Cities you really hate

11 October 2009 2:33PM ealing99 Report this comment

Its become sport, especially in European circles, to point out a situation that has been present for YEARS, yet become more acute of late. At times, I feel this takes on a racial motive. Detroit is 80% African American and 28% unemployed. Despite its current hardships, it is still a city of great individuals, and beutiful places. This grit is what makes the city a pleasure to experience. If you want a sanitized world, I suggest you go to Singapore.

12 October 2009 3:55PM vivekw Report this comment

ealing99, I actually have to agree with you. I visited Detroit in 1998 (granted, it was a while ago), but I loved it. Didn't hurt that it was 72 degrees and sunny every day, or that there was a blues festival on.

14 October 2009 6:37PM akgrown25 Report this comment

I would have to agree with #3. I lived in Seoul for a year and it was rather soul crushing (no pun intended). While it was a good experience, I would never live there again and really see no reason to ever visit.

14 October 2009 6:47PM andrewlwood Report this comment

I LOVE Seoul. Not pretty, but there's some SERIOUS fun to be had. You need to know where to go, and who to go with, and it needs to be snowing.

No, my vote would be for Baltimore. Everywhere feels threatening, tragic waste of a harbourfront, drug-crazed loons everywhere, even in downtown, and they used pneumatic drills outside my $250-a-night hotel from 1am to 7am (then stopped!).

14 October 2009 7:00PM yaksox Report this comment

Chalk up another vote for Seoul. I've been here 5 years. The population density is inhumane and reminds me of Soylent Green. At least Detroit once had culture.

14 October 2009 7:27PM j3ffrey Report this comment

Although Rome has some lovely sights, I always get ripped off by cafes, bars and restaurants which is appalling. I have also read about other overseas visitors being ripped off also. I will no longer go there until they clean up their act.

14 October 2009 7:30PM ejlorge Report this comment

LONDON: It's over priced, over populated and over rated.

I have never heard such vulgar language until I visited London. (And I am no saint.) Every other word on the street is "F*cking this or f*cking that". I imagine it's because it seems as though half of its citizens are drunk by 3pm.

Last, but not least, its a very DIRTY city to boot, (there is trash everywhere).

14 October 2009 7:37PM simonhare Report this comment

You are so right ejlorge - if we were sober the miserable hordes of dumb tourists would drive us mad!

14 October 2009 7:50PM trajedi Report this comment

I hate new york for just in the season of Winter. Not a single sunbeam can reach you when you are out in the streets. So it is very cold there.

14 October 2009 8:18PM kikkerj Report this comment

I reckon Nairobi should feature -and quite high up for that matter, in this list! It is really an appalling place. The centre is so polluted that the ban on smoking doesn't really affect you if you're a dedicated smoker -your lungs are so full with smog and the constant smell of burnt plastic -to which you can add rotting mater if you venture to the slums or the non-privileged areas (so 95% of it), stale waters and rubbish everywhere, that smoking is the least thing you want to do! Smokers, if you want to quit the habit, go to Nairobi for a month! Also, the noise pollution is unbelievable, not to mention crime rate -you know it is nicknamed Nai-robbery, and the threatening vibe you feel when down-town. Anyone who lives there is a hero in my eyes...

14 October 2009 8:34PM bbdom44 Report this comment

Yaksox you say Detroit once had culture implying Seoul doesnt!! With over 2000 years of history I find that a staggeringly ignorant assertation. The residents of Detroit themselves sum up their own city ... they left!! Over a million people have left detroit since 1950!

14 October 2009 8:47PM koolmoedee Report this comment

Doha, Qatar, should easily top any list of worst cities.

Doha is an ugly, filthy, congested, dust-coated wasteland full of people with more petro-dollars than brains. Most of these morons can be seen on the roads, as evidenced by the city having the highest vehicular accident rate in the world. Wrecked cars rot in the desert sun along most roads.

You can't walk anywhere partly because the sand-choked air is too hot, but mostly because the locals will drive their Land Cruisers onto the few garbage-strewn sidewalks that exist and run you down.

Racism is so systemic that it's standard practice for the expatriate workers that make up most of the population to get vastly different salaries based on nationality — even when performing the same job. Indians and Pakistanis rank at the bottom.

14 October 2009 11:04PM lorenzoid Report this comment

The city I hate most is the one where I am at any given moment, working behind a desk in an office, wishing I were on the road traveling with my backpack. When on the road with my backpack, I always feel fortunate to find myself in even the least charming city, knowing that I could always be back home behind a desk.

14 October 2009 11:15PM skybird12209 Report this comment

Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville...any city in Florida should be on this list! Florida cities are dreadfully ugly. Sure the palms trees and flowers are nice, but look beyond that at the endless strip malls, overhead wires everywhere, the drivers, and then there is that "Florida arrogance" factor...the people who live there "think" they live in paradise and are over dramatic when they come "north" for vactions in winter...swatting themselves complaining about the "cold"...well...then stay in your grit eating, obesity capital, shopping mall "paradise". And by the way, LA may be overbuilt and have all sorts of problems, but not many cities in the world can claim a "Griffith Park" and a 10,000 foot mountain and numerous parks and lovely neighborhoods on the west side...it is not all East LA you know!

14 October 2009 11:17PM hyowon Report this comment

Seoul isn't that horrible.. Go to Ulaanbataar, it's far much worse than Seoul.

