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32 People Share Shocking Reasons They’d Never Want To Travel To These Countries Again
Interview With ExpertTraveling is an eye-opening experience. It provides folks with a new perspective on the different lifestyles and cultures that the world has to offer. The only problem is some countries don’t match the picture-perfect image that’s been sold of them.
That’s why these travelers are spilling the beans on places like that around the world. Bored Panda also interviewed Lexie Limitless, a person who shattered the world record for the youngest person to travel to every country, all at the age of 21. You can find her interview below.
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Somalia.
I went to Somalia with my family because my parents wanted us to visit and to see the country and the culture they come from.
I hated being in that country.
People in Somalia would just stare at me all day because it was strange for them to see a Somali girl not wearing hijab.
Relatives of my father would pity my parents, because I was an unmarried 20 year-old woman. They would, of course, then blame it on the fact that I was born in a western country. Then they would go on and laugh at my parents, because they paid for my education; my relatives thought it was an absolute waste since I was just a girl.
People thought it was a disgrace that Female Genital Mutilation wasn’t performed on me, and they would wonder what kind of men would want an unclean girl like me.
There was not a day in Somalia where I didn’t face sexism. All of it just made me hate the country and the Somali culture.
I’m never going back to that country, even if it is where I came from.
So many countries are so disgusting about how females are seen! It’s those people that come to my country and still look at us this way that get me the most. I’m all for learning different cultures, but the main ones think so little of girls and women and girls have been drugged and raped repeatedly by these animals it’s absolutely disgusting! There was around forty and there’s many more Muslim men that came here and ran a peadophile ring that affected UK girls. How dare they come here and so this to our children! They did because they hate us, but they still came here. Vile humans. I’m not racist in any way btw! There’s another huge peadophile ring that’s being recorded as I write this and again it involves Muslims. If you hate us, don’t f*****g come here you vile POS. How African girls are treated (as above) is disturbing. Parents allow their daughters to suffer at the hands of men many years older than their daughters who are married off at extremely young ages even though it happened to them, they send their daughters into hell. These men shouldn’t be allowed to live! None of them. And to mutilate females genitalia is despicable! What’s miserable existence for these poor girls!
The UAE - especially Dubai. We travelled there for 3 nights having had an amazing 3 weeks in India (go there, I can't recommend it more!). As soon as we left the airport, we met with aggressive locals who gave the impression that they had better things to do than be nice to tourists. They definitely gave the impression that there are so many tourists that it didn’t matter if a significant proportion are ignored and taken advantage of. Everywhere we went they tried to rip us off or charge stupid amounts of money, for example, at the Burj Khalifa, one of those souvenirs photos you get at theme parks are $70!!! Taxi drives have no problem ripping you off, one tried to charge us $40 for driving us a mile. The whole city also feels fake and soulless, and the fact that you cannot even walk anywhere (the whole city is just made up of highways) added insult to injury. Overall DO NOT GO - 3 nights there costs more than 2+ weeks in countries such as India and Indonesia, which are infinitely more beautiful, friendly and will give you much better memories!
A country of contrasts – Egypt. In Hurghada, you encounter Arabs who are literally pushy, pulling you to buy something from them. When we were near the pyramids, they demanded 1 dollar just to press the shutter button on a camera. But if you visit Sharm El-Sheikh, it’s also Egypt, but the Arabs there are more polite on the streets.
Even if there might be obstacles or difficulties with the trip, it seems like people love to travel. Research has shown that around 31% of Americans take up to three vacations a year. An enthusiastic 6% take more than 10 trips every year, which might seem impossible at first until you hear about travelers who’ve taken it to the extreme.
Lexie Alford is one such person who fits the bill. After breaking the world record, she continued her global adventures and shared her passion for travel with her highly engaged audience.
Lexie is also a viral filmmaker with over 350 million views, a public speaker, a TedX alumnus, a talented photographer, and a writer currently finishing her autobiography. Her biggest goal is to inspire others to push their limits, no matter how big or small they may be.
When we asked Lexie about troublesome tourist destinations, she told us that “surprisingly, some of the least visited countries in the world are often the most expensive and, at times, the most dangerous to travel to.”
