When you travel the world you’ll often find other travelers dropping names of places they’ve visited into the conversation.

Have you ever had someone cling onto you whilst traveling?

Have you ever had a traveller moaning about everything, how it’s better back home?

Picture this, you’re sat around a small table with two travel buddies you’ve met in a quint little restaurant when a fellow traveler you met earlier at the hostel reception sits down to join you. After a while he becomes more predominant in the conversation, randomly dropping names of remote places he’s been to despite it being irrelevant to the conversation. You let it go, but after a while he keeps dropping in the name of the place he thinks must impress. His favourite line seems to be “When I was in – Insert Impressive Location Here – …”, he’s not impressing anyone but himself.

Congratulations – You’ve just met “The Place Name Dropper”.

I wrote this article as a follow up to the article – How To Ditch Your Travel Mate , I would recommend reading this article first.

Here are 8 ways to identify your fellow traveler:

1. The Independent Explorer

This traveler needs no-one but themselves, self sufficient and determined on the surface. They’ve usually been to the most remote country in the world. Later you find out they really went there on a package holiday with their parents ten years ago.

They often like to tell you how they understand the countries culture in a superior manner to anyone else. The way they do this is to befriend a local motor taxi guy and buy him dinner and a few beers, this usually constitutes obtaining a deep understanding of a country and it’s people. The motor taxi driver jumps at the chance, who wouldn’t? Free dinner and beer?

The Independent Explorer likes to pretend they go to the places where no one has gone before. In reality they don’t really know much about the country itself and only want to go for the kudos points.

How To Spot One:

• – They’re usually alone
• – They like to walk bare foot, this proves they’ve been to a really poverty stricken country. Maximum kudos!
• – They have a love for “fisherman’s trousers”, dread locks and any other traveling cliches.
• – The Facial hair is a giveaway, the longer the beard, the longer they’ve been away. Longer the beard the better.

2. The Cling On

Fearful for their own life should they be on their own too long the “Cling On’s” favourite catch phrase is “Shall we go together?”. Their natural instinct is to find the nearest backpacker and to cling to them for guidance, they don’t let go unless they find another backpacker. They have no confidence or independence and are usually on their first long trip away from home, but don’t be fooled later on they may turn into a Independent Explorer. Most travelers have themselves been a “Cling On” at one time or another. The Independent Explorer’s frown upon the Cling On’s with disdain and do whatever they can to avoid contact.

How to spot one:

• – Wearing a brand new 70L+ backpack
• – Fresh faced, no facial hair
• – Far too much gear with them
• – They usually carry a well organised folder for their travel documents
• – A money pouch or bag for the waist is a must

3.Captain Club 18-30’s

These travelers have come away for all the wrong reasons. Sometimes I suspect they caught the wrong flight, they missed the flight to Ibiza. Often found in Australia and also in Bangkok these travellers like a bit of a party, mostly every night. They’re not really fond of foreign cuisine opting for the local KFC or Burger King to combat the hangover. Captain Club 18-30’s will crash into your dorm at about 3am, turning the lights on and off is optional. They’ll stumble into every piece of furniture in the room possible before falling into bed and snoring as loud as psychically possible.

How to spot one:

• – Often wearing a football shirt, they enjoy a nice baseball cap
• – With a beer in hand before 12pm
• – They can often be seen roaming in packs

 

4. The Action Planner

These travelers have a major problem with just “going with the flow”. The guide book is their best friend and planning the next month of the trip in detail is vital to its success. Their trip tends to undergo more planning than a military operation.

How to spot one:

• – They’ll be carrying a guide book under their arm
• – They won’t be chilling out watching TV or a DVD in the hostel

 

5. The Moaning Traveler

A day spent with this traveler could lead to suicide. They like to moan about everything possible, the food, the price, the location, the facilities etc. The Moaning Traveler’s favourite trick is to compare everything to back home, obviously everything at home was much better. Leaving most people to question “why did you bother going travelling?”

How to spot one:

• – Very difficult to pin point at first glance
• – Can be found complaining in a restaurant or at reception

 

6. Mr Competitive

 

To this traveler everything and anything is a competition. They have been just about everywhere and done pretty much everything in they’re life. They’re not only a CEO of a company but in their spare time they’ve been saving baby seals from being clubbed to death. Their prime purpose of traveling is to be able to tell people they’ve been. They jump at the chance to stay at a secluded monastery for a month, not because they want to, but because it’ll be a great story to bore people with. They feel a need to justify themselves in life and to be better than the next person.

How to spot one:

• – Usually talking loudly about their own past achievements in life
• – Sat around telling people how good their life is

 

7. Little Miss Prozac

 

This optimistic traveler is always bright, happy and joyful. Everywhere they have ever been on their travels it has been “Awesome” or “Amazing”, they have never been to one place that they haven’t enjoyed. They could break both legs and their arms and they’d still be looking on the bright side. The world is wonderful and full of fluffy bunny rabbits.

How to spot one:

• – Usually wearing a big smug smile
• – Their travel blog – usually from the perspective that everywhere they have been is “Awesome” or “Amazing”

8. Place Name Dropper

Most of us drop a place name in the conversation now and again, but the real Place Name Dropper does it when the place is completely irrelevant to the conversation. They do this in the hope that it’ll create kudos with the other members of the
group. These travelers thrive on the conversation and the chance to pretend to be superior to others by where they have been travelling.

How to spot one:

• – Watch conversations closely for a place name drop

There are many different personalities traveling the globe, some you’ll love and others you’ll dispise. During your travels you’ll develop, from being slightly timid and fearful of the unknown to being more confident and out going.

Most travelers will become part of the different types of travelers above at one time or another. At times I have been a “Cling On” and sometimes I’ve been a “Place Name Dropper”, traveling is a great way to learn about yourself.

While you’re traveling you’ll often see yourself as one of the 8 types above, but that’s all good! It’s all part of you developing and learning as a person and a traveler.

Do you have an opinion on the 8 different types of travelers?

 

Can you identify any more of your own?

Feel free to comment below…