Travel Expert Bruce Wallin on the Pros and Cons of Modern Travel's Luxuries

There’s a common misconception “that luxury travel removes you from real authentic experiences,” Wallin says on the Matador Network podcast No Fixed Address: The World’s Most Extraordinary People. In a wide-ranging conversation with Michael Motamedi and Vanessa Salas, Wallin discussed the changes in travel that he’s seen over the years and how, as with all types of travel, the trip is what you make of it.

Coming from the backpacker world, Wallin admits, he loves the spontaneity of things like bumping into a stranger on the street and making fast friends. Luxury often equates to a certain level of seclusion from the day to day of people who call a place home, however. Doors are opened that otherwise wouldn’t be. Putting yourself out there and making an effort to connect can still lead to those authentic experiences — whether that’s communing with a local guide or mingling with high society at a grand hotel bar.

Wallin recalls a trip to Lima staying at Hotel B. The bar was filled with locals, and “I was drinking a pisco sour and just feeling like I was part of high society in Lima,” Wallin says. There are advantages to both luxury trips and spontaneous budget trips when you approach it right and find a way to see a slice of life in an area. “No question about it,” he adds.

Photo credits: Bruce Wallin, left; Yann Allègre, right

What’s considered standard today would have been a major luxury not so long ago, though. Even compared to a decade or two ago, travel is incredibly seamless. The friction of things like language barriers, paper maps, and scrambling to find a hotel or a ride have all been lifted by what our phones can do.

“When I really started traveling a lot, not everybody spoke English,” Wallin says. “You’d go places and people would not speak any English and you had to figure it out. And now, everywhere I go, people speak really good English.”

In some ways, that’s great,” Wallin continues. “If I’m lost in China somewhere, it’s really nice that I can find someone who can help me out. But in some ways, I feel like you’re missing out on an experience in that regard.”

There are obvious benefits: travel is much more accessible, affordable, and in many ways safer for everyone. The drawbacks include overtourism, with cities like Amsterdam aggressively trying to cut back the number of visitors. The rush to a viral photo spot easily flattens the appeal. Sometimes it’s not too hard to wonder if some places should be a little less accessible.

To hear more about Wallin’s life in travel, why travel is important for children, and the kindness of the people we meet when we’re somewhere new, listen to the full episode on your favorite listening platform.