Place that didn't live up to expectations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Istanbul, Turkey. I had a 11-12 hour layover at the new Istanbul airport in my way to Accra, Ghana. Never left the airport. I walked around for my over an hour trying to find one of the lounges that’s I could pay my way into. I asked several staff workers for assistance but they were dismissive, rude, unprofessional, aggressive, simply couldn’t be bothered to even look at me. Felt definite racial overtones (I’m AA). I will return to Washington in about 2 weeks via IST. Thinking about actually venturing out into both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul, but after the airport fiasco, I’m afraid that my experience could be worse in a less-controlled environment.

This is insane. You haven't yet been to Istanbul! You've been to an airport!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I loved Savannah, New Orleans, and Paris. Another city people are often let down by that I loved was Venice.

Places that didn't live up to expectations include Rome, Bali, Varanasi, and Chicago.

+ 1 on Savannah, New Orleans, and Paris, but I do love Rome.

Disliked Costa Rica, Florence, and Hawaii. Also found Masai Mara a little disappointing.

Why Costa Rica? I’ve been wanting to plan a vacation with family there.

We loved Costa Rica PP! What an adventure. Woke up watching the active volcano at Arenal, went ziplining in the rainforest, swam in the pools warmed by the volcano, horseback riding high in the rain forest on the Continental Divide (saw a sloth!), then a few days on the Pacific Coast...gorgeous! Check out Capitan Suizo hotel in Tamarindo: Amazing. We would hop back there through the airport in Liberia in a heartbeat.

[Anonymous]

Milwaukee, Venice, Florence, Disney...all bad

[Anonymous]

I've visited many of the places on the list and loved them (Costa Rica and Florence in particular, all of Tuscany really)

I didn't like Disney World as a kid and can't imagine spending that kind of money to stand in line in the heat now. We are the only family in my neighborhood who refused the mouse.

San Francisco is a mixed bag, it is pretty gross these days.

Everything Florida on the east coast I think is gross, Daytona, Ft. Lauderdale but I liked the Keys quite a bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harpers Ferry. It's not that it was so terrible, but it was very hyped to me by friends here and I just didn't get it at all. I can't understand why people rave about it. Actually, also Charlottesville - it's fine, but nothing special.

I've been to lots of the places other PPs have mentioned - I didn't love all of them but I didn't always have any particular expectations. Harpers Ferry and Charlottesville stand out for me because they were both places that people told me were amazing and beautiful.

I'm very curious how it was "hyped" to you by your friends. I've never known anyone to describe Harper's Ferry as anything other than pretty much exactly what it says on the tin; a small, quaint, historical town with some nice views of the rivers that's a fun day trip from DC. Is your friend a huge John Brown fanboy or something?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harpers Ferry. It's not that it was so terrible, but it was very hyped to me by friends here and I just didn't get it at all. I can't understand why people rave about it. Actually, also Charlottesville - it's fine, but nothing special.

I've been to lots of the places other PPs have mentioned - I didn't love all of them but I didn't always have any particular expectations. Harpers Ferry and Charlottesville stand out for me because they were both places that people told me were amazing and beautiful.

I'm very curious how it was "hyped" to you by your friends. I've never known anyone to describe Harper's Ferry as anything other than pretty much exactly what it says on the tin; a small, quaint, historical town with some nice views of the rivers that's a fun day trip from DC. Is your friend a huge John Brown fanboy or something?

Haha! The first thing was that friends told my DC that their favorite ice cream place in the WORLD was in Harpers Ferry. So we were very excited about that - and we were very disappointed. From them and from others, there was a lot of emphasis on how "quaint" it was - that was exactly the word everyone used, which you also used.. and maybe we just have a different understanding of what that might mean, possibly because we are from a different country! With the descriptions of how "quaint" and "adorable" it was, I guess I had in mind a sort of Cotswold village, and obviously it really isn't anything like that! The day we went, which was a Sunday in the summer, it was also packed, and hard to park and it was just really really underwhelming. Like I said, it was fine, it was just nothing special. The views were very nice though!

[Anonymous]

Maine.

My husband had been wanting to take me to Maine for 20 years and we went last summer. Everyone was telling me how amazing and wonderful Maine is, but I found it very meh. Pebbly beaches, too cold water, terrible food (outside of oyster/seafood places) and it was either poor and depressing or overly touristy. We spent a week driving and visiting 3-4 different places, and I didn't find one place I liked. The motel/hotel quality is also very middling.

I found LA underwhelming the two times I've been there, and wouldn't go out of my way to go back.

Meanwhile, I very much enjoyed Costa Rica, Aruba, Cambodia, and New Orleans on past trips.

As with everything, YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Costa Rica. I didn't realize how big of a sex tourism destination it was. Lots of older white men and young prostitutes. It was beautiful scenery interspersed with weird creepy old man vibes. I ended up running into the seemingly nice middle-aged med we'd sat next to on the plane at a restaurant. Turns out they were with some prostitutes and their pimp. One complained when they didn't laugh enthusiastically enough at his jokes and weren't flirty enough. We got out of there fast.


Key West. It's beautiful but very expensive and the beaches suck. I don't like Jimmy Buffet music and Duval street is overrated. There are much better places to go.

Where in Costa Rica?? I've been and did not get this vibe AT ALL.

PP here. Jaco mainly. Also in San Jose, but much less so.

[Anonymous]

San Antonio, TX riverwalk....meh.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i bet the people saying Hawaii didn't go to Kauai.

I went and it rained almost the whole time. Not much to do either unless you hike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t say I loved the Outer Banks. It’s such a popular vacation spot in this area but I was surprised at how dirty and run down it felt. Was also expecting better restaurant options—nothing fancy, just better quality. By the end of the week I was bored and ready to go home. I can see it I guess if you really love just sitting on the beach all day and cooking at your rental.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Disneyworld. What a s—show.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most places in Spain, especially Sevilla. I liked Barcelona a lot though.

Why? I'm hoping to visit. It's great that you enjoyed Barcelona.

Spain is overrun with tourists, the people aren’t friendly, the food is not good (but the wine is excellent), there’s not a lot of natural beauty (I’m not a beach person, so take that with a grain of salt), and lots of places are economically depressed. Lots of people love Spain, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harpers Ferry. It's not that it was so terrible, but it was very hyped to me by friends here and I just didn't get it at all. I can't understand why people rave about it. Actually, also Charlottesville - it's fine, but nothing special.

I've been to lots of the places other PPs have mentioned - I didn't love all of them but I didn't always have any particular expectations. Harpers Ferry and Charlottesville stand out for me because they were both places that people told me were amazing and beautiful.

I'm very curious how it was "hyped" to you by your friends. I've never known anyone to describe Harper's Ferry as anything other than pretty much exactly what it says on the tin; a small, quaint, historical town with some nice views of the rivers that's a fun day trip from DC. Is your friend a huge John Brown fanboy or something?

+1. It's just a small town with some historic aspects. So funny!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's informative how many people are saying Savannah. I haven't been since I was a kid and we were thinking of doing a short trip there but now I'm thinking no.

I loved it but I'm Southern and I like the spooky Southern Gothic thing. Plus the food was amazing!

I loved Savannah too. And I went with a three year old so I barely made it to any attractions. Just walking around and seeing the parks and gardens and architecture was enough for me. Amazing city.