For almost every traveler, culture shock is very real. Sometimes, there is no warning that you’re about to experience something that will change you or your perspective of the world. From canned worms to language barriers, traveling solo through foreign lands to dog meat being sold just down from your house – below is 17 stories of culture shock from travelers!

Culture shock isn’t always a negative thing. It can be an indication you’re growing as a traveler and as a person. These new experiences stretch your mind about the world we live in – different languages, cultures, customs are just a few ways a travel culture shock can exist.

If you’re able to recognize and adapt to a culture shock then you will be open to enjoying these foreign experiences.

Let’s get into these 17 stories of culture shock from travelers!

 

Aaron Chin – Aaron Gone Travel

Before going to Iran, I had a presumption that this country is a conservative Islamic nation. However, the biggest culture shock I faced in Iran was the exact opposite. People are very much open to many sensitive topics including politics, sexual orientation, religion and other topics that are predominantly tabooed. Of all the Iranians I met, they all have the same sayings – “We are Muslims when we are out of our house, so we can talk about it in our house”.

Iran is also super open and friendly to travelers. I cannot recall how many times I was invited to have tea and dinner at a local’s place. My mum would be offered pieces of freshly roasted bread when we walked out of our accommodation. We weren’t allowed to pay at a local eatery when we were at Kashan – even when we insisted. People were keen to take us for a ride purely out of kindness and their eagerness to practice English.

These rather pleasant culture shocks in Iran contributed to a tremendous trip to Iran. I will go back to Iran again because I can never get enough of these culture shocks. If you are also planning to go to Iran, check out the ultimate 2-week itinerary in Iran!

 

Sean Lau – Living Out Lau

Everyone talks about how different Japan’s culture is from the rest of the world but I didn’t believe it. How could such a modernized country have such vastly different cultural beliefs and lifestyle from the western part of the world? I decided that I had to find out for myself and within 24 hours of arriving in Tokyo, I knew everything I heard about Japan was real.

I remember arriving at the airport in Tokyo and having to take the train into the city. I wasn’t sure how and where to take the train so I approached a man in uniform and asked: “Where do you take the train?” To my surprise, he did not speak a speck of English. He spoke quickly in Japanese and when he saw my confused face, he smiled and bowed, which I found very strange at the time.

How could such a modern country not speak English? Eventually, I was able to find someone that was able to guide me to where I needed to go. I bought my ticket for the train and went over to the time schedule and saw that the train wouldn’t arrive in 5 minutes. In my head, 5 minutes was like at least 10 minutes.

But little did I know, in exactly 5 minutes, the train arrived. When are trains ever on time in your country? I got on the long train ride into the city of Tokyo and I don’t recall hearing anyone say a single word. No conversation, no phone calls, no music, nothing. It was just the sound of the train traveling at high speed and the broadcast from the train. Later I found out it was rude to talk on the trains, especially on your phone.

Learn more about traveling to Japan.

 

Wendy Werneth – The Nomadic Vegan

Back in 1995, I studied abroad for six weeks in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on a language and culture immersion program. I was only 19 years old and had hardly spent any time outside of my home country, the United States. While I fell in love with Brazil immediately, there were certain things that shocked me about how my host family lived.

For example, the older of the two daughters, who was about my age, worked in a bikini store. As a welcoming gift, she gave me a Brazilian bikini. I couldn’t believe how skimpy it was! I felt naked wearing it on Copacabana Beach, and my tan lines showed just how much more conservative my previous bikini had been.

I was also surprised that my host family had a maid who came every day to cook and clean for them, and yet, judging by my own standard of living in the US, they didn’t seem to be very wealthy. They didn’t have a VCR or cable TV, both of which I viewed as necessities. It’s funny to look back now at how I viewed the world back then.

In the years since I have rejected the consumerist culture, I grew up in and try to live a minimalist lifestyle. I have also returned to Brazil to explore the country more fully, not just Rio de Janeiro but also São Paulo and many other cities. I was afraid that it wouldn’t live up to my memories of it, but instead, I loved it even more the second time around.

