Gringo Trails (2013) User Reviews

Great film!

[carterjg-24607 · 7/10 · 18 September 2016]

In the film, Gringo Trials, I enjoyed many aspects. I really liked the quote that introduced the film. The subtitles that are throughout the film are also a good size and an easy to read font. I also like the way that the interviews are spread throughout the film. Another thing I like is how the film shows how ecotourism is destroying different part of the world such as: the Bolivian jungle and Koh Phangan island. As for some things that need improvement, some of the pictures used at the beginning that show how the man was rescued were very grainy and could have been made high- definition. Some of the interview footage was also of poor quality. Overall, this is a very good film and has a lot of good messages spread throughout. I would definitely recommend it.

Inspires Change

[adauby-48779 · 7/10 · 1 October 2017]

The "Gringo Trails" documentary overall deals with a topic that is appropriate for anyone and addresses issues that need to be exposed to everyone. However, the film does include content that would not be appropriate for certain viewers. The intended audience appears to be those who are capable and enthused to travel. It is clear the projected message is, when traveling, be respectful and considerate of the people and the culture. The change is to cut down on tourism in places that cannot handle it. Mass tourism can ruin a community or a location. Prior to viewing this documentary, I didn't know anything about the effects of mass tourism and honestly was not expecting to see any major repercussions of this occurrence. However, using interviews and beautiful raw footage of Bolivia, Thailand, and other locations, this film addresses real problems and inclines you to desire change. I was most impacted by the part of the film intended to inform how quickly destruction of an area can occur, and the facts shocked me.

Eye-Opening Documentary About Traveling

[pattisonk · 8/10 · 1 October 2017]

Pegi Vail's documentary "Gringo Trails," explores the causes and effects of tourism in developing destinations, where he uses destinations in South America, Africa, and Thailand as examples. Vail takes a distinct approach as to what one would expect from a documentary about tourism, where he tries to raise the awareness that traveling to new and unknown places are not always the best. Vail shows that the sudden flux in tourism at such destinations deteriorate its ambiance that make people want to go there. Overall, this documentary is eye-opening for its audience, in which it makes viewers think about what their effect on a particular culture is.

Eye-opening

[lsigalov · 10/10 · 5 May 2014]

This movie is extremely well done. It takes a little known subject: the effect that certain clueless, entitled young travelers have on fragile eco-systems around the world. Some of the footage is pretty disturbing-- you really hope someone will come along and throw these unbelievably spoiled people in jail or punish them somehow. You wonder how they can be so consumed by their own shallowness and lack of sensitivity. The film is a pretty devastating look at human behavior at its most awful and it explores how some previously exploited parts of the world are taking control and setting limits in order to preventively preserve their fragile environments and cultures. The filmmakers deserve a lot of praise for their elegant filmmaking style and for commenting so succinctly on the best and worst aspects of the human condition.

Topical documentary on backpacker tourism.

[moneill-11 · 9/10 · 7 May 2014]

Great documentary film about the effect of backpacker tourism on more remote areas of the globe. For the past 25 years, backpackers have flocked to far flung destinations like Thailand, the Amazon. etc. While these travelers' intentions may have been well-meaning, their impact on the native populations and environment has been harmful in many ways.

Through archival footage, the filmmakers are able to visually show the detrimental effects of unchecked tourism. By interviewing both backpackers and residents of the communities affected, the audience is able to come to its own conclusions on a growing global issue. This documentary appears to have been years in the making, so the viewer is able to see the pace of change, too. I really enjoyed the look and use of animation in the story-telling. The documentary is particularly relevant as the world becomes more connected.

This well-balanced look at a growing problem is alarming in a very understated way. Kudos to Pegi Vail and Melvin Estrella for their excellent presentation of this subject matter.

Alexis Wahsington Gringo Trails review

[lexxy-32072 · 7/10 · 18 September 2016]

Capturing the essence and dangers of the Bolivian amazon jungle, Pegi Vail's documentary Gringo Trails showcases one man's will to survive in the jungle. Documenting the search for backpacker Yossi Ghinsberg who was swept away by the river and found twenty-five days later looking like he had came from a concentration camp. Compelled by his experience, Yossi wrote a book about what he went through while stranded in the middle of the jungle. By selling his story,Yossi's was able to help boost backpacking tourism for a developing country. This film shows how tourism can be detrimental to a country's natural environment. A lesson learned from watching the film is that tourist need to be mindful that they are a guest in someone else's country and respect certain implications put in place to preserve the environment. Also we see how backpackers prefer to be indulged in their environment rather than staying in a hotel because it creates a more memorable experience for them. Through the different interviews and views of tourism documented in the film, we can learn how tourism can boost an economy but also be detrimental to the environment.