Traveling is usually exciting, but not every trip feels like a dream. For me, the country that left a disappointing mark was India . I won’t sugarcoat it cause it wasn’t the experience I had hoped for. From the moment I arrived, things felt overwhelming. The streets were crowded, traffic was chaotic, and the constant honking was nerve-wracking. While I was prepared for a busy atmosphere, I underestimated how exhausting it would feel navigating the hustle and bustle. One major challenge was dealing with touts and scammers. Whether it was overcharging for taxis or aggressive street vendors, it made exploring the cities feel stressful instead of enjoyable. The food, while vibrant and full of spices, didn’t always sit well with me. After a few days, I had to deal with an upset stomach, which made it hard to fully enjoy the trip. That being said, India is not without its charm. The Taj Mahal was breathtaking, and some locals I met were incredibly kind and helpful. The colors, festivals, and traditions made it a truly unique experience. Conclusion:
Every trip is a learning experience, even the ones that don’t go as planned. India taught me to be more prepared and patient while traveling. While it wasn’t my favorite destination, it had its beautiful moments, and I wouldn’t discourage anyone from experiencing its wonders for themselves. Follow for more travel experience.
I visited one of the most visually stunning, peaceful and popular destinations on a whim, I was in Rome and decided to visit The Vatican. It is definitely a beautiful place with some fantastic architecture, the wealth displayed there is phenomenal, what disturbed me was that this wealth could be used to help some of the very poor parishioners around the world who had donated this money. It left me feeling quite sick. A few years later I happened upon Lourdes, although not a country, it had the same vibe, it is just a place designed to prey upon the weakest, sick people visit there to find a cure or a miracle, they are encouraged to light a candle and pray. I don't have a problem with that my problem is that they sell candles of varying sizes implying that the bigger the candle and the more you pay the more likely God will hear your prayers.
To expect charity from the same organization that gave humanity the Crusades, the Inquisition, chose not to speak out against the N@zis' human rights abuses and covered up sex abuse cases by their clergy is laughable. That amazing art was created by fleecing the laymen of whatever they could, all in the name of "God needs your money!"
I wouldn’t visit Turkey again. We went to Istanbul and that was rather nice with the historical buildings in the city. For some reason I also wanted to go to a beach location, so after a few days in Istanbul, we flew to Alanya.
Big mistake! As an introverted Finn, the hawking was really a nightmare!
Well, I’m not that introverted as pictured, but I hated how you couldn't walk in the street without someone yelling you and constantly trying to get you to buy some junk. As Alanya is very popular tourist attraction for Finns, they of course recognise as to be Finns. The sellers have learnt some basic Finnish words and would yell those on and on. If you tried to be polite and say no thanks, they just bashed you behind your back. Trying not to notice them didn't help either.
I don’t know if the aggressive selling is working or not, but for us it was too much. Nowadays the security situation in Turkey is also quite worrying so it wouldn’t be my first choice anyhow.
Went to Turkey about 10 years ago, touring round. Didn't get any of the agressive selling thing at all. But also I've heard the general safety situation has got a lot worse from someone who lived there for a while so probably wouldn't want to go back.
Most places that you take a trip to will be fun and exciting, with lots of great areas to explore, delicious cuisines to try, and activities to enjoy. Traveling is all about adventure and being willing to learn about what each place has to offer. The only problem is that even though certain countries might seem incredibly inviting, they might be unsafe to travel to.
According to the World Economic Forum’s tourism report, certain places like El Salvador or Yemen are ranked low on safety. This might be due to factors like a high rate of crime or political instability in the country. These kinds of situations can make it difficult for tourists to have a safe and relaxing trip to a new destination.
