Rants/Thoughts Archives - Page 2 of 4

Have I Become a Beach Snob? (And the Danger of Comparisons)

June 5, 2015 by Jon Algie

“The water isn’t quite as blue as I was expecting”. “Why is there so much seaweed”? “There are too many rocks in the water; swimming would be hard”. These are some of the thoughts I had recently while exploring the beaches of Little Corn Island, Nicaragua. Don’t get me wrong, Little Corn is a great … Read more

What is Long-Term Travel Really Like?

September 13, 2015May 18, 2015 by Jon Algie

If you’re to believe the masses of articles and posts on long-term travel you could be forgiven for thinking that sliced bread has finally been overtaken as the most awesome thing ever. Is it really that great? Let’s find out… It’s Hot Most long-term travellers eventually wind up in the tropics, where the heat can … Read more

How to See the Real (Insert Country Here)

January 27, 2016April 6, 2015 by Jon Algie

It seems like most people who travel to exotic countries aren’t actually seeing the “real” version – it turns out most Mexicans don’t lie around on beaches all day and most Moroccans don’t ride camels – but how do you get past the tourist facade and into the heart of a country? I’m glad you … Read more

Rise of the Robot Travellers: Technology on the Road

December 13, 2014November 16, 2014 by Jon Algie

As my girlfriend and I sat in the common room of a hostel in Central London I noticed we were the only ones not using a phone, laptop or tablet. I’m not old enough to remember the “good old days” of travelling, when everyone involved themselves in deep discussions around candles and camp fires, but is this new, connected and robotic way of travelling really as bad as the old timers make it out to be?

How to not Lose Yourself When You Travel

December 13, 2014October 7, 2014 by Jon Algie

Travelling to find yourself seems to be all the rage these days, but unless you’re Kevin Bacon or Christian Slater (They each played invisible men in Hollow man 1 and 2 respectively) you probably never lost yourself in the first place. Instead of finding themselves, a lot of people actually end up losing aspects of their personalities that they’d be better off keeping. Their previous traits get replaced by new ones (often arrogance, laziness, self importance) and they become annoying global citizens who judge other people’s travel habits and plans. Unless you are running away from something awful back home, it’s a good idea not to lose yourself when you travel – and I’m here to show you how.

My Predictions for the Future of Travel

December 13, 2014September 26, 2014 by Jon Algie

Selective time travel

It’s always a good thing when destinations are as authentic as possible, so as soon as we invent time travel I’m sure we’ll use it to make tourism reach its full potential. Going back in time sounds great, but who wants to go without modern conveniences like internet and flying cars? Someone will invent a kind of gun or time-mist that can blast a predetermined area into the past, leaving everything else around it in the present (or future for us – this is getting as confusing as most time travel movies). We’ll be able to visit tiny villages untouched by the ravages of time and still be able to use magical food making machines all in the same outing – what could be better?

The Rat Factor: What is the Cleanest Country in Southeast Asia?

January 5, 2016July 17, 2014 by Jon Algie

Everyone says not to judge books by their covers, but if you’re lazily looking for a quick way to review them then there really is no better way. I took the same attitude when trying to decide the cleanest country in Southeast Asia. Sure, I could have done a whole lot of research and bombarded you with facts and figures – but to be honest, the only figure I really care about is the number of rats I see (I have a fear of rats, check out this post to find out why). The rat factor may be a flawed system, but it’s as good as any other and could 1 day be the official cleanliness yardstick in respected publications like Lonely Planet (as long as they pay me for using my idea!).

Are all those Selfies Shrinking Your Soul?

December 25, 2014July 5, 2014 by Jon Algie

Certain tribes around the world believe that every photograph taken of a person steals part of their soul, a part they’ll never get back. It sounds like the premise of a low-budget horror movie starring a washed up Tara Reid anxiously taking selfies to improve her self-esteem while unknowingly killing herself in the process. The question is – are they right? This narcissistic trend of constantly taking photos of ourselves to show other people that A: We have at least 1 hand (to hold the phone) and B: A functional face – is brought about by our new found need to appear more awesome. But is it having the opposite effect?