Is Travel still worth it? When travel Dreams meet Reality.

Maybe you have to spend a long time away from home to start thinking differently about travel. I used to live for the dream of ticking destinations off my wishlist—the pre-trip research, the daydreams, the “this time next month I’ll be in…” fantasies. Honestly, sometimes the anticipation is its own kind of happiness. Is it just me, or do more people share this sentiment?

Take Angkor Wat in Cambodia, for instance. I spent a lifetime longing to see those ancient temples. When I finally got there, though, reality had other plans. The heat was brutal—way beyond “warm and sunny.” I was already nursing a few travel injuries, and the only thing building up faster than my excitement was my exhaustion. I barely managed a quick wander before I had to escape back to my hotel, feeling a bit defeated.

Queues, Entrance Fees, and the Crowds Nobody Mentions

And it’s not just the weather or physical aches. There are endless queues at every “must-see” attraction, and the entrance fees seem to climb higher every year. Sometimes it feels like half of travel is just waiting in line with hundreds of other people, all of us clutching our tickets and phones, trying to snap a photo without a sea of selfie sticks in the background. Is it really worth flying halfway around the world to shuffle along in a crowd through the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An, or to stand for hours in a slow-moving queue to see something you’ve already seen a thousand times online?

I’m not sure anymore.

Is the Real Magic in the Dreaming?

It’s amusing how, when planning a trip, everything seems to happen under perfect, room-temperature conditions. In your mind, you have endless energy, perfect weather, and no one else will be there. But once you arrive, reality is a lot messier—and a lot more crowded and expensive—than you imagined.

Maybe that’s why the anticipation is sometimes sweeter than the journey itself. There’s magic in the dreaming, the planning, the “what if” moments. Of course, travel still has its wonders (even the sticky, sweaty, frustrating ones). But lately, I find myself questioning: is it really worth all the waiting, the money, and the crowds just for a few fleeting moments of “I was here”?

Is Traveling Still the Big Must? A Thoughtful Pause

I’ve been traveling for over three decades now. When I look back, I can’t help but notice how much the world—and the act of traveling itself—has changed. In so many places I once enjoyed almost on my own, overtourism has taken over. What used to feel like an adventure of discovery is now, all too often, a struggle to carve out a moment of peace amid the crowds.

Maya Bay in Thailand’s Phi Phi Islands is a perfect example. I remember visiting long before it became a global hotspot, back when you could still feel like you’d stumbled upon a secret paradise. Now, it’s overrun with boatloads of tourists, to the extent that authorities had to close it for years just to let the environment recover. The same story repeats in Bali, Sri Lanka, and countless other destinations. Places where solitude and authenticity once reigned are now Instagram backdrops, packed with people hunting for the perfect shot.

It’s not just the numbers, but the attitude that’s changed. I see “influencers” and wannabe models posing in flowing gowns on beaches where a bikini or shorts would make far more sense—or, even worse, striking half-naked poses in front of sacred temples and religious sites, completely oblivious to local customs and basic respect. Sometimes, it feels like travel has become less about experiencing a destination and more about collecting content for social media—often filtered, retouched, and presented in colors that never existed in reality.

I’m bothered by this. Not just because the crowds make it harder to enjoy the places I love, but because the meaning of travel seems to be getting lost in all the noise. What gets forgotten are the quiet, imperfect moments—the ones that don’t make it onto Instagram, but stay with you far longer than any “viral” shot.

Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to rethink what makes travel special. Maybe it’s okay not to chase after every trending destination, or to keep some places just for ourselves. Maybe it’s enough to find adventure at our own pace, with our own eyes, and to appreciate the anticipation, the dreaming, and the little moments that make a journey truly memorable.

For now, I’m still dreaming—and maybe, that’s the very best part.