Culture
Prior to my arrival in Cambodia, I had heard pretty much only good things. Swathes of people I know and respect had thoroughly enjoyed their time there, and said it’s amongst their favourite places in the world. It sounded mighty promising. If people whose opinion broadly tallies with mine fell in love, then there’s a [...]
When in Rome… By and large, I like to go with a “when in Rome” policy. If the traditional owners don’t want you to climb Uluru, you don’t do it; if walking around in shorts is deemed offensive in certain countries, you stick to trousers; if public displays of affection are frowned upon, then you [...]
Continue reading about Cultural expectations – is the onus on the visitor or the host?
A confession I have a confession to make: I find many world class art galleries and museums really, really dull. Some I broadly like, bits of others I really like. But on the whole, I find looking at what is considered to be great art a tedious experience. Why? Well, a lot of it tends [...]
Continue reading about Religion and cultural tourism: The inner discomfort of the atheist traveller
A common complaint amongst air stewards and stewardesses is that passengers keep their headphones on whilst trying to communicate. This is an absolutely understandable gripe – it’s incredibly rude, and forces the crew member to try and bellow over the top of a film when they’re trying to ask what drink you’d like. Anti [...]
Continue reading about Should flight crews be wearing masks?
A few weeks ago, I was in Queensland, Australia. I had a spare day and picked up a leaflet for an Aboriginal guided tour in the rainforest. It sounded pretty good – promising plenty of explanation about traditional uses of flora and fauna, plus a cultural aspect. Demand for Aboriginal tourism It’s exactly the [...]