The More I Travel, the Less I Chase the "Wow" | Meaningful Travel Reflections
There was a time when almost everything I experienced while travelling made me stop in my tracks and say, "Wow." Every meal felt like the best I'd ever eaten, every view looked like a postcard, and every attraction was worth telling everyone back home about. I embraced every experience with childlike excitement because everything was new, different and extraordinary. Looking back now, I realise that wasn't just because the places were incredible, it was because I was seeing the world through fresh eyes. As the years passed, though, my idea of meaningful travel quietly began to change.
The World Didn't Change, My Perspective Did
Fast forward twenty years and nearly fifty countries later, and something has changed. It's not that I've fallen out of love with travel. If anything, I love it even more now. But I've stopped expecting every destination to leave me speechless. I've become far more honest with myself about what truly moves me and what simply doesn't. I no longer feel the need to call every experience "amazing" just because I'm travelling. Some places exceed every expectation I had, while others leave me wondering what all the fuss was about. And I've come to realise that there's nothing wrong with that.
In fact, I think that's one of the greatest lessons travel has taught me.
The more you travel, the less you're impressed by spectacle alone and the more you begin to appreciate authenticity. You stop chasing the biggest attractions simply because everyone else is going there, and you start looking for experiences that make you feel something genuine. It's a subtle shift that happens almost without you noticing, but once it does, you never really travel the same way again.
When Instagram Becomes the Destination
One of the biggest reasons for this shift, I believe, is social media.
Don't get me wrong, I owe a lot to social media. It's introduced me to places I may never have discovered otherwise, inspired countless itineraries, and connected me with travellers from around the world. But it's also changed the way we experience destinations. More and more places have become famous not because of their history, culture or significance, but because they look good in a photograph. Entire trips are now planned around recreating images we've already seen a thousand times online.
One place that immediately comes to mind is Lempuyang Temple in Bali.
Like millions of others, I'd seen the iconic photographs of the famous "Gates of Heaven." The images made it look almost surreal, a magnificent temple perfectly positioned against Mount Agung, reflected in what appeared to be a still lake. It looked magical, and naturally, I wanted to experience it for myself. We drove almost an hour and a half from Ubud, excited to finally see one of Bali's most photographed landmarks.
What we found wasn't exactly what I had imagined.
Yes, the temple itself was beautiful, but almost everyone there seemed to be interested in only one thing - the photograph. Hundreds of visitors patiently waited in line, sometimes for hours, to recreate the same image they'd seen on Instagram. The famous reflection, which many assume is created by water, is actually produced by placing a small mirror beneath a mobile phone camera. It was clever, but somehow it took away from the experience.
What struck me wasn't the queue itself, it was the fact that very few people seemed interested in the temple. Here was a place with deep spiritual significance, centuries of history, and breathtaking surroundings, yet almost all the attention was directed towards capturing the perfect profile picture. It made me wonder whether we were visiting destinations anymore or simply collecting content.
That afternoon stayed with me, not because Lempuyang Temple disappointed me, but because it made me question what modern travel has become. Have we started valuing places for how they look online rather than what they actually offer? Have we become so focused on documenting experiences that we've forgotten to actually experience them?
The Unassuming Places That Stay With You
Ironically, some of my favourite travel memories come from places that would probably never trend on Instagram.
I remember visiting the ancient salt pans in Malta. There were no crowds, no designated photo spots, no influencers changing outfits between shots, and no one telling me where to stand for the perfect angle. It was simply a landscape that had existed for centuries, continuing to exist regardless of whether anyone was photographing it. I spent far longer there than I had expected. There was something incredibly peaceful about walking alongside those salt pans. The locals were unperturbed and seemed relaxed. It felt so authentic that I couldn't believe places like this still existed.
