Don't Be That Tourist

You know the one that's yelling or talking real loud in a religious place like a temple or a church in Europe , or treating a local market like it's their personal photo studio . Well , yeah , we're not going to be them , so stay tuned and we'll be welcome back . I've got a list of 10 things to avoid when you travel . Hi and welcome back .

I've got a list of 10 things to avoid when you travel . Practical , some are funny , always useful stuff that I picked up from my own adventures and , okay , a few cringeworthy mistakes . So grab your coffee or your passport if you're feeling inspired and let's get into it . First up , don't ignore local customs . This one's huge .

You wouldn't walk into grandma's house and start rearranging your furniture , right ? Well , the same thing applies when you're a guest in someone else's country . Five minutes of research on dress codes or basic greetings can save you from being that tourist , whether it's taking off your shoes in Japan , or avoiding pointing with your feet in parts of Southeast Asia .

Yes , people do that . I don't know why , but they do . Knowing the norms shows respect and honestly . It makes your trip a lot smoother . While in the US , tipping at restaurants is ingrained in our culture . Some hate it , some are all for it , but in other countries it's considered rude to tip .

When I was in Nepal , we visited a lot of temples and it's customary to take your shoes off before entering a Buddhist temple . At one temple , I saw someone entering without doing that and only got a step or two inside before everyone gasped . Some were starting to point at his feet , a few were just getting downright angry , and some things are outright illegal .

Like disrespecting the royal family in Thailand . In 2007 , a Swiss tourist was sentenced to 10 years in prison for defacing portraits of the royal family . In fact , the penalty for insulting the king , queen , heir apparent or regent is a jail term of 3 to 15 years for each offense , and there have been people

sentenced to 30 , 40 , 50 years in prison for this . And in Singapore , you can be fined up to $1,000 for spitting on the street . So before you go to another country , spend a little time researching the customs and etiquette of the country you're traveling to Might save you a headache , all right . Number two don't be loud and obnoxious .

This one's a stereotype for a reason . Looking at you , fellow Americans although we're not alone .

I was enjoying a beer at a restaurant in the Philippines one time and sitting outside at the patio right next to the roadway , and this Australian guy a couple of tables over is talking real loud , complaining about everything how the food in the Philippines is no good , the service is slow and how everything is better at home . Everyone's staring at him .

Although I don't usually engage people like this , I finally told him to shut up , and if he hated the country that much , why visit ? Just go back home . Here's the thing , and it goes back to learning the customs compared to the United States or some other countries .

The fact is , in the Philippines , the service at restaurants is slow , and the reason is they want to leave you alone to enjoy your meal . In the US , the waiter or waitress will bring you a bill , sometimes before you even finish eating . They want you out to free up room for another customer . However , in the Philippines , there's no big rush .

You have to motion to someone and tell them that you are ready to pay . It's very laid back and they actually have great customer service . And another thing you want to watch how loud you're talking . To a lot of us we talk at a normal level , but in other countries they consider this extremely loud and rude . It's not about silencing your excitement .

It's about reading the room . Just observe how the locals act . In some places you don't talk on your phone on public transport or at restaurants and cafes or in public in general . Just match what the locals are doing and you'll blend in better and , honestly , it's more fun to soak in the atmosphere than to overpower it .

All right , we're rolling through this list . I hope you're taking notes and if you've got a travel pet peeve of your own , hit me up on Facebook , the Traveling Fool , or email me at editor@t hetravelingfool . com . I'd love to hear it . Now Now, number three, don't litter or damage sites . This one's a no-brainer , but it happens all the time .

I've seen people throwing things in the water while traveling by boat in Asia and leaving trash laying around on the beaches . These places aren't just pretty backdrops for your Instagram . They're history , culture and someone else's home . The same thing goes for scratching your name into stuff Looking at you . Coliseum fanboys . That's right .

In 2023 , a tourist carved Ivan and Hayley 23 . I guess Hayley's his girlfriend . They carved it into a 2,000-year-old wall at the Coliseum in Rome . His excuse Well , I didn't know , it was that old . Then , in 2024 , a Ukrainian tourist carved his name onto the walls of the Colosseum .

I mean , you have to be a special kind of moron to deface a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Almost every month you read about a tourist somewhere posing nude at a religious site or chipping a piece of brick from an old historic building or breaking a piece off of a priceless sculpture .

It's like a left home turned into a three-year-old toddler on a sugar rush and run rampant when they get to a foreign country . So pack out your trash , leave no trace and don't do stupid stuff for Instagram or TikTok , and let's keep these spots gorgeous for the next traveler . I mean , it's the least we can do , alright ? Number four Don't haggle aggressively .

