Is The Magic Gone In Travel?

[wabothai]

Last year I took a trip to Beautiful Luzern in Switzerland.

What I encountered was a lot of orientals, presumably Chinese taking selfies

of a a stick. At that moment the thought was: Hmm, the magic of travelling hasgone.

Besides there are few places where you can travel without encountering armed

forces. Yes indeed the magic is slowly disappearing.

For sure Thailand's magic has gone.

[micmichd]

Unfortunately there were no digital cameras in 1969. Maybe should go back on this road again...

[how241]

Of course you can still discover things on your own. A guidebook doesn't force you to obey it. You can step off the beaten path any time you like.

+1...People are scared due to all the things they read everyday.

[doggie888888]

Last year I took a trip to Beautiful Luzern in Switzerland.

What I encountered was a lot of orientals, presumably Chinese taking selfies

of a a stick. At that moment the thought was: Hmm, the magic of travelling hasgone.

Besides there are few places where you can travel without encountering armed

forces. Yes indeed the magic is slowly disappearing.

For sure Thailand's magic has gone.

Yes. It's rather like the many Western faces one encounters in Asia these days. Sadly, the magic of Asia is slowly disappearing as air travel becomes cheaper and previously exotic destinations are spoilt by loud and demanding Westerners looking for Starbucks and McDonald's. Look at pattaya and the Western hoons who visit. Or do your observations only apply to "orientals" who are uppity enough to take holidays in Europe?

[bbbbooboo]

......yawn

[anon4546543]

No matter what tech they use, what flights they take, how they get there does not really matter. Travel is a superb education. We all should try to travel to different places more often. I just hope you can travel stress free and try to mingle into the local population.

[Ghostnigel]

I would rather have a smartphone than not have one, trouble is, all the mystery has gone before you get to your destination, you've read up on everything, hotel, nearby amenities etc. almost feels like deja vous because you feel like being there before (on your smartphone). I used google streetview before going to Chiang Khan, and could tell my gf where things were, she wouldnt believe that i had never been before.

[squarethecircle]

One tale of "magic" while travelling in N Thailand a couple of years ago

I was hitchhiking from Mae Sai to Chiang Mai, with ultimate destination Mae Hong Son.

Hitching in Thailand usually means catching songthaews or local buses - not the fancy direct modern buses but the local ones that stop and go - but it's still fun. Sometimes an off-duty cop or teacher will stop. (Actually there is a lot of bashing on this forum about Thai police but I have met many who are very respectable men)

On this occasion, I caught a bus down to the turn-off towards CM, I think it's called Mae Chan. Walked a couple kms down that road, and waved down an empty songthaew. They were only going 20 km down the road, but told me I could take a bus to Chiang Mai.

I sat in the front with the driver. We drove maybe 10 k's and came around the bend in a curvy mountain area, and there was a bus stopped there, in the middle of a rural road, with the driver and conductor standing out. The bus was packed full, with a couple of youngsters on top.

The songthaew driver said this was the bus to Chiang Mai, so I paid him and got out.

They had no room on the inside but said I could sit on top, so I did, hanging on to the roof with a couple of youngsters, all the way to Chiang Mai.

What was magic about this? Well I told the songthaew driver I was going to Chiang Mai. There was no one around and he called no one. But the bus to Chiang Mai stopped, waiting for me, on a rural road. They were clearly waiting for me since as soon as I got on they took off. But - as far as I could see - there was no way for the songthaew driver to communicate with the bus driver - it was just me and him in the songthaew.

I'm still puzzled to this day how that worked out. Maybe it wasn't telepathy, maybe the songthaew driver has some system where he notifies buses if he has passengers for them. But as far as I could see, there was no rational way the bus would have known to stop there and wait for me. I put it down to Thai telepathy.

[carter1882]

I arrived in Thailand for the first time on April 10th, yesterday...but 33 years ago. No guidebook , nothing. Bloody incredible, i still remember thise crazy first few weeks to this day.

[talisman01]

True - travel has changed a lot over recent decades but maybe it is worth remembering that it was Robert Louis Stevenson who said in 1881 that "Little do ye know your own blessedness, for to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labour"

[geisha]

I remember flying to Borneo, alone, in a monsoon storm, they had to help me off the plane my knees were knocking so hard! Then, from my guesthouse , I found a guide who took me up the Skrang river, we slept in long houses on the floor, creepy crawling things as well, walked the jungle and learnt how to use blow pipes, ate the strangest things and had the time of my life. Then, first time in Burma. A long time ago, leaving a small restaurant in a dark quiet Bagan, I was approached by 7 /8 young men, I decided not to run, I'm no good at it. In quite good English they asked me if I knew any Elvis songs, I said yes , Blue suede shoes, so we all sang in the middle of that dark road , including me doing a few dance steps, then they walked me back to my guest house. Never had a guide book either! But wonderful memories.