Now, would I rank Malta among the most extraordinary countries I've ever visited? Probably not. Having wandered through the temples of Luxor, watched wildlife roam freely across the Masai Mara and stood in awe of the Himalayas on the way to Everest Base Camp, it's impossible not to compare experiences from time to time. But comparison isn't really the point. Every destination offers something different.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to visit the places that appear on every "must-see" list. They're recommended for a reason. Mount Fuji, the Serengeti, Machu Picchu or the Norwegian fjords have earned their reputation because they evoke a genuine sense of wonder. Some places really are extraordinary.
What has changed, though, is the way we talk about travel. Somewhere along the way, we've started treating every viewpoint, every café and every bend in the road as though it deserves the same level of awe. Not every place has to be life-changing, and not every experience needs to be described as the "best," the "most beautiful" or a hidden gem. Sometimes a river flowing quietly through a valley is simply that, a beautiful river. Appreciating it doesn't require exaggerating it.
Malta didn't leave me overwhelmed in the way Egypt or Nepal did, but it gave me something equally valuable: a reminder that beauty doesn't always come from the biggest attractions or the grandest landscapes. Sometimes it's found in places that ask nothing more of you than to slow down and observe. Perhaps that's what I've been searching for all along without even realising it.
When I was younger, I travelled to see the world. Today, I travel to understand it. Those may sound like the same thing, but they're not. Seeing the world is about collecting moments. Understanding it is about connecting with them. And somewhere along the way, without consciously deciding to, I realised I'd stopped chasing constant amazement and started appreciating places for what they are, not for how loudly they can be described.
When Experience Changes the Way You Travel
An acquaintance I had mistaken for a friend once said to me, "Why do you always find something negative about everything?" She didn't mean it kindly, and the comment stayed with me long after our girls' trip to Bratislava had ended. Was I really that negative about EVERYTHING? Had travelling to so many places made me difficult to impress? Or had my expectations simply changed without me realising it?
Looking back, I don't think I was negative about everything at all. My idea of what makes a meaningful travel experience had simply evolved.
During that trip, our group was excited to visit many of Bratislava's best-known attractions. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that. Places become popular for a reason, and they're often worth experiencing at least once. One stop that everyone was particularly looking forward to was a well-known observation deck overlooking the city. By then, I'd already read plenty of opinions from locals who felt it had become more of a tourist trap than a worthwhile experience, so I wasn't especially interested. As I looked out over Bratislava, I found myself drawn not to the view from above but to the streets below. All I could think was, I'd much rather be wandering through those lanes than looking down at them.
It wasn't negativity, nor was it a complaint. It was simply a reminder that I enjoy experiencing a city from within it rather than from above it.
The same thought returned during a cruise along the Danube. The views were undeniably beautiful, but I couldn't help noticing how much of the experience revolved around documenting it. Phones were held up almost constantly as people filmed reels, posed for photos and searched for the perfect clip to post later. It felt as though the city had become a backdrop rather than the reason we were there.
As we drifted past Bratislava Castle, I kept thinking about everything happening beyond the riverbank, the history within those walls, the streets surrounding it and the stories I wasn't going to discover from the deck of a boat. I realised I would have happily traded the cruise for an afternoon exploring the castle instead.
That was the moment I understood what had changed. I no longer wanted to experience a destination from the best viewpoint or through the perfect video. I wanted to experience it at street level, to understand why it mattered, how people lived there and what made it unique long before someone decided it was worth posting online.
That's when it hit me.
It wasn't that I wasn't enjoying the trip. I just enjoy travelling differently now. Twenty years ago, I probably would have chosen exactly the same experiences as my friend. I would have wanted to see every famous attraction, tick off every "must-do" list and take photos at all the iconic spots. Back then, everything was new, and I was simply excited to be somewhere different. Today, I find myself slowing down a little more.