Now Now I love visiting markets in foreign countries . It's not just the ones catering to the tourists . Markets are where you find the locals and you can really get a good glimpse of everyday life and meet some really interesting and friendly people . In a lot of overseas locations , haggling or bargaining is part of everyday life .

But before you go , see if that's the case where you're headed . And let's face it , in a lot of places they'll inflate the price of something just because you are a tourist and don't know what the usual price is . But there's a line . In Thailand . I watched this tourist argue over a scarf for like 20 minutes to say what amounted to be about 50 cents .

The vendor well , he just looked plain defeated . A lot of places have those iconic souvenirs that everyone buys . In Nepal it was singing bowls . If you don't know what a singing bowl is , google it . Or Himalayan salt or handmade papers . Here's a tip A lot of these stores will sell the same iconic souvenir .

So when you go in , just tell them hey , I just stopped in to look real quick , but I want to wait until I'm ready to leave the country before buying my souvenirs and just check out the prices . Go to a couple of shops and compare prices . Then you have a base to start bargaining .

But remember , bargaining is part of the fun in some cultures and almost expected . But it's not a battle to the death . If it's a fair price and they're not budging . Well , just buy it or don't buy it , but don't sit there and argue for 30 to 40 minutes over it . These folks are supporting families .

They're not running a corporate empire , and I found that a smile and a little flexibility will get you a whole lot further and sometimes a better deal than just digging in your heels . Next up , number five . Don't take photos without permission . In the United States , you can take photos anywhere in public .

If you are standing on the sidewalk or in a public place , you can take photos of anything you can see . That includes people , buildings , military installations . It does not matter . As long as you are in a public place and can see it , then you can take a photo . Some people might get upset , but it's perfectly legal .

That is not the case in a lot of other countries . When I was in Nepal , I saw this holy man . Now holy men dress very vibrantly in vibrant colors and they have vibrant colors painted on their face and just all kinds of .

I mean it's very, well, they stand out , trust me , and I was just totally mesmerized by all these colors and the striking appearance and I took a couple of photos . Well , afterward he held out his hand and I thought to myself , you want me to pay you ?

Well , thank goodness, at that moment one of the Nepalese I was traveling with kind of nudged me and said you know , it's customary to pay these guys when you take their photo . They don't work , that's how they make their living . Now the customary fee was less than a dollar . I didn't know that before I took the photo , but I mean it's not any big deal .

I just didn't know that that was the custom . But in some places taking photos of government buildings , military or police personnel can get you arrested . Now I always ask , even if it's just kind of nod and point to my camera . And kids especially, parents do not love strangers zooming in on their little ones , but I've taken a lot of photos of kids .

I found that if you ask , hey , can I take a picture , you know they're like sure , go ahead . I've taken pictures of kids and grownups and everything . I just ask permission first . Some people say

no . But 90% of the time, they're more than happy to get a photo taken of them . It's a small gesture that keeps things respectful and can even lead to a really cool chat , in fact . I'll give you an example . I was traveling with a couple of friends in Greece . We went there for two or three days and , frankly , we got lost .

We found ourselves in this little small town , but it was such a cool little town they had next to the houses there was little shrines that they had little . We saw them in almost every street .

And next to this one house was a vineyard and there was a lady working in the vineyard and she was just the typical Greek grandmother I mean , she could have stepped out of a movie somewhere and she come walking out and she looked at us as we were taking a picture of this little shrine and she asked us if we were tourists, in broken English .

We said yes and she was just so happy to see us because tourists didn't come to her little village . Like I said , we were lost . We were driving around in a rental car and got lost , but because the way she looked and everything and she was friendly , I asked her . I said can I take your photo ? And she was like , absolutely . So then we took her photo .

She wound up bringing fresh grapes out of her vineyard for us , brought wine out of the house , called her son to come out and meet us and we sat there and talked to her for like 30 minutes , had a great chat and , to tell you the truth , candid shots are just overrated . The connection is where the real story is .

Who knows , you might meet someone really nice . Okay , number six , and this one's another photo don't do . Don't block pathways or views , whether you're taking a photo or just standing in there . And this one's a pet peeve of mine , because I take a lot of photos and I don't want photos full of people taking selfies .

I sometimes have to wait for 30 minutes just for people to get out of the way so I can take a photo . Now I know how much you love that selfie overlooking a waterfall or on the beach , but take it and move along .

