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Old 01-07-2015, 05:40 PM
 
Location: Colorado
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Because there are too many "good" countries that I still haven't visited yet.
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Old 01-07-2015, 07:35 PM
 
Location: Vermont, New England
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Default It's the hassle more than most things really

I would stick out like a sore thumb in any one of those 3 countries. They are all very poor and unstable so I would expect to get hassled from beggars and police alike. I travel to have a good time, not to try and survive and not get thrown in jail by a corrupt official because I can't afford a good bribe. Those countries also have hot climates, super high crime and I just don't think I'd enjoy it there.

I've been to 15 countries, but no third world ones. I would love to visit a country like Thailand, Indonesia, Morocco in order to ease my way into travel in parts of the world where I don't yet have experience and "coping skills"
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Old 01-07-2015, 09:14 PM
 
Location: Tucson/Nogales
23,130 posts, read 28,863,992 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JWEvergreen View Post
This question is easy to answer. I haven't visited all 50 of our states yet!
I hear that from too many of my relatives: haven't visited all 50 of our states yet! Then they'll hop across the Atlantic or Pacific and be more adventuresome?

It falls on deaf ears to tell them: foreign travel is a lot of work! Do your foreign travel first, then visit the 50 states during your retirement years!
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Old 01-08-2015, 10:16 AM
 
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tijlover View Post
It falls on deaf ears to tell them: foreign travel is a lot of work! Do your foreign travel first, then visit the 50 states during your retirement years!

This is my thinking. Sure, when I don't have time to get out of country I'll go see National Parks (I loved Big Bend). But I'm going to do the physically demanding travel now when I can do it. I lugged a backpack and a camera backpack around Cambodia and Malaysia recently, and I can't see carrying all that around at 60. Places like Australia with good infrastructure can wait. Burma and Madagascar? Now you're talking!!
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Old 01-08-2015, 02:56 PM
 
Location: Colorado
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timberline742 View Post
This is my thinking. Sure, when I don't have time to get out of country I'll go see National Parks (I loved Big Bend). But I'm going to do the physically demanding travel now when I can do it. I lugged a backpack and a camera backpack around Cambodia and Malaysia recently, and I can't see carrying all that around at 60. Places like Australia with good infrastructure can wait. Burma and Madagascar? Now you're talking!!
I spent my 20's seeing all 50 states (and Mex/Can) instead of extensively touring Europe or elsewhere abroad and loved every minute of it. Besides saving a ton of money, I got to see a lot more beyond the typical tourist places which most people resolve to see in later life. These days I have a small RV which I use to give my own family a little taste of it.

People think far = adventure, which is why you often find more asian and european tourists in our NP's than american ones. But I can still get more lost and tried in the foothills across the street than I ever would on tour in some 3rd world country. Sure, if I had some compelling reason to go there, like studying wildlife or making a film, it would probably be great. But as a tourist I can do far more in a place where I am relatively familiar and safe than I can in some "exotic" land.
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Old 01-08-2015, 08:53 PM
 
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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I have no idea how you say you saved money, even with a $1500 plane ticket (plus or minus) traveling in Peru, Cambodia, or even Malaysia (which is rather affluent relatively) is far cheaper over even just two weeks than camping and traveling in the U.S. I've found.

Safety has never been an issue (outside the u.s., the u.s. has some sketchy stuff, relatively), but I'm a guy, and "familiarity" is something I'm trying to get away from when on vacation. And I have no idea how one could get "more lost" in the U.S. than in a foreign land. I can't comprehend it. I 've been to most of the U.S. and the back country of some of the biggest wilderness areas and it is not being lost by any means (in the US).
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Old 01-09-2015, 06:25 AM
 
Location: Starting a walkabout
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Quote:
Originally Posted by otterprods View Post
People think far = adventure, which is why you often find more asian and european tourists in our NP's than american ones. But I can still get more lost and tried in the foothills across the street than I ever would on tour in some 3rd world country. Sure, if I had some compelling reason to go there, like studying wildlife or making a film, it would probably be great. But as a tourist I can do far more in a place where I am relatively familiar and safe than I can in some "exotic" land.
USA has some great National Parks - there is no doubt about it. And i have traveled to quite a few of them. But the cities and bigger towns all look the same after a while. Even with regional differences the people and dishes start to be more alike than different. The infrastructure in USA is very good that even handicapped people have good access to most places.

But take Cambodia or Zambia or even a developed place like Greece. The people are different. The food is nothing like USA. The history and monuments cannot be found in USA. And most of all the infrastructure is not as well developed as in USA. So unfortunately you have to be reasonably fit to travel to those places. And as long as the costs are less than USA per day (minus the plane tickets) you can have a great holiday for slightly more money.

That is why I travel at least once a year to a country outside USA - and i avoid the usual Caribbean islands and the packaged cruises.
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Old 01-09-2015, 07:22 AM
 
10,839 posts, read 14,658,389 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kamban View Post
USA has some great National Parks - there is no doubt about it. And i have traveled to quite a few of them. But the cities and bigger towns all look the same after a while. Even with regional differences the people and dishes start to be more alike than different. The infrastructure in USA is very good that even handicapped people have good access to most places.
Yes, except probably half a dozen, it is a waste of time to keep visiting American cities. They are all largely the same.