Great Documentary

[kareeseve · 8/10 · 29 September 2017]

Gringo Trails, created by Pegi Vail is a must-watch documentary, especially for those in the tourism management industry. Entertaining, educational, and emotional this is a film that is enjoyable to watch, yet will also teach a lot. Almost everyone will agree with and understand the concept that tourism can ruin the authenticity and natural landscape of a destination, but this documentary gives numerous specific, concrete examples told through stories that engage the audience. Starting in the Bolivian Amazon forest and travelling through to Salar de Uyuni's salt deserts, Haad Rin's beach pollution, and the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, among others, Gringo Trails leaves nothing general or to the imagination. This is a film that highlights issues we all need to be aware of, and what can be done to manage tourism's world takeover.

Gringo tourists

[moorem-86757 · 6/10 · 21 September 2016]

Gringo Trails is a documentary by: Pegi Vail. The film features the arrogance of Americans as tourists when they visit other countries. As they visit these countries they have the mindset that the United States is better than everyone else. So when the Americans are touring they cause destruction to these countries environments. I found the documentary interesting in the sense of showing Americans this perspective to get us to stop and think about what we typically do when we visit other places. Also it shows us instead how we should act. I feel that if it wasn't for this documentary people (we) wouldn't take a moment to stop and think about this. I remember this one scene where there was this giant cultural party where the entire shoreline was just flooded with nothing but beer bottles and knocked up people sleeping. This just kind of gives you a disgusted feeling of how tourists can cause a major impact on the environment. In this case turning the beauty of a beach into a place for drunks to crash. I would recommend this for people to watch to educate them and to show them the havoc they can do to a country as they are labeled as tourists without acknowledging it, plus it can destroy and deteriorate a country packed with: nature, beauty, and culture.

Eye-Opening!

[nick-98847 · 8/10 · 29 September 2017]

Gringo trails is definitely a good movie. It's very eye opening. It shows you how word of mouth can really make people want to go to a destination whether, it is popular or not. It gives you that knowledge and it shows how somewhere can become a popular tourist spot. I would definitely watch this movie if you want to learn about how a destination gets popular. If you are looking for a good educational movie about how a destination becomes popular this is your movie.

Gringo Trails

[squeaky-06047 · 7/10 · 13 September 2016]

In the film called Gringo Trails it gives great insight on the subject that many do not even like to think about, and that is the problems with tourism. By having the video have a wide variety of places and personal experiences where people have realized the consequences of being a tourist, it really helps with the impact it leaves on the viewers. It also mentions the changes of tourism, like how backpacking has changed over the years from being solely about people not caring about comfort and just wanting to explore, to becoming more like a tour and very restrained. Over all, the video gave the impression on how when you are a tourist, you must be conscious of how your presence is impacting that society and to respect their values and traditions, instead of having them conform to you because you are the visitor.

Gringo Trails, an eye opening documentary about the significant impacts on countries and cultures due to tourism and traveling

[leightonmm · 8/10 · 1 October 2017]

"Gringo Trails", directed by Pegi Vail, is an eye-opening documentary that raises questions regarding the tourism industry and how it has a direct impact on certain travel destinations. This film seeks to determine whether or not tourism is destroying our planet or changing it for the better. The movie brings viewers on an awe-inspiring journey through Latin America from Bolivia, all the way to the beautiful beaches of Thailand and beyond, to demonstrate how these once beautiful destinations have since become destroyed due to overpopulation and pollution. Through the life changing stories from travelers such as Yossi, to the native locals, this film seeks to change viewers perspectives on traveling and how to make wiser decisions. I would highly recommend this film to anyone who is seeking to expand their knowledge on the tourism industry and to gain a better understanding on how tourism and travel significantly impacts specific cultures and countries and its' people.

