Your dream vacation, my pie-and-chips nightmare

Most North Americans would be surprised to know that Australians and Brits think of Mexico and the Caribbean as dream destinations. You know, the kind of place you would go on your honeymoon or when you retire, and even then, only if you were really shelling out the cash.

In other words, a little like the way North Americans see Bali or Thailand.

From the west coast of Australia, Bali is little more than a 3 1/2 hour flight - closer than Sydney or Melbourne by a long shot and a lot cheaper too. Which is why I went to Bali for the first time when I was 10. And you better believe that it was a long way from being some kind of "Eat, Pray Love" yoga fest. Think Cancun, but overrun with package deal Australians demanding meat pies instead of this crazy foreign food, and watching football on television.

So when people tell me that they want to go to Bali, that's what I picture, not island waterfalls and spiritual awakenings.

Of course, it works the other way too. I'll be heading to the south of India at the end of the year - to me a fairly ambitious trip, to be sure. But when I tell my British cousins, they will likely shrug their shoulders, unimpressed, because they did a week all-inclusive in Goa five years ago.

But if you're looking for deals, the good thing is that while a destination may seem to be exotic to you, there's a chance that someone else has already discovered it and put a package together. So if you're looking for a deal on staying on a beach in Spain, have a look at British sites. If you're looking for a cheap Phuket hotel, check out Australian websites. If nothing else, they'll tell you where all of the package-deal Aussies are staying so you can get out of their way.