- 1 July 2011
- 3:34pm
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Great ‘meh’-xpectations: when travel disappoints
Jane OrmondLonely Planet author
Travel is generally one of the highlights of most people’s lives – whether you get to visit a new destination once a year or once a decade, the thrill never wanes.
But what about when the expected thrill underwhelms? You’ve saved up, you’ve trekked out, you see that famous monument and all that resounds in your head is a big, fat ‘Is that it?’
That's the Hilton?
One of our Thorn Tree forum members posed that very question: ‘In all of your travels have you ever came across a place that has just not lived up to your expectations?‘ It’s an interesting discussion, because we feel compelled to be wowed by the things we see when we travel – it’s gotta be great, right? But what happens when those tourist sites just don’t live up to the hype?
Some travellers said their disappointment was fuelled not so much by the sight but by tourist crowds and unexpected elements (one member remarked that Jordan’s Petra left him less than excited because ‘I didn’t exactly expect to have it to myself, but I also didn’t expect to have to smell donkey/camel shit for the entire walk through the Siq to the Treasury’). Another traveller found the ‘Euro stoner tourist vibe’ in Chefchaouan, Morocco made it feel like ‘Disneyland for the hash crowd’. He was similarly disappointed with Prague: ‘The weight of tourist money has pushed the locals out of the city center, turning what’s left into a Euro-urban theme park. A beautiful city, to be sure, but now best left to postcards and a quick visit.’
But one traveller wisely noted that all of these reactions can be very subjective and many different factors can colour your reaction, including your companions, where you choose to stay or even the weather. As one traveller said of Venice, it was a case of: ‘…going there in June 1997 with really high expectations on an overnight train from Rome and finding swarms of tourists feeding a few gazillion pigeons in a very expensive and smelly giant sewer while feeling zombified from a terrible lack of sleep and oppressive heat. Went back there in October 2002 and had a fabulous day – amazing how a good night’s rest, fewer tourists and better weather can change your outlook on life!’
So, where have you been that didn’t live up to your expectations? Or, did you go somewhere expecting nothing, only to have your mind blown? Let’s hear it!
Taj Mahal. Ripped off every step of the way, food poisoning and then… a chunk of white building with people crawling all over it. Inside was ok, but unless you can hae the site to yourself, its not quite the romantic wonder I was expecting. A nice bit of foreigner pricing too. Totally not worth the effort or the hassle.
When I finally went to Cambodia, where my family are from, I was disappointed by some of Angkor Wat. I grew up with images of all these ridiculously grand structures, but when I finally got to see them live, there was so much construction, obstructing the beautiful views that I had expected. Sad, but a good lesson to learn about not putting off travel! Things change so quickly and not always for the better!
Thailand, Bangkok and Chiangmai in particular. I had to go during the late-December holiday season, so I’m fairly sure there were more European tourists than actual Thai people. There were some beautiful sights and great food to be sure, but I managed to catch the flu 3 days in so it was hard to appreciate it at the time. Not to mention the cold rainstorm on the one day when I felt up to going swimming.
I think the final section of this piece captures it perfectly…. Its very rarely the place that lets you down, but the circumstances surrounding your visit. Fatigue, sickness, wrong people all add to the lack of experience.
The only time I’ve been really disappointed in 50-odd countries was the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Surrounded by an industrial city, it’s a square of mildly interesting buildings with a gazillion souvenir hawkers selling purple sparkly versions of the original. I was so bored, I was forced to buy a LTOP lamp! :-)
I was really disappointed after visiting Mughal Gardens in Delhi. The park opens for public only in the month of February and March. I was really enthusiastic to visit the place and once I entered inside my head really resounded with “Is that it!”