I've seen people walk in front of others to take photos , blocking other people's views , doing live videos lasting 10 minutes or more , standing directly in front of something and just oblivious to the behavior and oblivious to the crowd that's standing behind them .

Plus , how would you like it if , all day long , someone was standing on your street blocking traffic or getting in the way while they took photos or videos ? Chances are you'd go after them with a broom or something else . I mean , look , I get it .

Get the shot , but don't plant yourself like a statue on a busy street or hog the alley or the street for half an hour . Step aside , let others enjoy it too . It's like holding the door for someone . It's just basic travel courtesy . Keep the flow going and you'll avoid those passive-aggressive glares from locals and tourists alike .

Well , we're just a little over halfway through . I want to ask you a question have you ever botched an overseas trip or done something that you just cringed about ? If so , drop me a message on the Traveling Fool or tag me on Facebook . I'd love to hear your stories . All right , number seven don't ignore local food etiquette .

Food is one of my favorite parts of travel . I mean seriously . I love new foods , local cuisine , even in the States . I like to go to locally owned places , but every place has its rules . In Japan , slurping noodles is a compliment . A quick Google search on dining norms or etiquette should save you from making a really bad mistake .

Things like sticking your chopsticks into a bowl of rice in Japan is considered disrespectful , since that is a practice reserved for funerals , where the tradition of living rice for the deceased with chopsticks sticking up in the rice is practiced . In other countries you don't eat food with your left hand . It's considered unsanitary .

You don't cut your pasta in Italy and in many places in Asia , when an elder offers you food or drink , you accept it with both hands to show respect . The little things go a long way and show that you respect the culture and you'll be accepted a whole lot better . I've seen this so many times Someone yelling do you have water ? Like ?

Volume is the magic key , now newsflash is not . I've seen a lot of people get mad because someone doesn't speak English . I've heard comments like well , these people should learn to speak English if they want us to visit . Well , hey , here's a novel thought . Why don't you learn a few words in the host country language , things like hello , thank you , please ?

It's not about fluency , it's about the effort . There's apps you can download that will help you . In fact , a lot of newer phones even offer live translation . Just speak into the phone and it will repeat what you said in their language . You'll get better service . You'll get warm smiles and a story . That's not well .

I had to shout at the waiter for 10 minutes and he still didn't understand me . Number nine don't treat locals like props . This one's big . I saw a tourist ask a farmer to pose for him while he was working , just because it would look cool online .

The guy was clearly uncomfortable but he did it and probably walked away saying stupid tourist , you know , that's not a memory , that's a power trip . People aren't there to make your Instagram feed or your TikTok exotic . They're just living their life .

Some countries have a lot of poor people or small villages that have nowhere near the technology and comfort that small towns in the US have , and I've seen people that want to get photos of them and just invade their privacy and everything .

Well , chat with them for sure , but don't turn them into your personal cast and something for you to get on social media and talk about . I've had some of my best travel moments , like having drinks with locals or just talking to people , because I saw them as people and not photo ops . And now we come to number 10 .

And we could go on and on , I'm sure , but this is a list of 10 . Disrespecting wildlife you don't have to travel to a foreign country to see examples of this one . Places like Yellowstone are overrun by stupid tourists that do not respect the wildlife .

Every week , some idiot at Yellowstone walks up to a bison or an elk to get a selfie , sometimes with funny results having them running , stumbling and falling as the animal charges towards him and sometimes with disastrous endings .

Recently , a tourist in the Caribbean wanted to get a photo of a shark , so she swam near the shark in order to get a selfie , only to have the shark attack and bite off both of her hands . Yes , that happened . People seem to lose their minds when they travel and get themselves into dangerous situations with wildlife .

These are not house pets , they're wild animals . Even if you're on a safari or a wildlife tour , they're wild animals . Trying to get likes on social media with a selfie of you and a wild animal isn't worth it and it's just plain stupid . And sometimes tourists don't get in dangerous situations , they just disturb the local wildlife .

There have been places that closed to the public because tourists did not respect the wildlife and it ruined it for everybody . Just use a little common sense . They're wild animals . Take your photos , but don't try to get a selfie with a tiger . That's just stupid . And there you have it 10 ways to not be that tourist .

I hope this list sparked a few ideas for your next trip . What do you think ? Anything you would add ? Send me an email at editor , at thetravelingfoolcom , or drop a review wherever you're listening . I hope you get a chance to travel somewhere new very soon and have a great adventure . So until next time , safe travels .