Travel: Stay at Home or Go Abroad?

As I have just come back from my holiday in Devon, it’s the perfect time to do a few travel posts. To start off, I’d love to get your opinion on what I am calling a ‘travel conundrum’. That is, when booking a holiday, do you stay in your home country or go abroad?

In my family, we are quite content with staying in the UK, the likes of Devon and Cornwall proving to be beautiful settings for a break. I guess where you go on holiday really does depend on what you like doing though.

I’m all up for going abroad if the trip is focused on discovering another culture, admiring scenery that you wouldn’t find in your own country, etc. After all, I wouldn’t be studying French and going on a year abroad if that wasn’t the case!

What I don’t get is people who will fly halfway across the world to lie by a pool. You know what I mean. The hotel resorts where you have to fight over sunbeds in the morning, and when you nab one, there’s no way you’re going to leave it for the rest of the day. Yeah, I don’t get that.

Why pay the extra travel costs of going abroad and lose holiday time from waiting at airports when you can have the same holiday at home? Of course, if you live in the Arctic Circle, I completely understand the need of some sunshine, but with the heatwave we are experiencing in the UK right now, I don’t see the point of travelling abroad if you’re going to sunbathe the entire time.

In Devon, I have been swimming/body boarding most days and have come back home with a genuine tan. This is in addition to enjoying stunning coastal views from cliff paths, visiting local attractions, and eating my weight in ice cream!

What’s more, we were able to do all of that in just a 4-hour drive from home. No frantically checking you have your passport or the correct luggage weight. It still feels like you could be in a different country though. The lagoon blue ocean and wild coastline of Devon could not any more different from Leicester! However, there are still the same home comforts that help you relax when holidaying in the same country. It’s the perfect combination.

Another reason why I am happy to stay in the UK is because I like to see more of my own country. I love seeing where I’m from. This could be linked to my interest in family history, who knows. At university, it has also struck me the number of people who don’t where places are in the UK, but their most recent holiday was across the Atlantic in Florida. I know this may sound controversial, but surely someone who is at university would have looked at a map of their own country before? I don’t know if this is a problem with the entire modern generation, but it saddens me regardless. I am lucky that I have had the opportunity to explore a lot of places in my country. Yes, I haven’t been to the Maldives or the Caribbean, but I know my country well and I am not afraid to say that I am proud of that.

Social media in my opinion does not help this problem. I feel like there’s competition to travel the furthest or take the most dramatic Instagram shot. Travel and holidaying should not be contests!

Ok, this is turning into a bit of a rant now. Time to cool off Megan. So, yes, I’m all for travelling abroad, but you should want to travel abroad for a reason. Is there a landmark you’ve always dreamt of visiting? Is there a particular cuisine that makes your mouth water? In my opinion, there’s no point going to the faff of going abroad if you’re going to lie on a sunbed for the majority of the time. 

What is your opinion on this travel conundrum?

Megan x