Saudi Arabia and Libya are two countries I do not want to visit again. Saudi is good for Muslim but for brown skin Asian . No problem to USA citizens , Japanese and Westerners. This was in eighties may be different now, Libya - No respect to other foreigners of south Asian, I do not know with new Govt,
I’ve been to over 70 countries throughout my life, and only one left a bad impression on me. The country is Peru, where they have one area in Lima that is actually nice, Miraflores, but outside of that, I was not impressed, I’ll leave it at that. The worst part was being shaken down by the police, and it was done impressively, if that’s possible. Let me explain… While driving through one of their highway checkpoints, the office noticed I was not local, (rental car, dressed as a foreigner), so he reached into my car through my now open window and turned on my headlights, telling me to leave them on. Here I’m thinking he cared about me, must be fog or smoke ahead, right? 🤷♂️ Well there was something ahead alright, another policeman waving me down. I pulled over, and he opened a notebook inside my window, and made a “money signal” with his hand. My Spanish is limited, I tried asking why, and he repeatedly asked for money. I put in the equivalent of about $10 usd, said “no mas”, he smiled and waved me through. It wasn’t the money that pissed me off, it was the shake down of foreigners by the police, the people who are supposed to protect you…
Iraq.
Everything about it is atrocious in every way. Even if nobody had ever tried to k**l me there, it still would have been atrocious in every way.
But hey, if you like the smell of open sewage and the occasional rotting corpse baking in 120+ degree heat, if you like barbarism and piles of garbage, if you like a medieval worldview and high illiteracy rates, feel free to visit.
Seriously, f**k that place. It’s the land that God forgot.
Every country has some interesting aspects and some cons that each traveler must decide if they’re okay with. These difficulties may range from things like lack of physical accessibility to even challenges with personal safety.
We asked Lexie to elaborate on challenging travel experiences she had. She said: “when I set out to visit every country in the world, I quickly realized that some of the hardest places to reach were in Central Africa. For example, countries like Chad, Mali, and mainland Yemen were challenging due to the lack of tourism infrastructure, political instability, and safety concerns.”
“These destinations often require detailed preparation, special visas/permits, and significant resources to travel. Flights are expensive, overland travel is arduous, and finding accommodation can be difficult in remote areas,” she explained.
Mauritania— a very thin strip of green sandwiched between the Sahara desert and the Altantic ocean. Poor, dusty and with an unrestful population (the government's main cash income is selling fishing rights to foreign trawlers, who hoover up the fish so there's not many left for the local artisanal fishermen).
Cuba. I went there on as a raffle prize. The resort where I went was nice enough but there was a sewage overflow problem so the place stunk. The food was bland and watery. The “all the beer you want” was a waste of time because it was served in tiny paper cups the size you would find in your own bathroom, and besides that it was pretty bland/tasteless beer.
The people were friendly enough but I got the impression they weren’t as happy to be there as they let on. Working in a tourist resort would have been a pretty lucrative job but I think the government confiscated most of the tips.
IOW I would not go back there on my own dime.
Haiti. I’ve been there twice to the Royal Caribbean out island. The first time I got off the ship and did some shopping in the local market. Some of the retailers were literally begging you to shop with them. I could tell they were very desperate for money. The second time was shortly after the earthquake/hurricane. The dark energy of the island was so intense, it was overwhelming me.
This is not a place to visit. This place is a reason to make you question the existence of a benevolent and all powerful deity.
Nobody wants to be stranded in a foreign place and have to struggle to figure out what to do next. Rather than getting into a fix like that, it’s incredibly important to research the country that you’re planning to visit and figure out all there is to know about it. Taking your time to learn about the place can help save you a lot of trouble later on.
Lexie also told us that “finding the right destination comes down to understanding what you’re looking for and doing a bit of research to match your goals with your budget. I always tell people to start by asking themselves a few key questions: Are you after adventure, relaxation, cultural experiences, or maybe a mix of everything? Once you know that, it’s easier to narrow down your options.”
“From there, I’d recommend looking into the costs. Check flights, accommodations, and general expenses like food and activities to get a sense of what fits your budget. Some countries offer amazing experiences without breaking the bank, especially if your currency goes a long way there,” she shared.
Mexico. The streets are full of insistent and annoying street vendors everywhere as well as garbage. There is a lot of poverty. In addition, there is a lot of insecurity and the level of crime is very high. It is common to find images like these.... To complete the beautiful panorama, many beaches are contaminated with sewage and close to the public without prior notice. They cannot be accessed.
