"Visiting Rainbow Mountain in Peru. It was the first time I realized just how much some photos on Google are actually photoshopped."
"Niagara Falls on the American side was not so great. The falls you always see in the movies are Horseshoe Falls, which you can barely see from the US. You pay like $30 for a 10-minute boat ride to get drenched in stinky water. And there is nothing else to do in the area unless you go into Buffalo."
"The Great Barrier Reef really wasn’t more exciting than any other place I have snorkeled at. Also, it's all dying, which was more sad than anything."
"Toyosu Market in Tokyo. My husband and I woke up very early to try to catch a glimpse of the fish auctions from the observation deck. Once we arrived, we couldn't really see or hear anything at all from the public areas. The whole market felt very sterile and boring, as opposed to the old bustling and lively Tsukiji Outer Market, which we walked around the previous day and absolutely loved. We ended up getting a sushi breakfast outside of Toyosu and making the best of it, but IMO it wasn't worth the trek."
"Seeing the Palace of Versailles outside of Paris. I know many people will disagree, but I didn't really enjoy this experience. I booked in advance but still had to wait in line for about an hour. And once I was inside, it was hard to really appreciate what I was looking at because the palace was flooded with pushy visitors. The gardens were by and large my favorite part. I wish I hadn't devoted a day to visiting Versailles and instead spent that time in Paris, where there is SO much to see."
"Tegalalang Rice Terrace in Bali, Indonesia. I'd seen photos of these lush, terraced rice fields in Ubud, and I couldn't wait to visit. They were incredibly beautiful, but I wasn't prepared for how the whole area was basically staged to be Instagrammed. There were heart-shaped chairs dressed up like bird nests, and swings set up over the rice terraces, all staged for the perfect photo and available for a fee. All of this made the otherwise gorgeous landscape feel fake and overdone."
"Jemaa el-Fnaa, the main square and market place in Marrakesh's medina. Of all the places we visited in Morocco, Jemaa el-Fnaa was the biggest disappointment. It's full of knockoff clothes and guys trying to get you to take pictures with cobras. Marrakesh in general is awesome, but the market is a letdown."
"Bondi Beach in Sydney. It's a mediocre beach, and during the summer it's always very crowded, so you hardly have space to swim or enjoy yourself."
"Visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza. This might be harsh, but the swarm of aggressive market vendors surrounding the pyramids makes visiting this site a bit of a nightmare. One woman in our tour group asked a guard to take her photo, and he refused to return her phone unless she paid him. The whole time, we were yelled at and haggled into buying headscarves and assorted souvenirs, which ruined my experience. I spent months looking forward to the trip and felt so disappointed."
"Antelope Canyon [on Navajo land near Page, Arizona]. You've probably seen the iconic images. Don't get me wrong, it was pretty cool, but it was waaaaay more touristy than I expected. I guess I was being naive. As soon as I got down into the canyon, I couldn't wait for the tour to end."
"Red Beach in Santorini. Unlike many of the other Greek islands, Santorini isn't really known for its beaches. But Red Beach is its most famous and one of the places travel guides and blogs tell you to visit. The color of the beach is definitely unique, but it's certainly not as vibrant as photos might make you believe. It was also packed with sunbathers. IMO, the best views of the beach are from the water, and you'll have a much better experience seeing Santorini's coastline by boat. Luckily, there are tons of boat tours you can choose from to take you all around the island."
"Paris. I visited for the first time this year, and I don't think 'hated' is the proper word, but Paris definitely didn't blow me away. There are some amazing sites to see there, although most of the buildings are within a few hundred years of creation. Other cities and towns in Europe have much more of their Middle Ages architecture left. For residents of one of the cities in the world that attract the most tourists, the people of Paris do not seem to like outsiders at all. I think they would be perfectly content with only Parisians existing in Paris."
"The Space Needle in Seattle. It was cool, but visiting it up close was a really overpriced experience. Sure, the rotating restaurant was kind of fun, but be prepared to really shell out the dough to eat there. The Space Needle is a lot more impressive from a distance, IMO. If you want a nice view, try going across the lake. Take a ferry or go up the Smith Tower instead."
"Taking a day trip to Siena in Tuscany. I love Tuscany, and don't get me wrong — Siena was stunning and full of so much amazing history. But I found the city itself to feel extremely touristy, lined with souvenir shops, chain stores, and overpriced restaurants. It didn't have the same charm as any of the smaller Tuscan towns I visited. Pienza, for example, was the total opposite experience. I felt as if I'd found this hidden gem of a medieval town nestled in the most stunning scenery in the world."
"Visiting Stonehenge in England is 100% not worth it. It takes forever to get there, and there's really nothing else to do but briefly look at the rocks. There's a very small museum, but that's it. And the town closes by around 4 p.m."
"Monaco. I was in southern France and decided to take a quick bus ride over to Monaco one day because I heard it was like paradise. I was thoroughly disappointed with the place. There was nothing but high-end clothing stores, along with extremely overpriced, terrible food and yacht docks. There was a complete absence of anything interesting. It felt like a place for ultrarich people to sit around and goof off."
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I live in Seattle and this is true.
The Space Needle is a VERY overpriced tourist trap that is jammed on the water front of what used to be a very nice downtown area.
That downtown area is now filled with drug users/zombies and crime.
Seattle downtown is about 20min from me and I haven't been in years due to it's condition and crime.
Yeah that whole area is not only decaying but overpriced. The Space Needle is neat to look at, but not at all worth the visit inside.
He misspelled "recovering"
It's not recovering. There is some growth, yes, but it's not sustainable
based on your vast knowledge? you do know that coral reefs are very sensitive and weak and die every time someone just farts in the water.
I loved going to Stonehenge but I can definitely understand this one. If you go there on your own there really isn't much else in the area. I went as part of a day trip bus tour that hit 3 sites (Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bath) with time/tours at each. Plenty of time to see Stonehenge and get some great pictures then on to the next stop. Really cool history but don't make it the only thing you're going to in the area, have a whole route planned.
[Ambrose Bierce - The Devils Dictionary]