I didn’t enjoy Prague and I thought I really would. I got really fed up of everyone trying to rip you off, short change you etc etc…and they seem to think it’s perfectly acceptable to do so. A tip doesn’t seem to be enough, they have to try and rip you off as well…don’t think I’ll ever go back to Prague. It’s pretty but the local people seem to have become too greedy.
i go to gate way of India,
Mumbai for the summer vacation, but i did not enjoy that beautiful place due to pollution and crime. A thief stole my purse due to which my whole vacation is suffer.
so i feel little bit bad holiday their
i go to gate way of India,
Mumbai
for the summer vacation, but i did not enjoy that beautiful place due to pollution and crime. A thief stole my purse due to which my whole vacation is suffer.
so i feel little bit bad holiday their
Amsterdam. Totally turned off by the tackiness of the pot coffee shops, the old beautiful buildings turned into wax museums, and the ridiculous number of tourists. I wrote a blog about it in case you’re interested:
http://www.wanderlustingtravel.com/2011/07/amsterdam-rant-and-rave.html
For me Chichen Itza was pretty disappointing. The manicured lawns, tacky tourist shop, coach loads of people from cruise ships/all inclusive resorts didn’t really do much for one of the ‘Wonders of the modern world’. For the price of one trip to Chichen Itza you could go to two far more interesting and less touristy Mayan sites.
Paris!
Well I was disappointed by the French people really. They refuse to speak English, and once you speak English they wont talk to you. They’d rathet speak spanish. Eiffel tower was chaotic, queues are very long and disorganized, also very difficult to go eat at restaurants as everything is written in french and they
dont like speaking English.
We also went to Disneyland and same story.
Dont get me wrong, the city is nice, but as what they say, shame about the people.
@drm_lvr
Allways the same stuff with the bloody non-english speaking locals. Shame on them! (And you are right, many of them may be lazy/reluctant to speak english).
But what about the bloody tourists who don’t work their asses off to learn just a few words/sentences in the country they are visiting?
If it spoils your holiday, you get what you deserve…
London, its not pretty or very interesting and crazy spendy. I was pretty surprised I didn’t like it, I mean I went in with low expectations and it was early in my traveling experiences, but it felt like a nondescript big city with only a couple of interesting features, so definitively not worth the cost of visiting, at least for me.
Potemkin Steps in Odessa, Ukraine. They were doing buildng work, it was literally just hoarding and some very expensive ice cream.
@croco
I dont care about speakibg their language. I cant be asked sorry. BUT paris is a tourist destination and they should cater to their customers and not force tourists to speak their dang language – they should speak international language.
They should set aside whatever history they had with English.
Hong Kong. It was too crowded and stinky. never walked through streets that smelly before. Not all areas were bad. But it was sooo crowded, very claustrophobic. Just finding a quiet place to catch one’s breath was difficult. I don’t know how one could live there. I couldn’t.
At the risk of raising the ire of many, for me it was the Great wall of China. I have however been told that its because I climbed it at Badaling and not elsewhere.
Mount Rushmore… A long way to drive for not much to see…
Topkapi Palace,Istanbul. 2nd visit, and so crowded it was totally spoilt for me. On our first visit, some years ago, we had it to ourselves.
Sydney, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House. Yes there are many, many tourists there, but what an absolutely awesome place. I’m the same as most people, seen it a million times on the telly, but seeing Sydney in the flesh blew me away, especially the Opera House. I’ve been back many times and it always has the same effect. Awesome!!
In many respects, most of Eastern Europe nowadays. First visited there in early 1980 and was hit by the most almighty culture shock – doubt I’ll ever experience anything similar again now I’m older and more cynical. Also, there used to be something faintly foreboding and sinister about passing through the ‘iron curtain’. The chatter on your train used to quieten down when a frontier was approached as everyone aboard awaited a lengthy passport/visa/currency check by humourless, pistol-toting boarder guards, tension tangible. These days, travelling to the old eastern bloc is no different to travelling anywhere else in western Europe and, while I in no way begrudge the people of these countries their newly-found freedoms and affluence, it seems to be yet another step towards the homogenization of the planet
Singapore…. total waste of time and energy… nothing much to do there….
Bali. Why oh why does no travel writer mention that food offerings on the ground+rice paddies+Hindu belief of “kill no living creature”=an island overrun by RATS? No amount of beauty or culture will overcome the sight of rats running through the restaurants, the beaches, our hotel room…I shiver 10 years later thinking about it!
