Travel Experiences That Looked Better Online, From Frequent Traveler

2025-08-04T12:04:01Z

I travel a lot and have learned some experiences aren’t as glamorous as they look on social media.
Some spots, like LA’s Hollywood Boulevard and Hawaii’s Mānoa Falls, can get crowded.
Although gorgeous, taking a gondola ride in Venice can be expensive.

Social media has a way of airbrushing reality, especially when it comes to travel.

Many people plan their entire vacations based on viral TikToks and Instagram photo ops, often without realizing what those places are actually like behind the lens.

I’ve been lucky enough to explore over 20 countries, and have been everywhere from the Arctic Circle and the European countryside to the Caribbean.

I love snapping photos and curating videos of my adventures along the way, but I’ll also admit that social media can make every trip look like a dreamy highlight reel with perfect sunsets, pristine hotel rooms, or bucket-list adventures.

Although I’ll always be grateful for the chance to see the world, the truth is, not every moment is as glamorous as it looks online.

Visiting Hollywood Boulevard isn’t as glitzy as it seems.

As a kid, I always glamorized the idea of visiting Hollywood.

Chloe Caldwell

As someone who grew up in the Los Angeles area, I’m incredibly familiar with every tourist hot spot in the city. As a product of the suburbs, I glamorized the idea of visiting Hollywood and immersing myself among those famous sidewalk stars.

The truth, though, is that Hollywood Boulevard is packed with crowds, speckled with trash, and has lots of overpriced attractions and gift shops.

If you want a good view of the Hollywood sign, I recommend going to Griffith Park Observatory instead. There, you’ll get an up-close look at the landmark and sweeping views of LA.

Taking a gondola ride in Venice can be expensive.

Chloe and her friend smile while on a gondola ride in Venice. — Taking a gondola ride in Venice is an incredible — but pricey — experience.

Chloe Caldwell

Venice has become one of my favorite cities for its dreamy waterways, cobblestone alleys, and vibrant atmosphere.

I’ve visited over the past two years and have plans to return this summer. Although a gondola ride might seem like a Venice rite of passage, I have a hard time justifying a nearly $100 price tag for a 30-minute ride.

It may be worth the splurge if a ride is a must on your itinerary. However, it’s also worth looking into the public gondola transfers (aka the traghetto) across the larger waterways that only cost 2 euros (about $2.35).

You’ll be with a group of people for a short, 3-minute ride, but you can still get a quick snapshot of yourself on the gondola.

Mānoa Falls in Honolulu can get crowded.

Chloe poses with her arm in the air in front of a waterfall surrounded by trees. — Mānoa Falls is a 150-foot waterfall near Honolulu.

Chloe Caldwell

The Mānoa Falls Trail is a lush, 1.6-mile round-trip hike near Honolulu that leads to a 150-foot-tall waterfall. It’s a gorgeous trail that I think is worth doing during your visit to Oahu.

However, in my experience, it’s not as serene as it seems online, and there will likely be crowds gathered at the waterfall’s base and the viewpoints throughout.

You’ll likely have difficulty getting photos without people in the background, especially if they’re swimming in the fall’s natural pool. I only got a decent picture of myself in front of the waterfall because it started raining and everyone else left.

I’d recommend going early in the morning to beat some of the rush, or going on a gloomy day when there might be fewer people on the trail. Also, keep an eye out for outlets along the way to find small and secluded streams.

The northern lights are much more vibrant in photos.

The northern lights in the night sky. — Photos of the northern lights often appear more vivid than the in-person display.

Chloe Caldwell

Don’t get me wrong: seeing the northern lights in Iceland was one of the best travel experiences of my life.

However, the photos you see online often make them look like a much more saturated version of what they actually look like to the naked eye. More often, the lights are a faint haze of subtle hues.

Although photos typically appear more vivid and colorful than the in-person display, watching the colors dance in the sky is awe-inspiring nonetheless.

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