Oman. I have had occasion to visit Israel, Egypt, Canada, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Mexico, Diego Garcia, and Oman. In the last of these, the only part I was permitted to see was an island in the Indian Ocean, off the coast. It was the very epitome of a desolate desert island. There were no buildings other than a squat airfield control tower. I'm almost completely flat geography, with no trees or appealing natural features of any kind. Oman was the most unappealing, unattractive, and generally unpleasant places I've ever visited. The only redeeming quality it had was the airstrip on an island off the coast, and the C5A Galaxy transport aircraft that I boarded for the long flight from Oman to Diego Garcia to the Philippines. Mexico was next to the bottom of the list, only a little better than Oman.
This is the first negative review I recall reading about Oman. Most reviews I've read are very positive.
I wouldn't say it's the worst but Nicaragua is bad enough for me to consider bad. Nicaragua is by far the most backward country I had ever been to, as everything looks like “back in the future”. People are lazy, even the locals agree. Nicaragua's capital Managua is a very boring capital city, not much place for visitors to visit. It's city is run down and sometimes very quiet. It's looks like an underdevelope...
Visiting a new country can be a beautiful and life-changing experience as long as you take the time to learn about the place before you visit it. Rather than being impulsive and rushing into the unknown, let these travelers’ words of advice soak in before you book your next trip.
A very useful tip that Lexie gave is, “don’t forget to tap into the travel community! There are so many blogs, YouTube videos, and social media posts out there from people who’ve been where you want to go, and they can give you honest, practical advice.”
“The more you dig into the details, the more confident you’ll feel about your choice, and you might even discover a place you hadn’t considered before!” Plus, you can travel with no fear to places that fit all the safety, fun, and budget-based requirements you have.
What are some countries you’ve been to that you’d want everyone to visit? We’d love to hear of your travel stories, and any words of caution about difficult tourist destinations you’ve been to as well.
South Korea: surprise!
I lived and worked in Seoul for 6 months. Well, if you want to call it “living”. But definitely working, and working and working.
It might be because I am essentially a hedonist at heart. I love a life of good food, relaxing strolls, cozy cafés, beautiful surroundings, nature, art, architecture, melodic and complex music… did I mention good food? But I don’t think there is a Korean word for hedonist. Pleasure seems to be very low indeed on the typical South Korean’s list of priorities. Mainly for lack of time, it would seem.
My Korean colleagues would arrive at 8 AM in the office, work until 9–10 PM (like the Japanese), then spend a couple hours in traffic, make dinner, check their children’s homework, get some more internet time in before bed. That’s the work week.
On weekends, one of the days would be dedicated to spending time with the grandparents. The remaining day would be more homework with the kids (success at school is an absolute obsession), house work and shopping. Then back to work the next day.
As a result, I found that Seoul and other Korean cities were not designed with “enjoyment” or “leisure” in mind, but rather for efficiency, given that Koreans had so little time to spare.
It’s probably a shock to some that I implied that Korean food is not good. It can be quite tasty, or so they tell me. But unfortunately I’m vegetarian, and that is another word that doesn’t seem to exist in Korean.
Still, a few things about the food I will never understand:
the Korean love affair with Spam
kimchi
the appeal of squid on a stick (which children on the sidewalks of Seoul eat the way European children would eat ice cream)
Koreans, please don’t be offended - I have great admiration for you. I just can’t figure out how or why you do it all!
I'll just be blunt - if a culture laughs at a work/life balance, then that culture sucks. There is more to life than being a corporate slave.
Lesotho! The streets are like war trenches, the houses mostly shacks, the shops poorly stocked and the people seem very depressed. If you must go there do so with a touring party by armed truck. Driving up the hills into the country will wreck your suspension I found out the hard way.
Wouldn't you be depressed in you lived in a country of streets like war trenches, in houses that were shacks, and with shops that were poorly stocked?
Hawaii. Yes, Hawaii.
It has to be one of the most overrated places on Earth. Where can one start? First off, the locals are generally hostile to visitors from the mainland, whom they regard as little better than sheep to be fleeced. The overall level of education and competence is drastically below that of the rest of the country. Many Hawaiians devote themselves to little more than getting high.