I havent seen any posts on going somewhere expectin nothing and getting your mind blown away. I have one of those: Kryžių kalnas (Hill of Crosses) in Lithuania. Spectacular place! No turists, you really have to go almost to the middle of nowhere in central Lithuania to get to that place. If you are ever in Lithuania, you should definetly go. I worte about it in my blog, but it is spanish… you can still see pics, though. Enjoy! http://siguiendoalsalmon.blogspot.com/2008/08/kryziu-kalnas.html
I was very disappointed last weekend visiting the Goreme open air museum in Cappadocia (the rest of Cappadocia was great). The museum has fine rock churches with amazing ceiling frescoes but you are not allowed to photograph them (even with no flash). When I visited the Buckle Church and just turned on my camera (didn’t take any photos and the lens cap was on) I was assaulted, sworn at and racially abused by the staff! As the frescoes can’t be damaged if you don’t use flash it is all down to money – they want you to spend more on postcards. Very disappointing and was lucky to get out of there without having to physically defend myself!
Beaches of Bali.
I found the beaches of Bali to be complete disappointment. You think you are going to one of the most popular islands in the world and you will have an amazing beach time. Forget about that. Forget about white sand or blue waters. The beaches are for surfers and trashy party animals, these areas are completely invaded by westerners that care nothing about the Balinese heritage.
The treasure of Bali is Ubud and the secluded temples all over the island. In these temples is the only place where you will see local life and Balinese culture. The volcanoes, the rice terraces, Bali is about inland beauty and culture and not about beach beauty.
The forbidden city in Beijing. It was so jammed packed all i could think about the whole time was leaving. I was smart when I did the great wall though I got out of Beijing and hiked 10km on original stone and with less than 100 people seen during the whole 10km. It was the best trip of my life.
my lady and i went to santorini island, greece after seeing it in all of the pictures and travel videos. we thought it looked amazing. it really was a let down to both of us after we arrived. we went in the off season and a lot of the businesses were closed and shuttered. everything on the island was either a hotel or a restaurant or trinket shop (which btw all sold the same novelties). everything was very costly even in the off season. the tour of the volcano costs money to take the boat out and then once they put you off the boat they charge you another 3 euros a person just to hike the volcano. it felt like a big tourist trap. i won’t be going back there again. next time we will stay the whole time in athens like we originally planned to do.
‘Amazing how a good night’s rest, fewer tourists and better weather can change your outlook on life!’… This is sooo true! We have been many places where we wanted to run from once we got there. But after a good nights rest, we would see things differently in the morning and would fully enjoy where we were at. Ever since we came to realize that, we know not to judge our destination at the first sight. It has really helped us to enjoy every place went from there on.
Glastonbury tor- the stone structure at the top was being restored so the top of the tor was covered in green safety mesh!!
San Francisco is one of those cities that does the exact opposite – it amazes me every time. So much culture jam-packed into an amazingly diverse and attractive city. The people are super-friendly, the streets are colourful and relaxed, and I have a strange obsession with the Golden Gate Bridge. Greatly overshadows its big brother Los Angeles!
To those expecting the Parisians to speak English, they will happily do so if you just try a little French; I’m sure you’ve all refused to help a visitor to your region who doesn’t / can’t speak your language and many French feel the same, but they’re friendly and helpful if you’ve madeeven a small effort.
Agree about Bali’s beaches though; I’ve been twice and stayed away from Kuta as much as possible. Also agree about circumstance; I hated Venice my first visit because of smell and crowds but second visit years later was great.
Capella Sistina, Vatican – I always imagined it to be a place of quiet, brooding and intrigue hidden in some georgian chant perhaps. Not full of noisy irreverent tourists and camera flashes.
gregorian, sorry
@ drm_lvr
I found that if you made and effort in speaking the language of the country you’re in you have a much more enjoyable experience. for example when I was in Paris (Personally a very overrated city, by the way) I didn’t know French but just by saying “excusez-moi, do you speak English?” was enough to at least be directed to someone that did. What if a tourist in your home town came up and started talking to you in their home language, that you didn’t understand? I think you would find you would dismiss them simply because they didn’t make an effort.