14 October 2009 11:34PM zsu Report this comment

I have to agree 100+% with Lorenzoid.

As for skybird... I have to agree with with FL not haveing the nicest cities, definatley lots and lots of strip malls, and culture (ie museums, etc is not a stongsuite) . However I have to totally disagree with "FL arrogance" first off, we have to put up with snowbirds for 6 months of the year. These people come to our "paradise" take over our roads, have no idea where they are going, cause numerous accidents. Just going to the grocery turns into a nightmare. Inflated prices, no parking places, they drive their shopping carts the same way they drive their cars. Oh and the average age increases from ~50 to ~ 70. Oh and they all complain "This is not how they do it up north" You know what... than stay there.

14 October 2009 11:35PM gaitha Report this comment

hey, c'mon, seoul is cool! i agree with andrew, it's just a matter of know where to go and who to go with. I was there in the last spring and it was just lovely. Beautiful ancient architecture, good food and great museums. It's just that korean people aren't usually nice with people they don't know and it can damage the image of seoul...

the worst city, for sure is juliaca, in peru. it's dirty and really ugly. and what really bothers it's that anywhere you go by bus in peru you have to stop in this awful city.

=P

14 October 2009 11:58PM knurre Report this comment

koolmoedee's comment about Doha is full of negativity and factual errors. Qatari's are not morons, in fact most are hospitable and generous. Qatar has the highest GDP growth rate in the world and, yes, through the boom the last 5 years the infrastructure has been under strain. There are major work done to improve the situation. Come and have a look!

I put my money on Mumbai - pollution and poverty hand in hand.

15 October 2009 12:45AM tdawks Report this comment

I can imagine that I will be offending a number of people with this comment (let the scoldings commence), but I am going to toss a nod to Brussels as being one of the most uninviting cities I have ever had the misfortune of visiting. I made the mistake of spending three days there several years ago because certainly the capital of Europe must hold some magic. It was three days too many. Actually I was supposed to be there for four, but escaped to Paris for 12 hours one day for respite from the grimy facades, surly residents, and garbage filled streets. They've turned the side of Saint Catherine's Church into a urinal for crying out loud! Also, I am a fairly imposing presence who has only ever felt unsafe in one place - the Brussels Metro.

15 October 2009 12:46AM thebrooklynnomad Report this comment

Agree with Los Angeles. It is absolutely the worst big city in the U.S.

Detroit is going through some tough times, but there are far worse cities to visit in the states. Buffalo, New York Newark and Camden, New Jersey immediately come to mind.

As much as "Detroit Rock City" has crumbled, it still has so much history and hopefully will rise again.

Andrew thebrooklynnomad.com

15 October 2009 12:47AM travelfusionuk Report this comment

Los Angeles? Really? I wouldn't put it so high up there on the list with the others...

15 October 2009 12:58AM voyageurfred Report this comment

Chittagong Bangladesh. No real city centre except by the Mall where street hawkers, disformed people and beggars gather. No sanitation with open latrines and men squatting to take a poop where ever they feel like.

After six months, the high point was the snake charmer with his "dancing" cobra's, and the view from atop a 250 ft microwave tower perched on a hill providing great views of the valley. Why is it cities look better from overhead than at ground level?

Port aux Princes, Haiti. Built on a hillside overlooking a large bay, the former President's palace, once occupied by "Baby Doc" Duvalier, the Spanish colonial cathedral and some old building by the waterfront are interesting. And they have a real happening Mardi Gras.

However crushing poverty, crime and pollution detract. Go there and you will probably get kidnapped for ransom! The worst is the rotting, stinking garbage in the streets, that gets washed down into the bay during the nightly rains.

Frederic in Montréal

15 October 2009 12:58AM skybird12209 Report this comment

For Zsu...sorry...you may have to put up with Snowbirds as you call them,but the rest of us have to put up with Florida "sandheads"....you complain when you are up north in winter..but you never admit to your ridicuosly buggy, hot and humid summers! Your dewpoints are often near 75 degrees in summer, far ahead of anyone else, humidity near 100% and to be honest, some of the dumbest people on earth.It may be the reason more people are now moving out of Florida than moving in...the smart ones went for a look, saw the mess there and left..they are the smart ones...sadly they leave behind a state with an IQ approaching single digits! Do you remember 2000 election? Seems like FL has more child abduction/murders than any other state, a number of teachers having sex with their students, it has to be the #1 depraved state...

15 October 2009 12:58AM pat_b886 Report this comment

whoever said they hate london clearly didn't know anyone who lived there to take them out of the central london tourist bubble. i live in london and try to avoid the centre if i can help it. its all about zone 2, real london, the best bars, clubs, restaurants from around the world and atmosphere. about the drunkeness, when its tuesday afternoon in the summer and everyone's drinking in parks with their friends the atmosphere is incredible and it makes me glad to be alive. i've seen a lot of the world but there's nowhere i'd rather live than london, actually maybe berlin.

15 October 2009 1:06AM voyageurfred Report this comment

And Juliaca, Peru as Gaitha mentioned, also gets my vote. Arriving by bus into a dusty, wind driven city that sits on a high plateau some 40km from Puno, I spent five hours there waiting for my flight out of the airport.

At least the terminal building was clean. It had to be the only decent structure in the area!

