To think that all holidays are essentially false curated experiences and that antipathy to people who go to Benidorm etc is just snobbery?

[Fuma]

The UK middle classes have long shown disdain for British people who go to mass tourism resorts like Benidorm and Magaluf, waxing lyrical about their own more "authentic" travel experience. But these travel experiences are still relatively brief, selective and involve at best fleeting glimpses of meaningful cultural exchange.

Indeed in many cases the experience that the middle class Northern hemisphere traveller has comes at great expense to the comfort, security and well being of the citizens whose country they visit - beaches protected by armed guards, luxury hotel staff living hundreds of miles away from their families with no running water and so on. Unlike the tourist in Spain who will generally be catered to by people on EU mandated wage scales and living with much the same amenities and protections as the people who visit their country.

So given that we all go on holiday to have a break from real life and experience existence in a temporary state of stasis, is it really so much worse for someone to choose to spend this time in a mock English pub if that's what they want to do?

It does sound like you’re writing a dissertation with all this falsely curated experiences stuff.

There’s no such thing as a curated experience, or a false experience.

The only thing missing from the OPs first post was 'like wot I do'.

There's no such thing as a false experience, which is why the op is saying that it is no more or less authentic to suggest that you are somehow closer to truth of a place by drinking your apple tea on the balcony in Istanbul as eating fish and chips in salou.

Both exist.

I don't care where other people take their holiday as long as I enjoy mine. I wouldn't give them a second thought whether to look down on them or otherwise.

Wow OP- what a horrific generalisation!
When I go on holiday to a resort like Benidorm, I do it for the guarantee of sunny weather and the easy way of entertaining the kids on the beach & water park. I don't have to worry about anything like language or food - it's all there in a package. I don't care if Benidorm is in Spain/ Portugal or Greece. That's ignorant, but a fact.
We also like going on city break type holidays. There, we sample the local food, visit places of local interest & enjoy the general atmosphere of the place. So maybe not complete immersion into a different culture but certainly a tiny sample. (as you need to live in a country for 6months+ to understand some local culture)
So there you have it! 2 different types of holiday, nothing wrong with either!!

UK middle classes have long shown disdain for British people who go to mass tourism resorts like Benidorm and Magaluf, waxing lyrical about their own more "authentic" travel experience

My, your straw man has a very pretty hat, OP.

You've made a huge number of logical leaps, there:

1. the assumption that there are two types of holiday : package holidays in magaluf, or cultural explorations in order to broaden the mind.

2. that everyone who goes on either of these holidays has exactly the same motivation, ie: package holidays are about relaxation, cultural holidays are an attempt to "have an authentic travel experience".

3. all attempts to learn about culture from visiting another country are pretentious and shallow, and so are the people who go on such holidays - they are a waste of time and money.

4. therefore, everyone should holiday in magaluf.

Can you see the vast amount of assumptions and inaccuracies that you are making?

Lesbos? I never knew it was good for birdwatching... @MontStMichel

@Fuma, I have literally never thought about it like that but I think you make a truly excellent point and I will feel better about my sun sea and sand holidays to the med from now on, thanks hun.

we all go on holiday to have a break from real life and experience existence in a temporary state of stasis

You might. I personally don't. 'We all' is a very sweeping over-generalization. People travel for all manner of different reasons, just as individuals have a plethora of different interests to explore and pursue.

Go where you want to go. It should hopefully be reassuring that the majority of people are living their own lives and couldn't care less about your holiday destination, and even less about any chip on the shoulder you might have about it.

I hate the whole idea of compulsory fucking holidays as seemingly mandated by 90% of MNetters so neither version appeals to me. HTH OP. Also use of "curated" unless you work in a museum should be punished by jail.

I don't even know what a 'false curated experience' is. However I do think some people are very snobby when it comes to holidays. To us a holiday is anytime we go away for pleasure but some wouldn't even consider camping or a weekend at Butlins or my children's favourite a few days in a Travel lodge somewhere a holiday. Unless it is abroad and for at least a week it doesn't count and they will complain about 'not having a holiday this year' when they've been away plenty. The truth is my children have been on a variety of holidays some in Europe, some further afield, some in England. My son still says his favourite holiday was when we went to Great Yarmouth for a couple of days, stayed in a Travel Lodge and it was cloudy and rainy!

Holidays are supposed to be fun. Do what makes you happy

The people congratulating themselves for living in a nice multicultural area because it has polish sausage shops throw their hands up in despair at the thought of Brits in Spain buying Marmite.

