14 Expensive Vacation Recipes That Aren’t Worth the Money
Vacations are all about making memories but creating memories can be very pricey… especially when it comes to eating. You’ve probably been there: You’re at a table overlooking the ocean or a trendy rooftop restaurant and it hits you. The $45 salad in front of you doesn’t make up for the stunning view. Sure, it’s fun to indulge but not all pricey vacation eats are worth the hype.
Just because something is served with a sprinkling of gold or is loaded with an unusual ingredient, doesn’t make the meal memorable. Take a look at some of the most overpriced vacation bites that have travelers scratching their heads, and their wallets a little lighter.
Lobster Rolls in Seaside Tourist Destinations
A lobster roll is nothing to sneeze at, but most of the $30 to $50 versions served in crowded tourist traps are short on lobster and long on mayo and soggy bread. People are paying for the location, not the quality. Unless you’re at a reputable seafood shack, skip it and put your money toward a fresher, more satisfying catch.
Truffle-Infused Everything
It seems that you can double the price by adding truffle oil or shaved truffle on fries or pasta. However, many places don’t even use real truffles, they use synthetic truffle essence.
Gold Leaf-Covered Desserts
The thing is, gold looks pretty on a sundae or macaron, but it tastes like nothing. With some desserts costing over $1,000, it’s no surprise this edible glitter comes with a jaw-dropping markup. Gold on food is pure theater. It’s not about flavor, you’re paying to take an Instagram photo.
Hotel Breakfast Buffets Are Too Expensive
Hotel breakfast spreads might be tempting, but they can cost more than $40 per person. That’s a steep price for mediocre eggs, pastries, and coffee. Seasoned travelers will tell you, it’s cheaper, fresher, and tastier to go out to a local café for breakfast.
Kobe Beef Burgers
Kobe beef is a delicacy, but it’s so rare and so expensive that many restaurants don’t use it right. It’s often just high-grade Wagyu—or not even that—at all, so you might think you’re biting into a premium burger. Only a few restaurants outside Japan serve authentic Kobe beef, so many of these pricey patties are a marketing gimmick.
Sushi Rolls That Are Exorbitantly Priced
Sushi can be an art form, and if one roll of sushi is $40, it’s too expensive for tourists in vacation hotspots. If you’re not friends with a sushi master, you should be prepared to pay a premium, in cash only since credit cards are not accepted, for unnecessarily Americanized sushi rolls with cream cheese and avocado.
Beachside Piña Coladas
You could get a fruity cocktail with an umbrella by the beach for $25. Mostly juice and ice with a little premium rum. If you don’t want to pay that much, find a local dive bar or mix your own for a fraction of the price.
Authentic Street Foods Are Expensive
Trying local flavors at markets and food stalls is great but if you’re in heavily touristed areas, prices are through the roof. While that $20 taco might look super authentic, locals are probably paying a couple of bucks less a few streets over.
Designer Macarons
They are delicate, colorful, and obviously pretty but $5 macarons that are the size of a quarter is a bit much. Instead of luxurious snacks, you can get equally delicious macarons at bakeries off the beaten path for a fraction of the price.
High-End Ice Cream Shops
Single scoops of artisan ice cream are now $10, and they’ve colonized vacation spots. The markup is often just as much a function of where the shop is located as it is of quality, and each of these shops has its own special flavor, lavender or burnt caramel.
Over-the-Top Milkshakes
Do you remember milkshakes with candy, donuts, and slices of cake? The drinks can cost upwards of $20, and they’re Instagram-famous. Yes, they’re photogenic, but it’s more about the spectacle than actually finishing it.
Luxury Airport Lounge Snacks
Many travelers overspend for premium lounge access, but the ultimate snack spread is lukewarm finger foods and stale pasties. Don’t waste your dollars on those overpriced nibbles, spend your dollars on an actual meal.
Famous Vacation Spot Chain Restaurants
A chain restaurant you know in a new city may seem safe, but those restaurants jack up prices in tourist hot spots. It’s only $25 for that $12 burger you eat at home, and it’s just as ordinary.
Tourist Attractions and Bottled Water
One of the oldest vacation traps is paying $8 for a bottle of water at a theme park or landmark. Hydration is important, but your true health is going to cost you a small fortune if you don’t stock up on water the old-fashioned way at a local shop.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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Even if you’ve been on a safari in the past, an African photo safari is something you want to experience or at the very list add to the top of your bucket list.
But first, what is a photo safari? The phrase “photo safari” is not a common sentence structure but its meaning can be deduced easily. An African photo safari in general context means going on an adventure with the sole purpose of taking high-quality pictures.
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