Frederic in Montréal http://www.RemarkableImages.ca

15 October 2009 1:16AM voyageurfred Report this comment

Hey Pat, you may like to get "zoned" in London, but for REAL food and atmosphere, come to Montréal, the festival city! The second largest French speaking city in the world, it has super architecture, fantastic bistros and clubs, Old Montréal, le Vieux Port, excellent micro breweries, the terraces with les belles femmes plus much more!

Soory, but I think our city has more to offer than foggy ol' London!

Cheers mate! Frederic in, well you-know-where!

15 October 2009 1:22AM koolmoedee Report this comment

knurre,

Your comment includes some factual errors about Doha:

Qatar doesn't have the highest GDP growth rate in the world (Bhutan does) and even if it did, that doesn't mean it's a nice place. Angola, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Iraq are also in the top 25 for GDP growth rates.

I'll take the Bahamas (212th ranked out of 217 countries), Denmark (#211) and Ireland (#214) any day over those places.

You say: "Qatari's are not morons, in fact most are hospitable and generous."

Try driving in Doha, and the "hospitable and generous" people you speak of are nowhere to be seen. I'll give a year's wage to anybody who can drive in the city for one day without getting cut off, honked at, tailgated, or run off the road.

And the "hospitality and generosity" don't extend to the tens of thousands of workers who work in Doha's 50 degree heat for miserable wages and are subject to countless other abuses.

I'm counting the days until my flight out of here.

15 October 2009 1:34AM panamaniac Report this comment

To round-off your 9, I would add a 10th. - Oakland, California (USA). This is a despicable, crime-ridden cesspool of a city.

15 October 2009 2:08AM gerryerchak Report this comment

I actually like Accra and Arusha: both lively places with good food, bars, night life. Surprised no one mentioned Lagos, the Worst City in the World! I too think that LA is hideous but certainly not in the league of, say, Kinshasa. My nominee for worst city is Monrovia, Liberia. Lima is also horrid although with great food.

15 October 2009 2:31AM vickyas400 Report this comment

What the hell ? . what do you guys know about chennai? . Its the less populated, clean , and safest place in India. It lacks Mumbai' prosperity?? .. you must be kidding and who said it doesnt have a history? , it has pretty longer one just like Delhi , and bengaluru' buzz? .. wth ! .. do you know how many companies are there in chennai right now ? . and how many companies are moving from bangalore to chennai? .. Have you heard of the beaches there? . do you know any thing about Mahabalipuram , what about the beautiful temples there. Movie stars?. Go to hell .do you know hemamalini ? asin ? sridevi? .. lol , you are one crack head who doesnt know anything , who can just blog some crap out here . I really dont understand and completely go against and reject the fact that chennai is in the list .

15 October 2009 2:33AM backbeat70 Report this comment

Sure, you’ll find crime, decay and poverty in most cities (if not all). Failing to see beyond these factors will leave you on a fast track to missing out. A people make their city. The pulse of life, bustle, aroma and colors on view--coupled with the local’s treatment of their guests. Isn’t this why travel is rewarding? Hang the list, it means nothing.

15 October 2009 2:56AM pandora514 Report this comment

Speaking of a people making their city; I found the people of Madrid really horrid. The city itself is beautiful but the people were surly, rude and downright mean. In one hotel the staff person was rude to me and yelled at me when I asked if they could assist me in booking a hotel in another city in Spain. I left and then heard the same man yelling at an Asian couple who asked him about bullfighting tickets. I should have gone to Barcelona instead.

15 October 2009 3:11AM jplegat Report this comment

I'm from São Paulo, Brazil and I've been to Los Angeles for two weeks. LA has some nice neighborhoods, the only con I can remember now is the ominous number of endless freeways - hence you're required to have a car. I stayed for two days in NOLA and I really didn't like there. Budapest in Hungary was a place I didn't like either.

15 October 2009 4:07AM starlitdazzle Report this comment

Glad to see someone mentioned Doha - because I totally agree with koolmoedee.

My "most hated city" is Dubai - yeah they're building glittering skyscrapers including the Burj Dubai... but I've been living here for one year now (7 months left!) and Dubai lacks BASIC infrastructure... the city roads flood with FEET of water every time there's a minor rain storm. Look around, those vents for drainage? Purely ornamental, they don't drain anything. The majority of the roads lack names and sidewalks are practically non-existent. The city's been built so fast that except for the few well known buildings there are already structural cracks and constant leaks, including my building which is only 5 years old. They opened the new Metro system a year late, over budget and are calling opening only 10 of over 50 stations a "success." There's a lot of pollution and very limited means to recycle things that are recycled everyday in other countries. And that's just the beginning...

15 October 2009 5:04AM lyndelle Report this comment

I would like to add Amsterdam to the list. I have travelled solo, all over the world for 5 years and this would be the ONLY city i have felt very unsafe in. Ugly city with drug dealers coming out of every nook and cranny! Lets not even talk about the amount of totally "off their face" tourists this city can hold! Its just wrong and horrible! I would never return to Amsterdam!!

15 October 2009 6:25AM nocturnalbutterfly Report this comment

Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Kinshasa; Ive visited most of the cities nominated here, and Kinshasa definately comes way ahead: huge, dirty, no service, no running water, no decent hotels, no taxis. you are liable to be kidnapped and robbed by bogus policemen in the middle of the day in downtown Kinshasa, or by real ones if you dare to drive a car. The wealthy are holed up on their guarded compounds, it takes hours and hours to get anywhere, roads have not been maintained in30 years, , and your vehicle is apt to get stuck in a pothole even in the middle of downtown.