In addition, Oahu, with over a million residents, now has more than its share of crime, traffic congestion, pollution, and other urban ills. And for all that, you have to pay dearly. Almost all foodstuffs and consumer goods in Hawaii have to be brought over by sea or by air, making them hideously expensive. At a Honolulu supermarket, I once paid $3 for a mealy Red Delicious apple—and that was fifteen years ago! How do you feel about forking over $10 or more for a gallon of milk?
And the weather? Tropical paradise, all right—hot and humid most of the time.
Growing up in Southern California, I often heard people fantasizing about moving to Hawaii as though it were some kind of lazy, idyllic paradise. You’d have to be nuts to leave California (or anywhere else) to live in Hawaii.
Hmm. Some indigenous Hawaiians don't like mainland Americans. I wonder why?
Phuket, Thailand. The town - It could have been nice but due to its very cheap accomodations and cheap delicious food it’s just too damn crowded and filthy. Plus you have women offering you massages every 2 minutes on the streets, and I though being asian, i would not get asked but was even harrassed, pulled and groped to try their services. The islands- nice very nice. But still crowded. And i did go off season.
Well, i have to be honest and i will post the right thing. I have being visiting and traveling around the world for many times and the worst places that i consider are thouse who make me feel unconfortable for some stupid reasons. First it was Singapore/Malaesia because for some reason i had to keep the garbage, rest of some snacks in my bags, due to the limited times untill my deal meeting. The second it was Österreich due to the problems on the public area with WC. ....there are missing. I can keep name it more places as thise but i will stop because .....are too many.
I never say never, but in all my decades of travel there have been only two countries I really disliked: Tunisia, but it was the late 1970s, a lot of anti-American sentiment, it wasn’t cool to be a woman tourist there, the weather was foul, and I was really sick for part of the time; and Hungary, a few years ago, but I didn’t explore much outside of Budapest, where I found the people dour and resentful, like the people I encountered in East Germany before the fall of the wall.
I have some good memories, though, of both these places, and people and places change, and one’s impressions of a place are always colored by circumstance and chance. At this point, though, why would I re-visit places that didn’t work well for me instead of continuing to explore new ones?
Bolivia, La Paz I gave it a shot twice, and both times I ended up sick. When you first land, the altitude sickness will hit your body immediately. The elevation is roughly at 3,650 m (11,975 ft) above sea level and in the states, the highest city is Leadville, Colorado, the highest-elevation city (10,158 feet) which I have never been. I got a massive headache, my leg muscles were extremely weak, and I ended up puking a handful of times. On top of the altitude sickness, I also got travel diarrhea or food poisoning. This was the type of diarrhea that made me s**t every 30–45 minutes for 3 days. I ended up needing an IV drip because I was dehydrated for 3 days. The food is different, and I don’t th...
Besides an obvious country like Kuwait, the worst country I have visited was Argentina. The people were cold, unfriendly. I was anxious my entire time there. I spoke Spanish as best as I could with anyone that would listen. From the moment I landed at the airport in Mendoza I was detained by the police, I was interrogated and asked where I was coming from and where I was going (I believe they thought I was Venezuelan.) When they realized I was from the US, they let me go. I think it’s regrettable I had such a poor experience in Argentina, because Buenos Aires and Mendoza are very beautiful cities. I would still go to Argentina again probably, but now I am more prepared to receive an unfriendly welcome. I am hesitant to blame the poor time I had in Argentina on my dark skin, but I believe it probably played a part. Oh well. (Downtown Buenos Aires. Photo by author.)
I hit Argentina mid 2000s, 2008 I think, & it was fantastic but I'm also pasty so that could've helped. Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Iguazu, and several others, driving when possible. The only hiccup was that I both started & ended in BA so booked the same apartment for both ends of the trip. Front desk got confused by that & assumed it was a typo so rented it out to someone else for the arrival. I provided receipts, confirmations, and email conversations with the owner (yes, it was a weird rental situation), then still had to get a fluent friend to help explain the situation. Took about 2 hours but they sorted it.
The worst city I have ever visited was Frankfurt Germany. I loved other parts of Germany but Frankfurt was horrible. My friend and I were denied 3–4 times a night daily on our 4 day stay in Frankfurt. The Bar/ club bouncers would say we don’t allow Americans. Everyone was extremely rude when they found out our native country. The constant negativity ruined our stay.
