Chefprefers BLOG

Have you ever set out to experience a culture, only to discover that every turn seems designed to separate you from your money?

A couple of years ago, we travelled to Morocco and visited the ancient city of Fes, home to one of the largest medinas in the world. Within its maze-like walls, the same shops seemed to appear around every corner. Spice merchants, textile traders, rug dealers, leather craftsmen, ceramic sellers, and pottery outlets lined the narrow streets in an endless procession. Whatever you were looking for, someone was ready to sell it.

Our local guide appeared to know every shopkeeper along the way. Somehow, we always seemed to pause outside another store before being invited inside. It felt as though the signal had been given: wallets out, tourists in.

Many of the items were beautiful, but bringing them back to Australia would have been difficult because of our strict customs regulations. Even so, we smiled politely, admired the craftsmanship, and repeated the same phrase countless times: “No thank you.”

Travel often presents moments like these. You appreciate the experience, the people, and the culture, but you also recognise when it is time to move on. That is the nature of the tourist trap. We travel to see the world and immerse ourselves in unfamiliar places, yet we inevitably become part of an industry built around visitors. Can it be avoided? Probably not.

My wife and I are about to begin another adventure, travelling across Canada from Vancouver to Calgary in a motorhome over the next four weeks. It sounds idyllic, and I will be sharing stories from the journey in the weeks ahead.

I suspect it will be a busy trip. With many Canadians choosing to holiday within their own country this summer, combined with the attention surrounding World Cup matches in Vancouver, there may be long queues for fuel, crowded attractions, and plenty of waiting around. But that is all part of the experience.

After all, every journey comes with its own version of the tourist trap. The trick is not avoiding it completely, but learning to enjoy the adventure anyway.