"I haven't visited 50 states, so there is no need to go outside of America" is laughable and downright small minded. Why don't you admit you are scared of going outside your comfort zone, or probably just some kind of bumpkin. Does one honestly think that states like Ohio or Nebraska are as worthy of a visit as Italy or Spain? Give me a break.

What is the urge to visit all 50 states? It is like saying one needs to eat every kind of pasta. Do they all offer as much as nature, culture and history as ancient countries and cities elsewhere? Is anywhere in America as culturally interesting as Kyoto, Beijing, Seville or Salzburg? Even in terms of nature, the California pacific coast pales instantly in comparison to something like the Amalfi coast.

To say that is as ridiculous as saying "there is no need to try any foreign food since I haven't tasted every single American dishes". Yeah, when you travel to all states, there are still plenty of homogenous American cities and towns like Sacramento or Wichita to see - you will never have a reason to visit any foreign land!
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Old 01-09-2015, 09:02 AM
 
Location: Savannah GA/Lk Hopatcong NJ
13,380 posts, read 28,636,120 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by botticelli View Post
Yes, except probably half a dozen, it is a waste of time to keep visiting American cities. They are all largely the same.

"I haven't visited 50 states, so there is no need to go outside of America" is laughable and downright small minded. Why don't you admit you are scared of going outside your comfort zone, or probably just some kind of bumpkin. Does one honestly think that states like Ohio or Nebraska are as worthy of a visit as Italy or Spain? Give me a break.

What is the urge to visit all 50 states? It is like saying one needs to eat every kind of pasta. Do they all offer as much as nature, culture and history as ancient countries and cities elsewhere? Is anywhere in America as culturally interesting as Kyoto, Beijing, Seville or Salzburg? Even in terms of nature, the California pacific coast pales instantly in comparison to something like the Amalfi coast.

To say that is as ridiculous as saying "there is no need to try any foreign food since I haven't tasted every single American dishes". Yeah, when you travel to all states, there are still plenty of homogenous American cities and towns like Sacramento or Wichita to see - you will never have a reason to visit any foreign land!
Different strokes for different folks!!

From the O/P's first post

The purpose of this thread is not so much to discuss the pros and cons of such reasons, but to just find out from readers what kinds of reasons they harbor regarding travel to "bad" places. So explain your motives, but don't be argumentative or comment on other people's reasons, please.
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Old 01-09-2015, 10:08 AM
 
Location: Colorado
2,483 posts, read 4,358,223 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timberline742 View Post
I have no idea how you say you saved money, even with a $1500 plane ticket (plus or minus)...
Because it was the 80s/90s and gas was cheap (especially when split with a friend) and I camped for free on BLM and National Forest land or stayed with people I met or knew. Or even in the back of my car in a city when I had to. It was a lot of fun, but like I said, I was in my 20s.
Quote:
Originally Posted by timberline742 View Post
and "familiarity" is something I'm trying to get away from when on vacation.
When I said 'familiar' I was referring to knowing where the off-the-grid parks are, back-country (rarely traveled) trails, and having contacts that could house me or guide me, and generally just being able to do a lot more with a lot less because I know how to work the system better. I didn't mean just sticking with whatever is most americanized due to fear of the unknown or whatever. But that's fine too if that's what people want. I've done that when I went to Europe for an extended period because I started to get a little weary after several weeks on my own. And I have to go a lot more mainstream wherever I travel now because I have two little kids. Mostly we just visit family these days, or drive a couple hours in our little RV. But we still have some adventure and plenty of good times.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kamban View Post
USA has some great National Parks - there is no doubt about it. And i have traveled to quite a few of them. But the cities and bigger towns all look the same after a while.
OK, but as great as they are, there's a lot more to the American landscape than National Parks. I never did, and still don't, like to travel to cities for vacation, but I know some people love that stuff the most and I'm not opposed to stopping and doing city things en route to my actual destination.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kamban View Post
take Cambodia or Zambia or even a developed place like Greece. The people are different. The food is nothing like USA. The history and monuments cannot be found in USA. And most of all the infrastructure is not as well developed as in USA. So unfortunately you have to be reasonably fit to travel to those places. And as long as the costs are less than USA per day (minus the plane tickets) you can have a great holiday for slightly more money.
If your point is that the the world has a lot of different cultures and countries to see, then I agree. There's variety wherever you go, it's just not as apparent on the surface of some places. The OP asked about our reasons for not wanting to visit certain countries, and several of us have responded with our own reasoning. Some people on here (not you so much) have taken our differing opinions as some sort of affront and turned it into arguing with or even bashing our preferences, which is pretty childish, IMO. Why would they even want all of us to go to the same places they do? Wouldn't that spoil the unique, exotic nature of such places for them?
Quote:
Originally Posted by kamban View Post
That is why I travel at least once a year to a country outside USA - and i avoid the usual Caribbean islands and the packaged cruises.
Good for you, truly. But my guess is that you're not toting young children along with you and you're not elderly or infirm. Life changes and preferences change over time.
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