Where did you absolutely hate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Malta

These uninformative posts are the worst. The point of this is to help others with expectations when visiting a place. Why didn’t you like it? Did you visit on a cruise or stay longer?

I am the OP who said Malta. At the time, I was living and working in Europe and went with some girlfriends for a 4-day vacation.

It was awful. We stayed at the nicest hotel advertised (we're all professionals and traveled together regularly), and it was old and rundown. The food was terrible, which was disappointing. The seafood should have been spectacular.

Relaxing by the pool wasn't relaxing because the upkeep and amenities were non existent and pool was unkempt.

No nightlife. We went to a bingo hall for amusement (we were all under 40).

Nothing terribly interesting to see and we toured all over the island. I can usually find some silver lining and none to be had here.

Wouldn't even recommend it as a port of call on a cruise for a couple of hours.

When were you there?

2020

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Malta

These uninformative posts are the worst. The point of this is to help others with expectations when visiting a place. Why didn’t you like it? Did you visit on a cruise or stay longer?

I am the OP who said Malta. At the time, I was living and working in Europe and went with some girlfriends for a 4-day vacation.

It was awful. We stayed at the nicest hotel advertised (we're all professionals and traveled together regularly), and it was old and rundown. The food was terrible, which was disappointing. The seafood should have been spectacular.

Relaxing by the pool wasn't relaxing because the upkeep and amenities were non existent and pool was unkempt.

No nightlife. We went to a bingo hall for amusement (we were all under 40).

Nothing terribly interesting to see and we toured all over the island. I can usually find some silver lining and none to be had here.

Wouldn't even recommend it as a port of call on a cruise for a couple of hours.

When were you there?

2020

That's too bad. For some reason Malta seems so exotic and crusader-like, and hard to be a citizen of. I guess I just romanticize it a bit because of the crusades and the italian influence. too bad. Cross it off the list. What about Gibralter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cancun.
Atlantis in the Bahamas.
Venice.
Kuala Lumpur.

I'd love to get your insights into KL. Was strongly considering for next summer due to recommendation from social circle - any ideas for a better itineraries in SEA?

Not OP or PP. I went to KL for work and stayed at a huge conference center/mall/waterpark facility. It was great because there were a lot of activities available after our meetings. My colleagues took me into central KL to eat the street food and, as a very adventurous eater, I tried it all, and it was excellent. Very, very busy, not very clean, but so interesting. Had it not been for my colleagues, not sure that I would have enjoyed it as much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Malta

These uninformative posts are the worst. The point of this is to help others with expectations when visiting a place. Why didn’t you like it? Did you visit on a cruise or stay longer?

I am the OP who said Malta. At the time, I was living and working in Europe and went with some girlfriends for a 4-day vacation.

It was awful. We stayed at the nicest hotel advertised (we're all professionals and traveled together regularly), and it was old and rundown. The food was terrible, which was disappointing. The seafood should have been spectacular.

Relaxing by the pool wasn't relaxing because the upkeep and amenities were non existent and pool was unkempt.

No nightlife. We went to a bingo hall for amusement (we were all under 40).

Nothing terribly interesting to see and we toured all over the island. I can usually find some silver lining and none to be had here.

Wouldn't even recommend it as a port of call on a cruise for a couple of hours.

When were you there?

2020

That's too bad. For some reason Malta seems so exotic and crusader-like, and hard to be a citizen of. I guess I just romanticize it a bit because of the crusades and the italian influence. too bad. Cross it off the list. What about Gibralter?

Yes, this is exactly what we thought and were so disappointed. When you look at things to do in Malta now, it's mostly sailing opportunities, Viator is full of sailing tours.

I've been to Istanbul and that was amazing from a historical perspective. I felt like I was literally in my old history books with the Ottoman Empire. There was not a similar feel in Malta. I've since learned that Malta is very conservative, which makes more sense.

I have friends living in Gibraltar with small kids and they love it. It's on our list.

[Anonymous]

Austria. I found the people to be aggressively rude. Vehemently anti-American. I was actually insulted multiple times during my stay for being American. For example, one time I asked when my breakfast order would be out as I’d been waiting for a long time. I asked politely and the waiter yelled at for being an American who can’t enjoy her holiday. I was told to calm down too. It was such an extreme overreaction.

Never experienced this in any other European country.

Spoke the other day to a friend who went skiing there and told me how rude everyone was. I told her I know exactly what you mean!

