🏆 How Lukiih Rates Travel Experiences

I’ve dedicated months to developing and refining a rating system that identifies worthwhile travel experiences while considering practical constraints.

Comparing a Bangkok street food tour to the multi-day Inca Trail hike feels absurd. But by making these comparisons, my rating system outputs a prioritized list of travel recommendations that is consistent, clear, and useful.

Below is an explanation of how my rating system works and some of the biases built into it.

🍀 Understanding Lukiih’s Overall Rating

My overall rating is on a 10-point scale and signals how strongly I recommend the experience to other travelers.

Rating	What does the rating mean?
8+	It’s one of my top recommendations – don’t skip it
7-7.99	I highly recommend it – try to prioritize it
6-6.99	I recommend it – do it if you’re interested
4-5.99	It’s a decent option – do it to pass time
<3.99	I do not recommend it – skip it

Below is the distribution of my overall ratings. This graph was last updated in May 2024 and includes the first 200 travel experiences I’ve rated.

Weighted Factors

My overall rating is based on a weighted average of four factors travelers consider important when assessing a tour, excursion, attraction, or activity.

Factor	What does the factor capture?
🦄 Uniqueness	How rare and memorable is this experience?
😊 Enjoyment	How enjoyable and rewarding is this experience?
💰 Value	How affordable is this experience?
🎒 Preparation	How much preparation is required for this experience?

Calculating Overall Rating

Each of the four factors uses a numerical scoring system, which is then translated to a label to be more intuitive (e.g., very high, high, average, low, very low).

The weight reflects the level of importance of each factor in determining the overall rating. Uniqueness and Enjoyment are more highly weighted than Value and Preparation.

🍀 Overall Rating = (🦄 Uniqueness Score * Large Weight) + (😊 Enjoyment Score * Largest Weight) + (💰 Value Score * Smaller Weight) + (🎒 Preparation Score * Smaller Weight) 

🦄 Understanding Factor #1: Uniqueness

The Uniqueness Score is determined by two questions:

• How rare is the experience?
• How memorable is the experience?

Score	What does the score mean?
Very High	Extremely rare and memorable
High	Rare and memorable
Average	Decently rare and memorable
Low	Not rare and only slightly memorable
Very Low	Not rare at all and largely forgettable

Calculating Uniqueness

Uniqueness gives equal weight to Rarity and Memorability. Rarity is a strong motivator to do an experience, while memorability approximates whether it is as unique as it is rare.

🦄 Uniqueness Score = (Rarity Score * Equal Weight) + (Memorability Score * Equal Weight)

Scoring Rarity

To determine how rare an experience is, I consider the following:

• Is it iconic, rare, or sacred for cultural, natural, or historical reasons?
• Can it be found or replicated in other parts of the world?
• If many comparable experiences exist, is it considered one of the “best” in a meaningful way? If so, the score increases slightly.

Score	What does the score mean?
Very Rare	Irreplaceable worldwide
Rare	Under ~20 comparable experiences exist
Uncommon	Under ~80 comparable experiences exist
Not Rare	Under ~200 comparable experiences exist
Common	Over ~200 comparable experiences exist

Scoring Memorability

To determine how memorable an experience is, I consider the following:

• Is it remembered in a bad, positive, or neutral light?
• Is it easily recalled and described years later?

Score	What does the score mean?
Very High	Stands out as exceptional or epic, and very easy to recall
High	Stands out as distinctive or great, and easy to recall
Moderate	Remembered as good, and most parts are easy to recall
Low	Sort of memorable, and it’s difficult to recall sometimes
Very Low	Lacks distinction or difficult to recall

😊 Understanding Factor #2: Enjoyment

The Enjoyment Score is determined by two questions:

• How much happiness does the experience provide? This captures “type 1 fun,” which are experiences that are enjoyable while it’s happening in the moment.
• How rewarding is the experience? This captures “type 2 fun,” which are experiences that may not be enjoyable in the moment but lead to a sense of accomplishment or satisfaction in retrospect.

Score	What does the score mean?
Very High	Extremely enjoyable
High	Very enjoyable
Moderate	Decently enjoyable
Low	Not particularly enjoyable
Very Low	Not enjoyable

Calculating Enjoyment

Enjoyment primarily depends on Happiness and uses Reward as a bonus. The former is typically the determining factor for whether an experience is recommended. Reward makes an experience more enjoyable, but the absence of it doesn’t necessarily make it less so.