 

Ahlan Monica – Ahlan Monica

When I traveled to Egypt for the first time, it was the first Islamic country I’d ever traveled to and I really didn’t know what to expect. All I knew was, I’m traveling to a “third world country” that the news says I shouldn’t visit and it’s very culturally and religiously conservative. When I landed, I really felt as though I’d been transported to another world. The biggest shock for me by far was the lack of rules on the road, donkeys on the side transporting goods, three people riding on a one person motorcycle, four lanes but six cars crammed in – anything goes!

My first night, even with jet lag, I couldn’t get comfortable on the rock hard cotton stuffed mattresses the Egyptians love. Then to my surprise, something startled me in the middle of the night, a very loud foreign voice goes off and I’m terrified for the first few seconds until I realize it’s the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer. I became used to the timing of the adhan and actually grew to love the sound and the way the locals arranged their time to ensure they could complete their prayers.

As a woman, another fear of mine was ensuring I abided by the Egyptian dress code and dressed respectfully while also being able to withstand the heat. No matter how conservative my dress though, I couldn’t help but stand out, especially with my bright red hair!

While I did get a bit of unwanted attention (mostly by school girls wanting to take my picture), traveling with my Egyptian husband, definitely gave me a different cultural experience. I’ve since traveled several times and always manage to find things to be shocked about, but I love continually being surprised by the beauty of Egypt!

 

Gemma – Two Scots Abroad

Nothing says culture shock like being stripped down for a massage!

During my first backpacking trip to Eastern Europe, we visited Budapest’s most famous spa, Széchenyi. Excited at the prospect of an affordable massage after a week of interrailing, my friends and I lined up outside of the private cubicles as hunky Hungarian staff members walked past us in tight uniforms.

You can imagine my surprise when I was met by a wee Hungarian granny as I entered the small, drab cubicle! As I lay face down, the masseuse asked me to remove my bikini top which is pretty standard as British massage experiences go.

Then things take a turn, as the masseuse is getting into the session she points at my bikini bottoms and gestures for me to take them off.

Now, I’m Scottish and us Scots are pretty prudish!

We also have see-through skin, a lack of sunshine is to blame for that. It’s not really common that you’d see us in the buff so this whole experience just went from slightly relaxing to bloody alarming! As the session came to an end I met my friends outside.

One says, you won’t believe it, and I respond, I know! Bum massage! They look at me perplexed. No, they only had to remove their tops. It was only me that was fully violated on the massage slab! This laugh put me in good stead for the next unwanted culture shock though – a boob massage in Thailand!

 

Daniel James – Layer Culture

When I first traveled to Latin America I visited Mexico. I’d been invited to stay with a family friend in Mexico City. Little did I know how challenging the trip would be. Backpacking and traveling solo were still quite new to me, so the travel aspect alone was my biggest fear before I arrived.

However, it wasn’t until I arrived in Mexico City, and after been there a few days that I experienced culture shock. The realization that my English to them, made no sense, had no value, and no longer served me; was shocking. For me, coming to terms with the fact that no one understood me, made me emotional. I felt useless.

Like I was a baby who had to learn everything I already knew from the beginning. My mind was officially blown. Thankfully after that 2-week culture shock experience, I was able to be around Mexican people listen and enjoy the Spanish language. I can comprehend more now and feel that the culture shock expanded my mind.

 

Eloise – My Favourite Escapes

I’m French, and cheese is the base of many of my meals. Although we weren’t spending much for food when I was a kid, we had a cheese platter at every meal with at least three or four types. I knew Australians love cheese, so I wasn’t ready for the culture shock. It came in three phases.

First, the price. I thought the price per kilogram was displayed, but it was only a 250g cheese. If good cheese can now be found in Australian supermarkets, when I first arrived in Australia a few years ago, I had to go to the deli shop, and the experience reminded me being in a jewelry store. I came out holding a little box with cheese, the most precious thing I had ever bought while traveling. Long gone the 2€ goat cheese or Camembert from the French supermarket.