Not surprising at all this country welcomed Hitler with open arms. I’m sure they do it again today in a heartbeat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Austria. I found the people to be aggressively rude. Vehemently anti-American. I was actually insulted multiple times during my stay for being American. For example, one time I asked when my breakfast order would be out as I’d been waiting for a long time. I asked politely and the waiter yelled at for being an American who can’t enjoy her holiday. I was told to calm down too. It was such an extreme overreaction.

Never experienced this in any other European country.

Spoke the other day to a friend who went skiing there and told me how rude everyone was. I told her I know exactly what you mean!

Not surprising at all this country welcomed Hitler with open arms. I’m sure they do it again today in a heartbeat.

Where in Austria were you? Can you give examples of negative interactions outside the hotel? How were you identified so easily? When was this? I’m curious because this thread has been helpful in thinking of destinations and potential pitfalls to avoid.

It’s a common misconception but Hitler was actually Austrian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've enjoyed every place I've ever visited, except for one: Massanutten. Virginia. I still don't know why the place sort of unsettled me, but it did. We were not there in the winter, maybe that's why? I still cannot pinpoint exactly why. Everyone else had a fine enough time, and I went along, but it felt off. Low vibration strange. I've never felt like that anywhere else. And I grew up rural.

I feel this way about Historic Occoquan and Asheville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Austria. I found the people to be aggressively rude. Vehemently anti-American. I was actually insulted multiple times during my stay for being American. For example, one time I asked when my breakfast order would be out as I’d been waiting for a long time. I asked politely and the waiter yelled at for being an American who can’t enjoy her holiday. I was told to calm down too. It was such an extreme overreaction.

Never experienced this in any other European country.

Spoke the other day to a friend who went skiing there and told me how rude everyone was. I told her I know exactly what you mean!

Not surprising at all this country welcomed Hitler with open arms. I’m sure they do it again today in a heartbeat.

Where in Austria were you? Can you give examples of negative interactions outside the hotel? How were you identified so easily? When was this? I’m curious because this thread has been helpful in thinking of destinations and potential pitfalls to avoid.

It’s a common misconception but Hitler was actually Austrian.

I have traveled a bit through Austria and find the people strange. Lived in Bavaria at the time and had no issues with Bavarians. But Austrian interactions were always a little off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Naples, Italy

I want to go to Naples! Tell me please what did you dislike?

I’d love to visit Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast too

Stay in Sorrento.

Everyone describes Naples (colloquially) as “sketchy.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not Indian , but if you do 5 star hotels and private transportations, India has lots to offer in terms of sightseeing (Taj Mahal, Jaipur etc and food.

Nobody disagrees with this. There is a luxurious way to do India. But it doesn't sit well with a lot of people and they don't. want. to. go. back. if they don't have to (family). What don't you understand about that?

Oh we understand. Now you try and understand - the luxurious way to do India is inexpensive compared to anywhere else in the world. However, people from rich (western) countries want to do shoestring budget travel in India, making use of infrastructure that is heavily subsidized by the Indian govt for the poorest of its people. Then they complain. Well, why did you go to India in the first place? The domestic market of tourism is so huge that India is not hurting for foreign travelers.

Still don't understand it? It is like some foreigner comes to DC, goes and eats at the homeless shelter soup kitchen and then complains that the restaurant scene in US is pathetic. That soup kitchen is not for tourists.

Who is doing shoestring tours of India? Nobody on here has done that. You are projecting that that is why the bad experience. Every single person on here has mentioned that they have done it the luxurious way and they don't want to go back. No way in hell would I take a train in India. No way in hell.

I took a train in India and no photoshopped white men fell off the roof. It was a fine enough experience. I’ve had more stressful train experiences in Germany tbh with packed out trains, no room to move, standing room only, and then some chump with a BIKE trying to get on the train. And I’m a PP who said India was fascinating and I’d go back. I think the main issue with India is it is so NOT like the US, but it’s not pretty and familiar like Europe or clean and glamorous the way many of the Eastern Asian countries are, and a lot of American really just can’t cope with it. Like they just do not know how to process everything going on there at all times.

Agree with all of this. I'm the poster way back who lived in India as an expat for a few years. I never EVER saw trains like this and I was looking -- because from the media, I assumed they would all be like this and they're absolutely not. India was my first time out of North America, believe it or not, and I loved it. But I also prepared myself with lots of research before we moved there. Do I want to go back? ABSOLUTELY. There was so much I didn't get to see! I never got treated poorly -- sure people tried to scam me, but you learn their game pretty fast -- and I solo traveled around the country as a blonde white woman.