[craigt3365]

Some really interesting posts here! Love the discussion.

[geisha]

I remember flying to Borneo, alone, in a monsoon storm, they had to help me off the plane my knees were knocking so hard! Then, from my guesthouse , I found a guide who took me up the Skrang river, we slept in long houses on the floor, creepy crawling things as well, walked the jungle and learnt how to use blow pipes, ate the strangest things and had the time of my life. Then, first time in Burma. A long time ago, leaving a small restaurant in a dark quiet Bagan, I was approached by 7 /8 young men, I decided not to run, I'm no good at it. In quite good English they asked me if I knew any Elvis songs, I said yes , Blue suede shoes, so we all sang in the middle of that dark road , including me doing a few dance steps, then they walked me back to my guest house. Never had a guide book either! But wonderful memories.

[transam]

Interesting topic for me........Been around a bit and now in my "older" age don't give a shit about anything travel wise...I don't care about beaches and all that stuff.........In fact all I want is peace........Yeh I know it sounds boring but I have seen all the religious monument stuff from all sides that I wowed at and is now my history......... If I told you what interests me you would say I am crackers cos you have no interest in it.

Mind you, I must confess, to me the female form, even at my age, is the eighth wonder of the world..Keeping up my dads tradition......

[keestha]

Some of the best travel memories I have, are about arriving somewhere at night, and then seeing how beautiful it was when getting up in the morning. Like after having made a lengthy train/bus journey the previous day, the last part of which, when it was dark already, was going uphill into the mountains.

Had this experience when going to Chiang Mai for the first time. I had arrived in the middle of the night, and the next morning when having breakfast at the flat roof restaurant of the 5 story high guesthouse I had the feeling I was starting a holiday in the Himalayas, seeing the hills all around.

[micmichd]

Those Himalayas, the roof of the world where the Gods live.

I went there the other way in 1969, from Benares to Khatmandu, uphill on the back of a truck. And I was afraid to crash down with this old truck. There was only space for one truck on this serpentine road, so a permanent stop, go back and go ahead. And all the timetable you could see the wrecks of all those trucks that never made it and ended up in the valleys. Many many many, and I was always afraid I could be among the next ones.

Then one morning we hit Khatmandu Valley, and all of a sudden I was released from all fears. The sight of the Himalayas made it. At this moment of magic I realized that now I had found what I was looking for.

That's what I thought.

After many years in the West, something was missing again: a family.

Like magic, I found them in Asia. Maybe they rather found me. In Thailand.

Edited April 12, 2015 by micmichd

[smokie36]

Crazy to see backpackers in Thailand all staring down at their smart phone rather than enjoying the surroundings.

They used to stare down at a guidebook. Now they stare at a smart phone instead. Don't see much difference.

On Koh Phangan they would all be sitting inside watching movies all day as I walked past them to get to the beach.

Not joking btw!

[transam]

[mcfish]

I never used a guide book. I just relied on speaking to people I met at my first destination and then using that advice for local knowledge and to get to my next destination and surprise surprise you got to meet new people and make good friends.

[micmichd]

One tale of "magic" while travelling in N Thailand a couple of years ago

I was hitchhiking from Mae Sai to Chiang Mai, with ultimate destination Mae Hong Son.

Hitching in Thailand usually means catching songthaews or local buses - not the fancy direct modern buses but the local ones that stop and go - but it's still fun. Sometimes an off-duty cop or teacher will stop. (Actually there is a lot of bashing on this forum about Thai police but I have met many who are very respectable men)

On this occasion, I caught a bus down to the turn-off towards CM, I think it's called Mae Chan. Walked a couple kms down that road, and waved down an empty songthaew. They were only going 20 km down the road, but told me I could take a bus to Chiang Mai.

I sat in the front with the driver. We drove maybe 10 k's and came around the bend in a curvy mountain area, and there was a bus stopped there, in the middle of a rural road, with the driver and conductor standing out. The bus was packed full, with a couple of youngsters on top.

