Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
“Absolutely Horrible”: 42 Times People Wished They Could End Their Vacation Trip Early
Today, it's hard to imagine making travel plans without the internet. Discussions on Tripadvisor, ratings and reviews on Google, and blogger-suggested itineraries have become integral to our decision-making. But how much can we trust all of them?
A few days ago, Reddit user TheFilthiestMuggle asked tourists on the platform to name the destinations that seem amazing online but actually fall flat in reality, and they received thousands of answers. So before you print out your bucket list, we invite you to take a look at the most popular entries.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Dubai.
Some of it wasn't bad but that was further away from the city. In the city people could be so horrible to workers and animals, the outskirts were depressing and dirty, and it just felt unglamorous/touristy. I've been more than once and it seems to get worse each time.
Glen Ellyn 4 months ago
I've never understood why anyone would go there. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It sounds like an absolutely awful place.
Farah (she/her) 4 months ago
Mostly people in the gulf are really rude (unless you're white then you're good. Oh, also they seem to hate us Egyptians for some reason... Source: I've lived there for 8 1/2 years)
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 months ago
Dated a woman who spent time there. That was in the 90s and it sounded bad then.
FranSinclair 4 months ago
All of the things this person is complaining about is what people go to Dubai for. Thats exactly what you should expect. Its like the guy surprised about Vegas or LA...everyone knows these things!?
Rali Meyer 4 months ago
when you see the Emirates commercial in the plane (great airline, that aside) and add up the cost for the "fun" activities, you are in for $20.000 extra easily
RELATED:
#2
I wouldn't say it looked amazing, but Las Vegas is an incredibly depressing place if you aren't looking for a mall on steroids experience. Couldn't wait to leave.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 months ago
To hell with Vagas. It's so gross and I hate gambling. At least the booze was cheap.
Sparky4 4 months ago
I live there. The strip casinos have all gotten crazy expensive. And GREEDIER! They charge for parking, even if you're a guest staying there at the hotelThe shows are outrageously priced. The cost of living in this town is no longer affordable.
Load More Replies... 
Kiss Army 4 months ago (edited)
We went there for our honeymoon in '93 and did the touristy thing and had fun. We took our son in 2019 for a concert and touristy stuff and Hoover Dam and it was awful compared to '93. Since then, I've flown there for a few concerts. I go from the airport to the hotel (I always stay at the venue), attend the show and fly home. The only time I leave my hotel is to and from the airport.
Michael Largey 4 months ago
Just remember that old Vegas saying - "The money you bring to Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas."
Mark Fergel 4 months ago
If you go a few blocks off the strip it's just like every other town. Some parts even worse. There is a big issue with homeless people, small tent cities, etc. All that money is devoted along that length of road.
The 2025 Global Travel Trends Report surveyed 8,137 people from seven countries (the US, Australia, India, Canada, the UK, Japan, and Mexico) and found that 74% of them plan on taking 1 to 3 domestic trips in 2025, while 59% of respondents plan on taking 1 to 3 international trips.
Six in ten plan to focus their trip on entertainment events or plan to take at least one trip for a sporting event in 2025, reinforcing the idea that the main driving force for travel is experience.
#3
Giza, Egypt.
Absolutely horrible. Every single person there is corrupt, every customs officer, tour guide, police, hotel clerk, etc.
The pyramids are crowded with tourists, and are extremely underwhelming— you can literally see a McDonald’s just a mile away.
I’m so glad we were only there for two days, and breathed a sigh of relief once we left.
Oh, and if you’re a woman, it’s 10x bad. You will be groped, hit on, propositioned, all the time.
Gregory Garcia 4 months ago
Why not change the law? Women should carry hat pins. Make a groper bleed
Load More Replies...
zatrisha 4 months ago
This applies to the whole of Egypt, I didn't feel comfortable anywhere as a woman and you are treated like a cash cow all the time, everyone wants to cheat you. I know that many people there are poor and do everything to get some money, but it is really very unpleasant. I'm never going there again.
Nils Skirnir 4 months ago
Too many people in the world. World population has trebled since WW2 and doubled since the sixties.
Foxglove🇮🇪 4 months ago
I'm so glad I was there 20+ years ago when the city was a bit further away than it is now. Obviously there was corruption but it wasn't everyone all the time. Plus I'd always wanted to go and couldn't believe I was actually there!
Linda Roy 4 months ago
Me too! I was too enthralled with the pyramids to notice a fast food chain.
Load More Replies... Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 months ago
I've heard that a lot. Just google Giza Pyramids Arial View and you'll see the city is right there.
#4
Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, especially the Walk of Fame. It seems so glamorous in movies and photos, but up close it’s crowded, gritty and full of pushy vendors and costumed characters. Interesting to see once, but definitely not like the postcard version.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 months ago
Hollywood in general. The street life in Hollywood is disgusting. It's like Times Square but way bigger.
Gingersnap In Iowa 4 months ago
I visited the walk of fame 38 years ago and it was starting to go down hill then.
kansasmagic 4 months ago
When I was a kid growing up in Kansas City, I knew a few people who went to Hollywood on vacation. It sounded glamorous. Later I went to UCLA for grad school. Let's just say that I was a little underwhelmed by Hollywood in person. These days I'm more excited to see the parking lot of the LAPD Hollywood station - haven't run into Bosch yet, though.
JayWantsACat 4 months ago
I don't know why people STILL think the Walk of Fame or Hollywood is "glamorous." It's a super busy street in the downtown of a major city. I'm sure you could find an actual glamorous street in some downtown somewhere but of course it's going to gritty and full of vendors. WHAT TOURIST TRAP ISN'T?! Do people really not do any research before the visit somewhere for the first time?
Nils Skirnir 4 months ago
Why anyone would go anywhere to worship celebrities; whether they be business, sports, politics, music, media, acting, etc, is beyond me. Guess it’s a remnant of our ape ancestors need to be subjugated.
#5
Broadway, Nashville. Incredibly tacky and touristy. AWFUL music in almost every bar. Bouncers trying to convince to come into their boring bar instead of others. No good food. It’s like the French quarter with bad cover bands no culture.
Billo66 4 months ago (edited)
I did in 1985. I can only imagine what it looks like now. People were real nice though.Edit: Especially the ones on Dickerson Road lol. iykyk.
Load More Replies...
John Dilligaf 4 months ago
I'm from Tenn. I'm old enough to remember when lower Broadway was Nashville's red light district full of XXX rated bookstores, peep shows, and real dive bars (as opposed to fake toursity dive bars) .
Beyond anecdotal accounts, we also have some quantifiable data on disappointing destinations.
An analysis of more than 97,000 Google visitor reviews from 100 of the most visited cities in the world showed that the following had the most negative reactions:
- Cancun, Mexico (14.2%);
- Antalya, Turkey (12.2%);
- Punta Cana Dominican Republic (11.9%);
- Beijing, China (11.2%);
- Orlando, United States (10.6%);
- Mumbai, India (10.0%);
- Honolulu, Hawaii (9.9%);
- Johor Bahru, Malaysia (9.4%);
- Kyoto, Japan (9.1%);
- Playa Del Carmen, Mexico (9.0%).
#6
Many of the places listed here were awesome 20 years ago. Mass tourism, esp cruise ships, ruined them.
My unpopular answer- Yellowstone. We went in September, and it was still a mass of people. Which I could deal with, except they exhibited the WORST behavior...chasing wildlife, driving erratically, standing on the edge of the boiling water pits (can't remember what they're called). I found myself hoping some of these people would fall in.
Panda-sized Potato 4 months ago
I went to Yellowstone last year. Amazing park. Didn't encounter anything the poster mentioned. The worst thing that happened was when traffic was stopped on the highway for more than an hour, because a bison herd was traveling up it. Got to see them real close.
Vinnie 4 months ago
I visited my sister and brother-in-law near Wood Buffalo Nation Park in Canada's north. They took us around. The bison made the coolest traffic jam I've ever seen.
Load More Replies...
Willem Andries Oosterhof 4 months ago
So shortsighted. Its always someone else who is the problem while at the same time contributing to the problem themselves.
Kenneth Smith 4 months ago
I had this talk with my son a while back. We had to go inside a gas station to get a bag to clean up our dog's poop. He suggested that we just leave it. I asked him what would happen if everyone took that approach.
