10 foot wave, get slammed into the ocean floor hard enough to knock the breath out of me and briefly wonder if I had injured my back. ... And then I went and body surfed some more because - FUN!. But I honestly never knew until today it has a reputation for being dangerous. I just read this -- "Sandy Beach Park is located on Oahu's southeastern shore. With its pounding waves and powerful shorebreak, it is popular among experienced bodyboarders and bodysurfers. This beach is known as one of the most dangerous beaches in Hawaii, and people call it "the beach of broken necks" or "Broke Neck Beach" for a reason."
It’s the Hlona Blowhole, shooting out of an opening atop a hollow rock ledge under which the surf pounds in. The little sandy cove next to it is the kissing scene in From Here to Eternity was filmed.
Meh, go head and go Sandy, but don’t go in the water. Too dangerous for even local keiki. Only a total touron would head first a blowhole. If you wanna pay and deal with crowds for the beauty of Hanauma then go for it. Toilets is blocked off anyway. Be smart, show respect, and aloha ‘aina
Be disrespectful in any way at Arlington Cemetary.
I was impressed by Arlington Cemetary, we watched the changing of the guards at the graves of the unknown soldiers. The whole cemetary has a serene atmosphere.
See previous comment about monument or installation in Berlin or Germany. Really REALLY do not be disrespectful.
Try some respect yourself and use proper punctuation.
Load More Replies...If you're traveling across Canada, you want to take the perimeter highway either north or south AROUND Winnipeg. It looks like a city, but it's actually just a toxic waste dump we keep in the geographical center of our country. You can set the cruise control and nap through Saskatchewan. Nothing to see there.
I went from Edmonton to Toronto, so through, but I took the train and didn't get out, so barely noticed anything about it :)
This sort of hateful trashing of other people should have no place in Bored Panda.
Winnipeg was once listed as the murder capital of Canada (probably still is).
Load More Replies...Kidnap a swan. They all belong to the king.
Kidnap a Swan - less because they belong to the king and more because they are visious bad tempered lumps of hate that even Canada geese cross the road to avoid
Geez. How about we all agree not to do this just in general principal of we don’t want to traumatize the swans?
In the U.K. and it’s the unmarked (without a tag) Mute Swans in open water. On a related note, why are you trying to kidnap a swan? Leave all the wildlife alone eh?
Rip a poster off the wall in North Korea
Don't go to North Korea full stop. You'll be part of a tour group that is only shown what the Kim family want you to see. Your tourist money won't go to the locals who desperately need it.
Tourist money mostly ends up in the coffres of multinationals.
Load More Replies...It's more complicated. Be extremely careful around all images of the great, fat leader. They are basically holy. North Korean children are fed stories of people saving the great leader's picture from a burning house first and only then their children...
When going to North Korea you really need to be really careful. Walk around on eggshells at all times
Try and get in all the sights in one day. New York and LA is about 2,800 miles.
Sicily too. Messina and Trapani is about 500 km or more depending on your itinerary
Puerto Rico is cool with gringos (recommend you speak some Spanish) just don't act entitled and if they say stop recording stop unless your life is worth that crappy video and don't go near the projects or out at night. Also there is a hatred brewing against Americans in the islands so if someone yells gringo go home well it is time to go back to the tourist area unless confrontation is your kink.
Was fortunate enough to spend a couple months in San Juan in the late 1980’s. It was heavenly but there were some definite do-s and don’t-s, for example, don’t go down the hill into Old San Juan after dark unless you really knew people and where you wanted to go. During the day, it was heaven but, much like so many other places on the planet, after dark, use good judgement and appropriate caution if you don’t have a local friend to guide you. (Edit for spelling)
There just has to be a level of respect to the local population of any area you are visiting. If you can sense they're not happy with you being around a certain area, don't be dumb and try to fight them on why you "deserve" to be there because you're on vacation. We see a lot of that stuff in Hawaii.
and to think they keep trying to force Puerto Rico to become a state....
I went to a McDonald's (I was young then), in Ponce. Only word I recognized was Pollo, so I got a chicken sandwich.
