Customer Reviews

Globe Trekker - England

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I usually like travel videos, and the woman who was our tour guide in this one was likeable and knowledgeable, but my interest level was kept lukewarm. Somehow, whatever it takes to make an interesting travel video wasn't happening enough here.

This DVD is all about Historic England and less about the touristy attractions. I bought this DVD along with the London City Guide which comes separately and found it most interesting. The places she goes are a bit strange and the weather looks pretty cold, but I guess that's England...cold and dreary most of the year, especially in late Fall. I understand that the Globe Trekker producers are coming out with a new show on England & Wales that they shot in the Spring...I think that's a much better time to visit. This DVD did have many of the places that I have visited though and is a pretty realistic view of what you see. I look forward to the new show.

To be fair, I haven't seen the Historic England segment yet, but the London travel guide was all about the slummy areas and really catered to the poor back packer who is looking for the cheapest vacation possible. He advertised all the ways to rip off things for free he could imagine. Sadly, the host was only impressive to himself. He was goofy-looking, and out of place everywhere he went. He isn't funny, nor well-informed. The homosexual references throughout only leads me to believe that he is trying to get out of the closet himself. I'm sure there aren't GLTB pride parades everyday in London, but for some reason that was the closing sequence of the segment. And he skipped the theater district to lead us through the Drag Queen Central of London. I don't know many people who wander around London's East End looking for a party in some local deadbeat's flat to get poo-faced drunk at and then pass out on the guy's bed. (very poor acting by the way) If you are looking for a Gay Guide to London, then maybe this will interest you, but for the rich cultural center that London is, this film very poorly represented it in its vastness. There was no footage of St. Paul's Cathederal or Westminster Abbey or the Kew Gardens. They showed footage of some of the most famous sites only in passing. They pan the Houses of Parliament, but there is nothing mentioned about it. This is like watching a guide to Washington D.C. and ignoring the Capitol Building, Washington's Monument and the White House. And instead of going into the Smithsonian, they go through some free museum to show the rich history of America. It was very poorly done, and I think most of the budget was sunk into providing housing and food for the host. I don't believe he spent a night in Tent City or a hostel. He seemed to really enjoy himself in the Waldorf Hotel though...
I think I've vented enough. I ignored the other reviews, and bought it anyway. Save your money for something else.

This video had the unintended effect of making me NOT want to visit England. They chose the most remote regions of the country and while beautiful and probably interesting, they looked freezing and desolate. The tour guide ate in grubby diners with toothless people, hung out with black mascara loving punks and looked like she was freezing the entire time. There was almost nothing of the pomp and pageantry that most want to see in England. A brief tour of a castle was nice and a scene of battle was interesting. But if you are interested in London in particular, you see basically nothing of the city. If you are seeking info on the Beatles (I wasn't), then you might enjoy this a bit more than I did. I feel like I wasted my money and only learned that if and when I do go to England, there is no way I will go there in late October when its as bleak and dark as a dungeon.