Bit different to live somewhere v going for a week

I'm just pointing out that Kelsoooo's experience is false curation also, albeit false curation of a different kind.

Ha ha ha ha ha! This is more pretentious than my cousin's latest rant about Radio 3 on Facebook.

But, in the spirit of your thread OP what is "false" about it? Granted, like most holidays, Kelsoooo may only be experiencing the tip of the iceberg but it's a genuine iceberg.

Didn't really understand the question OP. What's wrong with Benidorm? Not that I've ever been there, but I'd like to.

Some right judgy fuckers on this thread. Has it ever occurred to the holiday snobs that some people can only afford to have a week in Benidorm eating egg and chips in budget pubs.

It's also laughable that you think drinking rioja in a taverna off the beaten track is in some way an authentic experience. Just like the 'gap yah' students banging on about their, like, totes amaze and inspiring trek through the jungle meeting real people, it's all just as stage managed and touristy.

What is actually wrong with something being touristy?

I've lived in UK almost 28 yrs & I still don't understand British culture and especially not threads like this one.

I understand trolling, though. So you know, threads like this one...

I don't think this thread has anywhere near as many judgy people as one might expect @Grimbles

And obviously there are plenty of people travelling for whom absolutely nothing is stage managed. But unless you're actively doing harm in your travels (tell me that you're 'volunteering' in a Cambodian orphanage for three days and I won't be responsible for my reaction) I don't care what you do. Just enjoy yourself and comme home refreshed, and I'm all for whatever type of holiday you had.

@ragged FFS this thread is not trolling.
OP I know exactly what you mean.

I have spent a month travelling around a country trying my best to get to know it, and I have spent a week at very touristy all inclusive. The first is an adventure but exhausting, the second is actually relaxing and restful although don't really get much culture. I think both types of holiday have their place. Whilst I do think lamenting lack of British food/pubs seems silly actually I'm a picky eater and can struggle if the menu is mostly fish for example! I would never say I wished there was somewhere British to go though.

I have Ben thinking about this thread, and I am getting more and more baffled. We don’t go to Benidorm or Magaluf, and don’t search out mock Britishnpubs to eat in - so does that mean I am inevitably one of the snobby middle class people who has false curated experiences on holiday?

And if so, who has decided that my experiences, when I am on my holidays, are false or curated? Of course it is not really possible to really get to know any culture, during a normal holiday - but does that mean that the things we have experienced or seen are not authentic experiences? Stepping inside Tutankhamen’s tomb, for example, felt pretty darned authentic.

We visit places that interest us - castles, stately homes, art galleries, beaches, archaeological sites and museums. I don’t think this makes our holidays better or more worthy than anyone else’s - but neither are they false, curated experiences.

I think both are crap. My ideal holiday is somewhere where there are no other people!

I’ve done both
Zante, Benidorm, Rhodes
Pretend cultural experiences- backpacking around east Africa, India and Asia
Both were good in different ways...

My ultimate favourite now though is a nice cottage somewhere in the Autumn - Northumberland or Norfolk or somewhere. Is that pretentious??

bookwormsforever

Lesbos is known for migration. Spring migration is supposed to be better. We are told April really is the best time to go, but unfortunately while birders and the hoteliers asked Thomas Cook to lay on flights in April, they wouldn’t. It was possible to fly to Athens and then get a flight from there to Mytilini; but it took a while. Most people had to content themselves with going the first few weeks of May.

We had to go in Autumn migration in September, as DH was too busy at work in April/May. As I said, most of the people we met were birdwatchers, who went Spring and Autumn for 25 years! Mostly British, some Germans and Dutch.

Apparently, many birds of prey fly from Turkey over Lesbos on their migration. There are viewpoints on the island, where you can stand and watch the birds of prey, coming from Turkey.

Skala Kalloni is regarded as the best place to stay for birdwatching, because its near to the saltpans, wetlands, pine forests and estuaries, although there are others on the island. We used to go up into the mountains, like the monasteries to look for the blue rock thrush and Krupers nuthatches; and the reservoirs to see the water birds (as the natural fresh water dried up before the winter rains).

Skala is a working fishing village, with half a dozen low rise hotels and a number of tavernas. It has a nice sandy beach, and its possible to walk half a mile out in the sea, which is warm as its a protected Gulf. Very unspoilt with friendly people, who remember you from one year to the next.