The songthaew driver said this was the bus to Chiang Mai, so I paid him and got out.

They had no room on the inside but said I could sit on top, so I did, hanging on to the roof with a couple of youngsters, all the way to Chiang Mai.

What was magic about this? Well I told the songthaew driver I was going to Chiang Mai. There was no one around and he called no one. But the bus to Chiang Mai stopped, waiting for me, on a rural road. They were clearly waiting for me since as soon as I got on they took off. But - as far as I could see - there was no way for the songthaew driver to communicate with the bus driver - it was just me and him in the songthaew.

I'm still puzzled to this day how that worked out. Maybe it wasn't telepathy, maybe the songthaew driver has some system where he notifies buses if he has passengers for them. But as far as I could see, there was no rational way the bus would have known to stop there and wait for me. I put it down to Thai telepathy.

Maybe the bus driver had a schedule to wait for customers at certain bus stops. Some Thais even have mobiles.

Edited April 12, 2015 by micmichd

[CNXBKKMAN]

Maybe with the bus fully loaded inside and on the roof it was time to go. No point waiting any longer if Nobody else could get on. Max revenue had been reached.

[SoiBiker]

Hitchhiking involves getting the bus?

Where I come from, we call that getting the bus, not hitchhiking.

[piersbeckett]

I arrived in Thailand for the first time on April 10th, yesterday...but 33 years ago. No guidebook , nothing. Bloody incredible, i still remember thise crazy first few weeks to this day.

I've been told it really was magical in Thailand then from the travelers standpoint and down in Phuket it was paradise - I'm sure I'm not the only one that would like to hear about those first few weeks.

Edited April 12, 2015 by piersbeckett

[micmichd]

In many parts of Asia, hitchhiking includes taking a bus.

[CNXBKKMAN]

Hitchhiking involves getting the bus?

Where I come from, we call that getting the bus, not hitchhiking.

Sometimes you will take the local bus to the edge of town and stand on the main road or junction that's going in your direction or destination. In the middle of town people are on local journeys generally. Hitch hiking is a brilliant way to travel and has a loaded with travel magic.

[gandalf12]

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depends at what age you are, looking at this question I'm in my 60's now and did all my travelling from 1970-1980...no cell phones,I phones etc,cant even remember if there was a "lonely planets guide book".As a traveller then we got all our info from word of mouth...only travellers/backpackers were westerner's.

Now everyone travels with guide books,i phones and connection to everyone is instant...so i think this means that there is no magic left in discovery on your own.

Add to this, cheap travel(air fares) and millions are now at it,i cant think of anywhere that would still remain untapped.I am sure the young 20-30 year old's dont see it this way and enjoy their travels just as much as i did mine.Am just seeing it from a bye gone era.

That was the time Tony and Maureen Wheeler was starting Lonely Planet

[mogandave]

I never really understood the attraction of travel.

[craigt3365]

I arrived in Thailand for the first time on April 10th, yesterday...but 33 years ago. No guidebook , nothing. Bloody incredible, i still remember thise crazy first few weeks to this day.

I've been told it really was magical in Thailand then from the travelers standpoint and down in Phuket it was paradise - I'm sure I'm not the only one that would like to hear about those first few weeks.

One of our mods use to come here some 20+ years ago. Said Pattaya bay was clear and blue water. A beautiful place to be....obviously not now...

[sunshine51]

I arrived in Thailand for the first time on April 10th, yesterday...but 33 years ago. No guidebook , nothing. Bloody incredible, i still remember thise crazy first few weeks to this day.

I've been told it really was magical in Thailand then from the travelers standpoint and down in Phuket it was paradise - I'm sure I'm not the only one that would like to hear about those first few weeks.

One of our mods use to come here some 20+ years ago. Said Pattaya bay was clear and blue water. A beautiful place to be....obviously not now...

A fair bit further South on Ban Dong Kam in 1973...there were only trees, clean sand, crystal clear water

where small fish would nibble at dead skin on your feet & hands (tickled!), a dirt road and a hand operated

gas pump at a wooden structure that doubled as a tiny mom & pop store. Plus two wooden houses back

about 50 meters from the dirt road near the South end of the beach. FYI...Ban Dong Kam is Patong Beach.

[wileycoyote]

I understand your feelings.

However,part of the magic is the sunlight,weather,smells,atmosphere and most of all the people ,these are all elements which produce a unique moment.

Please continue looking ,the magic & mystery are still there but becoming harder to find !