To wonder why people go on holiday to exotic places

[Cockwomble]

When they are the types who go all inclusive and never leave the resort.

Why not just go to whatever cheap place is sunny to eat pizza by the pool for ten days?

You haven't really been to cuba/mexico/egypt if you stayed inside a hotel complex and ate english food by the pool from the buffet have you?

"the problem is that a lot of 'exotic' places are actually quite unsafe for tourists outside these compounds"

That's not true at all for most places.

I spent 5 years backpacking independently around a lot of the world and have seen a lot of AI resorts (not that I was staying in them) which have signs at the end of "their" stretch of the beach warning the tourists about stepping out of bounds, it's at your own risk, etc etc.

There is nothing "out there" that is going to get you! The hotels sow these seeds of fear to keep you in their hotel eating their food and drinking their drinks.

Mind you, I am broadly in favour of AI as it keeps the idiot tourists in one location, and stops them pissing me off....

All inclusives in exotic places are generally higher quality than in Europe. The sea is bluer and warmer, the sand is whiter. For some people that's enough.

Most holiday resorts in this type of place are no where near cultural places. Shark el sheikh is hours from Cairo or Luxor. Varadero is hours from Havanna. Cancan is hours from Chichen Itza, these type of excursions are very expensive.
Then there is the safety issue. walking round local areas can be quite threatening and the poorer the country the more likely you will be hasselled all the time. It can be difficult with young children.

I speak as someone who has toured all over Egypt, Belize, Cuba etc, both with children in tow and without. We got caught up in a riot in Cape Town on a normal sunny day in the middle of a cosmopolitan city. Some people were stabbed. It Was terrifying. I do realise we were unlucky and it hasn't put me off.

But sometimes we just want to sit on a beach and not leave the hotel for a week. There is nothing wrong with that. You pay your money and take your choice. Of course you don't experience "the real" culture from inside the security fence of a purpose built resort, but sometimes the reality of what life is like outside those walls is very shocking. Of course people should educate themselves about a country they are visiting. But sometimes a holiday is just that.

We went to the Dominican republic about 4 years ago, we pre-booked 3 excursions and then booked another 4 when we got there - apart from these our holiday insurance did not cover us leaving the hotel - there was even a marked area on the huge beach that we could not cross

When we asked our rep about this he said that a lot of tourists are attacked for money and possessions and the holiday companies weren't telling anyone - he mentioned that the previous year one couple had been mugged on the beach in the middle of the day, there was nothing he or any of the other staff could do anything because the big travel companies will not acknowledge it happens because it will put people off going there - this was the September after the huge storms had all but destroyed the island in the august so the industry had already taken a bit of a hit.

When we spoke to the local people who worked at the bar/on the excursion trips they said there are groups of criminals who basically sit outside the big hotels and wait for tourists - when we went horse riding the man who took us carried a gun, we asked why and he pointed into the trees and said "you never know who is waiting for you"

The excursions that we went on werent cheap, we got 2 of the pre booked ones free when we booked as a freebie but I can see why people turn them down, add that to the warning and the insurance issues and I can fully understand why a lot of people, especially those with kids would just stay in the hotel

Cancan???

I meant Cancun!

There's a common theme with those who do go to exotic resorts just to chill by the pool...you've all done the culture travelling part...so perhaps that's my answer! Maybe at some point in the future when I've done my travels I'll come down on the the other side of the fence.

I'm also mystified by students who go travelling because they want
To see the world but have never seen any of the other three countries in the uk.

I get it cockwomble. I too am a leetle bit jealous of friends who do that. I know that I couldn't even if we had the cash. I get bored too easily. When we're on holiday we generally go somewhere each day even if we then spend the afternoon vegging out.

We went to Egypt on our honeymoon, on a Nile cruise from Luxor. It was brilliant - on a little boat all dark panelling etc just like in Death on the Nile. Only on one night of the cruise did they do local food for dinner. We were almost the only ones who ate. It was embarrassing. The sights were amazing though and we really enjoyed it.

I think that for many the thought of organising a holiday where you might spend different nights in different places, organise your own transport & food etc is scary/too much work but for me? That's what I love.