15 October 2009 8:15AM petesbrew Report this comment

Canberra, hands down most boring city in the world. I think this place is a magnet for boring people, as at least 4 different boring people I know have moved here for "the better life". Every now and again we have to drive 4 hours down (from Sydney) and visit them, and I hate every minute of it. Apart from a great War Memorial, the only thing to do here is slowly die. Avoid like the plague!

15 October 2009 8:32AM patriciapires Report this comment

My vote goes for Sao Paulo, Brazil. Pollution everywhere, ugly, chaotic and expensive city. Traffic is terrible it takes hours to get anywhere. People from Sao Paulo try to live as Americans, in fact they think they are New Yorkers but the city and the people does not resemble New York at all!

15 October 2009 8:43AM santafe_kid Report this comment

When I was in Juliaca, Peru I just went and got a day room in a hotel whilst waiting for the train, thus avoiding all the bad things about the place. I just remember it was COLD. As to Accra, I worked there for a while and agree with those who posted good comments. When you know persons there and where to go, its a pleasant place. And to the worst city in the world? Port Moresby in PNG: a hands down winner. The only redeeming feature is that it looks pretty from the air!

15 October 2009 9:36AM acaciatree Report this comment

Ironic the LPers would vote the most culturally diverse region on Earth, Los Angeles and surrounds, as their #4 most hated city. Then again, I doubt any of the voters have spent more than a few days touring the mass of LA. Ugly at times, yes, but representative of almost every culture on Earth, also YES! I challenge any of you travelers to step up to the plate and name me a more culturally diverse city, and more importantly, I want you to tell me why.

15 October 2009 10:03AM rhinochaser Report this comment

Tops on my list are Jakarta, Manilla and Brindisi. I couldn't wait to get out of all three of them, and left as quickly as I could from Jakarta and Manilla. In Brindisi I was waiting for a boat to Corfu, so the only good thing about it was that I knew I was leaving for a better place. Smog was horrendous in Jakarta when I was there in the mid-90's, and Manilla had absolutely no soul.

15 October 2009 10:26AM malo30 Report this comment

Top of my list has to be Naples (especially the port area)! Not a place to cycle thru - piles of garbage, angry locals, aggressive drivers, biting dogs and dirty falling down drab buildings. I even had a car of Napolites (?) drive beside me yelling and swearing and trying to force me into the gutter... Hope the situation (and the poverty) has improved - it was a VERY scarey place for a lone cycle tourist - I couldn't leave the place fast enough!

15 October 2009 10:41AM kleinjenk Report this comment

The truly awful cities are the ones that most people have never have any inclination to visit... like CONAKRY, GUINEA for example. You have to bribe your way out of the airport to get there. The corrupt former president sold the sand off the beaches (supposedly to pave the roads) leaving a waterfront of rocks, smelly trash, and horrifically polluted water. No functioning trash collection system in most areas means that the trash piles up until it gets burned. No electricity in most areas leaves schoolchildren studying under the lights at most gas stations at night -- the only place with light to read by. And to make it worse, the military government can't seem to stop shooting peaceful protesters... I've been to Accra and Monrovia, but Conakry has them beat by far.

15 October 2009 11:28AM ikhokh01 Report this comment

Personaly I think Ljubljana(Slovenia) is the most ugliest city in Europe.There are hardly any places to eat or drink, I am talking about their downtown Ljubljana not the countryside. Soviet style buildings and deserted streets...what a dump!

15 October 2009 4:13PM dingdong88 Report this comment

LA - c'mon. Yes, large swaths of the metropolis are blindingly ugly, but there is so much great stuff too. The major fault is that the entire LA basin revolves around the automobile, and this is what makes it so wretched in many ways. But it's damn exciting too, and I sort of enjoy the unhinged madness of it. Plus, great art and great food and so many interesting n-hoods.

I'd like to nominate Taipei. Not the worst, but when I was there several yrs ago, I could not find a single attractive structure anywhere. Terribly ugly place, humid, smelly in parts. Taiwan has a very bad ecological record too.

My current hometown - San Jose, California - certainly ranks. It's culturally dead, sprawls like LA, downtown is a mostly downtrodden wasteland, and the landscape is filled with lifeless business parks and soul crushing subdivisions. And it's hellishly expensive. The people are generally greedy, superficial, and chained to their hi tech job-prisons. Yikes, I need to get out...

15 October 2009 6:55PM mvgame Report this comment

BANGKOK... It has the loveliest watts, the teak palace, and so on... and it´s messy, dirty, unhuman to drive, too crowded, too tought... and I hate it to death...

15 October 2009 9:49PM globecircler Report this comment

Los Angeles worse than Tijuana or Ciudad Juarez? Really? And where's Lagos?

LA is not stunningly beautiful and traffic is horrendous, but there is ALOT to see and do there (great bars & ethnic cuisine, celebrity-sighting, funky neighborhoods). It's not like Paris, where you can just hop off the plane, wander around and be awed by the sights, you have to research in advance. And there ARE tourist shuttles that circulate to the most popular sites, so you don’t have to drive.

LA is also changing...more attention is being paid to new developments, pedestrian-friendliness and densifying areas with the metro like Downtown, Pasadena & Hollywood. In Nov, voters also approved several new subway lines including the Purple Line down Wilshire Blvd to Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Westwood & Santa Monica. Stay tuned.