I generally haven’t been disapointed with places I’ve traveled too. However, some of India’s icons that I have been to were great but almost completely gt ruined by people trying to sell you things and rip you off, rubbish, and lack of looking after the place. That being said, I’ve never gone to India for the tourist icons so the country itsel has never disapointed me. If you go there, you need to have an idea of what you are in for and look forward to an amazing culture, full of amazing people, food, experiences and landscapes – not icons. The only other place I can think of is Calgary, which I didn’t have high expectations for but I am glad that I didn’t either.
Grand Canyon. I can hear the collective gasp, but seriously … driving several hours to the middle of nowhere to see what is essentially a big hole in the ground isn’t my thing. Unless you plan to trek down and do some adventurous stuff, just going and seeing the canyon was a disappointment.
Kashmir, India was a place I have wanted to visit for over 40 years, having heard and read amazing accolades.
First off the weather was miserable: rainy and freezing cold in what was touted as being the pleasant spring time. I am a veteran of several trips to India and usually can deal easily with touts. But,the touts here bother you incessantly, you can not walk 1 meter without being approached (not an exaggeration) and they do not take a polite no as an answer, always trying to force a protracted conversation-leaving no option but to rudely extract yourself. The expected romantic houseboat scene is like an overcrowded boat parking lot. Hotels are much more expensive for what you get than in the rest of India. I expect to bargain but the shopkeepers lie constantly and demand exorbitant prices, much worse than the rest of India. Sure the mountain setting is attractive, but the hassles far outweigh the enjoyment.
A lot of the factors mentioned in the comments above are individual factors that probably in different circumstances would turn the place around. One place however that I really can’t see that happening with is Singapore. What a dead city!? It’s so controlled and totalitarian, everything seems robotic. Right from the people walking on the streets to the street food vendors in their food streets.
Medan is disappointing. Other then lake Toba, its pretty boring. The island within the lake is just full of hawkers selling crafts. Not much artifacts on the cannibalistic tribe. The old istana is a rip-off. Pantai cermin is also a rip-off. You are better off going to jok jakarta.
Buenos Aires. Grey, very, very polluted in any way possible, too expensive (“tangolessons for export” are they called, it’s a ripped off for tourists) and then these private flat and hotels with rents more expensive than rents in Europe! The food was also disappointing: too much meat and pizza, too unhealthy.
And the culture to try to rip off any tourists in any possible way: the “viveza criolla”, how annoying.
First of all PARIS – unfriendly locals who take the p*ss out of you attempts to speak French. Lots of style but very little substance. Most over-rated city in the world.
Secondly SINGAPORE – Absoulutely soulless. The Orchard Road in particular was extremely depressing with hundreds of shops all selling the same stuff and no price tags. The general attitude was ‘give us your money and get out of my shop’
Travel regrets – I know all about them. But they are subjective and can depend on so many things. Note to self: Lower expectations!!
http://seekingadventure.blogspot.com/2011/06/travel-regrets.html
@drm_lvr, I assumed Paris was a living, breathing city in a country whose national language is French. I didn’t realise it was a tourist destination like Disneyland or the London Eye.
A few simple words of French make the visit to this living and breathing city so much more enjoyable.
Angkor Wat is the destination that blew me away; it brought tears to my eyes at the first glimpse of it’s imposing grandeur in the early morning light.
Singapore gave me the “meh” feeling. Time and time again through work and transit stops. Pretty, but meh!
‘Monalisa’ at the Louvre!!! A small, obscure painting, mounted behind glass and barricaded by at least a couple of barriers. Moreover, bazillions of busloads of tourists (of every tongue, race and colour) crowding up to take pictures with the Lady. Tons of other portraits in the same section are much more interesting and great to see.
EGYPT was a great disappointment. Hurghada was artificial and catered to tourists only. No sign of ‘normal’ life of egyptian people. Cairo was even worse as we were constantly harassed, national museum so busy with tourists that it was impossible to see anything and then the pyramids with camels’ shit everywhere. I am world traveller who have visited many many countries and it is the only place I felt was awful from the beginning to the endI
Grand Canyon – Sorry, but it was NEVER going to live up to expectations after seeing it in documentaries for so many years. Cinque Terre – Don’t understand all the hype over a pretty average coastal walk which in places is so polluted with rubbish you need to watch your step. Bali – the only way to escape the crush of vendors is to wade out into the sea where they won’t follow. Australian Beaches – every beach touted as being the “best” in the country but after you’ve seen a dozen “best”, you realize they’re all pretty much the same!