Load More Replies... Glen Ellyn 4 months ago
Reminds me of a lot of places that I'll never visit because of over-tourism and what the hordes of rude people have done to them.
tameson 4 months ago
Please don't listen to him about Yellowstone. The park is 136 square miles of beautiful nature. Yes, there are tuorons on the main roads and definitely around Old Faithful. But there is so much more to see!
Load More Replies... JayWantsACat 4 months ago
You could essentially say this about most of the most popular state and national parks. Yosemite becomes an absolute s**t show during the spring and summer. Avoid the offseason if you're okay with maybe not being able to hike but want to appreciate the views. It's gorgeous. Also, entitled and clueless tourists ignoring fencing and signs or approaching wildlife are such an epidemic. I honestly with the worst on those people, who ruin it for everyone, as well as natural wonders and potential wildlife being euthanized.
Janissary35680 4 months ago (edited)
Isn't entry to Yellowstone on a booking system of some sort now? I remember reading or hearing about something like that as a way to deal with overcrowding.
Ariom Dahl 4 months ago
I recommend you check out the Yellowstone National Park site on X. It's excellent. I'm an Aussie and Yellowstone is one of the few places in the USA I'd ever be interested in visiting.
Load More Replies... 
persephone134 4 months ago
Trump being hellbent to fire all the national park employees. Way to go to save the wildlife.
#7
Key West, no doubt.
Ugly, crowded, d**g-and-crime-filled city on an island.
Worse than that, inescapable third-rate acoustic-guitar-playing-Jimmy-Buffet-wannabes in every crappy bar serving the crappiest drinks that were ever crapped out anywhere ever.
The Majestic Opossum 4 months ago
Agree with this one. We visited the Keyes and fell in love with all of them - except Key West. Very seedy and touristy! But the rest of them are amazing
Danger Muppet 4 months ago
I've had fun snorkeling and fishing there. There's deep sea to flat fishing and on the flats the water is so clear you can see wild life from far away. The town is pretty crappy. Perfect description.
Michael Largey 4 months ago
We went there for a destination wedding. 48 degrees in the spring.
#8
Aruba. A nice little sunny Island that is ruined, and I do mean ruined, by the ridiculous amount of people trying to hawk you a timeshare.
When we checked into our hotel, the receptionist invited us to a timeshare presentation.
Once we got to our bedroom our phone rang again it was an invitation to a time share presentation.
We went into town, there's people on street corners stopping you and trying to sell you a timeshare.
Got back to our hotel room at about 9 p.m, oh look someone at the door trying to sell us a timeshare.
Going to a local restaurant for lunch, and the waiter pitches us a timeshare
The thing I found really nasty and quite intimidating to be honest was that a lot of the people on street corners would try and force you into a waiting vehicle so you could be whisked off somewhere to spend several hours having a time share presentation directed at you.
Oh yes and when we returned home a week or two later we got an information pack in the post from the hotel trying to sell us a timeshare.
It's a lovely place, but we found the constant pitching of timeshares completely ruined our experience.
George Costanza 4 months ago
Huh. Been there twice to the same hotel (Renaissance I think) and never had that experience.
Barbara Schubert 4 months ago
I was there in Feb for the 2nd time after many years. Along the coast, the hotels and condos practically block out the sun. Centrally, the island looks like the surface of the moon - barren and desolate. Never again.
Rali Meyer 4 months ago
ah Timeshare. Attend one sales pitch and learn from it for life! Serious. If you manage to turn them down for a duration of 90 min+, you are ready for life!
Andrea Steinacher 3 months ago
A trick against this that I learned in Teneriffa that propably orks nearly everywhere - carry your keys including car keys visibly, like on your waistband, and most timesharers will mistake you for a resident
Billo66 4 months ago (edited)
I say, "What's a timeshare? We cashed in our food stamps to be here." They walk away.Edit: Likewise, when scammers call me I say, let's cut to the chase. You want my social security number and I will give it to you and whatever else you need. But whoever steals my identity is gonna be worse off than before. They get a good laugh and hang up.
#9
The French Quarter of New Orleans.
The city itself is interesting and very pretty in places, but the FQ itself is very tatty and Disneyfied. Worth a visit, but only once.
Kevin Beard 4 months ago (edited)
OP left out the mystery puddles, is it water? is it booze, is it bodily fluid? Who knows, just be careful where you step 😂
Barbara Schubert 4 months ago
Agree with OP the city can be interesting and pretty in places and I didn't find the French Quarter to be quite as bad, on the whole. But God Almighty, don't go to Bourbon street. It smells of p**s, sweat and beer. And it's nothing but bars and titty bars.
웅장한 거북이 🇰🇷🇰🇭 4 months ago
Oh, that makes me sad. Thst was actually the only place in the US i would like the visit of i ever set foot in that country ☹️
Jeremy James 4 months ago
I lived there for a few years and I would totally recommend it. It's a beautiful, vibrant city filled with art and music around every corner. Bourbon Street can be a little obnoxious, but there is so much more to the city or even the French Quarter than that. Dang, now I want a mufaletta and a bottle of Gingeroo.
Load More Replies...
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 months ago
The French Quarter was one of the few places spared by Hurricane Katrina.
kansasmagic 4 months ago
That's because the French knew well enough to build on the "high ground" - a whole six feet above sea level.
Load More Replies... kansasmagic 4 months ago
I don't think OP knows what "Disneyfied" means - unless they are thinking of the old school Pirates of the Caribbean ride. I have only been to Disney parks three or four times but never got flashed by middle aged women.
Drop Bear from Hell 3 months ago
Yeah I wasn't that impressed with the FQ BUT the cemetary guided tours were fascinating.
Saniyaya m 4 months ago
agreed. been there many times and it never gets better. Lots of amazing g history there though
#10
The Mona Lisa at the Louvre, you have to wait in a long a*s line full of tourists only to get a few seconds to look at a (IMO) underwhelming portrait with people doing obnoxious selfies around you. There are way better paintings in that museum.
Ange Marsden 4 months ago
In the gallery next door is Leonardo da Vincis Madonna on the Rocks which is far and away a better work
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 months ago
There are so many other things to do in Paris if you escape the tourist-o-phere. Seriously it's a fascinating city.
Vinnie 4 months ago
I joke to people; "If you get sick of Paris and Parisians, go see the dead ones in the Catacombs." I went - it was quiet.
Load More Replies...
T'Mar of Vulcan 4 months ago
When I was in Paris I went to the Musee D'Orsay and L'Orangerie instead, and they are SO worth it. D'Orsay has Impressionist paintings out the wazoo (and I was surprised by the size of some of them - Women in the Garden takes up like the whole wall and Moulin de la Galette (sp?) is like A2 size) and at L'Orangerie they have the rooms with Monet's paintings all around in semi-circles. It's fantastic. I also got to see works by Pollock and Rothko, which I never thought I'd see in my life. I'd go back tomorrow.
FranSinclair 4 months ago
MOVE! Move over!🤛 I need to get a picture of this picture theres millions of pictures of! 🤳
Paulsible deniability 4 months ago
These are people who are not interested in seeing art per se, but seeing something famous.
Wyrdwoman 4 months ago
The irony is, until it got stolen nobody gave a s**t about that painting. It took 24 hours before they even realised it had gone, and that's only because someone asked where it was. Like others say, there are much, much better Leonardo da Vinci paintings.
Jrog 4 months ago (edited)
"It took 24 hours before they even realised it had gone" is a myth. It was noticed pretty much immediately by a visiting artist, and was reported quickly to the staff. It took just a few hours of internal coordination before reporting the theft to the police. The painting before was not mainstream famous, but was already considered a very important Italian masterwork (the reason it was chosen as the theft target) by intellectuals. It was a favorite of trainee artists to sketch and copy. The 1878 guidebook for the Louvre put the Mona Lisa third in order of importance behind the Venus of MIlo and the Nike of Samothrace. The 1867 edition describes the painting as "One of the Louvre's most precious jewels", stating that "Few masterpieces inspire such enthusiastic admiration as this painting".
Load More Replies... Kiss Army 4 months ago
On a smaller scale it was a same in New York at the Modern Museum of Art with van Gogh's Starry Night. There were other van Gogh's that I thought were better that got no attention but every wannabe influencer was crowded around that one painting causing a crush of people to see it. It had it's own guards.
#11
Bali, Indonesia. Absolutely garbage-riddled beaches, scammers and louts at every corner trying to rip you off, endless traffic, and exorbitant prices compared to the rest of Indonesia.