LadyBeagleEyes Petra is a very long way from sharm. If you really want to go then look for a overnight trip as it will be a killer trying to do it in the one day.

As an aside - does it not bother anyone that the locals might be living in shit?

I don't understand either OP....if it's as some are saying SO dangerous that you can't leave the coplex then why go at all? Go to Spain, Portugal or one of the other multitude of nice, hot places on offer.

I don't get it either.

My PILs are going on a mediterranean cruise in October. They don't plan on going on any of the shore excursions and I just think "why bother ?".

I think that for many the thought of organising a holiday where you might spend different nights in different places, organise your own transport & food etc is scary/too much work but for me? That's what I love.

Sounds good! The one holiday I've done as an adult was a road trip around france and italy, that's was amazing. We did have a few duff hotels & meals but it was fun. I ate something once and I wasn't exactly sure what it was, a tongue maybe? Twas france so very raw.

buttonmoon78 my experience of the Nile was very different. We sailed on a falucca boat, and passed hundreds of cruise ships, many of which spewed shit (and by shit I mean pure sewage) out into the Nile water.

no cake, where did you go in Mexico ? we're going to Tulum in february and I can't wait to get out and about, it looks really interesting.

The pyramids are not the real Egypt. They are a tourist trap.

That is a bit like saying that the collosseum is not the "real Rome"..

Cockwomble I think road trips round Europe are great. Your Op can apply of Europe as well as tropical destinations. There is an awful lot more to Spain/France/Italy etc then the holiday resorts.

That's a good point Cockwomble - eating and drinking exclusively in an AI resort doesn't benefit the locals one bit. So effectively you are leeching off the country you are staying in.

The hotels are built on farming land, or villagers are moved off their land to make way for the gigantic resorts. Some are then employed in the hotels, but very few and at a very low wage.

Local restauranteurs and shopkeepers, or souvenir sellers do not benefit from the tourists who come to the area. Only the hotel chain and the government do. It stinks.

belgo - I went on a backpacking tour of Egypt about 10 years ago and we sailed from Aswan to Luxor on a felucca, sleeping on it at night. We would watch those horrible boats go by, polluting the river with their shite.

Although we snuck on one when we went to the crocodile temple and used the loo - after 3 days of dug-outs on the nile banks they were AMAZING !!

OhDearNigel Tulum is lovely, are you travelling around at all?

OhDearNigel we slept on the felucca as well, although I say 'slept' I don't think any of us actually did sleep.

Tulum in Mexico is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.

TheSpokenNerd - we did not know what it was like before we went, we had read 3 reviews about our resort but no where did it mention any issues - we still did the excursions, I'm just saying that I fully understand why others wouldn't

This crops up all of the time on here, different strokes for different folks - if we were all the same life would be very boring indeed

YANBU.
It does make you wonder why people spend a whole day or more travelling all that way to sit and look at a swimming pool and eat imported food.

Going slightly off topic here - many of the big 'chain' AI resorts do not put money in the pockets of local people apart from employment in low-paid jobs. You rarely see local people in senior management. Most of the profit goes off-shore thereby avoiding paying local taxes.

well, it doesn't bother me.

Nice for them, hope they enjoyed it.

Not my cup of tea, but then again, I do think that living in a hotel and being catered for and having ncie weather seem like good ingredients for a relaxing time!

As an aside - does it not bother anyone that the locals might be living in shit?

Yes it does bother me but for many of them, the tourist industry is their only chance to earn a decent wage. I think going out to tour the shanty towns is voyeuristic though and I absolutely hate spotting other tourists treating the staff or people out and about like lesser beings.

I would love to see the Pyramids, and I would also love to go snorkelling in Egypt. I just wouldn't do them in the same trip. Sometimes you want culture, sometimes you just want guaranteed good weather and a nice hotel. For me, a beach is a beach, so I normally just go to Spain, but I understand that some people appreciate the deserted beaches of some exotic countries, the better services in the hotels and the service (spa, massage, etc) that your money can buy in poorer countries. Spain has got some nice hotels, but it is not exactly cheap any longer.