What deserves to be ranked worse than LA? The 3 cities mentioned above plus Taipei, Beijing, Manila, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Caracas, Sao Paolo & Guatemala City, for starters.

16 October 2009 2:16AM youseehim Report this comment

LA is at least a functioning city with beautiful beaches! I would give my vote to Medan, Indonesia, for it's complete madness.

16 October 2009 5:28AM carrieq Report this comment

Has no one been to Kathmandu? It is possibly the worst city I've ever been to. The smog is one thing (you can't see the Himalayan Mountains even though they're right beside the city), but the fumes from broken down cars, the riot police everywhere, the harrassment from sellers and 'guides', the horrible food... this is what really gets me! I think I developed a black lung from my stay there. A shame, really, since the history is so amazing there, but I'll never go back.

My second vote for worst city is Athens. Dirty, noisy, hot, loud. Poor planning, poor transportation, poor people. Disappointing to say the least (but at least the food was good!) Another shame, since the history is phenomenal there.

I did, however, spend 3 months in Accra, and I didn't find it as bad as all that. And London as worst city? Shame!! I love that city with all my heart!

16 October 2009 12:26PM rose_m Report this comment

Wow, you might want to give Kathmandu another go. Yes, it's polluted, but go in April or October and you'll see the Himalayas - it's seasonal haze. Yes, you'll get approached by a lot of touts and guides, it's a city that relies heavily on tourist dollars - but they're generally charming about being politely refused. Compared to, say, India, it's a soft sell indeed. Bad food? Try the momos! Mmmm, momos...With you on the London thing. It can be a difficult city, but if you can't find something to love in London, well, it's as Dr Johnson says - you're tired of life.

16 October 2009 12:55PM skybird12209 Report this comment

I have been to about half of these places and don't agree with most of what has been written. Why is it I don't see the boringly dull Atlanta or Dallas or Houston? If you can add LA to the mix, then how can you not add Houston? At least LA has no humidity!

And for overseas places, what can be worse than New Delhi India?? They have these guys who pop out behind the trees and squirt "monkey poop" on your shoes and then try and rip you off as they clean them for a hefty, $12 USD, fee! And they really do have bands of roving,hungry, mean monkeys!!

17 October 2009 3:15AM tomstar86 Report this comment

I have to agree with Seoul - it's vile.

I'm in Daegu, which is lovely - not too big, easy to get around, very pedestrianised, reasonable prices, and much friendlier people than Seoul.

Seoul is too congested, dirty, ugly, and it has no heart. The Koreans you find in Seoul are horrible enough to anybody from the south of S. Korea (aka Daegu, Busan etc.) let alone to foreigners.

The current ads running for it which call it "Soul of Asia" are a joke - guess the Korean tourism board have never heard of or been to Tokyo, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai...to name a few...

And the Korean government wonder why it isn't a booming tourist destination, surely nothing to do with how racist Koreans tend to be, the fact that they won't let budget airlines run international flights so that Korean Air and Asiana retain a monopoly, or the fact that they promote their cuisine internationally with kimchi...

17 October 2009 5:18AM marialopez Report this comment

I hate Dehra Dun in North-India: dusty, noisy, lots of traffic, terrible hotels, restaurants and shops. I hate Las Vegas in USA: the climate is horrible (you get sweaty but yet there is a desert wind, so that you catch a cold) and it is SO boring!! I hate Varanasi in Northeast India: dirty river, polluted air, lots of traffic, lots of India, terrible......

17 October 2009 5:20AM marialopez Report this comment

I LOVE LA: it houses wonderful collections of modern art and the climate is good, all this very much opposed to SF!

17 October 2009 5:25AM marialopez Report this comment

I just LOVE Naples: art and art and art and art, lovely food for low prices, great people in the folksy old neighbourhoods in the old town, it is my type of place!

17 October 2009 11:04AM dingdong88 Report this comment

I have to agree that Delhi is a nightmare in many respects, but it is so thrilling and the history so alive and so rich that the filth and hassle and noise somehow are worth it. My initial reaction was horror and sheer terror, but upon returning a few wks later I rather enjoyed it.

But it is not exactly a "city that works" and boy is it an ugly city in parts.

17 October 2009 6:50PM laimac Report this comment

Sorry but I can't agree with Accra which is a lovely city once you know it - of course, no "lie on white sand beaches" destination but one where you can truly discover the welcoming Ghanaian culture. If you're looking for a truly non-touristy place, think of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I am not criticizing the local customs (I live in Riyadh), but this is definitely one of the last places on Earth for tourism!

18 October 2009 8:53PM jessistar15 Report this comment

Very interesting that Detroit is #1, has anyone been to Gary, IN? So I didn't actually stay to visit, but passed through on a bus-I did eat at a White Castle!-and was overwhelmed by the putrid odor that wafted its way onto the bus. Seems depressing and oppressed.

The city of Adana in Turkey is a must pass. Masses of unfinished buildings that looked like construction halted many years ago, choking pollution, dull views. I was most disgusted with the opulence of the hotel I was staying as it overshadowed the crumbling homes of those that lived nearby. Seemed to be in extremely bad taste to have such sparkling digs right in the middle of all that. Here's thumbing your nose at you...

I'll be honest, it wasn't irredeemable, there is a gorgeous Roman bridge and there was a mosque that was particularly beautiful, but Adana compared with every other place that I visited in Turkey was very dull.