I visited 10 countries till now. The one i am definitely not going to visit again is Chile.
I spent 2 weeks in Chile at the expense of a visit to Brazil. I chose it for three reasons - Atacama Desert, Patagonia Region and ITS PEOPLE. Many blogs i read and travelers i spoke to, stated great things about how friendly and accommodating the people were.
The Atacama Desert is an amazing spot. I dropped my idea to Patagonia visit since i dint expect it to be freezing in August. No regrets for this. But it is the people of Santiago who have disappointed me the most.
Were they racist, violent? Not at all.
What pissed me off the most is their non-receptive and cold nature towards strangers.
I do not think it is their mistake. I believe they are just introverts as a society on a whole. Walk through a crowded market in Santiago or a monument - people just murmur, take a metro - its pin drop silence. You will not hear a loud laugh or a chatter. Ask someone something and you wont get any useful responses. As a solo traveler i felt this silence and introverted politeness unbearable.
Though i have some knowledge of travel-spanish, it did not help that their accent is different to Mexican spanish.
There might be some who might have like the place. But after a trip to exuberant countries like Mexico and Cuba, Chile trip proved a disaster. 2 weeks in the country, my only comfort was friends at hostel and a 3 day visit to Atacama Desert.
Just like a very nice but emotionally unreceptive person makes a bad life-partner, Chile bored me to death in spite of its beautiful landscapes and polite people.
I actually gave this question a lot of thought. Important disclaimer: I am poor, and that factors in. I have visited many countries, and two of them stood out in terms of being subjectively the worst for me. 1. France. I visited France twice. My first visit was in 2014 for an exhibition EuroNaval in Paris. I was shocked at the amounts of garbage laying on the streets and even outside the city. My second visit was in 2018 when I had a long connection in Paris and decided to take a walk in the center. It was dirty, with multiple roadblocks, some protests nearby which I just happened to miss, and terrible-terrible street food. 2. Ukraine. I’ve been several times to Ukraine before 2014, including the pre-2014 Crimea. My last visit to Ukraine was in 2007. I was in Karolina Bugaz, a resort as they call it. It was bad in absolutely everything. It basically felt like a proverbial African country. The service and facilities were terrible, everybody was rude and tried to rip you off.
Greece.
Athens is a purely dystopian experience. In the downtown (which I consider to be zone up to 2 metro stops from Acropolis) there areas with literally hordes of junkies. Every single piece of the wall is painted. Everything is dirty. Atmosphere is generally unsafe, tons of drunk people at the evening trying to interact with you in a way that causes you to hold the breath.
Acropolis is a scam. 20 EUR for entrance to place that is full of building machines and it takes 10 min to see it. I understand its importance to the history but well as far as I remember Louvre wasn't much more expensive and offers way more.
Chalkidiki is awful, spoiled by the tourists.
Crete is acceptable only at the southern coast. North is to avoid at all costs unless you like to spend money for c**p.
Almost no card payments or extra fees at ridiculous rate (such as 5%) - I don't believe they have interchange fee that high, it's just another ripoff.
I am a sailor and their infrastructure is a joke. Even in what is considered a big harbour on a big island it is not uncommon that you have to attach moorings to the lantern because there's no proper place on the quay. Not cool with large boat and strong wind. Then after you wait 2h for port police and next 30 min to do their ridiculous paperwork, you attach to water and electricity and half an hour later someone from the port asks if you can release it because someone else needs it. And in most of these places there's nothing to do.
Moreover I have witnessed and experienced numerous verbal aggression, especially from males toward females, however it happens also in different variants. There's absolutely no culture of discussion or being gentle, even the simplest problem immediately raises anger in extent that is hard to chew by anyone from country lying a bit to the north.
Maybe I will come back there, but not soon and only for a really good reason.
The Acropolis is not just the Parthenon! You can spend hours exploring all that is on the slopes round there. Athens is lovely, although I agree there was a lot of graffiti. But the food was amazing. And I can only assume OP went a long time ago as there are no issues with card payments anywhere in Greece.