Mui Ne in southern Vietnam. OK, we didn’t walk the *entire* length of it, but from what I saw there’s not much beach, with the tide bringing the water right up to where the hotels are built out onto the sand. Did not understand the lavish praise given in the guide book.
Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Barcelona itself and the other Gaudi works were amazing ad took my breath away, but the masterpiece Sagrada Familia was just a massive disappointment. It is in the middle of lots of noisy roads and coffee shops, the building itself is ok (although in my opinion, not Gaudi’s best work), but we were not able to see most of it because it was closed to the public, including the tower, which was something that had been promised at the gates, it was really expensive to get in and we saw nothing that we couldn’t have seen walking the perimeter of the outer fencing. Was a real shame.
i always say this and get really annoyed looks from people but The Pyramids.. Yep.. i always dreamt of them, i thought they were magnificient but there they were, only,well, pyramids..the main reason is weather it is the Taj Mahal you were dissappointed or the fjords of Norway, i think it is because somethings are spoken a lot.. i mean a lot lot. That increases our expectations however when you go there and see with bare eyes, ok, they are lovely but that’s it.. the key is to keep your expectations low, if you can..
Diving in Tobago – heard it was some great diving with lots of sharks. Really disappointed.
Not a shark in sight when I was there, seems the travel writers hadn’t been there after the oil companies testing off the coast scaring everything off.
Andorra la Vella. The guide book said it was a mountain Shangri-La, but after waiting in a traffic jam for hours at the border, I discovered a town with all the charm of an airport duty-free shop. Maybe if I’d gotten out of the town to the villages, it would’ve been better, but I didn’t give it a chance. The next day I headed for some (much nicer) villages in Catalunya.
I’m surprised by the comments about people not speaking English in foreign countries and about the weather…yes, both those things can affect your enjoyment, but neither should affect how you felt about the place itself.
I have found in my many travels over the years, that a smile and a hello in the local language can carry you a long way! I have NEVER had a bad experience in Paris (or the rest of France) with the people…I go with a good attitude, and I find people to be VERY friendly and helpful. However the behavior of some visiting Americans there has been embarrassing! The Golden Rule still works, people.
As for weather issues…you just can’t control it. Don’t schedule your travels during the rainy season for one thing! I’m amazed by how many people I’ve heard say they never checked the weather norms for particular times of the year before making reservations! Of course, if inclement weather is not an issue for you, but crowds are, go during the rainy season!
Agree with Paris and not because I don’t speak French! I found the level of hygiene incredibly low — flies all over the sidewalk food; dog poking his nose into some fruit in a grocery store. People in general not friendly, especially the waiters. This is what happens when you don’t have to work for a tip :) I would not go back. On the other hand, I spent a few days in Nice which was lovely.
I heartily agree with cygnet2: speaking just a little of the language (and being aware of important local customs) is the best thing anyone can do to be treated well no matter where you’re going, and I always have a great time in France too. I’ve encountered a few problems over the years – who hasn’t – but nothing like some of the nightmares being reported here. I tend to avoid the tropics and traveling in the high season unless there’s a compelling reason to (such as seeing the fantastic ruins in the Yucatan and Tikal or the total eclipse in Europe in August of 1999), and that has served me well. Our last trip was to Greece in the spring of 2010 and was one of the best ever. As for disappointments, chalk up one more vote for the Mona Lisa, the most overrated painting anywhere!
The Pyramids, in Egypt. Ok, ok… It was 1995 and maybe I was a little naïve (more than now, at least). Anyway, at that time I was expecting to get a camel ride and travel several hours to reach these historic icons but… as you may know, they are located just around the corner, or should I say, right in front of the city, full of small shops that sell everything you can think of. The Pyramids were way too easy to get to… A total disappointment for me. It’s true that once you are inside one of them, everything disappears and you can actually feel the weight of four thousand years on your back, but as soon as you come out again, besides the the bright sun of Cairo, you’ll be greeted by someone offering you some sort of stupid souvenir.