19 October 2009 12:19AM thecuriostraveller Report this comment

What about Toronto?

Toronto should be the first in the list for so many reasons

People are arrogant and unfriendly

they critize you on the street if you don't look like them, meaning dressing in black in winter.

There is not much to do if you are not in the club scene

the so call entertaiment district is packed with bad and overpriced restaurants.

all the buildings look the same (Blue) except for the CN tower wich by the way is not longer the biggest standing structure in the world.

Overall a very angry and dull city.

19 October 2009 4:22AM nvarellas Report this comment

Ulaanbataar, Mongolia, should definitely be on the list--old, Soviet-concrete buildings, almost no parks, garbage everywhere and heavy air pollution. The real kicker for me--mouse/rat poison pellets under the beds in one of the "best" hotels there--although maybe that's a good thing--what would it be like without it?

20 October 2009 1:20AM sraj Report this comment

Its good to see that you have discussed about Chennai a lot.I believe the best form of Advert is that you are being talked.Even if it means to be negative. You talk abt History ...Ask Anyone of your westerners well educated guys about Madras University of Guindy College of engineering.This one of the few.I can talk a lot on this one.

We have produced some of the best film stars in the history of Filmdom in India.

The bolly wood as you all see is also amazed at the talent and the quality of the the stars.To name a few Rajinikanth for style Kamalhasan the king of variety. Prabhu deva Know as the Micheal jackosn of india.

Even we have given the World most talked musician A.R Rahman.But ,Sir Ilaiya raja

But the pathetic part is you have not kown abt it completely in order to discuss abt it.

You talk abt wealth.The Amt of money Circulated in the CMs family Can never be measured(LOL)

Oh My the beaches ...You guys will die to be in to beaches.

20 October 2009 6:08AM alygator Report this comment

I can't say I hate any of these places because I had some memorable experiences in all of them, but my vote for least attractive/pleasurable cities would be Georgetown (Guyana), Kinshasa (DR Congo), and Luanda (Angola).

20 October 2009 7:36AM jmichaels Report this comment

My brother just started to go to school in Jacksonville, FL. I was laid off recently so to get my mind off things I went down to visit him. This was my first time in Jacksonville. It is now my least favorite city. It smells, literally. The crime is pretty bad. I love traveling but thankfully I didn't pay anything for this trip. I signed up for some stuff on the site below which helped me to pay for the airline tickets and etc.

Check this out, and don't go to Jacksonville. http://www.mediancs.com/rd_p?p=192462&t=9534&a=25081-scash&gift=25081

20 October 2009 4:59PM knirmal Report this comment

I think the anti-Chennai votes probably came from Indian travelers who hate Chennai simply because it refuses to endorse Hindi. International travelers shouldn't have a problem. I live in Mumbai and love it but I acknowledge that its ugly and filthy but for those lil colonial-architecture and art-deco enclaves. Prosperity is not = lovability. B’lore’s had no buzz for the last 5 years. Delhi's history is its saving grace. Its otherwise hated because of the louts that populate it. In Chennai you won't see the wrenching poverty that’s pervasive in Mumbai and Kolkota. Its spacious and languid, has multiple beaches (not all of them beautiful though), traffic is bearable and its unique culture and cuisine are not shared by any other Indian city. And err..what do you mean by "Even the movie stars are ‘not that hot." Are you endorsing the Indian prejudice against dark skin? Are you telling me Manoj Tiwari and Ravi Kissen are better looking than Jayam Ravi? That was an ugly comment Mr. Wagle.

26 October 2009 5:26AM hipersons Report this comment

Can we play this game with airports we really hate. 1. CDG 2. Chicago

27 October 2009 11:00AM orangetuesday Report this comment

I’m also surprised that Seoul is in the top 9. Just come back from a week in Seoul and I was surprised that it had quite a few distinct historical districts and that it’s relatively green. Also loved the food and the fish market.

London – I can understand why travellers hate it but as a city it’s got to be one of the most interesting in the world. Perhaps, it’s a city to be travelled when you live there – there’s so much cultural diversity, history and unique places in London to keep anyone busy for a very long time.

The worst cities that I’ve been to have been in Central America, excepting Panama City, which has many saving graces. San Juan is grey, Tegucigalpa and Gualamala are uninviting and sound pretty dangerous - from reading the newspapers, bus drivers and gang member girlfriends had a low life expectancy in G city. I’ve stayed in El Salvador but it was in a nice district and didn't ventured much into the city, so it seemed ok.

3 November 2009 2:04PM kumanna Report this comment

This type of page is in very poor taste, and hurts several people's sentiments. I hope Lonely Planet works towards being a decent travel sites, rather than provide random opinions and pass them on as "general" opinion, like "Cities you really hate".

3 November 2009 9:58PM usmankhan Report this comment

I am not agree with you Kumanna, It has its own taste. The taste of is actually differs in person to person. I don't like the cities but the Parks and forest and agree cultural life this is the reason, I like Lagos. And the www.lagosflights.net/

5 November 2009 8:00AM karthik7777 Report this comment

I disagree with comments on Chennai. Of all major cities in India, chennai is one of the safest cities. It's less polluted than Mumbai, Banglore or Calcutta (still highly polluted when compared to western standards but far better than any other Indian city). Chennai may not have rich billionaires like Mumbai, but the average income is better. It got the world's second longest beech, Mahapalipuram, temples and many historic sites. Of course, there are bad things like very poor drainage system (you should not visit the city in rainy season - oct/nov months), bad traffic (the worst spot is taken by b'lore, delhi). And I can bet that Chennai is probably the safest city in India.