😊 Enjoyment Score = (Enjoyment Score) + Function(Reward Score)

Scoring Happiness

To determine how much enjoyment an experience provides, I consider the following:

• Do visitors typically feel fun, delight, or thrill during it? For some experiences, I also consider feelings of relaxation and peaceful contentment.
• Are inconveniences common occurrences, and do they significantly impact the experience? I decrease the score by a bit if:
  • Waiting in line for over an hour is common or required.
  • Large crowds are typical and expected.
  • There’s a meaningful risk of bad weather or injury.

Score	What does the score mean?
Very High	Extremely fun, delightful, or relaxing
High	Very fun, delightful, or relaxing
Moderate	Decently fun, delightful, or relaxing
Low	Slightly fun, delightful, or relaxing
Very Low	Not particularly fun, delightful, or relaxing

Scoring Reward

To determine how rewarding an experience is, I consider the following:

• Do visitors typically feel accomplished afterward? Specifically, did they complete something physically challenging that requires skills or endurance?
• Do visitors typically feel enriched afterward? Specifically, did they learn something (e.g., interesting historical facts, new skills, cultural understanding)?

Score	What does the score mean?
Very High	Profound accomplishment or enrichment after
High	High accomplishment or enrichment after
Moderate	Some accomplishment or enrichment after
Low	Low accomplishment or enrichment after
Very Low	No accomplishment or enrichment after

💰 Understanding Factor #3: Value

The Value Score is determined by two questions:

• What is the typical price of the experience for one person?
• How long is the typical experience?

Score	What does the score mean?
Very Affordable	Free or very affordable (<$15 PP for a half-day tour)
Affordable	Affordable ($15-$40 PP for a half-day tour)
Moderate	Moderately priced ($40-$70 PP for a half-day tour)
Expensive	Expensive ($70-$100 PP for a half-day tour)
Very Expensive	Very expensive (>$100 PP for a half-day tour)

Calculating Value

The Value Score is based on the typical price of a half-day tour version of the experience.

💰 Value Score = Price / Half-Day Units

I choose to calculate the Value Score in this way for two reasons:

• Value is a function of costs, enjoyment, uniqueness, and preparation. Since the latter three factors are already captured in the system, and I want to avoid double counting, the Value factor focuses on the financial costs.
• To make cost comparable across experiences, the rating system divides the price across the experience’s duration to get a proxy of the value a traveler gets per half-day. I define a half-day as four hours, as that’s the length of a half-day tour in many destinations.

Determining Price

Here’s how I calculate the price of the experience:

• Step 1 – I check the latest price for the experience I took. In my detailed ratings, I state the last time I checked prices.
  • I include transportation costs if I think they’re relevant and significant.
  • I also include a standard 10% tip if tipping is expected at the destination.
• Step 2 – I convert the price to USD using the latest exchange rate. In my detailed ratings, I use the exchange rate at the time I last checked the price.
• Step 3 – In cases where checking for the latest price is difficult, I use the price I paid for when I did the experience, using the exchange rate at the time of my visit. In my detailed ratings, I state the year I did the experience.

Determining Duration

Here’s how I calculate the time duration of the experience:

• Step 1 – I choose the most popular time duration for the experience (e.g., four hours is the length of a typical street food tour, and four days is how long it takes to hike the most famous Inca Trail). I include transportation time if it’s included in the cost.
• Step 2 – I assign the following half-day units:
  • If the experience took <4 hours, I give it a half-day unit of “0.25” or “0.5”.
  • If the experience took 4-6 hours, I give it a half-day unit of “1”.
  • If the experience took 7-10 hours, I give it a half-day unit of “2”.
  • If the experience took 11-14 hours, I give it a half-day unit of “3”.
  • If the experience’s cost includes an overnight stay, I add a “0.5” half-day unit per night.
• Step 3 – In situations with no clear time duration (e.g., going through the Hoi An tailoring process), I use my judgment to choose a fair duration while considering how it impacts the Value Score.

🎒 Understanding Factor #4: Preparation

The Preparation Score is determined by three questions:

• How hard is it in terms of skill and fitness levels required?
• How inconvenient is the transportation to get there?
• How hard is it to pack, get a reservation, or book a rental for it?

Score	What does the score mean?
Very Minimal	Very minimal preparation required
Minimal	Minimal preparation required
Moderate	Preparation required
Extensive	Significant preparation required
Advanced	Major, advanced preparation required

Calculating Preparation

The higher the Preparation Score, the more convenient or easier something is. Less preparation is typically better for accessibility and makes it easier to recommend experiences to others.