It's complicated. I had mixed feelings about visiting Vietnam and Cuba.This doesn't mean that these are the worst countries. And these are very poor countries. And these countries have locals who speak Russian quite well. Cubans generously told me about their very poor life. About the fact that they don't have chocolate, for Cuban women this is a problem. My cap was stolen at the hotel. It's good that it wasn't money. There is a lot of unsanitary conditions in Vietnam. I was a little surprised that there were no trash cans in the center of Nha Trang. But I was in Vietnam a long time ago, almost 10 years ago. It is a very poor country. And I didn't know before my trip that most Vietnamese are Catholics. Both countries are interesting, but clearly not worth the money I spent.
I have been to 45 countries so far and I’ve only ever been to relatively safe countries: I’ve avoided countries where there is an active war, or where the authorities are significantly corrupt. With that premise, the worst country I’ve ever visited is Quebec Canada. The issues I had with it were: The landscape is extremely flat and dull The food is totally uninspiring It’s unbelievably expensive for everything There is a lack of culture and cultural activities The weather is c****y. I was so bored that I actually went to the airport 4 hours early for my flight to go back home, as a I had nothing better to do. The only positive, was that you can legally buy and smoke w**d.
The comment about ganja being legal shows how much effort the OP put into experiencing the culture on offer.
The worst city within a country was Paris. The French are so unfriendly I hate them. And all the African immigrants harassing and flocking their goods around the Eiffel tower are just as bad. I hated it each time I went.
Amsterdam, especially the Red Light District, is a place I don't need to revisit. While I admire the Dutch people and would eagerly explore other parts of the Netherlands, Amsterdam itself feels too tacky for my taste. For someone introverted like me, walking through the city center is overwhelming. I felt constantly accosted by restaurant owners, bar owners, and even d**g dealers, making it impossible to enjoy a peaceful stroll. The city center, including the Red Light District, feels like an X-rated Disneyland tailored for tourists. The near absence of Dutch locals only reinforces this impression. Although cannabis is legal here, it doesn't interest me, nor do I appreciate the pervasive smell of w**d. Moreover, the tackiness of the area, with its flashing red "XXX" signs and phallic imagery everywhere, was off-putting. It's clear that brothels are legal, but the constant visual reminders are unnecessary and detract from the experience.
I don't get it. OP went to the Red Light District and complained that it was...a Red Light District? That's like moving to a farm and complaining about the manure smell.
Germany in 2023: The land of efficiency, cold weather, and colder hearts. Thanks to the recent wave of immigration, it seems like Germans now see every brown person—whether just passing through or not—as a potential thief. Airport bus drivers? Rudeness champions. They’ll close the door on you while your hand is still out, barking in German like they’re auditioning for a historical drama. But here’s the kicker: The moment they realize you’re American, not "their kind" of brown, the attitude shift is faster than their trains!
German here. How could a country be efficient if the buses do not depart on time (even with your hand in the doorarea)? Just kidding. Nonetheless. Sorry for your experience, but I think this is not what most of Germany behaves like. Give it a second chance maybe.
Poll Question
Which of these travel destinations do you think is most likely to be overrated?
Paris
Dubai
Bali
Machu Picchu
A lot of these remind me of the funny vacation reviews like "beach was too sandy" or "they didn't have proper tea", where their expectations were not even close to reality. Many sounded like they wanted a sanitized version without the people, or were shocked at what things were actually like. Which is fair, many are a true shock even if you know what to expect, and can ruin your sense of vacation. Personally, I rather like being thrown wide of my comfort zone because of how uncomfortable it is.
Bored Panda Staff: "Let's repost this list every week. It's easier than finding new content."
To be fair there really isn’t that much unique content. It all gets repetitive after a bit
Load More Replies...A lot of these remind me of the funny vacation reviews like "beach was too sandy" or "they didn't have proper tea", where their expectations were not even close to reality. Many sounded like they wanted a sanitized version without the people, or were shocked at what things were actually like. Which is fair, many are a true shock even if you know what to expect, and can ruin your sense of vacation. Personally, I rather like being thrown wide of my comfort zone because of how uncomfortable it is.
Bored Panda Staff: "Let's repost this list every week. It's easier than finding new content."
To be fair there really isn’t that much unique content. It all gets repetitive after a bit
Load More Replies...