I'd happily spend an afternoon wandering through a local market like Thimphu's weekend market, or chatting to shop owners in Chor Bazaar Mumbai or getting lost in little streets of Fes El Bali's Medina that aren't even marked on a tourist map. I'd rather eat in a family-run restaurant like Joe's Kitchen in Singapore than sit at a place like Vienna Cafe Central that's gone viral on Instagram. I'd much rather spend an hour listening to a local guide tell stories about a city like Ephesus than rush through five attractions in Paris just because everyone says I should. Maybe that's what travelling for so many years has done to me.
Or maybe it's because travelling has been part of my life since I was little. Growing up, I was lucky enough to travel with my parents while my dad worked aboard a merchant vessel. Exploring different countries wasn't something we did once a year on holiday, it was just part of life. Looking back now, I realise those experiences shaped the way I see the world long before I ever started writing about travel.
Every country I've visited has taught me something different. Some have left me speechless with their landscapes, while others have stayed with me because of the people I met like Jigme and his family in Bhutan, the conversations I had with Rubin, the Masai we met at the village in Maasai Mara or the stories I learnt along the way from Esra in Kusadasi. And perhaps that's why I no longer judge a destination by how many famous attractions it has.
These days, I find myself asking different questions. Instead of asking, "What's the best thing to see here?" I ask, "What can I learn here?" Instead of asking, "What's everyone else doing?" I ask, "What would I genuinely enjoy doing?" It's funny because I never consciously decided to change the way I travel. It just happened naturally over the years. The more places I visited, the more I realised that I wasn't collecting countries or passport stamps anymore. I was collecting perspectives. And maybe that's why I don't get that "wow" feeling every single day when I travel anymore. Not because the world has become less beautiful. But because I've started looking beyond the obvious.
Sometimes the most memorable part of a trip isn't the famous viewpoint or the attraction with thousands of five-star reviews. Sometimes it's a conversation with a local, a tiny family-run restaurant, an unexpected detour or simply sitting on a bench watching everyday life go by. Those moments will probably never trend on Instagram. But they're usually the ones I remember the most.
When Travel Becomes a Performance
Before I say anything else, let me admit that I'm guilty of it too. I know so many people who buy an entirely new wardrobe before going on holiday. New outfits for breakfast, lunch, dinner, sightseeing, beach days and every photo opportunity in between. I used to wonder why people did that, but then I realised I've done exactly the same thing. There have been trips where I've bought dresses, shoes and accessories simply because I thought I needed them for that particular destination. Looking back now, I honestly don't know why. I already had clothes that I loved wearing and felt confident in, so what was I really trying to achieve?
The more I think about it, the more I feel social media has something to do with it. Somewhere along the way, travel stopped being just about experiencing a place and slowly became about presenting ourselves in that place. We don't just go to Paris anymore; we imagine the perfect outfit for Paris. We don't simply visit Santorini, we picture ourselves in a flowing dress against its whitewashed buildings. We don't just plan a trip to Cappadocia, we're already imagining that same dress with a sky full of hot-air balloons behind us, long before we've even booked the flights. Every destination seems to come with its own aesthetic now, and without even realising it, we start believing that we need to look a certain way to belong there. It's strange because I don't remember travel being like that years ago.
Sometimes I catch myself doing exactly the same thing, except for the flowy dresses and the three-piece suit at the Eiffel Tower. I haven't worked up to that level of dedication... yet but I'll open my wardrobe before a trip and think, I don't have anything to wear, even though it's full of clothes that I genuinely like. Then the shopping begins, followed by the stress of putting outfits together, making sure everything matches and hoping I've packed enough options. It becomes even more overwhelming when I'm travelling with my kids because now I'm planning wardrobes for all of us instead of simply getting excited about the places we're going to explore. Somewhere in all of that planning, I find myself wondering how I ended up spending more time thinking about clothes than I did learning about the history or culture of the destination.