From France :
Don't go to Paris or the french riviera. Paris is cool for several days to see some momunents, but it's a tourist trap with overloaded prices. French riviera is just concrete beaches with old rich acists who will die way too late.
The country has got lot of really nice places to visit and hang out. Less monuments, less things you have seen in movies (like Paris), but way better and cheaper.
Want to see beaches ? You have Brittany, Normandy, the south-east with its long a*s beaches ! (but avoid at all cost Vendée) Want to surf ? South-East is for you.
Want to see mountains ? Alps, Pyreneans, Massif Central baby. Want to see volcano ? Puy de dôme my dudes ! Fields of lavender ? South East is full of that. Oh you want grassy hills ? We have tons of them. You like wine ? You want to wander in grape fields ? Guess-f*****g-what ??
So it's not "absolutely not to do", it's more a "try to do something original when visiting France", even if I get the impulse of seeing what you know first. (if I come to America one day, of course I'll want to see stuff like the Great Canyon, NY, the bayou, LA, some great plains, etc)
If you only go to Paris : avoid at all cost every bar or restaurant in the west side of the town. They are either for millionaires or are tourist traps owned by them. If you need to eat/drink something, search something in the smaller streets far from the monuments. Like in every city, there's tons of affordable and great places to sit down and eat !
For example we have a canal, which means you can have a drink seated at a table under the trees next to the water for a fair price, instead of something s****y in a tourist area.
These one are really marked in Paris (for example, the narrow streets near the St Michel fountain with all the gyros, or the one behind the Sacré-Coeur). For example I know a great bar next to St Michel, really cheap, awesome atmosphere, but 100m away from the tourist area.
Don't get scared to walk a bit more and explore, there are metros stations E V E R Y W H E R E.
Nonsense, I grew up in France and go to Paris once or twice a year, I don't recognise Paris from this. Paris is just like any other major city that has good elements and bad elements. You're either the kind of person who likes big cities or you're not.
Agreed Little but Fierce. I love Paris, also go regularly. And as a kid we went to a different part of France every year. You can't compare Paris to "Normandy" - one is a city, the other is region. To go to the latter you'd need transport, I can go to Paris and see a multitude of things without needing a car.
Load More Replies...France is amazing, up and down. By all means, go and see Paris, but France's got so much to offer, everywhere. Throw a dart on a map of France, go there, it'll be most likely an experience of overwhelming beauty culture and food. (With a few exceptions of course. It's still a real country and not Disneyland.)
"French riviera is just concrete beaches" WHAT ??? l-est-rel1...77a525.jpg
I beg to differ, although I freely admit my reference point is almost 50 years ago. Paris at that time was beautiful. Clean city streets, lovely sidewalk cafes where one could enjoy an espresso while people watching. We did our best with our clumsy French ordering meals. We drove out into the countryside and the scenery was gorgeous. I’ll never forget one sunrise coming up over a mist/fog covered farm field, the delicious baguettes we had in the morning with cafe au lait. It was a glorious visit We went to tour Versailles and while there was a fair sized group, it was still small enough to really drink in the history. From what I’ve read online, this kind of intimate experience is no longer possible, which makes me feel both sad and very grateful I got to experience France in the 1970’s.
Dear JM, almost nothing from 50 years ago is the same as it is today. Especially cities.
Load More Replies..." (but avoid at all cost Vendée " WHAT???? : vue-aerien...702635.jpg
Is it written by a 9 yo? It’s misinformed, geographically wrong and overall stupid.
Not everyone is worried about finding a cheap bargain eatery. Sometimes we just want the overpriced tourist experience. Who cares? If I want to eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant and pay $1000 you best believe I know what I'm doing.
Hmmm I don't know. I went to Paris as a tourist, walked and explored for days, and loved it. Tried to eat and drink places that were off the beaten tourist path for sure. But, I loved it so much. And seeing some of the most touristy spots like Eiffel tower, etc was still really nice.
France is one of the best places for camping (not wild camping tho). But you will need a little skill in French.