The Canadian Gulf Islands for cycling were definitely not as picturesque as we’d imagined. Most of the roads are inland with only occasional views of the ocean. Saturna was VERY unfriendly to tourists! The best were Salt Spring and Garibaldi.
I’m gratefully amazed that Latin America isn’t mentioned at all in these comments (except from Chichen Itza which is far north). I think it is because it is a great place to visit and you encounter everything you are promised and more. Beatiful sights and very friendly people :)
The Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It rules over the city in splendid photogenic grandeur from the hilltop, but the tourist crush when visiting takes away from the experience. It’s worth walking up the hill, and on the perimiter “free access” areas, but the limited inside tour was disappointing for me. And, I found that the Generalife Gardens are over-lauded. The Alcazar Gardens in Seville are much more beautiful.
It’s all a matter of expectations. On the high-not-met side: (1) Machu Picchu. Sure, the setting is beautiful, but so is much of that part of Peru. As for the ruins, they were no big deal at all. There is much more interesting Mayan construction in Cuzco. Arrived by train, not by foot. Maybe I would have felt differently. (2)Taj Mahal. Nevermind the crowds, prices, or touts, there is much finer Mughal architecture elsewhere in India. The TM is mearly just big. (3)Hoi An, Vietnam. A small quiet town with practically nothing to see or do (except buy a suit).
On the low-but-exceeded expectations side: (1) Singapore. After hearing what an oppressive, dull, and featureless place it was on forums like this, I was pleasantly surprised. Paris, it ain’t, but it’s not that bad at all. (2) Gran Sabana, Venezuela. Little known and even less traveled back when I was there, its beauty and drama was a total surprise.
Athens. It was filthy and loud and smoggy. I adored the islands (in fact, I loved them so much, I decided to bartend my way through them for 2 months) but Athens was terrible.
So many people’s epic let-downs I loved, but I thought that India was an epic disappointment. Also, I found Barcelona to be completely boring after one or two days.
Hamilton Island Queensland Australia. What a disappointment! Ok, we saw a picturesque sunset on the island which was lovely; but generally the whole place was just totally overrated and extreemly superficial. The beach and palm trees were apparently not even real!! It was a complete joke and a total waste of money. It reminded me of that place in the old tv program ‘The Prisoner’ I kept expecting a hugh big bouncy white ball to come pounding down the road!!
Reading the above ridiculous comments reminds me why I prefer to travel alone. Seriously…a bad experience in Paris, the Taj Mahal, Singapore, or Machu Picchu? Look in the mirror, people!
I have to join in on defending Singapore – it’s a fantastic city, you just have to get past the tourist sheen the government has worked so hard to perfect. You have to work for it, but it’s worth it.
@singabob-
Look at the premise of this article/forum: “disappoints,” “underwhelms,” “not lived up to expectation.” This is not at all the same as “bad experience.” TM and MP were not bad, they were not the low-lights on my trips. They just didn’t live up to the gargantuan hype. Maybe you loved them– good for you– or maybe you’re the type of person who finds everything and every experience fantastic and wonderful. In which case either you are pretty special or you are an undiscerning bore who has no opinions other than “great” and no emotions other than “ain’t it grand!” In that case maybe it is best that you travel alone.
What an interesting thread. It just goes to prove that old saying that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”
In my forty plus years of travelling I can not think of any city, country or site that I was not glad to have experienced Would I go back? That is a different question. Many cities and sites have been a single visit experience for me. Madrid, Nairobi, Kuala Lumpur, Casa Blanca, Houston to name a few.
Some places that have been mentioned like Barcelona and Paris are my favorites. I have been many times, don’t speak the language, and have had only positive experiences.
I remember as a teen in the sixties I was disapointed seeing the Mona Lisa, but what did know about art. On the other hand seeing an actual Van Gough helped me appreciate his artistic uniqueness.
As a builder the “Sagrada Familia” took my breath away, as did all the Moderista architecture.
Today and yesterday, the touts, hustle, crowds and hype can defineatly effect our expectations and results while travelling.
I feel that we travel to see the uniqueness of the world around us. As world tourists we all go to same places to see the same things. What one must do is plan these things to avoid the crowds, ignore the touts and hustlers and probably wear blinders (in some cases) to appreciate why we went there in the first place.