And that's when I stop and ask myself a simple question: Who am I doing this for? Is it really for me? Because if I'm completely honest, I feel just as comfortable in the clothes I already own. The people I love don't care whether I repeat an outfit, and I certainly don't remember what anyone else wore when I travelled with them. So why do I sometimes feel this pressure to look different in every photograph? Is it because I've started comparing myself to the perfectly curated travel feeds that fill my screen every day? Maybe. Or maybe it's just become so normal that we don't even question it anymore.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy dressing up. I've always loved putting together an outfit that makes me feel confident, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with buying something new if it genuinely makes you happy. What I've started questioning is the reason behind it. Am I buying something because I truly love it, or because I feel like I need a new outfit for every destination? Those are two very different things, and I think it's a question worth asking ourselves every now and then.
When I look back at some of my favourite trips, I honestly can't remember what I was wearing. I remember getting lost in little streets with my kids, laughing over meals with Sidd I couldn't pronounce, conversations with strangers, unexpected detours and moments that were never photographed because I was too busy enjoying them. Those are the memories that have stayed with me. Not the dress I wore in Venice or the shoes I packed for Prague.
Maybe that's another thing travel has taught me over the years. The best journeys aren't remembered because of what we looked like. They're remembered because of how they made us feel. And if that's true, then perhaps it's time I stopped worrying about dressing for the destination and started focusing even more on experiencing it.
There Is No Right Way to Travel
The last thing I've been thinking about lately is something I hear surprisingly often. Someone will casually say, "Oh, we're not checklist travellers. We just like to relax," almost as if one way of travelling is somehow better than another. Every time I hear that, I find myself smiling because I don't really understand why we feel the need to label the way we travel in the first place.
For the longest time, I probably would have called myself a checklist traveller. I like making itineraries. I like researching places before I go. I enjoy knowing the history behind a monument, finding hidden gems, discovering local food and making the most of the few days I have in a destination. If I'm travelling halfway across the world and spending a considerable amount of money to get there, of course I want to explore as much as I reasonably can. That's not because I'm rushing through a country to tick it off a list. It's because I genuinely enjoy learning about the places I'm visiting.
At the same time, I completely understand people who travel simply to relax. Sometimes all you need is a beach, a good book and nowhere to be. Other people love luxury resorts, while some prefer backpacking with nothing more than a small rucksack. Some travellers are happiest sitting in a café for hours watching the world go by, while others want to hike every mountain they can find. None of those experiences are more or less meaningful than the others. They're simply different.
What I have realised, though, is that I no longer travel because I feel like I have something to prove. There was probably a time when I was excited to add another country to my list, but these days I don't really care about the number. If someone asks me how many countries I've visited, I usually have to stop and think because I've genuinely lost count. What matters to me now isn't how many places I've been to, but what those places have left behind in me.
Some places have quietly changed the way I see the world. Others have taught me about resilience, history, or culture. A few have simply reminded me to slow down. And not every destination has been extraordinary, and that's okay. Not every journey has to be life-changing to be worth taking. In fact, I think expecting every destination to be life-changing is probably setting ourselves up for disappointment. Sometimes a place is simply nice. Sometimes it's somewhere I'd happily visit once but probably wouldn't return to. And sometimes, without expecting it, a quaint little village or an ordinary afternoon ends up becoming the highlight of the entire trip.
I suppose that's why I don't believe travel has to be positive all the time either. It's okay to be disappointed by an attraction that's been overhyped. It's okay to admit that somewhere didn't live up to your expectations. It's okay to prefer one destination over another. None of that makes us negative travellers. It simply means we're being honest about our experiences. At the same time, I also think it's important to respect that someone else may have had the complete opposite experience. That's the beauty of travel. The same place can mean something entirely different to two different people.
Meaningful Travel Reflections
Almost fifty countries later, the excitement hasn't disappeared; it has simply evolved. I still look forward to visiting places I've long dreamed about, but I now find myself equally drawn to the stories, people and everyday experiences that give each destination its character. As long as there are places that can surprise me in unexpected ways, I'll keep travelling.
Maybe that's what travelling has become for me.
It's no longer about chasing the next "wow."
It's about coming home with a little more understanding of myself.
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