Gringo Trails

[jnlangan · 7/10 · 18 September 2016]

The film Gringo Trails allows the audience to see the real effects of tourism and a new perspective of the problems that it causes on both a local and global scale. It informs us of the evolving industry of tourism as well as the negative impacts that it has on the environment. This documentary shows the far off places of the Bolivian jungle, the beaches of Thailand, the deserts of Timbuktu, Mali, and Bhutan. These locations that were once hidden gems have been transformed over the years and turned it into an unauthentic experiences. Gringo Trails does an amazing job of pointing out that when visiting a foreign country, you are a 'guest' and should act as one.

great eyeopening documentary, highlights major issues

[kuglerke · 8/10 · 1 October 2017]

This documentary clearly portrayed the issue of bad tourism, and how tourism can destroy even the most remote of areas. The use of the locals story and direct interviews with the locals before and after the influx of tourists hit was very effective in showing the direct effects on these local people and villages. I enjoyed the beginning of the film, when they described this tragic story of a lost backpacker, and how tourists began to seek authenticity in their travels, this really set up the stage and set the tone for the rest of the documentary. This film addressed many important cultural issues, that tourists don't really think about when visiting remote destinations, such as those shown in this documentary. The use of stories from American backpackers and travelers was also effective in showing how uneducated travelers are to the culture and environment around them. This documentary was effective in showing how tourism can kill a community and culture, or can thrive in it through their relationship in a sustainable tourist society.

Gringo Trails

[mollykelly-74329 · 9/10 · 21 September 2017]

Gringo Trails explores the positives and negatives effects of one of the largest growing industries in the world, tourism. This film documentary, directed by Pegi Vail, follows backpackers through their adventures in the Amazon through countries in South America. The film shares the story of a young, college backpacker named Yossi Ghinsberg who ends up lost in the Amazon Rainforest of Bolivia. He is recused almost a month later and writes a book about it. The book is published and tourists began flocking to this area. The film opens with a quote from Chief Seattle that says, "Take only memories. Leave nothing but footprints". Several natives, tour guides, and travel writers are interviewed about how the influx of tourist and how it has effected their daily lives and how these tourist have disturbed their environments. The film reveals shots of liter-filled beaches of exclusive destinations that have become overrun by tourists. The documentary does include subtitles, which can be distracting, but it sometimes in necessary given the speaker. It is very educational and shows what can happen when a destination becomes too popular.

Good documentary

[christiancem · 7/10 · 29 September 2017]

If you're looking for a detailed documentary Gringo Tails is the way to go. It makes a person think about a tourist and if they are good or bad. It makes a person create an opinion of good stories or bad ones. This documentary makes you feel like your part of someone's story by making you feel like your actually there. The movie length could have been a little shorter by eliminating the unnecessary interviews. Overall it was a good documentary not too long but not too short.

The Massive Impacts of Tourism

[madelineclarice · 9/10 · 28 September 2017]

Gringo Trails, directed by Pegi Vail, is a documentary about the effects tourism has on the environment when travelers do not respect their destinations. It addresses key concerns of the quickly growing industry and questions whether our environments can keep up with its pace. Travelers naively overlook the pollution, erosion, and overpopulation of countries that become massive tourist destinations. The film also recognizes that these destinations lose their authentic cultures when they are focused on providing for tourists. The question, "what happens when a destination becomes too popular?", is represented well when a backpacker in Thailand decides to explore where no one has gone before. The man is on the hunt for an experience that has not been tainted by common tourist traps, a completely natural environment. A local takes him to an island where tourists usually have no way of getting to, he meets the natives of the island and spends a good amount of time learning about their culture. When it is time for him to leave the locals urge him not to tell anyone about the island to preserve its natural environment, but word gets out about the island and its tourism blows up immediately. Now there is hardly any of the authentic culture left on the island, millions of people come to the beach every year, polluting and disrespecting the land. This is the case for many countries, because the tourism industry grows so fast there is not enough planning prior to the expansion. The moral of the film is that we should give back to the communities we travel to and educate ourselves on other cultures and environments to safely and efficiently develop tourism.