I know as I visit new places and revisit the old I am glad I am not at home just putting in time.
Osaka
Went there last January (I prefer to travel in winter). I didn’t have much planned, just walk around, get lost and see what I could find, but besides the castle, the city seemed rather dull to me.
I also visited Kyoto, Tokyo and Hiroshima and loved them much more :)
Costa Rica. Our small tour group was full of crazy travelers so it wasn’t that. But I recall sitting at this rustic mountain top bar with another traveler and looking at this incredible scenery so we ought to have thought our trip was wonderful. But we started to exchange our feelings about the trip and something about Costa Rica was a tad underwhelming measured against how we thought it would be. There seems to have been too much American development which has marred the experience. Notably the well trod path that includes Arenal and Monteverde. Might be better to try to go in the more remote parts of the country.
GIZA! After all the reading and watching of documentaries. After all the mysticism and build up I was pretty disappointed by the pyramids. So overrated… not so the Sphinx however (luckily!) and my trip was rescued by all the other awersome things I got to do there like see Abu Simbel and cruise the Nile.
I was disappointed with Sorrento, Italy but still manage to enjoy my time there even though it was far from the beautiful, charming town I had pictured in my mind. It was busy, noisy and we saw many beggars sitting in the streets and riding the trains, even though I knew to expect more chaos in the South than up North it was still a bit of a shock. That said, we met some lovely people there and ate delicious food so it really is a matter of perception and expectations being different.
On the other hand, I was anxious about going to Paris because we spoke very little French (and badly at that)and had heard about how rude the Parisians were. We didn’t have to worry, our efforts at the pleasantries were appreciated and soon we were having wonderful conversations in English with the people we met. It pays to make the effort.
I had heard that Dubrovnik was the Jewel in the Adriatic and that it was a place you must see before you die.
We arrived when it was raining and the crowds trying to get into the Old Town were more akin to a football match than life-affirming travel experience. All around, we were being blocked by vast gangs of cruise ship tours…. It was far from romantic.
However, come night time when all the crowds left and the street lamps lit up and the rain subsided, I finally got to fall in love with it. What a beautiful place it is when there’s no-one around!
Dears, I think as somebody said, that there`s a lot of factors to have in mind. First of all individual expectations. Another thing, nowadays every place in the word seems to be crowd. No hidden places at first glance, but you can still satisfy your soul. I´ve been in NY for first time las May. I though I will arrive to the Empire State alone, with plenty of place to enjoy the view, but instead I have to wait more than an hour to just enter the place an peep, yes, a piece of view from the balcony! But, on the other hand I took the telepheric to Roosvelt Island, only locals where there, an it was wanderful. Not to mention just lost yourself in the Greenwich Village! Forget all the typical atractions and make your one way! It will never let you down!
I agree with the Sagrada Familia, you must visit instead Santa Maria del Mar! not to mention San Francisco Neri, so hidden that I`ve passed three times and never saw it. Locals have to guide me.Wonderful!
Halong Bay! Skip it if you can. But I bet you won’t ;)
http://bit.ly/nalV3i
The Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian, China. I think that the disappointment here was that we had looked at the photos and read about it that we knew as much or more than our guide. Also, many of the photos were taken down in the pits whereas we could only walk around the edges and look down from 20 feet above them. We were glad we went, but it was more of a feeling of just checking off a box rather than a great joy. But there were many things in Xian that we did enjoy.
@drm_lvr
Well, yes – tourists bring money so people should work for it. But on the other hand people in this thread complain about touristy spots (as if they weren’t tourists themselves). So choose to go somewhere famous with locals dressed as plastic trees cleaning your pathways (Disneyland) speaking English or go off the beaten pathways and enjoy real travelling. So Paris is inbetween – it’s famous but tries to stay Paris. French speaking. Even better!
Even as a paying tourist, please remember everywhere in the world: You’re the guest. = hopefully a polite visitor. I just don’t understand the “international language”-argument. If you look at the map with French speaking countries, it’s almoust the same like English speaking countries. The Spanish speaking world is even much bigger and I guess not all of the US-tourist-site-employees necessarily speak Mandarin, just because it’s the most spoken language in the world…
I just loved Paris for the days you could spend at the museums.