Ixanga Cancun 4 months ago
I go to Bali about 4 times a year. Only Kuta abd Ubud are full of tourists ric. The vast majority of the island is beautiful, full of peaceful villages and still quite traditional. I buy crafts, and each village has its own specialities. It is different from 25 years ago, but Kuta and Ubud wereny mich better then.
The Majestic Opossum 4 months ago
I whole heartedly disagree with this one. Bali was one of the most magical places I've ever been to. Most areas are small villages with extremely friendly people and some of the most idyllic scenery you'll ever see. The only area I was in that was as described above was Ubud.
웅장한 거북이 🇰🇷🇰🇭 4 months ago
Agree with this one, we were very dissapointed, too. Dirtiest beaches i have ever seen, locals outright obnoxious and i found it very hard to get nice food. That i did not expect at all sonce everybody was praising the local food when they were there
Ariom Dahl 4 months ago
Been there once very briefly and once for about a week, more than ten years ago. Not sure what it's like now. Might consider going again, with my eyes wide open and aware of the pitfalls.
#12
Oktoberfest. More specifically Munich 🍻
Now I’m not saying you won’t have a good time, it’s just if you want to go to a place like your state fairgrounds if you will, dressed in 200€ dirndls with a million other Americans singing Sweet Caroline with 30€ chicken or schnitzel getting s*******d with 15€ beers under a large tent with an oompa band ,and spending 20€ and an hour long wait to ride the Ferris wheel, go right ahead!!
However…
You’ll get a more authentic experience going to a small town Volksfest where ( it’s less crowded) you can meet local Germans, and spend half as much for a chicken, beer, and all the Ein Prosit 🎶 Sweet Caroline , “ Country Roads” and that Robbie Williams song “Angels” they all love to sing when they’re drunk. At half the price and less crowded. And way more fun.
Jrog 4 months ago (edited)
Let's take a minute of appreciation for Gregory Garcia, who is giving us a masterclass example of r/shitamericanssay. The guy will be soon featured on the Merriam Webster under the definition of "delusional".
Nicole Weymann 4 months ago
I love the "we do anything you ever did, only better" attitude from people who don't know what exactly they're talking about. (Especially keeping in mind that "better" is a highly subjective term)
Load More Replies... 
Rali Meyer 4 months ago
100% for smaller towns that time. I was in awe when the guys with the whips gave a show. Standing on the tables with thighs as big as my rump. Check on youtube "whipcrackers" but make sure to experience it life!
Gregory Garcia 4 months ago
Easy to sing while drunk. Think Animal House's Louie Louie
Load More Replies... Nicole Weymann 4 months ago
Not at all, AFAIK. It's just very expensive (like everything on a fair, especially such a big one in an already pricey city).
Load More Replies... Suby 3 months ago
Agreed. Find a small town in the middle of nowhere that has an annual big "Fest" or "Messe." You will get all the experiences - tents, music, booths, food, drink, rides, and maybe even an exhibit of tractors or cars - without overpaying, and there won't be any tourists, just the locals. I'm from Germany, and I've never been to the Oktoberfest. No interest; it's not authentic anymore, just a tourist trap. Every little village has better festivals.
FluffButt Central 4 months ago
I loved Munich. We went in the winter and it was just a beautiful city. I would never go during Oktoberfest. The people were lovely.
#13
The Alamo. You know how you always picture it in the middle of nowhere surrounded by sand, well it's not it's one block downtown San Antonio surrounded by high-rise buildings. But the Riverwalk in San Antonio is amazing.
Kiss Army 4 months ago
Haha! PeeWee Herman's bike is now on display at the Alamo. https://www.thealamo.org/alamo-trust/pressroom/the-alamo-acquires-screen-used-bicycle-from-pee-wees-big-adventure
Load More Replies...
Wendy Hamilton 4 months ago
It's not PeeWee Herman's Alamo. I was in San Antonio with a friend and we were walking around the shops. I asked him where the Alamo was. He turned around to look for it and it was directly across the street.
Catherine Cooper 2 months ago
As a 7th generation San Antonian, there is so much more than this. Get away from downtown to do so!
Phillip Neely 4 months ago
The river walk is meh at best! Good place to see a body floating though.
Charlie Fuchs 3 months ago
I'm glad I saw the Alamo but that's exactly how I pictured it, in the middle of the desert! The Riverwalk WAS amazing though... :)
#14
Not what people traditionally think as a destination, but that's part of the shame as it really IS the destination.
Cruise ships.
They real you in with bait & switch prices and a promise to visit so many ports of call. But the price is listed as per person per day, and lacking in all the nickel and diming they will do. The time in port is so ridiculously short that you can't REALLY enjoy the location before it's time to race back to the ship so they don't leave you.
If you're not going on a cruise with the idea that the boat itself is the destination, your making a mistake.
I could go on & on, including the horrific labor practices & such, but that's enough. My wife has dragged me on two now, I'm not a big fan.
nicholas nolan 4 months ago
I dunno, I'm pretty good at finding in Hide N Seek. I'll count. 1, 2, 3, 4...
Load More Replies... Robert T 4 months ago
Have been once and enjoyed it, but it was a very small cruise ship, with no children, no water rides, no casinos. Sailed from Jordan to Egypt, through the Suez Canal and on to Cyprus.
Nikole 4 months ago
This is what I would do. National Geographic does cruises like that (I was eyeing the Alaskan one in particular), but they’re like 5K a person at the lowest.
Load More Replies... WubiDubi 4 months ago
AKA floating petri dishes. One persons sneezes, then 5.... then 25.... memory is short on COVID outbreaks and refusals to dock orders. Nice prison.
V 4 months ago
I am glad we did a cruise pre covid and knocked it off our bucket list. We had fun, and there are definitely upsides to vacationing like that. But I don't need to do it again.
Load More Replies... Barbara Schubert 4 months ago
Hard to disagree with what OP lists but you might really enjoy a river cruise as opposed to an ocean cruise. I've only done European river cruises but find them very enjoyable with far fewer people, good food and usually dock within walking distance of the downtown area of the port stops. Try one and enjoy the difference.
Scott Rackley 4 months ago (edited)
This, I did the Danube and I loved it. They didn't rush you and ours had walking or biking tours of all the stops for a couples hours most, then you were free to wander until dinner.
Load More Replies... Vinnie 4 months ago
My husband and I did a land-based tour of the Galapagos Islands. I was skeeved out by the idea of being on a boat and not being able to go for a walk. I'm a research wh*re, so I found accommodations run by locals, booked guided tours (necessary for many activities), etc. I have great pictures of the local wildlife at the fish market - sea lion under a counter, pelicans hanging around, frigate birds overhead.
Ariom Dahl 4 months ago
Husband and I had wonderful experience fifteen years ago on a Princess line cruise. Probably way different now.
Tom Brincefield 4 months ago
These days you can just move onto the ship and live there permanently. https://share.google/8JIHFTYMAvi0kgvOq
#15
Times Square. Online it looks like the heartbeat of New York… in reality it’s just overpriced food, shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, and people trying to sell you knockoff selfies with Elmo.
Heather Menard 4 months ago
As many times I have been to NYC I have never been to times square
George Costanza 4 months ago
There's no actual reason to go. The rest of NYC is far more interesting.
Load More Replies...
Lee Gilliland 4 months ago
And definitely avoid it at all costs New Years Eve. Not enough toilets, too many people, not enough food and EXTREMELY rude cops. And that was back in the '90s.
Vinnie 4 months ago (edited)
I had to go once, by night, as a guilty pleasure. I had fun snapping pictures of the over-the-top outsized parts, but my husband was begging to get out of there. Eventually we got to the end: two big-@ss candy stores face-to-face. I asked my husband "Wow, do they ever go to war and have street battles?" M&M Army versus the Jelly Belly Brigades?
#16
Monaco is way too expensive for what it offers Tourists (heavily priced drinks and empty streets), feels more like a theme park than an actual country/city in the French Riviera.
Jrog 4 months ago
Monaco is not for tourists, and really doesn't WANT to be for tourists outside of a few days per year (F1 week, Historical GP weekend and Yacht Show week). Monaco is a cozy, livable place for people with plenty of money and possibly a cool boat. Part of its success with millionaires, apart of the lack of taxes over personal income, wealth, capital gains and inheritance, is that there they have access to plenty of services and places where being rich is not an outlier and they can be as out of the spotlight as they could be.
Nicole Weymann 4 months ago
Monaco was never on my bucket list, but the Aquarium/Musée Océanographique woud be tempting.
Load More Replies... #17
Mount Rushmore. It is underwhelming. Way smaller than you would think when you look at all the pictures of it. You can see what the mountain would have looked like without the carvings and I just wish they would have left it alone. The rest of the area was great. Devil's tower isn't that far away and again way smaller than what the movies make it out to be but still crazy how those volcanic pillars just rise out of the ground and make the tower.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 months ago
It's literally the ONLY reason to go to South Dakota. It's the one thing North Dakota doesn't have. BTW do we really need two Dakotas?
turk 4 months ago
I used to joke that Republicans would introduce a bill to put Trump on Mt. Rushmore. Then I found out that there already was one, introduced days after he took office. And another to put him on the $100 bill. You just can't make this s**t up. The Republican Party is so ridiculous and stupid, they are beyond parody.
Michael Largey 4 months ago
I would put Trump on Mount Rushmore. Not a sculpture of him, but Trump himself - wearing roller skates.
Load More Replies... Fire Singer 4 months ago
I went there as my senior trip with my grandparents and I remember being so underwhelmed (when I was still young and naive thinking it was "such a cool monument to America!"). Devil's Tower was neat, and we went to a wild horse preserve which was awesome. But Mount Rushmore itself? Yeah totally not worth the space on the mountain they stole.
Ravenkbh 4 months ago
Wait until Trump's image is put there. Then people will FLOCK to see it.
#18
Zanzibar. It's beautiful, but horrendous and bitterly disappointing. The whole island has been ravaged by conglomerates making all inclusive resorts and utterly destroying the fabric of the society by making everyone so painfully dependent on tourism and catering to this imagined idea of what Zanzibar is.
Laura ballam 4 months ago
As someone who used to live in Tanzania (of which Zanzibar is part), I went to Zanzibar a lot in the early 2000s. It was amazing, I only have great memories of Stone town with the beautiful doors and amazing food. My mom still works travels there several times a year for work and if you know where to go its still a great place. Issue is that now there are low cost flights from certain countries and attract all inclusive resort type of clientele!
Ace 4 months ago (edited)
Yes, true, but actually the worst of it is outside the purpose-built enclosed resort complexes. Corrupt cops (we got "fined" for a non-existent traffic offence, on pain of being taken down the police station if we didn't pay their bribe, which my wife eventually managed to negotiate down to about 20 euros), rip-off "tour guides" who try to lure you into the maze of Zanzibar town where they will then demand payment for getting safely out again, the huge spice market where every stall was selling the same plastic-bagged produce, oh and the state of the roads... it wasn't all bad, but I would not go back again.
Ivona 4 months ago
All-Inclusive means unlimited food and drinks available at all times.
Load More Replies...
#19
Istanbul. I’d always wanted to go and see the historical buildings and take in the culture.
History has been completed erased from a large number of buildings, including the Hagia Sophia which was incredibly disappointing.
People were at best dismissive and mostly really f*****g rude - which is at odds to all the Turks I know in England who are mega friendly.
WubiDubi 4 months ago
That's going to confuse Turkish immigration clearance. Maybe say the coffee.
Load More Replies...
Farah (she/her) 4 months ago
Oh to me it was amazing and the Turks were super nice! Don't know what happened with you, but we had a blast there (GO VISIT THE CHOCOLATE MUESUEMS)
Gaius214 4 months ago
Is that anywhere close to Constantinople? If not is it close to New Amsterdam?
Bianca 4 months ago
it looks like some people don't get the song reference, here my upvote. I always sing the refrain in my head, when I read "Istanbul" somewhere.
Load More Replies... 
turk 4 months ago
Totally disagree. Istanbul is a marvel of culture and architecture. And 99% of the people are fantastic and friendly. You just have to learn how to say "no" to the people trying to get you into their stores. I've been there twice, and three times to Turkey overall. The country is full of beautiful scenery, pristine beaches and historical sites. Also, the wine is pretty good.
#20
Bora Bora. It was very pretty and the water was amazing but going out on the island and seeing how the locals live is very depressing considering the amount of money the resorts bring in.
SouthernGal 4 months ago
It’s hard for me to enjoy a vacation like that. I feel so guilty about being able to afford the trip when seeing the way many of the locals live. I tip very well and try to help some people out a bit, but I still feel guilty being there.
Nicole Weymann 4 months ago
Depends on the exact details, but generally speaking: many tourists, especially when they're there for weather, pools, and the all inclusive experience, have little incentive to leave resorts, so local shop owners or manufacturers don't profit much from them. There are only so many fridge magnets you can buy. As the (likely) biggest employers the resorts can also name the price for employment. They may outrank "abject poverty" option, but not necessarily by much. And of course the resorts are not owned locally (or only by the same few locals that have been lording it over their countrymen for decades or centuries anyway). So the locals can make a little money from tourism, or an even smaller amoount from their equally poor neighbours. Leaving is often out of the question, too, because transportation off an island costs a lot, and the next (better?) place is far in those parts.
Load More Replies... Pieter LeGrande 4 months ago
Do you really think such all-inclusive resorts give anything to the locals? Other than bribes to politicians of course.
A.J. 4 months ago
Knowing how much our deer, French president give them. It is not our fault. That's the locals want to live like that. It is the same in every French island.
Tom Brincefield 4 months ago
Are you saying the locals want to live in abject poverty and have interest in improving their lives?
Load More Replies... #21
Tulum, Mexico. The water is clear but covered in seaweed, as are the beaches. The restaurants are expensive and most are reservation only. Influencers, everywhere! It used to be special but it’s been ruined by the LA crowd.
Ixanga Cancun 4 months ago
The sargassum is all over the Caribbean at certain times of year. It is pretty and orange when floating but brown and disgustingly stinky when on the beaches and decaying.
DennyS (denzoren) 4 months ago
Can confirm, we have it all the way down here in Trinidad and it covers the shore for a few weeks at a time.
Load More Replies... Jason Taney 4 months ago
Full of rich European twenty year olds trying to be one with the cosmos
#22
Wave Rock, Western Australia
Basically the promo photo is it lol. A cool rock that is like 7 hours drive from the nearest city, in a tiny town with nothing much.
Ariom Dahl 4 months ago
It's definitely worth visiting. If you can't do so in person, ask our friend Ms Google. ;)
Load More Replies... Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 months ago
Everything in Australia is very far away from everything else. You have two options, you can fly or you can drive and you DO NOT want to drive.
Ariom Dahl 4 months ago
Wave Rock is impressive. There's more to it than the 'wave' effect. You can climb up and walk around on top of it and see several other rock formations nearby. Hippo's Yawn is one. There's also a wildlife park nearby. Oh, and it takes between three and four hours to drive there from Perth. ;)
Rose the Cook 4 months ago
Most of the interesting things in Australia are along way from big cities. Most visitors see only Sydney and the east coast for this reason.
Helen Rohrlach 4 months ago
I use to live near it and it is impressive however if you do come to Western Australia, plan to drive around for a couple of weeks looking at many other attractions. The state is not really set up for tourism but is definitely worth a visit if you don't mind driving.
Tom Brincefield 4 months ago
That paragraph describes most of the Australian interior. If you're not willing to do a lot of driving, you won't see much of Australia.
Pickle (he/him) 4 months ago
I've been here, the scenery and birdlife there are great, but there's only a couple of options for accomodation and they're not amazing.
persephone134 4 months ago
As with a lot of places, it looks spectacular, but's it's a long way away from everything. When there, you can look at it, but what else is there to do? My personal example: The Kelpies, Falkirk, Scotland.
#23
Sanya, China. "China's Hawaii" yeah ok. The city itself is dirty even by developing country standards. But it's also very expensive, even much moreso than Shanghai or Beijing (kinda like Hawaii?). Most beaches are not very clean either. The ones at the resorts are nice and clean, but you aren't allowed to swim at those beaches. Mostly just for pictures I guess. Not only would it be cheaper to go to any southeast Asian country, but the beaches would be much better as well, saying this as someone living in China.
Rose the Cook 4 months ago
What exactly do you call expensive? Having lived in China for years I have found nothing expensive by western standards.
#24
Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are Vegas for evangelicals, but the Smokies are gorgeous and worth a visit. You're better off staying in or near Townsend if you just want to visit the national park.
Wendy Hamilton 4 months ago
I love Pigeon Forge and Gatlingburg. I lived there for a few years.
Cindy Brick 4 months ago
I appreciate the nasty dig about 'evangelicals' there... whatever the heck that means. Ahem...
Jrog 4 months ago
The Smoky Mountains are underwhelming as a whole if you have seen the Rockies or -better- the Alps. Their highest peaks are barely 2000 meters high, and the "natural park" things gets really disturbed by the kitschy tourist traps and overexploitation.
nicholas nolan 4 months ago
Big peaks isn't the point of the Smokies. And if you can't find places of extraordinary beauty back in the hollars, brother you ain't trying. That said, if you want to see the best part of the oldest mountain range, you should head over the line to the Blue Ridge.
Load More Replies... nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
I don't know those names, but the things in the photo sure look like ski lifts. In a place with no snow.
Margaret Shannon 4 months ago
Actually, in the winter it is possible to ski. The snow is largely machine-made. And if you go high enough in winter there is season-long natural snow for backcountry skiing.
Load More Replies... #25
Pisa, Italy. Don't get me wrong, the area around the leaning tower is beautiful and worth the visit, but the town itself is very disappointing and a dump. We travelled from Florence by train to Piza, left our luggage at the station and walked through the town to the leaning tower. The walk was through the town and through a dodgy area near the station and the town was so out of context with the area where the tower is. Tried to find a decent restaurant and failed. Quickly got a train to the airport. Sad.
Ace 4 months ago (edited)
Yeah, trying to do the tourist flying visit thing... "you've become the very thing you swore to destroy". I passed through it on a solo motorbike trip once, did a detour into the city, saw the tower, said "meh" then rode back out and ate lunch at some tiny little village restaurant 20km or so out of town.
#26
The Statue of Liberty, New York.
It looks iconic and impressive in print, in films, in everything.
In person - it was a smallish metal statue on a great big plinth. "Well that was nice. What's next?".
Jrog 4 months ago
The best part of visiting the Statue of Liberty was the visit at nearby Ellis Island with the Immigration museum.
kaycee14 4 months ago
Absolutely! Pay for the Liberty/Ellis Islands boat, take your pics of the statue from the boat (she stands on the edge of the island, so best photographed from the water) then stay on the boat when everyone else gets off at Liberty, and move right along to Ellis Island. If you like history you can spend a whole day there.
Load More Replies...
CA Hyde 4 months ago
Just take the free Staten island ferry, it goes right by her, and you get great views of Manhattan!
Jrog 4 months ago
Ok, bit of curiosity about the statue. The statue is inspired by two artworks still existing in and close to Milan, Italy. Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi was traveling through Northern Italy and spent a few days in Milan, where he saw the Duomo. He took inspiration from one of the statues of the facade, "La Legge Nuova" (The New Law) for the design of the statue (same position and head details, but the cross was replaced by the book as the sister statue Old Law). Then, he went visiting Lake Maggiore, where he spent days studying the San Carlone, the colossal statue of San Carlo Borromeo built in the 1600s. The structural system of the Statue of Liberty is a direct copy of the framing of the older statue.
kansasmagic 4 months ago
Um. It's over 300 feet high. If that's "smallish", I wonder what OP would consider medium.
Kiss Army 4 months ago (edited)
Not completely on subject but... my dad collapsed at the Statue of Liberty and had to be taken by water ambulance to a hospital. The hospital was in the worst neighborhood and was so scary AF. My brother needed a charger for his phone and was going to walk to get one and the hospital staff told my brother to go in daylight, bring someone else with him, leave his wallet except what he needed to buy the charger and not take his watch, etc. My dad's hospital roommate kept trying to hook my (straight laced retired cop) dad up with his d r u g dealer to help his pain management. It was like something out of a bad movie...
#27
Kissing the Blarney Stone is wildly overhyped. not only do you wait in long lines and dangle awkwardly over a castle ledge, but you also press your lips to a filthy, bacteria covered slab that’s been kissed by thousands of strangers every day.
Paulsible deniability 4 months ago
Thanks to you I have a new insult: "Your mama is filthy, bacteria covered slab that’s been kissed by thousands of strangers every day."
T.M.P Janssen 4 months ago
Yeah, we climbed up there but didnt kiss that stone. Not sorry, really. The sacrificial stone altar in the forest bit close by was nice tho.
WindySwede 4 months ago
I thought it alteast was "something", and nut just a stained rock? (Sorry) blarney-st...reland.jpg 
Cindy Brick 4 months ago
Aren't you the sarcastic person! Yes, I kissed it...under pressure. But it's not nearly as nasty as you make it out. Don't do it, if it bothers you that much! And the rest of Blarney Castle, including its 'poison garden,' is amazing.
Tanja Sclanders 4 months ago
Sorry but I disagree! Been there 3 times and would go again. Yes you HAVE to kiss the stone (no cold sores, clap or monkey pox), but the grounds of Blarney castle are beautiful and lovely to explore with surprises around every corner
#28
Marrakesh, Morocco
We stayed in the medina and that was probably our first mistake. As soon as we opened the door of our riad, we were constantly ambushed by people aggressively trying to sell you things or scam you. People would follow you around for ages trying to sell you things you didn’t want and they weren’t shy about grabbing you and trying to pull you in whatever direction.
Add to that the people that would “give you directions” but expecting you to pay them for their “help” that you never asked for.
We were there as four girls and I guess we kinda expected the men to be inappropriate and touchy, we really weren’t prepared for how grabby and pushy they were. The son of the riad owner had to start coming out with us every single time we wanted to leave because it was getting bad and this one guy tried to fight his way into the riad to get to my friend.
To be fair, when the police were around and saw things they would chase the men away regardless of what they were doing. But of course they can’t be everywhere all the time.
Add to that the locals would call us the n word a fair bit and we all ended up with food poisoning despite being super careful and all of us having African and Asian backgrounds.
Probably wouldn’t return.
Ixanga Cancun 4 months ago
I stayed in the medina lady November. Road was a scam, moved out into another that was fantastic. Mt partner has MS and there were so many kind people helping us cross roads. We were waved through every museum, palace etc without payment. A man left his business to walk us to the nearest doctor. I found Moroccans to be the kindest people in the world. And they were the same in Casablanca. However, after the first one Al Fna I think, the big squares at night were full of scammers so we avoided them.
Rathoren 4 months ago
I live in Morocco because of how amazing they are!!! People who say Moroccans are scammers or Morocco is scary etc have literally only been to Marrakesh, its like going to Vegas and thinking thats what all of USA is like 🙄🙄
Load More Replies... 
Kay Lyn Evans 3 months ago
We took the ferry from Spain to Tangier. Getting off we had a man follow us offering to be our tour guide and he would not stop despite us asking many times. When we got to our gated hotel he had to stay outside the gate, but said he would wait to guide us around. So when we checked into our room we asked them what to do to get rid of him. They said give him €20 and tell him very firmly that you are paying him to leave you alone. That worked perfectly and the rest of the trip was great.
Wyrdwoman 4 months ago
The OP was lucky - when we were in Marrakesh the police were as bad as the locals, sent us the wrong way several times, asked for bribes, and basically laughed at us. And the smell!!! Agadir was much, MUCH nicer.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 months ago
Probably a thousand "street vendors" willing to take any trustafarian on a William S. Burrows Tour.
#29
Goa, India.
The streets are covered in cow dung, taxis massively overcharge and they’ve got deals with the local hotels and restaurants so they’re basically your only option unless you rent a scooter. Locals weren’t very welcoming either, market vendors were super aggressive and kept following me around for 10 to 15 minutes even after I kept saying no. The scams don’t stop with taxis either. At one point a guy trailed me trying to “clean” my ears with sharp metal tools. Even though we stayed at a 5 star hotel and only ate there, I still ended up horribly sick and lost 15 pounds in three days. When the doctors and nurses finally showed up, they came barefoot in flip flops and didn’t even wear gloves.
Nichola Braddick 4 months ago (edited)
We backpacked in Goa 20 years ago, but stayed in Palolem. We walked down the beach and chose our accommodation (was before facebook and TripAdvisor!) It was huts on stilts,cost about £2 a night but what a view you got and was right on the beach. I'm imaging it's a bit more to stay there now. Traveling in India is not for the weak though!
#30
Niagara Falls. It's a beautiful natural wonder ruined by hotels and casinos. The US side is nicer but they turned a beautiful waterfall into a theme park, complete with light shows. It's the example of what they need to not do to the grand canyon.
Glen Ellyn 4 months ago
Too many folks simply do not appreciate Mother Nature's gifts to us. The world does not need to be Disney-fied.
Jrog 4 months ago
There is little Mother Nature left in the region. And the crime rate is INSANELY high on the american side, m**h add*cts anywhere. It's one of the places with the highest crime rates in the country.
Load More Replies... The Majestic Opossum 4 months ago
Did they say the US Side is nicer??? Clearly they have not been to the falls then. And I agree, the town of Niagara Falls is super touristy - like pigeon forge and Vegas had a white trash baby. But if you go about 20 minutes north to a little place called Niagara on the Lake, it's fantastic!
Shaggy 4 months ago
The US side is Nicer???? Really??? When we went it was basically an extension of buffalo... Factories, smokestacks and warehouses on the road going in. Expensive parking, Yea the park is decent, but that is about it. I thought the Canadian side was better, simply from pictures and well, the fact that they are Canadians.
Ange Marsden 4 months ago
I was there in the office season visiting family. If you go two blocks away from the falls its a completely different place
Jrog 4 months ago (edited)
Different, true. in the sense that it's even worse. https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ny/niagara-falls/crime
Load More Replies... Kevin Hickey 4 months ago
It's always been exploited. 100 years ago, private companies erected giant walls with viewing holes in them so you had to pay a dime to peek through.
#31
Egypt. Sharm, to be exact.
Ymirs-Bones:
I went to Sharm for scuba diving. Underwater it’s one of the best places in the world. Everything is so colorful and vibrant. One of my best diving experiences if not the best.
But Sharm itself is a tourist trap in the middle of a desert. Everything has that cheap “we want to scam you” air about it
If I ever go back I will leave the hotel only for diving.
Farah (she/her) 4 months ago
Sigh... Egypt as a whole is really corrupt country. I am so ashamed because, ugh, we've thrown away such a good chance at being a great country
Glen Ellyn 4 months ago
Sounds like a certain country that I live in. Heartbreaking.
Load More Replies...
Jrog 4 months ago (edited)
FYI, Sharm El Sheik NEVER WAS the kind of egyptian village they present. Until the late 1960s it was a tiny Bedouin settlement made of mostly tents and mud shacks. After Israel invaded Egypt, they started to settle in the region and government-backed Israeli funds began building the city of Ofira as a center for military occupation masked as touristic spot. In 1982 the Camp David accords gave the land back to Egypt, and President Hosni Mubarak along with his controverse friend and financier Hussein Salem began managing and growing the project, backed by Saudi, Emirati, Kuwaiti investment funds. In the 1990s major international chains joined the project, allegedly paying hefty bribes to Mubarak. NOTHING in the region is original pre-1967; the few remains of the village were demolished when building Naama Bay, Hadaba, and Sharks Bay
Matthew Williams 4 months ago
I went diving from Sharm. I thought the diving was nearly as dull as the town. Bleached and bare.
kaycee14 4 months ago
Honest question, how do you go scuba diving "in the middle of a desert?"
Nicole Weymann 4 months ago
The red sea is basically one big coral garden (great for scuba diving), edged with desert. A number of cities and resorts grew (or popped up) along the edges, one of which is Sharm el Sheikh. So, not exactly diving "in the middle of a desert", but still mostly surrounded by desert.
Load More Replies... Ace 4 months ago (edited)
Actually a long way from the worst I've experienced in Egypt. We hired a car to avoid eating only at the all-inclusive hotel (which wasn't great) and had a couple of nice afternoon/evenings in Sharm itself. Didn't actually do any Scuba on that trip, snorkelling off the beach was possibly the best I'd ever experienced and actually a major destination for dive boats from miles around.
#32
Gatlinburg. Beautiful mountains, but entirely too crowded, horrible parking, the shops are mostly old, outdated and boring. Even taking a drive through the park usually sucks because you constantly are tailgated by people in a rush for whatever reason, or you end up behind a pack of geezers on Harleys that scare off any wildlife from the engine noise. Won't be back.
nicholas nolan 4 months ago
Too much mud and blood and beer on the ground in that town.
Load More Replies... 
#33
Beale Street in Memphis is a lot smaller than it looked online lol. Didn’t realize it was like two blocks.
tracy black 4 months ago
i have lived my entire life in TN and you couldnt pay me to go to memphis
Nicole Weymann 4 months ago
Believe me, they do - but those are 9/10 not the people you'd find here. I will admit this crowd is more entertaining, and I'm eager to learn from their experience.
Load More Replies...
#34
Phu Quoc, Vietnam.
This is part of my heritage and a family hometown; it has been - what feels like - completely commodified for tourism's sake. Not what I remember from even 20 years ago - I get bringing in business is a thing, but the way folks have gone about it have just made it completely gaudy beach resorts...and not exactly worth what they're charging.
Kevin Hickey 4 months ago
So many were killed to keep "communism" out of Vietnam, when all they had to do was leave it alone and let capitalist nature take its course.
Nichola Braddick 4 months ago (edited)
We were in Phu Quoc about 14 years ago. There were only a handful of resorts and hotels on the island but they were already clearing the locals away from the beaches to make way for fancy resorts in time for the international airport opening. Such a shame as it was a beautiful island with beautiful people, why do we ruin everything!? I would have loved to go back but dont think I could see it like that. Speaking to the locals at the time as week it was clear they weren't going to see any profits the resorts were going to make, very sad
#35
Santorini-it looks lovely from afar but it is crowded and too expensive. The wait to go down the cable car is often over an hour. The steps are covered in donkey dung and smell like that. Just take a photo from the ship.
Charles Kormos 4 months ago
My wife went there earlier this year after the earthquake and had the entire place to herself. Once in a million years lucky experience.
Maren Villadsen 4 months ago
I was the 26 years ago. It was absolutly amazing. Im so thankful I got to visit back then.
#36
Mackinac Island. Very touristy and overcrowded when I went, though I imagine it’s not always like that. Also insanely expensive.
Shaggy 4 months ago
I only have great memories of that place, but I I am always there with about 1000 sailors. I would immagine, if you are the average tourist, It would get boring, quick, if you did not have a ton of $$$ and or went for the day. It changes when the tour boats get out of town, the golf course is interesting, the ride to the old fort on rented bikes with a beverage is fun, Riding around the island is an experience, the fudge is good and well, the harbor is exceptional. Ya just gotta go at the right time... LOL
#37
The Taj Mahal. The whole area is rundown. The river next to it is disgusting. After our visit we made sure to have dinner at a restaurant with a great view so that we could see the Taj at night - until we realized they don't even illuminate it.
Cathleen Cummings 4 months ago
Some of these comments are really thick with "First World problems." Traveling really isn't meant for some people.
Nicole Weymann 4 months ago
I agree with the "illumination problem" in mind, but pollution really is a problem for everybody.
Load More Replies...
#38
Pueblo, Colorado. I was excited to spend the weekend there with my husband as he had business. The city website showed a lovely area with tons of art and a nice zoo. I quickly learned why the locals call this armpit of Colorado Pube-lo.
TheRightToArmBears (riff/tone) 4 months ago
hahah...who the heck thinks Pueblo would be anything other than disappointing??? It is one of the worst parts of CO
Shoopyfloop Roundbird 4 months ago
Right?! Who thought that would be a vacation hot apot? Theres the scam right there
Load More Replies... Cindy Brick 4 months ago
Didn't go to the real Pueblo (the museum), did you... it's awash in history -- and haunted. Did you try the Slopper, as well??
Suby 3 months ago
They say the ice arena (next to El Pueblo Museum) is haunted. Several other places, too. There are Ghost Walks downtown in the fall where you can learn more.
Load More Replies... Kay Lyn Evans 3 months ago
I don't know how you thought Pueblo would be fun to visit. It's definitely a dirty, old, poor, industrial town that no one wants to go to or live in.
Suby 3 months ago
Pueblo is great if you know where and when to go. Arts Center with award-winning children's museum, El Pueblo Museum, Bessemer Steelworks Museum, a really nice Nature Center with raptor rehabilitation that gives tours, a Riverwalk with restaurants and little boats, a great little zoo, lots of local food (sloppers!), First Friday Art Walks, Ghost Walks, Colorado State Fair, and a historic downtown with lots of little shops and galleries. The Chile and Frijole festival in September is a highlight. You just have to plan your visit, since different things are going on at different times. Sure, if you're strolling through the East Side at 2 am, your experience won't be good, but again, you need to plan.
Brandon Sheumaker 4 months ago
I think the only thing Pueblo is known for is being the gateway to several penitentiaries.
StretcherBearer 4 months ago
The only thing I know about Pueblo is that you used to send for all kinds of government brochures and the TV commercial that used to advertise this during cartoons. I may have been there once on our way to visit my uncle who had a farm in Montrose but I'm not sure.
#39
Roswell New Mexico. Whole place reeked of garbage (they dont allow lids on their dumpsters). Outside of that, there was really only tacky alien themed gift shops and museums.
Jrog 4 months ago
I would never be disappointed by Roswell New Mexico, simply because my expectation would be already rock bottom. Anything better than a radioactive dumpster fire would be a massive improvement.
StPaul9 4 months ago
Roswell was all nice but these guys in army uniform told us to get off their property saying they were based there. My friend didn't believe it and now he's gone. We saw him vanish in a bright light with a little grey person.
Auntriarch 4 months ago
Dammit, some people will do anything to get out of paying for their drinks
Load More Replies... Skara Brae 4 months ago
Imagine a small town in a desert where nothing ever happened. Then someone opened a few shops selling tourists alien themed junk and a building half the size of a high-school basket ball court containing a few alien-themed displays. Roswell.
Suby 3 months ago
I liked Roswell. The people there were nice, and the Alien museum was very unique.
kansasmagic 4 months ago
New Mexico is a whole lot of nothing dotted with mostly tiny, rundown towns. Santa Fe is nice but expensive and kitschy. Northwest NM (Gallup to Shiprock) is depressing.
Fire Singer 4 months ago
Maybe it's just me, but that's exactly what I would think Roswell was. A little town with alien themed stuff. No?
#40
Rio. Mostly for crime and trash. Been there a few times, only robbed once, walking from Copacabana to Ipanema. But my friend got robbed on a bus by a guy working with the driver & fare taker. Another got robbed by a gang at Christ the Redeemer and they took his money and shoes when they found out he didn’t have a phone.
But also, if you’re not at Copacabana, Ipanema, Barra, or Leblon, there is trash on the beaches or polluted water. Also, if you go in the middle of their Summer, that humidity is a BEAST.
Adam McNally 4 months ago
I love Rio. At street level, it is not the prettiest city, but it just has something. It’s a really seductive landscape. You just have to be a bit street smart. I haven’t been robbed after many visits. There are enough stupid tourists around / easier targets.
Nichola Braddick 4 months ago
Rio is an amazing city, you just need to be sensible and have your wits about you. I didn't find it particularly dirty for a City
Laura ballam 4 months ago
went to Rio recently (only once, no robbery) what I didn't like is at every tourist spot you have to queue for hours, no one gives you information and nothing is clear. also in the queue they force take pictures of you with a fake background of the thing you are going to see. they were shocked when I said I didn't want them to take my picture. Otherwise loved Rio though! just be careful where you go and when
#41
Jerome, AZ near Sedona.
Marketed as a quirky town. Literally just a tourist trap. Not much to see. Not much to do. The mine is the biggest disappointment, cant even go underground. They get so many people to make the drive for no reason.
Skara Brae 4 months ago
I agree. It's an "artist" community. The nearby mining museum is more interesting than the town! Being situated on the side of a mountain makes the town look somewhat dramatic, though. Maybe stop for lunch on your way to somewhere else.
Christine 4 months ago
You can't go into the money because it collapsed, taking the town with it! That's the point of Jerome, what buildings that line the "canyon" are the only ones that survived the cave it. The miners tried to get this massive vein of copper, gold and silver. That was the bedrock of the town. It sometimes help to look up the history before traveling places.
#42
Guam. My now wife and I travelled there from Japan about 10 years ago. I wouldn't have ever said it looked amazing, but I am not a beach going person (we did beaches of course, but they were underwhelming). It was fine, but the overall feeling was American suburbia plopped down on a tropical island. We should have just gone to Okinawa.
Nicest, most organized, US immigration officials I have ever encountered though.
Beaker72 4 months ago
I transited through Guam with a group on friends on our way to Micronesia. We weren't looking forward to it because we knew we'd be subjected to US immigration and TSA. It was without a doubt one of the best experiences with those two organisations any of us have ever had. They treated us like humans, were friendly, welcoming, funny and just really nice people to meet in the middle of three days of flying. We all said that if they were representative of the people on Guam, we'd love to go back and visit.
#43
The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest outside of Kyoto. Tiny. Crowded. Overrated.
Ixanga Cancun 4 months ago
Most of Kyoto is crowded and overrated. Full of Japanese girls on hired costumes doing endless selfies.
#44
Honolulu, Hawaii. The people were rude and pushy. I tripped and fell on pavement and everyone just ignored me. The only places people were nice were tourist sites--because the other tourists were nice.
We were on a tour bus and the bus driver explained the difference between being a Native and an Islander. Then we got to listen to him complain about being an Islander.
Gingersnap In Iowa 4 months ago
I've visited the Big Island of Hawaii, staying in Kona both times. Had fun both times doing day trips across the island.
Hugo 3 months ago
Had an overnight stop in Honolulu once. Just time for a quick walk along part of Waikiki beach before breakfast. We have beaches in Ireland that are just as nice: admittedly without the palm trees, but also without the backdrop of numerous multi-storey hotels. And no need for a grader to go along them each morning, smoothing the sand and (possibly) collecting up the litter. I must say the views after take-off were stunning. If ever I went back I'd like to explore the hinterland and perhaps other Hawaiian islands.
Kay Lyn Evans 3 months ago
Far and away the worst part of Hawaii. Choose anywhere besides Honolulu and Waikiki and you'll be enchanted.
Emmaline Yuzu 4 months ago
Been to Honolulu 4-5 times and people have always been friendly. Too bad you didn't have a good experience :-(
L H 4 months ago
My wife took me to Hawaii two years ago for my 50th - we finished in Honolulu and this isn't my experience at all. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. Yes it is touristy (ABC Land) but it's the biggest city so it's likely to be. Take a bus tour out of town and you'll see what a fantastic place it is.
#45
Forks, Washington, and I say this with total respect since I was born and raised in Washington. However, people going there expecting to see vampires and werewolves will be bitterly disappointed. It's just a very small isolated town in a very cold and wet location whose economy is tied to a dying forest products industry with the remaining population eeking out a living from a short-lived teen horror movie series.
Rathoren 4 months ago
Wait i went through there and didn't know anything about vampires or such?!?! How did i miss them!! Darn!!
TheRightToArmBears (riff/tone) 4 months ago
Spent a lot of time there while growing up (Aunt lived there) and it is still some of the most beautiful country I have experienced
#46
Belize. Away from the Cayes it is a very impoverished country. Tons of pushy vendors trying to sell their products at any attraction. Felt sketchy the whole time, never truly relaxed. At the Cayes it feels like a Mexican resort with no personality. Go for the scuba, and keep to the Cayes.
Gregory Garcia 4 months ago
Yeah, the cartels will get you if you go inland. Heard a story from a Mexican surfer about getting caught by Cartel soldiers. He ony got out by knowing vulgar Spanish
#47
The Blue Lagoon in Iceland. It's a completely man-made tourist trap, and the water was anything but pure. Off in a corner of the lagoon I reached down to grab what I expected to be a handful of pristine sand and instead pulled up a mushy putrid handful of accumulated human hair. Another person in our party had the skin around their eyes suddenly become highly inflamed, and apparently it was a common-enough occurrence that the staff had some first-aid remedy on hand to reduce the inflammation. Never again.
Cuppa tea? 4 months ago
Was there in June. It was ok-ish, I agree there's hype. But it was nice to relax as we had very busye previous 3 days. Also I personally could bear a bit warmer water.
#48
Mackinaw City Michigan, out of the 30 hotels in the city, around 28 are owned by the same family. They're all s****y hotels, it's a tourist trap.
#49
Lake Havasu. I was expecting a fun day on and/or near the water. I didn't expect the extreme racism found in the local stores, like minstrel dolls on display type of racism. .
Ace 4 months ago
"Minstrel doll"? Is that American for a golliwog? And is it in any way related to the location, which the web tells me is a small town in Arizona?
Michael Largey 4 months ago
Yes, it's roughly equivalent to a golliwog. I don't know any particular association with Arizona, except that there are bad people everywhere you go.
Load More Replies... Cindy Brick 4 months ago
Yep, minstrel dolls...a definite proof that everything and everyone at Lake Havasu is bigoted. (sigh...)
