"Pain is a treasure, for it contains mercies." - Rumi

The point I'm trying to make is, happiness and joy is not in "more", it's in "less". And the "less" requires people to discipline their body to not demand comfort and luxury.

I think there's a middle ground in there somewhere. Many people experience "pain" and "lack" in other areas of their lives, and are looking to travel/vacation as an escape from that. Tying happiness and joy to "less" is just as arbitrary as tying it to "more". It's all about where you start.

I don't mean to be disrespectful but I really don't understand this. Why not just live in your car in the US? What's the point of going all the way to Asia just to live like a homeless person?

Myself, I've had enough pain in my life already (domestic violence and abuse) so I'm ready to spend my vacation in pleasure.

I traveled all around US by car camping, it was quite joyful. But it's not as social as being in developing world and getting to know unique cultures in natural ways.