Second, the timing. My Australian friends would eat cheese as an appetizer. In France, we keep it for the end of the meal, before the desert.

Third, the taste. Australian Camembert tastes like an excellent French brie. Australians aren’t reputed for being soft, but their taste for cheese seems to be. You have to wait for the cheese to be out of date to start smelling like French cheese.

Last, but not least, the quantity. Australians put a tiny piece of cheese on their small cracker when I’m used to filling half a baguette back home. The piece of cheese for all the guests is the size of the piece I used to eat daily, by myself.

All this made me appreciate cheese even more! Learn more about exploring Australia.

Read 17 culture shocks in Australia and how to deal with them by downloading your FREE PDF below.

 

Gigi Milkovic – Beach Addicted

For us, one of the many cultural shocks we experienced was during our time in Bolivia. We spent traveling around South America for 5 months but Bolivia surprised us the most. Tourism and the approach to service in Bolivia are, to some extent, underdeveloped which is not necessarily bad. However, you might get the feeling that the locals don’t like your presence. At times we didn’t feel welcome at all.

Bolivians will stare at you, give angry looks, and often wouldn’t even say hi when you come to their stores and restaurants. After some conversations with locals, we were explained that the negative attitude had nothing to do with us. Bolivians are just not used to foreigners and don’t really know how to handle tourists. But we can’t even blame them. After a long and hard time as a Spanish colony, people are still very suspicious of (white) foreigners.

What we loved the most and surprised us to see is how Bolivians keep their traditions alive which is truly amazing. Seeing locals wearing their traditional clothes, markets with self-made medicine, sacrificing lamas for Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) and preserving their customs deserves respect. You just can’t see that in many countries in the world.

I loved their clothes so much that I borrowed a traditional Bolivian dress on Isla del Sol to try to overcome the “tourist vs local barrier” and show the locals on the island that we truly love their culture and appreciate it. The experience was absolutely wonderful. We walked to the sunset point and locals were smiling and waving at us, cheering and we felt like we had a “connecting moment”.

Even though we had this cultural shock and despite the negative feelings at the beginning of our travels in Bolivia, we have to say that we will never forget how special Bolivia was to us.

 

Sarah Carter – A Social Nomad

There’s nothing quite like the shock of noise, and the chaotic synchronicity of the roads of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Stepping off an international flight and straight into what appears to be an uncontrolled madness has no compare. Walking out to cross the road for the first time is quite possibly one of the most terrifying travel experiences.

Coming from the relatively ordered Europe, the frantic madness and noise of Vietnam, along with the humidity is something to behold. In Vietnam, it’s not just the visual aspects of what appears to be lunatics on mopeds, racing for gaps, making gaps where there are now, but it’s the whole experience of it too. Personal space is different, one local bus will teach you that, despite how many London Underground journeys you’ve taken.

The concept that if I want to buy something I’ll approach you is turned on its head. You’re here, you’re fair game and everyone is going to be in your face asking you “What you want?”

It is literally boiled silkworm pupae, which became a popular snack during WW2, as it contained a lot of nutritional values and was widely available when other food was scarce. A cup of Beondegi costs around 2000 KRW at a street food market and the canned version in the supermarket would cost around 3000 KRW. Visiting a street food market is a must when visiting Seoul or Korea, so if you are brave, make sure to give this silkworm pupae a try.

 

Jessica – Unearth The Voyage

One of the more prominent times I’ve experienced culture shock while traveling was when my now husband and I moved to South Korea to teach English. We signed a year contract to teach English in a town called Changwon on the southern coast of South Korea. When we moved to Korea, it was my husbands first time outside of the United States and my second time.

We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into but we were ready for an adventure! Upon arriving in Korea, we were met by the director of the school who had hired us and we soon found out how much of a language barrier we were going to be dealing with.

We were thrown into teaching right away and were given 3 days with the previous teachers to learn about the school, how to teach our classes, Korean culture, where and what to eat, and how to get around.

The first couple of weeks were a whirlwind of new, confusing, but exciting things. A situation that sticks out to me the most was that I had a very hard time eating because I couldn’t use chopsticks and forks were nowhere to be found! I can now confidently say I am a chopstick pro, and I can even read Hangul (Korean writing.)

