Outdated, incorrect, misleading, poorly-written and poor choice of points of interest, the Dubai ‘guide’ that Offbeat Guides delivered was disappointing. It was about as current, authentic and original as the museum display pictured. My conclusions based on my findings: 1. Not an ‘offbeat’ bone in the guide’s body: the title suggests the content’s focus would … Read more about Offbeat Guides part 2: my conclusions
As the new travel product Offbeat Guides intrigued me and I’d been invited to try their beta, I decided to test them out with Dubai, a place few people know better than Terence and I. My shorthand notes based on the exercise: * After signing in, selecting destination & inputting travel details, site promises I’ll … Read more about Offbeat Guides part 1: my findings
Like the notion of offbeat travel the idea of Offbeat Guides has intrigued me. I received an invitation to test their Beta last year, but I’ve been on the road and haven’t had time ’til now. As I’ve been curious about the product for a while, I’d imagined a whimsical website with quirky guides to … Read more about How ‘offbeat’ are Offbeat Guides?
So for something to be ‘off·beat’ it has to be original, unusual, quirky or kitsch, something that doesn’t conform to conventions or expectations – but as Kim Wildman argues in relation to sights, “it is the story behind them, how did they get there? who created them and why? that makes them so fascinating…” Take … Read more about Offbeat: to be unconventional, original, quirky and weird – and tell a story
To continue from my previous post’s reflections on offbeat travel… it seems that conversely, and curiously, out-of-favour mainstream attractions can come to have kitsch-appeal to some. Now when exactly that starts to happen is something I find intriguing. Take Australia’s ‘big things‘, the Big Pineapple, Big Banana, Big Sheep, etc. And yes, please take them, … Read more about More reflections on offbeat travel: when the mainstream starts to have kitsch appeal