How the stare factor works
Stars tell you if a place is good. Stares tell you how it felt to be you there. Each reviewer rates a country or city from 1 to 5 stares, based on how noticed, welcomed or out of place they were made to feel.
Fewer stares is better. 1 stare means you felt completely at home.
- 1 stare – Outstanding cultural alignment, highly recommended
- 2 stares – Good cultural resonance, welcoming
- 3 stares – Acceptable, average experience
- 4 stares – Lacking cultural awareness, mixed experience
- 5 stares – Not welcoming, poor cultural fit
Reading a place's score
The number on each place is the average from all published reviews, with a chart showing how ratings are spread. A place with mostly 1s and a few 5s tells a different story than one with all 3s, so read the reviews and look at who wrote them.
Example: 2 stares · Welcoming
Why explain your rating?
Every review asks “What made you give this many stares?” so readers can weigh your experience against their own situation.