Grace Cheng, a lone voyager of American origin, recently utilised the platform of TikTok to convey her unreserved viewpoints on the 11 nations she ventured to in the year 2023. In a video that amassed over 14,000 views, Grace candidly discussed her displeasure with each destination, including London, Singapore, Japan, and others.
The TikTok luminary, known as @gracietravels, initiated her presentation by expressing her aspiration to be entirely genuine with her 62,000 followers, recognizing that not every sojourn presents a favourable experience. She accentuated the significance of articulating personal viewpoints and encounters and utilised her platform as a means to provide valuable insights to her audience.
London constituted the initial destination that Grace scrutinised, and she conceded to perceiving the destination as overrated and encountered the locals to be inhospitable. The responses from her followers were varied, with some concurring with her stance and others voicing contradictory perspectives.
Transitioning to the discussion of her experience in Singapore, Grace articulated her disappointment with her residence at the Marina Bay Sands, perceiving it to not live up to its acclaim and associated expenses. She also remarked on the dearth of diverse activities in the city-state.
Detailing her encounters in Japan, Grace underscored the significant disparities in how foreigners are treated in specific locales. She touched upon the existence of venues exclusive to Japanese patrons and the potential discomfort that non-Japanese speakers may encounter.
Grace also recounted her time in Turkey and articulated her aversion to the pervasiveness of smokers, even in taxi or Uber rides, characterising it as a personal challenge to overcome.
In Egypt, Grace grappled with an overpowering sense of apprehension due to what she perceived as prevalent deceptions and harassment. Her account harmonises with the recent disclosure made by travel vlogger Sam Mayfair, who exposed prevalent deceptions targeting tourists at Egypt’s pyramids.
Though her journey to Australia did not yield significant grievances, Grace opined that the locales she visited were unimpressive and that she would require a more refined itinerary for future visits. This viewpoint resonated with some of her Australian followers who concurred with her stance.
Grace conveyed her admiration for Kenya’s Giraffe Manor, expressing her fondness for giraffes, but cautioned her audience that the experience may not be universally satisfying. She also communicated her dissatisfaction with the service at the Ritz Carlton in the Maldives and raised awareness regarding pedestrian safety considerations in Taiwan.
The American voyager also delivered enigmatic observations regarding her homeland, the United States, without delving into specifics. Conclusively, Grace terminated her discourse with reflections on her time in Canada, expressing her fondness for Banff and her yearning for further exploration of the area.
The video elicited a spectrum of reactions from her audience, some amused, some supportive, and others critical of her standpoint. There were also speculations raised about her remarks concerning certain hotel experiences, instigating inquiries directed towards the respective establishments.
Grace’s forthright and unfiltered depiction of her voyages endows her viewers with a distinctive glimpse into the intricacies of global travel, serving as a reminder that not every expedition is devoid of challenges. Her readiness to divulge both advantageous and disadvantageous facets of her excursions contributes to a more well-rounded portrayal of contemporary travel.
