Cape Town - Just when we thought we’ve maxed out all possible selfie trends, there’s a new cheeky trend doing the rounds – and it’s particularly of interest to travellers.
Known as “butt selfies”, these photos are all the hype with daring tourists who bare their behinds for pics taken against stunning backdrops at exotic and beautiful locations around the globe.
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The concept is encouraged by Cheeky Exploits, that has a Facebook page, and Twitter and Instagram account dedicated to showcasing the travelling butt.
With 205k followers on Instagram and a profile that says “Making the world happier through butts”, the platform simply says that “showing your butt in beautiful landscapes is the new trend.”
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While it may seem frivolous and fun, the consequences of taking – and sharing – such images can be detrimental.
Public nudity is illegal and getting caught in the act of such selfie-taking will get one into serious trouble. Also, sharing such images on social media can come back and bite you in the butt.
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However, the butt selfie is not only a concern for the selfie-taker, but may also be offensive to the public who have to endure the sight while travellers pose and snap away.
Not forgetting that many of these tourist sites hold high cultural, religious or historical value and so taking of these photos will be disrespectful – like in the case when three French tourists were arrested by Cambodian authorities for taking nude photos of each other inside the country's famed Angkor temple.
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There are however instances when public nudity is acceptable – either at legal nude beaches or events such as the Naked Bike Ride where baring all is for a good cause or to relay an important message.
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So travellers, as tempting a butt selfie may seem during your next care-free vacation, please do be considerate of your location, fellow travellers and surrounding before you pull your phone out and your pants down!
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