What are the criteria that make you choose one destination over another? (page 3 of 10)

You're right, I shortened it. I also went to Kherson, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv, of course. That was my Ukrainian period.

Michel

What’s so surprising about that? Poltava, Lutsk, Sumy, Dnipro, Odessa, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Ternopil, Uzhhorod, etc. I only have good memories of them. In a few months, or next year.

You’re really optimistic... Unless you plan to go when Ukraine is under Russian control?

You’re really optimistic... Unless you want to go when Ukraine is under Russian domination?

I went to Ukraine between 2014 and 2019, after the Maidan revolution. Even if Yanukovych had stayed in power and the government had been pro-Russian, I would’ve gone just the same. Sometimes you guys worry me: if you think you can’t go to parts of the world that Europe casually gets upset with, you’ll have to cross off the Russian sphere of influence, the Arab sphere of influence, and soon even the United States. So yeah, I went to Spain under Franco, Syria under Assad, Russia under Putin, Belarus under Lukashenko, and more. So what?

Sticking to Ukraine, I might be optimistic, but I could see travel picking back up next year.

Michel

Hi,

And Africa?

If I still have the desire and the time while in good health, maybe. But I have my doubts about the pace at which I’m moving east. Plus, I can see my trip ending at Benesse House. And then moving on to something else.

For other destinations, the fulfillment of the dream still seems far off (Afghanistan, for example)

I learned today—while daydreaming out loud about Mazar-e-Sharif—that we would’ve reached it before nightfall, despite the potholes, and that Afghanistan wants to open up to tourism. In fact, some Uzbeks have already gone there, escorted by the Taliban.

Catherine

So, yes, I went to Spain under Franco, to Syria under Assad,

Yeah, me too.

And so?

No, that’s not what I meant. What makes me think you’re optimistic is that you’re imagining going there:

In a few months, or next year.

I don’t see the war ending that soon. I’m more worried the conflict will get worse... I’d go to Afghanistan more easily.

What makes me say you're optimistic is more that you're imagining going there

Uh... Yeah... Why not?

Afghanistan already has a few travelers, but I also read somewhere that the country is going to open up to tourism. In my opinion, they're thinking first of the Chinese, who are numerous in the region, and Indians too. But the trend is toward opening up.

Michel

The only place where experts—multi-card, multi-destination, fearless adventurers with unmatched physical feats who’ve seen and done it all, discovering off-limits spots before regular travelers—operate and spin dreams.

More like a nightmare...

Well, yes, I’ve been to Spain under Franco, Syria under Assad, Russia under Putin, and Lukashenko’s Belarus, among others.

Choosing a destination to collect dictatorships? Why not—culture shock is guaranteed.

It reminds me (from a distance!) of those travel agencies that specialize in war zones and offer trips to battlefields.

But the trend is toward openness.

We’re not yet in mass tourism territory, but they’ve been getting visitors for a few years now. I think when it comes to Ukraine, we’ll still have to wait a few more years.

Afghanistan already has a few travelers, but I also read somewhere that the country is going to open up to tourism; in my opinion, they’re thinking first of the Chinese, who are numerous in the region, as well as Indians. But the trend is toward opening up.

The niche tourism I was talking about in my previous post...

More about voyeurism and the thrill of the ultimate adrenaline rush than actual travel.

And I wonder how fanaticism can coexist with visitors.

Choosing a destination to collect dictatorships? Why not, the change of scenery is guaranteed.

The fact is, if you can only travel to countries that meet our European standards, you’ll be exploring Luxembourg in depth for decades to come. Joking aside, when it comes to culture and society, I’m a relativist—I don’t judge.

Michel

Did I write that?

I travel to dictatorships just as much as to democratic countries. It’s not a deciding factor for me. I take what comes as long as the dictatorship doesn’t create administrative hurdles or put me in danger.

So, scratch Afghanistan, Venezuela, Russia, Iran (right now)...

But Cuba, Eswatini, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, China, Oman—all good for me.

This reminds me of those who, for principle reasons, refused to fly with airlines from the Persian Gulf. I never followed their lead, though I thought they weren’t entirely wrong. Sometimes, it’s really tricky.

You don’t have to be particularly pessimistic. If it can be positive for the situation of Afghan women, all the better. Tourism can bring improvements to their conditions over time. But I know that’s a very Western way of looking at it.

We're not yet in mass tourism territory, but they've had visitors for a few years now. I think when it comes to Ukraine, we'll have to wait a few more years.

I think—I hope—peace will have returned by this summer; everyone has a stake in it. And it's not a destroyed country at all. There's still everything a traveler needs, except for planes.

Michel

Places with mines should be avoided. And there must be a lot of them.

Places with mines should be avoided. And there are probably a lot of them.

Yes, in the frontline areas, but not elsewhere. Ukraine is really big.

Michel

If it can have a positive impact on the situation of Afghan women, all the better.

No chance.

Tourism didn’t help Iranian women, even though the Iranian theocracy is less radical than the Taliban’s.

And what woman would want to be denied throughout her entire stay? 🤪

A reporter or an Instagrammer for the sake of their article, but a tourist...

Why should women be denied during their vacations? You have to adapt to the country's conditions when choosing a destination.

Among the cities you’ve listed—or the ones I understood you wanted to return to—aren’t any of them affected by mines?