Moving to South Korea was one of the best choices my husband and I have ever made, and we are so glad we had the experience (and culture shock) of a lifetime!

 

Michelle Della Giovanna – Full Time Explorer

The first time I arrived in Asia, I remember being completely amazed by traffic. In Kathmandu, where I live half the year, there are only two or three traffic lights in the entire city (which is the capital of Nepal). Other than that, it’s a free for all. There are no lines on the highway separating the two lanes of traffic.

People pass each other on blind turns. It looks like absolute chaos. I would stand waiting to cross a street and would have to wait for a local to follow across because I had no idea what I was doing. One time, there were no locals in sight, but a street dog was crossing and I had to follow him!

Now that I’ve lived there a while, I can tell that there is a flow to the traffic. Everyone looks out for the people in front of them. Horns are used to signal switching lanes instead of blinkers. People often don’t have road rage and are courteous to each other.

For instance, if you want to pass a truck on the highway (which curves around mountains), you simply honk your horn, and the truck will tell you if it’s safe by putting its blinker on. There is a method to the madness, but it certainly took a while to get used to!

 

Talek Nantes – Travels With Talek

I lived in Beijing, China for many years. I loved the city, its people and the culture.

There was a massage place called Dragonfly I frequently patronized because the massages were great and reasonably priced.  One day I had to go to a remote part of the city that I was not familiar with.  I ended up spending the weekend there and wanted to get a massage. I tried to find a Dragonfly branch but thought it was too far and complicated to get to so I opted for a nearby massage parlor I found in a magazine.

I went to the location and thought it looked odd. The front had flashing lights and photos of the masseuses, but I caulked it up to my being unfamiliar with the place.

After I entered the place two surprised Chinese women debated what to do with me behind a beaded curtain for several minutes. Eventually, one came out and asked me what I wanted with hand gestures. I responded, also with hand gestures, that I wanted a massage. The woman looked worried.

As I became more and more suspicious the woman gestured to me to enter a room and lie down on what appeared to be a massage table. She proceeded to give me an adequate massage, I paid her and went back to my hotel.

Next morning we all compared notes on our weekend and I mentioned that I had gotten a pretty good massage.  “Oh! You went all the way to Dragonfly?” my colleague asked.  I told them I had gone to a different location and pointed it out on a map.  My colleagues, all of whom were local Chinese, laughed and told me I had gone to a local massage parlor.  They are probably still laughing today.

Read more about culture shock in China.

 

Lesley – Freedom 56 Travel

Visiting Asia and specifically Beijing for the first time as a Westerner was a definite culture shock for me.  I knew ahead of time to expect significant cultural differences but despite this foreknowledge, it was still a disorienting experience!

The first thing that really made me realize I was in a very different place was the public spitting in Bejing.  I remember walking down a busy city street and repeatedly hearing the sound of people expectorating onto the sidewalks.  It always made me want to hurry up!  Although I understood the reason for the Chinese belief that spitting is good for you (better out than in!) I couldn’t get used the sound.

The squat toilet is commonplace in China, but I had never seen or used one before.  I initially thought I would only see them in rural areas where the plumbing wasn’t modern, but squat toilets are preferred by most and are everywhere.  Learning how to use them was definitely a culturally enriching experience!

Public facilities frequented by Westerners often have both squat and regular toilets, indicated by a small icon on the door.  I quickly learned to always have some tissues on hand as toilet paper was frequently absent.

Learn more about travel in China and what to expect.

 

Culture shock stories from travelers

As you can see from the 17 stories of culture shock above, these experiences can come from anywhere and anytime. Whether you’re thrown into a busy and crowded city or stumble across canned insect buying food, there’s no telling when or how you will encounter a culture shock.

Stories of culture shock differ from one traveler to the next – but to me, that’s why travel is so amazing. Everyone has unique tales from the road and it makes the experience of travel personal, which is why I’ll never get bored of exploring new countries and cultures.