The Best Stories You'd See Today

How to Act Like You’re Well-Traveled (Even If Your Passport Is Empty)

Share on linkedin
Share on twitter
Share on facebook
Share on whatsapp
how to fake being well-traveled

So, your friends are always flexing their vacations in Santorini, Dubai, or the Maldives, and your biggest trip last year was from Lagos to Ibadan? Relax, my dear.

Who needs international stamps when you have vibes, confidence, and an unlimited data plan? Here’s your ultimate guide to convincing everyone that you’re well-traveled; even if the only “trip” you’ve taken is falling asleep in a danfo and missing your bus stop.

RELATED: Group Trip 101: How To Convince Your Friends To Pay Without Sounding Desperate

1. Sprinkle Foreign Phrases into Every Conversation

Why say “thank you” when you can dramatically whisper “arigato” and nod like a wise Japanese monk? Did someone offer you suya? Respond with “gracias” like you just got served tapas in Madrid. The key is to be as unnecessarily extra as possible. Nobody will ask you where you learned it because they’ll just assume you’re well-traveled or you studied abroad (or have an international sugar daddy).

2. Wear Travel Merch Like You Just Came Back

A Paris hoodie, an “I ❤️ NY” T-shirt, or a tote bag that says “Venice, Italy” is enough to make people assume you just got off a flight. Pair it with a mildly tired look like jet lag is still holding you hostage, and boom – instant traveler status. Bonus points if you complain about how “the time difference is messing with your body clock” (even though you’ve never left WAT).

PS: There are tons of IG vendors who can help you print on that hoodie, shirt or tote bag. Nobody’s gonna know.

RELATED: 10 Items You Must Have As a Solo Traveler

3. Use Google Maps Like a Local

Nothing screams “seasoned traveler” like knowing random street names in foreign cities. Casually drop, “When I was in Amsterdam, I stayed near Dam Square, just a short walk from Rijksmuseum.” It doesn’t matter if you’ve only seen it on Google Street View. Confidence is key.

4. Take Strategic Airport Photos

how to fake being well-traveled

You don’t have to actually fly anywhere – just visit the international terminal, take a picture of the departures board, and post it with a vague caption like “Off again! ✈️ #Wanderlust.” Watch as the comments roll in asking where you’re going. Never confirm. Just respond with “You’ll see soon” and let imagination do the rest.

5. Become an Expert in Foreign Snacks

Buy imported chocolates and foreign-brand biscuits from supermarkets with overpriced international sections. Casually mention how “European Pringles just taste different” or how “Oreos in the US have way more filling.” Nobody will fact-check you because… who has the time?

RELATED: Top 9 Visa-Free Destinations For Nigerian Passport Holders

6. Master the Art of the Fake Holiday Story

how to fake being well-traveled

“Oh my God, Bali was such a dream! But the humidity? My skin suffered, sha.” Who needs to actually go when you have YouTube vlogs and Instagram influencers to do the traveling for you? Just memorize details from travel blogs and say things like, “The Eiffel Tower is nice, but Montmartre is the real gem of Paris.” Congratulations, you’ve just won ‘Best in Well-Traveled.’

7. Use a VPN to Fake Your Location

how to fake being well-traveled

Want to convince people you’re in Canada? Get a VPN, change your location to Toronto, and start posting weather complaints. “-5°C and still have to go out? Life is hard, eh?”—Your Nigerian friends will never question you because they don’t know what that level of cold feels like. And just like that, you’re well-traveled.

RELATED: The Nigerian’s Guide to Living A Fake Life

8. Follow All the Travel Bloggers

When your feed is filled with content from people actually traveling, you’ll start sounding like a pro by association. Drop random travel trivia like, “Did you know Tokyo has vending machines that sell fresh eggs?” Everyone will just assume you’ve been there.

9. Start Every Story with “When I Was in…”

This is the pinnacle of international flexing. It doesn’t matter if you were in Johannesburg via Google Images, just start the sentence with “When I was in South Africa…” and let the details flow.

10. Use Airport Codes Like a Pro

No one says “London” anymore. It’s “LHR.” Stop saying “Dubai”—it’s “DXB.” And for extra spice, say things like “I prefer JFK over LAX, but ATL has its charm.” Even if you’ve never set foot in these places, people will nod along, impressed by your expertise.

You don’t need a visa, flight ticket, or immigration stress to be a world traveler. All you need is creativity, audacity, and a little bit of Google. With these tips, you’ll soon be the most “traveled” person in your circle, without ever leaving your neighborhood. Bon voyage, my fellow travel con artist!

Join the Travel and Hospitality community on Fusion for more travel inspiration, tips, and fun trivia where you can test your ‘travel knowledge’ and show off your expertise. You can also win cash prizes while you’re at it. A win is a win!

Related Posts

829 Responses

  1. Thank you for any other informative web site. Where else could I am getting that type of info written in such a perfect way? I’ve a project that I am just now working on, and I have been at the glance out for such information.

  2. You can certainly see your enthusiasm in the work you write. The world hopes for even more passionate writers like you who aren’t afraid to mention how they believe. At all times go after your heart.

  3. Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem together with your site in web explorer, would test thisK IE still is the marketplace chief and a large component of other people will pass over your wonderful writing due to this problem.

  4. Good – I should certainly pronounce, impressed with your site. I had no trouble navigating through all tabs as well as related info ended up being truly easy to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it in the least. Reasonably unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or something, web site theme . a tones way for your customer to communicate. Nice task..

  5. I have been surfing online greater than 3 hours lately, yet I by no means found any interesting article like yours. It?¦s pretty price sufficient for me. Personally, if all website owners and bloggers made just right content material as you probably did, the web can be a lot more helpful than ever before.

  6. hello there and thank you for your info – I’ve certainly picked up something new from right here. I did however expertise several technical points using this web site, as I experienced to reload the web site lots of times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will often affect your placement in google and can damage your quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I am adding this RSS to my email and can look out for a lot more of your respective fascinating content. Make sure you update this again very soon..

  7. Excellent read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he actually bought me lunch because I found it for him smile Therefore let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch! “By nature, men are nearly alike by practice, they get to be wide apart.” by Confucius.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *