Table of Contents
ToggleWhen you travel somewhere new, it’s almost impossible to leave aside your idealized notions of a place. In the best-case scenario, your expectations are blown away, but in the worst-case scenario, a new destination leaves you feeling seriously underwhelmed.
1.
“New Zealand. Natural beauty certainly exists there, but it’s no better than the American West, for example. And outside of that, the cities are fairly mediocre, the food is good but not great, and it is less culturally interesting than I’d like. It seems like it would be a great country to live in, but I think it’s overrated, especially as a travel destination from the US.”
2.
“Reykjavik. It was expensive as heck, the food was just OK, and there was not much to do or see. I realize Iceland is known for its scenery but having a two-day layover didn’t give me much time, so I decided to stay in the city. Big mistake.”
3.
“I feel like I might get hate for this, but Switzerland. My parents live in the mountains, so that aspect of the country wasn’t a novelty to me. Apart from that, the food (other than chocolate) wasn’t good, everything was super expensive, and the non-nature sites (museums, historic sites, etc.) were decidedly mediocre by European standards.”
4.
“NYC is overrated. Although you should go there once to ‘see everything,’ I believe once is enough. It is truly overwhelming for all the senses, which is not relaxing or enjoyable.
5.
“Montenegro. It was mega touristy with really bad food, and everything was overpriced. It was a busy coastline covered in concrete. There are so many better places to visit.”
6.
“Dubai. It felt like Trump Tower mated with an Applebees. And the heat was oppressive.”
7.
“Bali. Sure, it’s nice, but it doesn’t live up to the hype. Plenty of more interesting places offer what this island has to offer but with fewer of its touristy problems.”
8.
“I was in Naples, Italy, recently and sadly found it underwhelming. It was so dirty and noisy and felt menacing. I wanted to love it but didn’t. Great archaeological museum, though. Amazing! And we had some pretty good meals. (Never really had a bad meal in Italy, though).”
9.
“Brussels. I went to Brussels on my way to Amsterdam last summer and definitely would have spent three extra days in Amsterdam rather than staying there. It offers great architecture, but the rest is pretty boring.”
10.
“Croatia, specifically the Dalmatian coast. It’s nice but it’s honestly a crappy ripoff of Italy with less friendly people. If you’re already familiar with Italy, there’s really no reason to go to Croatia in my opinion.”
11.
“Dublin. As someone who doesn’t drink, likes the sun, enjoys nature, and a good variety of food…Dublin was tough.”
12.
“Nashville. Bachelorette parties have ruined the city. You can’t get through a Friday or Saturday without running into one… or five. In my opinion, the ‘woo girls’ ruin the experience.”
13.
“The Philippines. I visited for two weeks and loved the people, but transportation is time-consuming and costly if you’re trying to be flexible (not to mention unreliable. I missed a flight after my ferry arrived almost three hours late). The food is meh and it’s relatively expensive for very basic accommodations. You probably want to use Manila as a one-day base. Unlike other cities like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, or Hanoi, it’s not a place you want to spend a lot of time in.”
14.
“Paris, for a few reasons. I took a ten-day trip, which I expected to be expensive, but it was expensive and had little payoff. I had some decent food, but IMO, it wasn’t worth what I was shelling out, especially when I’d just come from Italy, where great food was half the price…”
15.
“Chiang Mai. Thailand was nothing like the hype. I’m an experienced enough traveler to know how to temper my expectations, but man… the disappointment was huge. Chang Mai was far, far from what I expected: Grouchy people, only so-so cheap, food was fine, and the nightlife was…not my speed.”
16.
“Tenerife. It had awesome nature and hikes in the north, but besides that, it was pretty disappointing. There were tons of tourists, not a lot of culture, bad food everywhere, and run-down cities/towns with nothing to see. I do love Spain in general, though.”
17.
“Rome was way too overcrowded and full of tourist traps. It felt like everyone was out to take your money, and the famous landmarks were just way too chaotic and commercialized. It took away the magic of the place.”
18.
“I spent three nights in Las Vegas, and it was two too many. It’s the world’s largest, overpriced shopping mall. If you aren’t a big gambler or aren’t obsessed with their silly shows, why go?”
On the other hand, here are some hidden gems that travelers were seriously surprised by:
19.
“Easter Island. We just returned from a trip to Patagonia, which is stunning in its natural beauty. But I really loved the four nights I spent on Easter Island. I found nice people, beautiful scenery, and stunning Moai figures. Learning the history of the place was so interesting, and I’d certainly go back.”
20.
“I’ve been to Tallinn, Estonia around 20 times, and every time, I love it a little more. it’s a wonderful city.”
21.
“Malta. I went there for school previously having no idea where it was on the map, and I fell in love with it. The mix of the layers of architecture, history, and location makes it one of my favorite travel experiences I have ever had. The restaurants, people, climate, and affordability were great surprises.
22.
“Strasbourg and the Alsace region in France is underrated. It’s so charming, there’s so much to do, and locals are so much friendlier than the rest of the country.”
23.
And finally… “Taipei. The city is very clean, easy to navigate, and quite cheap for Westerners. One wonderful thing about Taipei is that I have never seen someone experiencing homelessness. In fact, the word for ‘homeless’ there translates to ‘our friends who live on the street.’ Family is so important to the culture that if someone is homeless, it looks bad on their family for not helping them when they need it most. Taiwan is such a compassionate country, and I would give anything to go back.”
Do you have one to add? What is a destination that didn’t live up to your expectations? Or, on the other hand, what’s a place you’ve traveled that exceeded them entirely? Tell us in the comments or in this anonymous form.
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