"Gringo Trails" Review

[hmiller-51695 · 10/10 · 27 September 2017]

"Gringo Trails" directed by Pegi Wail is a documentary that raises awareness of the effects of non sustainable tourism on cultures and the environment. The film begins with the true story of Yossi Ghinsberg, an Israeli traveler being saved by Kevin Gates after being stranded in a Bolivian jungle for a month. This documentary does a fantastic job of telling stories about different locations that have been negatively impacted by reckless and inconsiderate tourists. The camera angles and images used truly show the beauty of the places talked about in the film making it difficult for the audience to disconnect while viewing Gringo Trails. I was in shock seeing true stories of how big of an impact tourism has on the environment and different cultures. The film kept me engaged the whole time and made me want to make a difference in the tourism industry.

Insightful Film

[daniellhm-99551 · 8/10 · 1 October 2017]

The documentary Gringo Trails directed by Pegi Vail, is an eye opening and insightful film about the horrors of the tourism industry. The film begins with the story of Yossi Ghinsberg, a man who was stranded in the Bolivian Amazon for almost a month, before being found by locals. Throughout the film, it shows short stories about remote places that have been taken over by tourist. From the beautiful beaches of Haad Rin to the small island of Incahuasi, tourist have not only overcome the population, they have changed the environments. Places that were once so bio-diverse, are quickly diminishing in the number of species because of the amount of people entering their land. The film also explains how places that used to be run by locals, are now controlled by the government, taking away the destinations charm and specialty. Overall, the film provides a whole new aspect to tourism that most people do not see and really focuses on the effect of the tourist.

Very informative, eye-opening

[amylizas · 9/10 · 1 October 2017]

Gringo Trials, was a unique documentary showing the world how tourism can negatively impact popular travel destinations. The movie shines a light on the damage being done to natural environments around the world. The beginning of the movie is filmed with a hand-held camera to emphasize the fact that the damage is real and it's happening all around the world. It also shows how sometimes the most beautiful destinations are the unknown ones because tourists haven't tainted them yet. Gringo Trails' main theme is to inform the world that travelers need education so that they don't harm the natural habitats that they're touring.

Review for Gringo Trail

[torrebiarteadrian · 10/10 · 1 October 2017]

The documentary Gringo Trails directed by Pegi Vail does an effective and efficient job in informing its intended audience of academic scholars about the effects of anarchism in tourism. Before watching this documentary, I had a vague concept of the consequences of mass tourism. After watching Gringo Trails, I found out how imperative it is to develop sustainable tourism not only for the environment but also for the locals who are residents of touristic destinations. Locals and tourists discuss the uncontrolled growth of tourism in undeveloped nations through well-narrated interviews. The well-managed camera angles and the sharp images enhance these primary sources making it feel like you are in remote jungles of Bolivia with Yossi. My attention was captured in the first couple of minutes of film with the anecdote about Yossi. The Director Vail did a successful job in placing a cliffhanger causing myself to be intrigued. I would highly recommend this documentary to not only my academic peers but also anybody interested in the topic of tourism.

Gringo Trails Review - Very good

[momaxwell-98003 · 9/10 · 27 September 2017]

The documentary "Gringo Trails" directed/produced by Pegi Vail offers insight into how the tourism industry has changed over the past 30 or so years. The film is very well made and shows viewers how tourism may be destroying the world. The documentary takes stories from a variety of different people and applies them to the different ways these stories have affected areas across the world. The story may be slow so you must pay attention. This film will make you respect and appreciate other cultures much more. I would recommend for others.

Gringo Trails Tourism

[sinclairm-96972 · 21 September 2016]

Gringo Trails

When I watched Gringo Trails I thought it will be a long movie. The movie was really depressing. I almost fell asleep while watching it. I sort of felt bad for the people that lived in the areas where there was poverty. I didn't know they sold cold beer in Bolivia. Bolivia has a lot of snow and salt which is why they have the largest desert in the world. I learned that as the number of tourists grow, the more species will grow. Snakes can be very toxic and their bites can be very bad. During harvest season, which is in April or May, they collect cactus. Everyone brushes their teeth outside and they take their clothes off outside- which is really creepy. They had lot of camels in Africa. I would definitely go to the beaches, relax and not worry about people messing with me. The way the people talked over in the countries was kind of annoying. I don't even want to think about living in those countries. I'd probably would kill myself if I had stayed there for a couple of days. I think the movie shows you how to respect people's feelings and think of others than yourself.