When Bunny in Yeh Jawani hai Dewani said “Mai udhna chahta hu, dhaudna chahta hu, bas rukna nahi chahta”, he created a fanbase of backpackers across India who wanted to run to off-beat places. Eventually, it became a norm to discover locations that no one has been to and then introduce them to the world. Basically, a competition of who comes first.
This turned into a huge community that now shames people who simply want to visit the cities or popular tourist destinations. There is an unrecognised ableist aura around them, that comes from the privilege of being able to visit such offbeat places. But isn’t travel supposed to be all inclusive?
The destinations that are for everyone, are now looked down upon. But you know what? I love these tourist destinations. No matter how many times the mountains call me, I’ll forever be the girl who swoons at the sight of the twinkling Eiffel tower.
So here is why people should get over the fad of “off-beat” places and start re-exploring the beauty of tourist destinations
Popular destinations are famous for a reason and there is an undeniable charm to them.
Destinations that have been explored by millions have an allure to them. All “commoners” see a common charm in such destinations. Be it walking down Marine Drive on a rainy day or taking a gondola ride in Venice. These are experiences that cannot be shunned into a corner just yet. People who’ve been to Paris will agree that there is something incredibly special about taking a stroll through the city.
But I too am guilty of this behaviour once upon a time. I refused to visit Taj Mahal for the longest time as I found it too mainstream. But after six years of extensive travel, I visited the Taj Mahal and was gravely mistaken. When the first view of Taj Mahal came into view, I knew it was not overrated.
Do you agree then, that in the quest of finding the hidden beauty, we are losing on beautiful sites and sights that are right in front of us?
In popular tourist spots, you have everything taken care of so you just need to live in the moment and enjoy.
One of the best parts about travelling to a well-known destination is the amount of information available. Depending on the type of holiday that you are looking for, you can just pay someone to take care of all the details and enjoy sipping your mimosas -- whether you are in the “overdone” Maldives or the “crowded” Goa
This lets me sit back and relax in the true sense. Even when on a solo journey I am not running around figuring out what I have to do next because all comforts are accessible.
Major destinations are well- connected.
Tell me, can you visit an obscure village in Himachal over a weekend if you live in Mumbai? No, right? But you sure can hop on a ferry to the “done to death” Alibaug and detox on the beach after a hectic week of work. Over the obsession with “off-beat” places, we have forgotten that ease of transportation is a make-or-break deal. The better a place is connected, the less I have to depend on someone to drive me, hire a car, or taxi.
Especially as a traveller who loves to go solo, knowing that I can just take a bus to Amsterdam on Friday night and come back (mildly sober) to work on Monday, is the best part of Amsterdam’s appeal.
Well, I am booking my quick weekend right now, while you offbeat guys can plan your 20 days of vacation!
Touristy destinations cater to everybody’s needs.
Travel is supposed to be meant for everyone. Be it my 80-year-old grandpa or my differently-abled friend. We all want to explore the world but there’s no denying that offbeat places are ignorant to the needs of many. When I go to the city, simple things such as feeding stations for new mums, a wheelchair ramp in the museum, braille directions on the road or even chicken nuggets for my nephew are all easily accessible.
This made me realise that not everyone in the world is privileged enough to have access to the offbeat places, so I’ll stick to the ones that let me travel with my family.
I love the crowds that come along with the tourist hotspots and meeting people from all around the world.
These crowds make you appreciate the beauty around you even more. Thousands of people simultaneously decided that this was a worthy-of-visit location. These crowds chant and sing in unison when a band plays in the square and light up the night. In fact, one of my most precious travel memories is dancing the nights away with strangers on the cobbled streets of Madrid and exploring Budapest with hostel-mates
The life that humans bring to the inanimate objects of the cities is incomparable. So, mister offbeat, who are you to shame us all?
My heart will forever belong to the moaning and screeching of the city buses, hailing a tram after figuring out the system, falling in love with charming, popular places, and sometimes letting others take care of my holidays. So, while the rest of you can go ahead and try to be unique, I will proudly follow the crowd and stare at the Mona Lisa.
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