Originally Posted by axelwik

I have friends who have a LOT of money. I travel just as much as them, but instead of staying in the fancy hotels and hiring people to do everything I do most of the research and planning myself, stay where the locals stay, do more of what I really want to do, and camp when it's appropriate.

When they come home and talk about their experiences it's all about fancy this and fancy that, western ammenities etc., but almost nothing about the culture, local customs (unless they're making fun of it), local street food, or everyday people.

If I wanted to stay in a fancy hotel, eat fancy food, and be insulated from the "unwashed masses" there's plenty of that just a few miles away from home without having to pay airfare.

When I talk about my trips - learning some of the language before leaving, being invited into people's homes, getting to know average people, hitching rides in trucks, buses etc., discovering really cool places on my own, etc. they just can't fathom it.

I've been to more than 50 countries and my way is better, and costs a fraction of what they pay. One does not have to be loaded to have rich travel experiences. Money can't buy everything and tends to insulate one from real experiences; putting a little bit of work into it results in a much "richer" experience.