I realized it many times that the pure sight of tourist sites of course is not the jackpot. So many places to visit display their beauty only when you KNOW what you’re looking at. Once I read in a tourist guide of a friend coming from the US about the Doge’s Palace something like: “A very old building facing the St Mark’s Square, the Doges lived there.” Of course it’s boring then. I only start to gasp at SO many places when I read about their history, see what’s inside, walk around. Of course the Pyramids are crowded and a rip off but think about their history, how it must have felt to build them in this air, how it must have looked back then where you stand at this very moment.
Not everything is always great, but I think this article should have so many less but then much more interesting and useful comments. Just if people would think about themselves and their behaviour how they approach to certain things.
P.S.: Rude waiters in Prague asking for more tip don’t get paid very well because their employers say that we (travellers) give them tip anyways. Don’t be afraid that they get rich if you give them 2 Euros instead of 50 Cent. I travelled with people who didn’t tip at all in areas where I knew it’s actually insulting and you say that their service was unbelievably bad. Remember once more: You’re the guest.
To ‘mister_d’ disappointed in Machu Picchu… might have helped had you done just a cursory amount of reading/research. You will NEVER find Mayan sites in Cuzco (or at Machu Picchu). The Maya are Mesoamerican, not Andean.
And Paris? Not liking Paris? Did the sun not come up that day? Did your heart not beat? Did you not have eyes for the beauty, a nose for the sweetness, a mind to reel at the exquisiteness? Or did they forget to give you your very own personal parade? Sheesh.
Personally, I found Dublin a little bit disappointing. I think this was mainly due to the slightly run-down areas just north of the Liffey, along the Luas tram line. The south is nice, but I still think that Edinburgh, its Celtic rival, takes the cake – especially on grand streets and buildings.
Contrary to other users, I really enjoyed Singapore – the hawker centre multi-ethnic food culture and gems like the Botanical Gardens were fantastic. Perhaps in a few years Singapore will firmly become a destination in its own right.
Each person has their own expectations and their own reasons for being in the area of their visit. One would find the place exciting and it would totally live up to expectations, another would think it’s boring and move on.I have been pleasantly surprised in some places, desperately disappointed in others but always glad that i went in the first place.
@artysmarty
Meant Inca, not Mayan. Sorry, my bad. Also, I have no problem with Paris. Perhaps you were aiming your comments at someone other than me.
Good grief, people! Save your $$$ and stay home!
@scrappyjam
OMG I am totally opposite. I fell in LOVE with Paris. No, the locals I found were absolutely great!!! Met some wonderful people, nice helpful, friendly and happy to talk and even have meaningful conversations on all sorts of topics – even in english! And as for rude waiters. Isn’t just it. They are famous FOR being rude. I actually knew this and couldn’t wait to experience it, and when I did just a little bit I felt that I could tick of one of the things to actually experience in France!
As for Nice… What a disappointement. Dirty, smelly. Beach was CRAP! Everybody raved about the beach… mate, my local St. Kilda beaches – which by our aussie standards are totally crappy as can be – was so much better!!! And this says A LOT. Though I must say that the near by towns of Canes and St Antibes were so much more gorgeous and worthwhile, not to mention Monte Carlo of course. Its like Nice is the dumping ground for the richer and more beautiful towns adjacent Nice and running around the coast.
oops *Antibes, not St Antibes..
Stonehenge – couldn’t believe it was jammed between 3 major roads rather than being in the middle of nowhere as such a mysterious place should be. i hear it’s been improved now though….
The Spanish steps in Rome….. nearly missed them! (loved Keats Museum though)
I agree with being upset at being ripped off in Prague – several attempts didn’t impress! (esp after the train system was flooded…)
Also/agree – Paris Disneyland, Vatican, Uffizi (half closed), Giza (bus park!), Nice, Santorini beaches (but not towns)
Can’t agree – London, Halong Bay, Paris, Singapore,
Halong Bay. Far to many tourists (and I was one of them).
http://www.travelnerd.eu
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