15+ Travelers Who Made Surprising Discoveries in Foreign Countries

Every country, and even the cities within them, has something unique to offer, whether it be beautiful architecture, tasty cuisine, local traditions, unique ways of greeting each other, and more things you most likely won’t find in other places. These can serve as a pleasant surprise for a traveler or even a cultural shock.

We found 15 stories of people who stumbled upon something unusual or even bizarre while visiting other countries.

• In the UAE, falcons are a huge thing. You can take your falcon on the plane if you buy him a ticket and he has his falcon passport. Not a joke, they actually have falcon passports. © editormatt / Reddit
• In Chile, “tomorrow” means next week. “Next week” means never. “I’m already there” means “I’m thinking about starting to prepare to go out.” For a 10-minutes-early person, that was jarring.
  © theartlav / Reddit
• A large Maori man asked to touch noses with me in greeting. The dude looked pissed until I manned up and was the first to touch noses. Then he had one of the best smiles I’ve ever seen on a mountain of a man. It lit up the entire cultural center. © 0_1_0_2 / Reddit

• In Japan, the level of trust is incredible. I went to a convenience store with no staff. You simply pick your items, drop your cash into a box, and get your change. There is an open box of money in the middle of the store. © eternityinspace / Reddit
• When I visited Japan for the first time, I shoved money into a Japanese clerk’s face. Apparently a big no-no. They have a little tray by the till where you’re supposed to place your money rather than directly giving it to them. I’ll never forget that shocked look on her face. It was like I was pooping on the counter. © deleted / Reddit
• Barefoot people are EVERYWHERE in New Zealand. In Starbucks, in the mall, on public transit, and walking down the street. No shoes, no socks, no care. © skyfelldown / Reddit

• Moving to Bulgaria from England. In Bulgaria shaking your head means “yes” and nodding means “no.” You don’t even realize how hard it is to reverse a lifelong habit until you try, and it’s really disconcerting. Also, if you screw up, you look crazy. Imagine asking someone if they want a bag and having them nod at you while saying “no.” © Destructopuppy / Reddit
• Croatia: It’s a standard expectation that you clean the street outside your house as part of cleaning your house (at least in the small towns I was in, not sure about the cities). The cleanest streets I’ve ever seen and a real sense of communal civic pride. © Ech1n0idea / Reddit
• I went to China and saw that some of the children had holes in the backs of their shorts. I asked the guide about this and she said that it was an alternative to diapers. The children will just drop a steamer anywhere and the parents will either clean it up or put a napkin over it. Another reason they do this is to give the children motivation to get potty trained. If they are seen in public after a certain age with a hole in the back of their pants, it is embarrassing for the child.
  © SuperRedneck / Reddit

• Malaysians make kissing sounds to get your attention, like snapping your fingers in America. I thought it was more equal to cat-calling when I first moved there. © the_destroyer_obi / Reddit
• Nap time is everything in Spain. I visited Barcelona a few months ago, and it was my first time in Spain. Couldn’t believe it when my friend told me that all the shops and businesses are closed because it was “siesta time.” I love my naps and all, but that just drove me crazy. © hyperactivepotato / Reddit
• Trucks playing music while driving down streets of Taipei. I commented that it might be an ice cream truck. My host looked at me funny and replied, “That’s the garbage truck. If we want ice cream, we go to the 7-Eleven store.” © catdude142 / Reddit

• When you sit down at a restaurant in Portugal, they bring you bread, olives, cheese, and a sardine plate. If you eat it, you pay for it. If you don’t touch it, they take it away and pretend it never existed. © BDMayhem / Reddit
• We stayed with a few families in Turkey. When dinner rolled around, everyone got their own spoon and ate directly from the same serving dish, even things like yogurt. Mom, Dad, Grandma, snotty toddlers. Everyone. Just one big familial petri dish. It was a stressful trip. © SomeNerds***Wife / Reddit
• Thailand. They don’t flush toilet paper down the toilet. You are supposed to wash your bottom with a hose like a bidet, then wipe it with toilet paper and throw it in a waste bin. © Haunting-Panda-3769 / Reddit

“I swear, guys...my bum gun is clean.” © daveylovesMN / Reddit

Bonus: “A new McDonald’s in Slovenia is charging 50 cents for using its toilet. Looks like a gate at an airport.”

Have you traveled abroad recently? What surprised you the most in other countries?

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