Preparation gives more weight to Skills & Fitness and Transportation than to Booking & Packing, which has the lowest weight.

Skill & Fitness is usually the most important determinant factor in recommending an experience. In some cases, lacking the required skill or fitness can make an experience unenjoyable or risky.

🎒 Preparation Score = (Skills & Fitness Score * Largest Weight) + (Transportation Score * Large Weight) + (Booking & Packing Score * Small Weight)

Scoring Skill & Fitness

To determine how difficult an experience is in terms of skill and fitness, I consider the following:

• How strenuous is it (e.g., for hiking, I typically account for length and altitude)?
• What skills are required? Can a licensed guide negate the skills requirement? Skills include swimming, biking, driving under certain conditions, and rock climbing.
• What are the risks and dangers if a traveler does not have the required skills?
• Does it require some level of knowledge or advanced research?

Score	What does the score mean?
None	No skills or fitness required
Minimal	Basic knowledge or fitness required
Basic	Skill or fitness required (e.g., bike riding, swimming)
Significant	Significant skills or fitness required (e.g., rock climbing)
Expert	Advanced skills or fitness required (e.g., mountaineering)

Scoring Transportation

Here’s how I determine the transportation score:

• Step 1 – I determine the starting location of most tourists, which are typically major cities and tourist hot spots.
• Step 2 – I calculate the time it takes someone to travel from the starting location to the destination. The journey time is translated into a score based on a range.
  • When there are multiple ways to travel (e.g., car vs. public transportation), I guess the most common form given the destination. If it’s not obvious, I take the average of the most popular methods.
• Step 3 – I then slightly add or decrease the score depending on the inconvenience of the transportation. I consider the following things:
  • The infrastructure (e.g., is the road well-paved or full of potholes?)
  • Effort required (e.g., do you have to wake up at 5 am to catch the bus?)
  • Logistical inconvenience (e.g., are there transfers that can be very confusing?)

Score	What does the score mean?
Very Easy & Short	Easy and very short journey (usually <30 minutes one way)
Easy & Short	Easy and short journey (usually <60 minutes one way)
Moderate	Some effort and medium journey (usually <90 minutes one-way)
Significant	Some effort and a long journey (usually 2-3 hours one-way)
Inconvenient	Unpleasant or very long journey (usually 3+ hours one-way)

Scoring Booking & Packing

To determine the difficulty of packing and getting a reservation, gear, or rental, I consider the following:

• How far in advance do tickets need to be booked (e.g., two days vs three months)?
• How competitive are the reservations or permits? For example, do I need to wake up early and get in line for them?
• How difficult or inconvenient is getting rental gear or a vehicle for it?
• How much planning is required to ensure you’ve packed the right items?

Score	What does the score mean?
None	No special packing, reservation, or rental required
Minimal	Easy packing, reservation, or rental required
Some Effort	Some packing, reservation, or rental required (1-3 weeks ahead)
Effort Required	Packing, reservation, or rental required (1+ month ahead)
High Effort	High-effort packing, reservation, or rental required (1+ month ahead)

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Biases

Travel experiences vary highly by individual; my rating system is definitely not perfect for every type of traveler and situation.

Here are some of the biases that exist in my rating system:

• Weight of factors—The importance of each factor reflects my travel style and preferences. In my rating system, an experience’s uniqueness is significantly more important than its price, which is not true for everyone (e.g., budget travelers value costs higher).
• Rarity – I spend hours researching to understand how rare an experience is, but I’m limited by my experience, knowledge, and time. Over time, this score naturally becomes more discerning.
• Memorability – I generally find nature more unique and memorable than historical and cultural activities.
• Enjoyment – I tend to enjoy culinary and active experiences most, and my scores reflect that bias. I also heavily score based on what I observe during my experiences, but lines and crowds can vary by season.
• Value – I use the US dollar, the most powerful currency in the world with some of the best exchange rates. What’s considered “affordable” to me may not be for others.
• Preparation – I’m a relatively fit and able-bodied traveler, so my scores may not adequately capture everyone’s fitness or skill levels.
• Omitted factors – There are many other factors to consider when recommending a travel experience, including sustainability, accessibility, and risks. However, I’ve omitted them for several reasons. Some factors are too difficult to assess, so I would be close to randomly guessing. Some factors are important, but they’re generally not seriously considered enough to significantly impact most travel decisions.

Errors

This rating system is maintained by me, Lukiih. I do my best to check my calculations and ratings, but I am human. If you see an error, I appreciate you pointing it out by commenting on a post or contacting me. Thanks!