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This pet peeves with travel bloggers post has been a long time coming. I finally got to the point of wanting to get it off my chest. I finally decided to put pen to paper. I know people will hate me for this, but c’est la vie! That’s just the way it goes. I, as a travel blogger who travels a lot, I take umbrage at some of the “soft lies” being spouted by travel bloggers. A lot of the best travel blogs are guilty as heck!

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Pet peeves with travel bloggers:

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Travel Bloggers are annoying when they do this:

Top Ten Lists – Right off the bat, l am guilty of that with this post :-) . I hate what is known as Listicals, or as l put it “the lazy man’s way” of reporting. It can serve its purpose in some cases, like for this post. It becomes a problem when every other post is a “Top ten things to do”, “Top ten things to see” etc.

– Right off the bat, l am guilty of that with this post :-) . I hate what is known as Listicals, or as l put it “the lazy man’s way” of reporting. It can serve its purpose in some cases, like for this post. It becomes a problem when every other post is a “Top ten things to do”, “Top ten things to see” etc. Best Anything – I have a real problem with someone telling me what they feel is the best restaurant to eat at after a 48 hour visit! It’s one thing to say “this was the best place l ate at during my trip”. It’s quite another to call it the best in the whole city. Even residents would shy away from making that claim :-) , what qualifies you as the expert?

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Glossing over everything – I totally get the fact that most places are wonderful. More than likely, that’s the reason why you choose to go there. Most of your experiences will be overwhelmingly positive, but l think we owe it to the readers to give a fair and balanced account of the trips. It’s hard to believe that every single second of your trip was bliss. I think readers appreciate the honesty because it prepares them for what to expect. From reading travel blogs, I thought Amsterdam would be the bomb, but it was just okay for me. If a place is more expensive than normal, l want to hear it. If you had a epic disaster, I definitely want to hear it ;-) .

– I totally get the fact that most places are wonderful. More than likely, that’s the reason why you choose to go there. Most of your experiences will be overwhelmingly positive, but l think we owe it to the readers to give a fair and balanced account of the trips. It’s hard to believe that every single second of your trip was bliss. I think readers appreciate the honesty because it prepares them for what to expect. From reading travel blogs, I thought Amsterdam would be the bomb, but it was just okay for me. If a place is more expensive than normal, l want to hear it. If you had a epic disaster, I definitely want to hear it ;-) . Living like a local – There are some true nomad travelers out there for sure, but l think most travelers now consider staying at an AirBnB as “living like a local”. Mmm..No! Yes, you can cook, but l suspect most people don’t. Picking up croissants for breakfast and making coffee in the flat is not living like a local. Most people hardly interact with their hosts, either because the host is busy working or the guests are busy sightseeing. Our stay in Japan a few months ago, we had 3 separate hosts, and met only one face to face, and just for a few minutes. The other two flats had combination locks on the doors and there was zero interaction with the hosts. Pinterest Pinterest

– There are some true nomad travelers out there for sure, but l think most travelers now consider staying at an AirBnB as “living like a local”. Mmm..No! Yes, you can cook, but l suspect most people don’t. Picking up croissants for breakfast and making coffee in the flat is not living like a local. Most people hardly interact with their hosts, either because the host is busy working or the guests are busy sightseeing. Our stay in Japan a few months ago, we had 3 separate hosts, and met only one face to face, and just for a few minutes. The other two flats had combination locks on the doors and there was zero interaction with the hosts.

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Writing about places they’ve never visited . I’ve been at this for a couple of years and then some. I was a bit naive at first when reading some blogs. Sometimes l would comment with a question, only to have them say they never actually visited. I could no longer trust what they wrote and I crossed them off my reading list.

. I’ve been at this for a couple of years and then some. I was a bit naive at first when reading some blogs. Sometimes l would comment with a question, only to have them say they never actually visited. I could no longer trust what they wrote and I crossed them off my reading list. Elitist attitude – The feeling of superiority over others. Travel is a luxury that most people can not afford. It can expand your knowledge and improve your life experience. It does not, however make you better than the person who doesn’t. If you’re a twat, you just become a twat who travels. You don’t suddenly achieve superiority ;-) .

– The feeling of superiority over others. Travel is a luxury that most people can not afford. It can expand your knowledge and improve your life experience. It does not, however make you better than the person who doesn’t. If you’re a twat, you just become a twat who travels. You don’t suddenly achieve superiority ;-) . Shunning the tourist sites. There are bloggers who insist on going “off the beaten path” only. That’s fine, and it’s their choice. There is no reason to belittle others for not traveling your way. I’ve said it before, and l will say it again, with very few exceptions, l think most of them don’t do the “touristy” things that cost money because they can’t afford to. Oh yeah! Denying yourself from seeing beauties like famous cathedrals with free entry just so you can gloat about it? Who’s the idiot then? These places became tourist destinations for a reason. They are gorgeous and historic!!!

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The everyone can and should travel attitude – I think a lot of people from the western world, especially the United States don’t realize how fortunate they are to have their passports. Most of the world population can only dream of traveling. It took my brother over four months of trying to secure a visa to India for much needed operations. It also takes money! Current visa fee for Nigerians wanting to travel to India is $252! A college graduate earns about $256-350 per month salary, and I’m talking Banking Industry here, not your average person. Priorities!!!

I think a lot of people from the western world, especially the United States don’t realize how fortunate they are to have their passports. Most of the world population can only dream of traveling. It took my brother over four months of trying to secure a visa to India for much needed operations. It also takes money! Current visa fee for Nigerians wanting to travel to India is $252! A college graduate earns about $256-350 per month salary, and I’m talking Banking Industry here, not your average person. Priorities!!! The quit your job and travel preaching. This really burns my hide! I’m not going to say much as l have already said it before. It’s kind of irresponsible to encourage people to chuck it all for a life of uncertainty. I believe in the 6 P’s – Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. This is the end of my rant.

Are there too many travel bloggers?:

Good question! Travel blogging is definitely a crowded field. Most people get into it for the wrong reasons in my opinion. There is no huge requirement like a college degree or money upfront to start a blog. I see a lot of new bloggers just looking for freebies like free accommodation and free swag from the companies. They don’t realize that they need to build up a reputation and act accordingly. They want to be “influencers” whatever that means.

I find it hard to believe the crap that l see when l look on Instagram for instance. Some young 20 year old kid showing off a room that costs $500 a night and thinking l would be motivated to stay there, OR that he/she has an audience with that much disposable income. I don’t blame the bloggers, I blame the companies. If you don’t do your due diligence and vet the bloggers, you deserve to get fleeced!.

Do l hate travel bloggers?

No, of course not. I am one of them. I do however think that on the whole, we can do a lot better. I know the urge to make money is strong, the desire to inspire people is even stronger, but you must put it all out there and write from your own perspective and nob blanket statements.

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So there you have it, my top pet peeves with travel bloggers. Have l missed any of your pet peeves? Please share. Am l being too hard on travel bloggers and writers in general? Do you feel cheated when you read about a place only to find out there are gaping holes in the reportage when you visit?

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