#1
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Nicest people: Japanese. I've lived in Japan and traveled there a lot since. Never had a truly bad experience. People were helpful and once the ice was broken, very friendly; everyone tends to mind their business and customer service was always great, even when the konbini part-timer looked like they'd rather be anywhere but at work. Friendliest people I met were at Kamakura.
Meanest: I wouldn't say "mean" but I am never going to Egypt again. The sexual harassment was unbelievable. Made NYC Construction Sites seem like a monastery by comparison.
#3
To learn more about where you can find the friendliest locals in the world, we reached out to globetrotter Alyse, aka The Invisible Tourist, to hear her thoughts on the topic. Alyse was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and share where she's encountered incredibly kind people.
"I'm sure many readers will agree when I answer this question with Japan, people genuinely go out of their way to help if you need it," the travel expert says. "For instance, I've been surprised when a lady in Osaka walked me from the train station to my hotel. And another time when I caught the wrong train, a lady jumped off onto the platform to direct me where to go and therefore missed her train... Just selfless encounters like this."
"The locals in Thailand are also some of the friendliest I've ever encountered, too!" Alyse added. "The genuine smiles on their faces are so heartwarming, it's no wonder Thailand is known as the 'Land of Smiles.'"
#4
Japanese and Balinese, also New Zealanders
The rudest and most disrespectful:
Russians and Chinese.
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On the other hand, we were curious if Alyse has ever met locals who weren't exactly welcoming towards her. "For me personally, I did have less-than-friendly encounters with locals in Vienna and Prague," she shared. "Now, it is a cultural difference there for locals to not be overly enthusiastic when meeting visitors, which is understandable, but separate vendors in each city refused to give me change when I paid for street food. I had to insist, and felt as though they were trying to take advantage. Hopefully that has changed there now."
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Worst place I've ever been is the Walmart next to Walt Disney World in Florida. There was a shooting as we were leaving, heard the gunshots while pulling out of the parking lot.
Alyse also suggests that travelers be extra mindful of locals in places that are known to suffer from over tourism. "Kyoto, Bali, Santorini, Venice, Dubrovnik, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Paris are just a few places where locals are fed up with tourists," she noted. "We don't want to make their lives more difficult, so it's important to be as respectful as possible when visiting."
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I was so confused and startled by this random act of kindness, that my initial thought was she was setting us up for something and I started looking behind my shoulder. The concept of a stranger helping us out for no particular reason was so alien to us that we were on guard for something that never happened. Turns out, people are just nice there and we weren't used to seeing it.
We also asked the expert for some tips on how travelers can have better experiences with locals when abroad.
"Definitely try and 'blend in' as much as possible during your trip by learning some basic phrases of the local language (and possible responses!) beforehand," Alyse says. "Find out any cultural differences (for example, why you should never show the soles of your feet in some Asian countries), catch trains outside of rush hours with luggage where possible, dining etiquette, and cover up appropriately at any places of worship."
"And overall, try to keep our voices down. No one likes an annoying tourist, but we can amplify the positive aspects of tourism through thoughtful exchanges with locals," she added.
#13
Worst? Isreal. Arrogant and mean.
#14
Runner Up - Wierdly Americans; seemingly always open to starting a conversation and trying to assist you or give you helpful tips
#15
Meanest was easily Germany, though I did find their rudeness to be almost comical haha. I still like them though and appreciate their blunt manner!
Finally, Alyse suggests to "try and opt for small businesses as much as possible rather than global conglomerates during your trip."
"This helps to keep tourism money within the local community who rely on it, rather than it being sent offshore," she explained. "This applies to restaurants, accommodation, retail, traditional handicrafts and cultural experiences... As tourists, we have the power to funnel our money to where it is needed most."
And if you're looking for even more travel advice from Alyse, be sure to visit The Invisible Tourist or check out her book!
#16
I prefer to remember the second but I can see how others would not. And that’d be every bit as reasonable.
#17
We were also lucky enough to get in touch with King Siu of Travel, Eat, Drink to hear about some of his experiences with locals around the world. "I’ve been to over 30 countries on six continents, and I’m happy to report that I’ve found friendly people everywhere I’ve been," the travel expert shared.
"There were definitely spots where I wasn’t sure what kind of reception I’d receive, but that was less about whether I thought I would find friendly people there and more about whether they would be friendly towards me," King noted. "There were many reasons for my hesitations, but the main two were how they would react to someone of my ethnicity (as an Asian, I kind of stand out everywhere I go outside of Asia), and how they would feel about a foreigner in general, as geopolitical issues can create tension."
#18
Most unfriendly , Israel. They just looked so miserable all the time and any time I tried to start a chat I just got a dead eyed stare back at me.
King says that, for the most part, he's been very surprised by how much he's been ignored while traveling. "Whether I’m wandering alleys in Egypt, markets in Colombia, or small towns in Australia, I’m generally left alone," he told Bored Panda. "The exception being if I’m in a super touristy area, because then I’m mobbed like a celebrity as they try to sell me stuff. However, the locals I’ve engaged with in every country have typically been quite friendly, even when there is a language barrier between us."
#19
Edit: Runners up for nicest, Greece.
#20
"I’ve also found that the more a place differs from where I am from, the friendlier the people tend to be towards me," King pointed out. "Logically, one would assume that it would be the other way around, but that’s not what I’ve found."
"When I stayed in a favela in Rio de Janeiro (which is probably the scariest thing I’ve done to-date, and not something I recommend you do without doing extensive research and taking the proper precautions), once I got over the possibility that I could be killed or kidnapped and got to know the people in that neighborhood, I would say that they turned out to be some of the friendliest and most generous people I’ve ever met," he shared.