DO NOT HAIL A WAITING TAXI AT OUR AIRPORT! ANY COLORED TAXI. White, Yellow, Whatever. No. (The Philippines) unless if that was a privately contracted car (costs thousands) or from a passenger app service called Grab (also expensive and hard to book since Grab drivers never want to accept passengers from the Airport. It does not earn them their "desired profit" due to traffic) Best bet is to ride this point to point bus called UBE Express going to Ayala Makati. Yes, a bus. It has a standard flat fee. It would not dupe you with Fare Charges and you would not deal with evil drivers. Makati City in Metro Manila is the FINANCIAL DISTRICT of the COUNTRY. Nowhere is perfect but there's less chance that you will get robbed once you alight since the terminal at Makati is at One Ayala establishment. And there are guards there with less escape spots for criminals. Plus, it is a terminal for other modes of transport as well. The crowd surrounding that area are well off. Financially. That or they are too busy to rob you. Eitherway, you will be safer.
Go to a favela at night
You know, those colorful mountainside neighborhoods where everyone strolls along singing about Ipanema and Copacabana. Happy, smiling children, all that stuff.
Singing Michael Jackson's They Don't Care About Us. NIce sentiments, MJ, but did you need to insult the police keeping you and your entourage safe?
Load More Replies...If you can’t take some light ribbig at your expense or hear the C word in every second sentence your gonna have a bad time
It's not shocking in America to use the C word but say it to a woman expect to.get punched in the throat
I would never use as a negative, jokingly or otherwise, the name of places where I have spent so many happy seconds.
When visiting the liberty bell do not take a detour through Kensington
If traveling to Canada, check the temperature. It's not warm, sunny and covered in flowers in April. And, on the other hand, don't expect you'll be able to ski in July.
I didn't see one "Detroit. Just don't." post. Have they finally reclaimed it from the drug lords and gangs?
As of 2 years ago from my last visit - it's still not worth it. I go up that way to visit family.
Load More Replies...Whoever reads this, I hope your day goes better than yesterday, and I wish you good health and that you see a cute puppy and it makes you smile. ❤️
In Germany. Don't broach the topic of German history or politics or religion if you don't actually feel like having a discussion. It's not because these are sensitive subjects.Rather because Germans WILL tell you their opinion and you better be prepared for occasionally brutal honesty. I figure this is where the stereotype of the blunt German comes from.
Totally! Same goes for Taiwan. Don’t try to engage strangers in a discussion of Chinese/Taiwanese history and national separation.
Load More Replies...Canada: spring is more like- at 7am it is summer, at 10am it’s fall, at 2pm it’s summer, at 2:01pm it’s hailing out and there’s a snowstorm, etc.
In Australia. Don'ts. Don't haggle, hustle or hassle. Don't carry a weapon of ANY kind, and that includes toys. Don't try to bring food into the country. Contrary to what many people advise, don't swear or get drunk in Australia. It's a sober realisation that of the more than 1,000 Australians I've met over the past 60 years, not even one of them swears casually. And Australia has fewer alcoholics than almost any country. Do enjoy our native wildlife but don't hassle it. Other than the saltwater croc, we have nothing native that's deadlier than a sheep. Don't expect views in Melbourne, there aren't any. Don't break the law, especially don't break the speed limit. Do trust the police, the local doctor and hospital emergency. If stopped anywhere other than a tollway, always get out of the car. The food is all edible, the tap water is all safe to drink, there are plenty of toilets. There are no ghettos, and city centres are safe at night.
The whole world: Austalia is too dangerous! Australian: beware of sheep. :D
Load More Replies...I feel like America was unfairly made to look bad and unfriendly in regard to these comments. There will always be bad people and situations anywhere you go, but in my experience Americans are open and helpful, and really want you to have a good time on your visit.
Oddly specific but don’t make jokes about pedos or the philia in the US. In lots of British movies and tv, this seems to be an insult Brits throw around a lot. That is an incredibly serious accusation in the US. If you call someone that, you mean it, like really mean it. And it can ruin someone’s reputation or get the authorities involved. In pro-gun states, it may even get you physically harmed. Not a joke or an insult you throw around here.
A few times per year, I was doing business in New York. To my amazement, everybody there would know I am French (I am) right away. Some people would directly speak to me in French. Still wonder how they'd know...
New England - don't climb in the White Mountains without checking the weather. Don't rely on your cellphone - no coverage in much of the area. Make sure you can survive outdoors for a night, even on a day hike. Weather at the peaks can be 100% different from weather in the valley - BE PREPARED. And yes, NH Fish and Wildlife will bill you for the rescue costs if they think you did something stupid or preventable.
I noticed that while i was in new York people would toss notes across the counter at each other when paying for items and didn't seem to be a problem. Obviously USA is abig place and it's probably not like that everywhere . In Australia it's is considered bad manners generally to push your coins across the counter or simply leave them there for the attendant to pick up let alone tossing notes across the counter . IT is customary here to place your maymwnt into the receivers hands. At keast ot was before everyone started freaking out over covid and whatnot .
Whoever reads this, I hope your day goes better than yesterday, and I wish you good health and that you see a cute puppy and it makes you smile. ❤️
In Germany. Don't broach the topic of German history or politics or religion if you don't actually feel like having a discussion. It's not because these are sensitive subjects.Rather because Germans WILL tell you their opinion and you better be prepared for occasionally brutal honesty. I figure this is where the stereotype of the blunt German comes from.
Totally! Same goes for Taiwan. Don’t try to engage strangers in a discussion of Chinese/Taiwanese history and national separation.
Load More Replies...Canada: spring is more like- at 7am it is summer, at 10am it’s fall, at 2pm it’s summer, at 2:01pm it’s hailing out and there’s a snowstorm, etc.
In Australia. Don'ts. Don't haggle, hustle or hassle. Don't carry a weapon of ANY kind, and that includes toys. Don't try to bring food into the country. Contrary to what many people advise, don't swear or get drunk in Australia. It's a sober realisation that of the more than 1,000 Australians I've met over the past 60 years, not even one of them swears casually. And Australia has fewer alcoholics than almost any country. Do enjoy our native wildlife but don't hassle it. Other than the saltwater croc, we have nothing native that's deadlier than a sheep. Don't expect views in Melbourne, there aren't any. Don't break the law, especially don't break the speed limit. Do trust the police, the local doctor and hospital emergency. If stopped anywhere other than a tollway, always get out of the car. The food is all edible, the tap water is all safe to drink, there are plenty of toilets. There are no ghettos, and city centres are safe at night.
The whole world: Austalia is too dangerous! Australian: beware of sheep. :D
Load More Replies...I feel like America was unfairly made to look bad and unfriendly in regard to these comments. There will always be bad people and situations anywhere you go, but in my experience Americans are open and helpful, and really want you to have a good time on your visit.
Oddly specific but don’t make jokes about pedos or the philia in the US. In lots of British movies and tv, this seems to be an insult Brits throw around a lot. That is an incredibly serious accusation in the US. If you call someone that, you mean it, like really mean it. And it can ruin someone’s reputation or get the authorities involved. In pro-gun states, it may even get you physically harmed. Not a joke or an insult you throw around here.
A few times per year, I was doing business in New York. To my amazement, everybody there would know I am French (I am) right away. Some people would directly speak to me in French. Still wonder how they'd know...
New England - don't climb in the White Mountains without checking the weather. Don't rely on your cellphone - no coverage in much of the area. Make sure you can survive outdoors for a night, even on a day hike. Weather at the peaks can be 100% different from weather in the valley - BE PREPARED. And yes, NH Fish and Wildlife will bill you for the rescue costs if they think you did something stupid or preventable.
I noticed that while i was in new York people would toss notes across the counter at each other when paying for items and didn't seem to be a problem. Obviously USA is abig place and it's probably not like that everywhere . In Australia it's is considered bad manners generally to push your coins across the counter or simply leave them there for the attendant to pick up let alone tossing notes across the counter . IT is customary here to place your maymwnt into the receivers hands. At keast ot was before everyone started freaking out over covid and whatnot .