That's so funny. I'm another longtime expat (and like yourself, am a blonde white woman), and I've been on those packed German trains quite often because we also did three years in Dusseldorf. The difference for me was that none of the Germans packed around me tried to grope me or stare at me, I knew nobody was going to have their hands in my bag, and everything was super clean, with nary a fly, roach, or rat in sight, and the air did not smell of garbage (which it does even in the expat areas in the Indian cities where I was). In India, I was groped several times, was stared at wherever I went (and those men do not look away when you catch their gaze, nor are they ashamed to gawk at your chest area or body without looking away, even if you are covered). I experienced the creepy stares and groping in several cities. This treatment of women is super common in India: the term they use for this widespread sexual harassment of women in public is "eve teasing" (look it up). Sure, you can stay within the limited confines of luxury hotels and luxury expat neighborhoods, but that doesn't change the fact that you are in a gilded cage surrounded by squalor and a culture in which women are second-class citizens, and sexual harassment is widespread. Is it really a "magical place" if you have to stay in carefully curated, limited spaces in order to stay safe and comfortable? I hated India. And I have spent 16 years living in foreign countries, so not an inexperienced traveler. South Asia is my least favorite place on the planet, and to put that in perspective, I have been to the Congo and Ghana. India was the worst.

Can you right hook the people groping you? I simply can't imagine this. Is this a cultural thing?

I’m not that poster but I’m the poster that was assaulted by a man in a crowded market in Uzbekistan. I screamed and yand might have pushed him away — I can’t even remember really. But it was very clear that the entire market was looking at me like it was my fault and that I had zero support from the many women there. I felt like I if I had done something like punch him, he would have punched me back and probably kicked me while I was down. I think that’s what made it so different for me — if some awful guy in an American market did rhat, I feel confident that people around me would help. Same with basically all Europe. I definitely did not feel that way in Uzhbekhstan and it has made me reconsider every trip, asking whether I’m confident that if something happened, there would be people that would support me.

This happened to a young American in Armenia when I was there (decades ago).
People just watched her being beaten in broad daylight. They could tell she was foreign, and a woman alone, which made her suspect to locals.

It was awful.

[Anonymous]

India is very unsafe for women (though I thought the culture was interesting). South Africa is very unsafe, but Capetown’s setting is stunning.

I was sexually harassed in Papeete (Tahiti) by both my hotel owner and young boys on bicycles. It was a very hostile environment, and filthy. (Outer Islands, much nicer).

I was not harassed in Turks & Caicos but did not like it (artificially attractive resorts surrounded by arid land and poor residents).

Thailand is interesting, but the sex trade is in your face and disturbing.

Hong Kong was too crowded, high paced and high tech for me, but areas outside of the city looked nicer.

I would not return to Zagreb, but enjoyed the rest of Croatia (and nearby Slovenia).

[Anonymous]

Didn’t love London. Was bigger and grimier than I expected (and I’m from NYC so I’m used to that) but I’d give it another shot.

Didn’t love vail. Hard to get to and there are better towns to ski and vacation in general. Felt very artificial.

Baha mar was just ok. Good for a quick weekend. But it’s super crowded and food is ridiculously overpriced. Feels like Vegas in the Caribbean which isn’t my vibe.

Florence was meh. Pickpocketing is rampant.

[Anonymous]

Billings Montana

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Austria. I found the people to be aggressively rude. Vehemently anti-American. I was actually insulted multiple times during my stay for being American. For example, one time I asked when my breakfast order would be out as I’d been waiting for a long time. I asked politely and the waiter yelled at for being an American who can’t enjoy her holiday. I was told to calm down too. It was such an extreme overreaction.

Never experienced this in any other European country.

Spoke the other day to a friend who went skiing there and told me how rude everyone was. I told her I know exactly what you mean!

Not surprising at all this country welcomed Hitler with open arms. I’m sure they do it again today in a heartbeat.

So interesting. With the exception of one person I encountered, the people I interacted with in Austria (Vienna) were polite. I’m Jewish and felt personally uncomfortable there given its history though, as much as I enjoyed the culture there. Also found everyone in Paris to be very polite and friendly, especially when I made an effort to at least begin our interaction in French.

[Anonymous]

New York City -- The entire city smells like Mary Jane. My clothes reeked of it. Crowded, extremely overpriced, too much crime. Liberals have ruined that city.