5 November 2009 8:50PM radhakr Report this comment

Ranking of Chennai as one of the hated cities is grossly unfair and the reasons cited are lame. Chennai has very strong history, well evolved culture, architectures, a sophisticated movie industry - who said the stars are not hot, the last Indian Oscar winner Rahman is from Chennai - a thriving technology industry, good tourist destinations in the neighborhood and a comparatively decent economy. Weather is sultry, no doubt and the streets are crowded, signs of poverty is there - indeed these are no different from any of the cities in India. The ranking is done by overly imaginative, superficial and arm chair reviewer(s)

6 November 2009 2:30PM stereonation Report this comment

I completely disagree with the reasons that was cited for Chennai. I guess, the author has either some grudge against Chennai or have no idea about Chennai. I believe he has got very less information about the city. Appreciating the unique south Indian culture of Chennai is something a person can/should experience.

6 November 2009 11:16PM bluegrassfire Report this comment

Lagos, Nigeria. Read the fiction of Nigeria's most famous contemporary writer, Ben Okri, who uses the city as an extended metaphor for hell. Enough said.

I lived in London for six months, had numerous local friends, got way out of the tourist bubble, and still agree with the traveler who called it overpriced, overrated, and grubby. Among the travel hubs, this one just underperforms. It simply lacks some magic ingredient, a sense of distinctive atmosphere, compared to Paris, Madrid, New York, Cape Town, San Francisco, Amsterdam, even Mexico City... The reason for this mystifies me, since the city has a lot to offer as far as museums, theater, restaurants, movies etc. But walk along the Seine or through Manhattan's West Village--what an adrenalin rush! Soho, Regents Park, the Thames, even Camden or Bayswater--not so much. London somehow manages to be dull even in its history, multiculturalism, and energy.

7 November 2009 12:46AM eclectic_odyssey Report this comment

I love cities that are gritty and require peeling back the layers a bit to truly discover all the charms. Three cities most people hate that I love are Lima, Naples, and Brussels. At least they all have beating heart and aren't "sanitised for your protection".

I'm going to leave out true hell-hole like Mogadishu that no one would visit from a touristic point of view.

I don't lke artificial cities that are perfect and have had all the soul scrubbed out. Even with good natural scenery, they are boring and fake. Give me a great jazz club in Detroit any day. Ones that come to mind:

Prague Vancouver Singapore

These are places for people who don't really like to travel or have germ phobia. ;-)

7 November 2009 4:36PM agent_smith Report this comment

I vote for Shanghai. It is polluted, dirty and crowded. The Shanghainese are rude, the traffic is horrible and the whole city smells like a sewer. But loads of places to eat and drink.

8 November 2009 10:17AM chrystalline Report this comment

I chuckled when I saw Chetumal - I stayed in their version of a YMCA hostel one night to break up the long bus ride from Mexico to Belize.

It was probably one of the most depressing places I stayed, and yes, I found nothing lovely or agreeable about the neighborhoods or city (granted, I was not there long.) Actually though I did find a decently nice place to have breakfast the next morning, but I shed no tears leaving that place!

8 November 2009 11:06PM papapitufo Report this comment

I think Mr Vivek has a bit of homework to do before saying that San Salvador is in the list for being the grubbiest city in Central America...

Please read here : http://www.bestdesi.com/desi-general/worlds-25-dirtiest-cities-india-has-2-in-the-list/

Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 46.6 You’ll find just about everything except marine life in New Delhi’s Yamuna River. Garbage and sewage flow freely, creating a rich environment for the growth of water-borne diseases contributing to extremely high rates of infant morbidity.

And in the list the only city mentioned is Mexico City from Latin America

Plus not to mention you just released El Salavador as Top Destination for 2010, not really consistent I must say.

San Salvador is far from being the cleaniest but very far from being one of the most hated for its grubbiness ...

9 November 2009 10:21AM tina_23 Report this comment

Chennai?! Really?! I have nothing new to add that some of the others haven't already mentioned.I'd have to agree with the author on Delhi and Mumbai, but I'd have to say that Chennai balances out culture and modernization that isn't found in the other metros in India. I am no seasoned traveller but having spent time in Asia, Europe and Africa, I can say that Chennai does have a unique feel to it. It is not for everyone and there are downsides to it (Weather for one) but its the seat to one of the most popular forms of classical dances - Bharatnatyam and classical music and not to mention the language itself (Tamil) is one of the most ancient languages in the world.

9 November 2009 10:22AM tina_23 Report this comment

It houses beautiful temples and has the world's second longest beach and the famous Kanchivaram silk sarees!Its safer than most parts of India..although it has its fair share of clubs n pubs, if you are merely after 'fun', this city is definitely not for you, my friend...you are better off in Mumbai, Bangalore or Goa...

9 November 2009 11:05AM vivekw Report this comment

Hi papapitufo,

This list was based on traveller feedback, not my personal opinion.

It's also worth noting that we classify Mexico as being part of North America, not Central America (although it is Latin American, as you point out).

Finally, we believe that El Salvador has many drawcards outside the capital!

vivek

9 November 2009 12:47PM kumanna Report this comment

Hi vivekw!

I'd love to know the source of your traveler feedback. Was it your website, or some other source?

