I agree with every word. In fact I sometimes feel the same about my camera. We spend so much energy on documenting our travels that it sometimes feel like we´re not “there”. I have found that the days where I leave my camera/phone/etc. at home/hotel are the ones I enjoy the most.

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Twitter has enhanced my travels because used in combination with a smart phone (my husband’s iPhone) it allows me to crowd source recommendations on the fly. Great fun!

“When you are travelling around, taking photos, typing tweets, and recording videos you miss so much of the destination.”

I agree with this but I think there’s a happy medium. Taking photos and recording videos are more about blogging than Twitter anyway.

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I’m with you, Darren. Can’t think of anything worse than squinting at the screen every 5 minutes for another “recommendation”. I’d rather get lost…

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I agree that Tweeting constantly (or spending too much time on other types of social media, in ‘net cafes or taking video/photos constantly, as Inga says) can be detrimental to your experience. However, I think Twitter can be a great tool for finding out about things happening in the places you visit and for meeting other travellers that you might not otherwise get to. We tend to shed our inhibitions a bit more online. So I think it needs to be balanced, not necessarily eliminated all together. I find it hard to limit my Twitter usage when at home – hopefully travel will make this easier. Though I just bought a netbook today for our upcoming travels…I’m hoping to just use during rest time. Maybe easier said than done?

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Very interesting viewpoint. I especially agree with your last point, as it’s happened to me oftentimes before. I’m shy by nature but love to open up to the people around me. Thanks for these good thoughts.

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I have to agree Darren. Because I use Twitter almost 100% from my PC this is not a challenge for me, but when I’m walking around a new city I want to be looking at my new surroundings, not at my little screen. And so what if I get lost or have to try a restaurants without a recommendation? Best solution for this is to have a crap phone. Works for me.

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My daughter spent most of the holiday taking photos and then uploading them to Facebook. She drove us mad, and must have missed so much of Egypt and the pyramids because of it.

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Like everything in life, this is all about balance. We have to use our ‘toys’ sensibly whether they are cameras or social-media connected phones or computer devices. We have to use these toys in balance with our senses. Not easy, especially if they keep us connected with our friends and colleagues and give us feedback or reassurance. But yes, we so sometimes have to step back and remember to use our senses of touch, our eyes, ears, sense of smell and even taste to get the most from our travels.

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I certainly notice a difference in the way I look at a place when I have a camera around my neck and when I don’t. Without it, I feel I’m less critical of it. That is to say I’m less likely to dismiss a sight just because it wouldn’t make a pretty picture.

I love travel photography and will always take pictures, but like Wink says above, it’s all about balance. Everyone who tweets and takes photos while on the road should really spend some time without those things, just to keep it all in perspective.

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You’re just winding me up, aren’t you, Darren? Twitter has allowed me to make connections out there in the world that I’d not have made otherwise, I could easily write the contrary post on Why Twitter Makes Your Vacation Better.

Yes, you should unplug. Yes, you should turn off your damn phone. Yes, you should talk to locals. Yes, if you have a tech addiction, you should be mindful of how that’s eating your free time. But all things in moderation. Your camera can cause the same problem — you can be addicted to taking pictures and not really SEE. You’ll ruin your own vacation with your obsessions, no matter what they are, if you can’t chill long enough to enjoy yourself. Twitter is no more or less at fault than any other distraction that you can’t set down long enough to be where you are.

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I always use twitter and clear my doubts by sharing my all kinds of questions…
Last month i went for holidays in Amsterdam and i got lots of ideas from twitter peoples..

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I like to share my travel experiences with my friends, so i use Facebook for that very often.

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It is amazing how these modern technologies can actually diminish the travel experience. I’d almost wish I could travel back in time to experience the stories my father tells of travelling the world with no contact with home and relying on snail mail to keep friends and family up to date. But I’d miss email, facebook, etc too much

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Interesting, but I think it definitely about sharing your experiences, people love to share information, which is great. I think I would rather have the sharing culture rather than no technology at all.

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I’m a fan of Twitter but not for finding my way around a city /destination. In my opinion, it’s not a relaxing holiday if you are constantly typing away on a phone.

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i agree – when we travel, twitter and facebook are left behind. what i can’t gather beforehand isn’t worth it for me to interrupt family time.

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As with everything in life, there are positive and negative attributes to use of social media while on holiday. If it can enhance your experience then use it to share something that makes you excited with friends or acquire information that will be useful to you but don’t forget to make the most of the holiday while you are there too.
You will have plenty of opportunities afterwards to share your experiences and look back on the memories over and over again but your time at the holiday destination is limited and always ends too soon and those opportunities often end up being once in a lifetime.

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