No Eiffel Tower, no Pyramids. 30-year-old man wants 10 days in the mountains instead. Why?

For many travelers a holiday is about seeing famous landmarks, exploring bustling cities and collecting pictures from around the world. But Karun Pal’s idea of what makes a trip worthwhile, is different. The young man in his 30s shared that he is tired of standing in long airport queues, having a jam-packed itinerary and rushing between attractions. Instead, he wants to spend 10 days in the mountains doing very little. His post has struck a chord and started a conversation on slow travel who prefer serenity, quiet routines instead of rushing around and barely getting rest.

Karun Pal wants to trade tourist attractions for mountain solitude

Pal took to X to explain why he feels disconnected from traditional tourism. “I was tired of dragging my luggage through airports and rushing through cities and standing in queues to see monuments built centuries ago,” he said.

He wondered what was the point of checking off tourist places like Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal and the pyramids and would rather prefer to find a quiet and quaint mountain location and stay there for 10 days.


His ideal holiday, he said, was waking slowly, drinking coffee with a view, listening to birdsong, and taking walks and reading books. He doesn't want to fill every hour with something to do; he wants time to think, time to do nothing at all. Pal’s point is not to see as many places as possible. He marked his wish as a desire for quiet and peace.

'Travel is really not that fun': Netizens relate to his take

Pal's post struck a chord with people who find traditional sightseeing exhausting or prefer spending longer periods in one place. One user prefers to travel to Ireland every summer. He added that he stays in a rural cottage beside a lake. He sails occasionally and does not pack much.

Another commenter agreed with Pal's perspective, saying travel can feel like considerable work for little reward. They explained that a pleasant neighbourhood with a park and a few convenient shops would be enough for them, rather than constantly moving between destinations.

'The ultimate aim of travel isn't to explore places but to rediscover yourself'

Another user connected the discussion to the tradition of spending summers in ancestral villages. They remembered how their forefathers used to take the family to their home village for two months every summer, calling it a visionary practice. Maybe the true value of travel, the commentor suggested, is not in seeing new places, but in rediscovering yourself. Their observation was a reflection of Pal’s liking to break away from the busy schedules, and give time for thought.

A fourth user offered another perspective on slow travel, saying they like to go on cruises that run a month or longer.They also stay at least 28 days in a destination before moving on. “This slow pace is better than rushing to one place or the other,” they said.