Thanks.

9 November 2009 5:38PM petermaggiore Report this comment

CAIRO!

Dirty, dirty and dirty. The pyramids are nice to look at I do admit but even they have an ugly backdrop to set your eyes upon.

9 November 2009 5:39PM petermaggiore Report this comment

ps. I love Accra! It definitely doesn't deserve to be on this list.

11 November 2009 12:54PM charliecbc Report this comment

I LOVE big cities, they are my favorite destinations, and I admit I am a bit weird in that way. There are a few cities in America, however, that I would not recommend traveling to. I agree with Detroit. It is by far the most dangerous place in America. I have two best friends from there, and the stories they tell are like something out of a third world country. People get murdered almost everyday and half of the murders go unsolved. On the other hand, people from Michigan and the Detroit area are known for being some of the nicest people in America. The northern midwest region is populated by very hospitable people for the most part and travelers will be amazed at how cool they are. Baltimore and Washington DC are the other most dangerous cities in the US. Both of those cities have a lot to offer tourists, but ineffective city rule and major drug problems have made them crime infested and impoverished.

15 November 2009 4:49PM vijaykarthik Report this comment

Pretty Cheap list.

And all the while, I thought LP had good guys at the deck who didnt have a bias and loved every city they travelled to regardless of what it has to offer. Afterall, its another point in a small world where people live to put things in perspective. To think of the fact that LP itself has quote unqoute *educative* posts like this speaks volumes about the people who write them.

Initially when real travellers told me that LP should only be a start and a fair guide to one's travel and it shouldnt end in the list of places that they recommend, I wasnt very convinced. But now I cant help but agree with them.

Grow up and take things in your stride and live with it. The only reason one travels is to experience every culture and also learn to appreciate it. I dont see anything getting done by stupid posts like these.

21 November 2009 7:53PM smohdnizam Report this comment

Although the author of this biased-dreadful list lives in Melbourne, he doesn't seem to have forgotten his Marathi/Mumbaikar roots. Given the Marathi/Mumbaikar's hatred for all things Chennai, I guess that is the reason that Chennai has made it to the list.

Chennai was not on the original list published by the author and among the comments in the original article I came across only three which had to do with Chennai - 2 were positive and 1 was negative. I would be a moron of grade-A quality to go by just one negative comment and catapult a city to the top 9 most hated list!

I am totally game for some constructive criticism but this one smacks of narrow-mindedness which I believed was anathema to the culture of Lonely Planet. Apparently that is not the case!

Lonely Planet has really screwed the pooch on this one!

22 November 2009 6:57PM soojeng Report this comment

I would just like to say that a city is what you make of it...

23 November 2009 11:27PM auldharry Report this comment

Accra is a great town ya numpties. Whoever nominated it for this list has never had a night on the Ghanaian Rum at Lizzie's Enterprises on the main drag in Osu or been to the bar that looks out over the beach and the Atlantic. You need to walk through a 55-a-side game of football to get to it admittedly. One of the best beaches in Africa is at Kokrobite anaw, and it's only about twenty minutes away.

Dafties.

24 November 2009 7:36AM mari_cb Report this comment

SAN SALVADOR DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE ON THIS LIST!!!

Especially now that El Salvador has been rated among countries like Germany and Greece as a top 10 2010 Destination for Lonely Planet!!

25 November 2009 2:54AM rontayan Report this comment

Detroit?!?!? OMFG! I'm a Detroit native born and raised. (inner-city not suburbs, NW Detroit 8 mile Greenfield area.)

And I honestly have to say I would never visit Detroit if I wasn't going back to see my family or friends. I lived in Detroit for my 27 of my 29 years of life and have to say this place is one of the MOST DEPRESSING areas ever.

I used to hate returning home from a vacation to this crumbling urban ghetto. Its not a racist statement to point out the facts that he city has NOT turned its self around in more years than I've been alive. (this is assuming you've stepped out of downtown.) However if you are in Detroit the people are cooler to hang out with than in Chicago, and I suggest stopping by Union Street Saloon on Woodward ave near Downtown Detroit and ordering the Dragon's eggs with a side of ranch or blue cheese. If you like VERY SPICY food. Also say Hi To Nick or Rondo who work the bar Tell'em Ron Tayan Sent or Eric sent you. (for real)

25 November 2009 9:22AM cloe74 Report this comment

I have to wonder what kind of information this article is trying to provide (or trying to be helpful for travlers??). These cities are dirty and unwelcome so do not go there? or just FYI in case you "have to" visit sometime - beaware and have prejudice against the cities? In that sense, I have to agree with the poor taste comments. Have you ever found yourself not liking NYC after a passerby being rude to you even though you were surrounded by the most popular and well known buildings and landmarks ? I am not going to say NYC is ugly and unwelcome based on my random bad personal experiences ... nor about any cities for that matter. Places and people that you experience in a foreign place is how you make it to be.... Again can you elaborate what type of information this article was trying to provide?

27 November 2009 5:50PM quetzal Report this comment

Doha???? Shocked by those comments. I am sitting here now! Its a beautiful day...yes the weather in summer is overwhelming but now its lovely. There is a 7km long sea front and out of the desert they have made some beautiful green areas. Ok its not a global classic but its pleasant enough and the Qataris are fine - I actually like them a lot. Yep the driving is horrible by a lot of nationalities but other crimes are very low. Eid Mubarak from the desert.