#50
Banff, Lake Moraine. Almost impossible to get to without paying a small fortune for a shuttle, over crowded is an understatement. We went just because that's the photo you see every time you google Banff National Park. Skip it and pick a lesser popular lake. Banff has tons of beautiful lakes.
#51
Phuket in Thailand feels like Disneyland and is basically Little Russia at this point, didn’t feel like any authentic culture left as it’s been bought out and overrun by tourists. Rest of Thailand rocks tho.
#52
Tunisia, Mahdia. We came here with our two young boys. On route to the hotel on our coach it was close to midnight and had the window seat. Men stood on the roadside, swearing at us through the window and rude gestures the entire 3 hour journey. That was not our best start. Scared me.
Inside the hotel we were treated with respect and couldn't have wished for a better hotel. As soon as we left the hotel to enter the aquapark everything changed. The aquapark is attached to the hotel but also open to the public.
We were regularly shoved out of the way when queuing for rides, pointed at and we could make out the words "tourists".
Whilst in the wave pool a grown woman pushed herself up against my son multiple times whilst looking towards her group. My partner moved him out of her way and she made advances towards him again and this time grabbed his face. Really strange and concerning behaviour. So we got out.
My partner took his son on the slides, whilst I took my boy in the lazy river. Teenage boys started touching me and stroking my inner thighs. At first I thought, it's crowded maybe this was done by mistake, but then I clocked they were communicating with each other and dropping back behind me and my son and they'd touch me again. Then I stood up and explained to my son, we're getting out. When I tried to get out, the boy was in front of me, grabbed me and began fondling my breasts. I screamed. The lifeguards slapped him and they contacted the police.
However, this experience was enough to put us off going back to the aquapark.
Outside the hotel there was litter everywhere. It smelt quite bad too. We decided to stay at our beach and hotel.
#53
Marrakech for me.. it honestly looked like a place worth visiting, but it was just a horrible experience all around for us. Now YMMV and i'm sure some people have a great time, and truth be told, there were some nice moments. However;
The online description is: "The Marrakech Medina is *a vibrant and fascinating maze full of colors, scents, and history*.". Well, i don't know. I found it fairly bland in colors, incredibly dirty, it stinked and people were catcalling and scamming constantly.
That said, it wasn't all bad! The YSL house was nice, and visiting Comptoir Darna was a pretty cool experience. Best part of the trip however was the flight ride home.
Ixanga Cancun 4 months ago
There were a lot of tourists in Marrakech but I found it a lovely colourful place with cats everywhere. I didn't find many scam artists even in the museums and palace only in the big tourist markets as opposed to the meant for locals souls.
#54
I know I’m going to be an outliner in this but I will say it. New Zealand. Don’t get me wrong the country is stunning and the nature is beautiful. But it’s expensive (which explains why so many Kiwis are moving to Australia), and the amount of racism I’ve experienced/witnessed there is something I never experienced before in my life. I’m not the only Black person who mentioned this but usually when someone does bring it up they’re met with hostility and accused of lying. I made a video about my experience on tik tok a year ago and to this day I still get occasional DMs from angry Kiwis saying all kinds of racist things to me. It is a beautiful country with one of the most breathtaking nature and I did run into kind souls there but I would never step foot in that country again.
Lilly's Mom 4 months ago
I experienced nothing like this in NZ. It was one of the best experiences of my life.
Juliet Ware 4 months ago (edited)
I’m a kiwi living in NZ. This is bullsh@t. We are one of the least racist countries in the world. Our population is a real melting pot. We love people of all races and religions. I would have given you the benefit of the doubt if you had mentioned just one issue. (There’s always ‘one’) but you said there have been multiple incidents. Maybe you are the trouble maker ?? However I do agree we are an expensive country. I am lucky to live in this paradise.
JayWantsACat 4 months ago
"...when someone does bring it up they’re met with hostility and accused of lying." Kind of just proved OP right.
Load More Replies... #55
Arashiyama, Japan - the landscape was stunningly beautiful but it was horribly overcrowded. We knew it was going to be touristy, so went really early, and even then it was a fight for our lives.
#56
This is gonna be a hot take, but is very time specific. The Swiss Alps (editing to specify Lauterbrunnen Valley and the surrounding towns), specifically in July and August. Absolutely mobbed with people. You will not be alone in nature at any time. Constantly being shoved and packed into cable cars like sardines. It feels like some of the most beautiful scenery in the world has been turned into a Disney World type tourist attraction. I can’t imagine how difficult summer must be for the locals.
We would love to return in the fall and try again, but it was a difficult experience in July.
Auntriarch 4 months ago
I've only ever been in the winter and always wanted to see it in the summer. I guess you have to choose carefully.
Barbara Schubert 4 months ago
Most of Europe is like this in July and August. Better to go when the kids are in school.
Ace 4 months ago
"The locals" are either involved in the tourist trade themselves or just avoid it at busy times. Or indeed, busy places. Sure, the train ride up to Jungfraujoch is spectacular, the cable cars to Piz Gloria bond-tastic, but if you're only going to look at the scenery you're missing the point anyway.
#57
Angus Steakhouse in London is nowhere near as good as the locals would have you believe.
General Anaesthesia 4 months ago
Locals send you there so they can eat elsewhere in peace.
Load More Replies... Ixanga Cancun 4 months ago
It's an awul chain for tourists who only go once. They do t get or expect repeat business.
Eastendbird 4 months ago (edited)
Yeah, it became an online "joke" to recommend Angus Steakhouse restaurants to tourists in London. https://www.timeout.com/london/news/why-are-londoners-love-bombing-this-tourist-trap-restaurant-chain-102924
What do you think ?
Panda-sized Potato 4 months ago
People complaining about touristy locations being too touristy. And they expect major metropolises, where people live and work, to cater to idealistic whims.
Glen Ellyn 4 months ago
My advice: don't plan your vacation trip based on Instagram photos by "influencers!"
Pieter LeGrande 4 months ago
Just keep away from cities and large towns. In my experience (in around 40+ countries in SE Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Middle East) the smaller the locality, the nicer the people.
katiekat0214 4 months ago
I've been to 29 countries, and have done all the touristy things. To travel well, you first have to know yourself: what do you want? what can you absolutely not stand? what are you willing to put up with just to say you've done it? For example, I've been to the Louvre several times, and I've seen the Mona Lisa... and just walked right by. I was not at all interested in getting a selfy anyway, and it is a very small painting. The rest of the Richelieu wing is exquisite, and there was so much more to see. If you do decide to go off the beaten track, do your research. Research the economy, the exchange rate, prices for everything from hotels to hostels, and things to do. Then make the best decision based on what you like and want. I'm never one for following the corwd anyway, and it's always paid off.
persephone134 4 months ago
Reading through this, and also in part from personal experience, I am under the impression that so many beautiful places are ruined by too many people. What places are left to go to? This planet is overcrowded. Travelling has become too cheap.
Panda-sized Potato 4 months ago
People complaining about touristy locations being too touristy. And they expect major metropolises, where people live and work, to cater to idealistic whims.
Glen Ellyn 4 months ago
My advice: don't plan your vacation trip based on Instagram photos by "influencers!"
Pieter LeGrande 4 months ago
Just keep away from cities and large towns. In my experience (in around 40+ countries in SE Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Middle East) the smaller the locality, the nicer the people.
katiekat0214 4 months ago
I've been to 29 countries, and have done all the touristy things. To travel well, you first have to know yourself: what do you want? what can you absolutely not stand? what are you willing to put up with just to say you've done it? For example, I've been to the Louvre several times, and I've seen the Mona Lisa... and just walked right by. I was not at all interested in getting a selfy anyway, and it is a very small painting. The rest of the Richelieu wing is exquisite, and there was so much more to see. If you do decide to go off the beaten track, do your research. Research the economy, the exchange rate, prices for everything from hotels to hostels, and things to do. Then make the best decision based on what you like and want. I'm never one for following the corwd anyway, and it's always paid off.
persephone134 4 months ago
Reading through this, and also in part from personal experience, I am under the impression that so many beautiful places are ruined by too many people. What places are left to go to? This planet is overcrowded. Travelling has become too cheap.
You May Like 58 Places From Around The World That Look AI Generated But Are Actually Real 42 Regular Things In Europe That Might Raise Eyebrows In The United States “What's Something Foreigners Think Is Common In Your Country, But Really Isn't?” (44 Answers)
Jonas Žvilius
Mindaugas Balčiauskas
Ilona Baliūnaitė
Related on Bored Panda
