Where did you absolutely hate?

[Anonymous]

I was bored by Amsterdam. It’s okay for a quick visit, but I wouldn’t go back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe Vietnam? I had the opposite experience of a pp… loved the landscape but the people are the absolute worst. My friend speaks Vietnamese fluently so we understood everything being said about us and the other tourists (nasty nasty stuff). They also have a culture of scamming that’s way worse than anywhere I’ve ever been (and I’m very well traveled). We traveled the entire country for 2 weeks from south to north.

All that said I went in 2010 so maybe it’s changed - Nomadic Matt changed his tune recently too after his article from the late 2000s: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/why-ill-never-return-to-vietnam/

I spent a month there in 2003 and had an amazing experience. Almost all the locals were kind, and a shop owner in Hanoi even made me dinner one night (we would hang out in front of her shop and play cards. I think the only thing I ever bought from her was a beer for $0.50). I never paid more than $10/night for accommodation, and went everywhere by motorbike. I doubt I would have the same experience if I went back, since that was 20+ years ago.

I had a similar experience in 2000. It was amazing and such a breath of fresh air after the scams and overwhelm of Bangkok.

[Anonymous]

Houston was horrible.

[Anonymous]

I didn't like New Orleans. Had a creepy strange vibe. Very unwelcoming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't like New Orleans. Had a creepy strange vibe. Very unwelcoming.

I loved New Orleans. There was a communal spirit of friendliness there. Where were you that felt creepy?

[Anonymous]

I hated Las Vegas and Nashville for similar reasons - fake, made up, gimmicky places with tons of tourists in themed outfits and groups with matching T-shirts.
It was just not for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Montreal. People are mean and weird, city is very average in all ways (average Chinatown, average old part, average shopping areas and too crowded). The rest of Quebec is great.

Their whole identity seems to be Quebec first, second and third, then Canadian.

[Anonymous]

Pakistan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was bored by Amsterdam. It’s okay for a quick visit, but I wouldn’t go back.

I tend to agree. I spent 3 years living in Belgium/Netherlands and I just...can't recommend it! Think of it as like a black hole of time and space that I don’t really want to revisit. I know I had some fun times there and it wasn't all bad by any means but whenever I see someone here majorly hyping up like, Ghent and Maastricht, I cringe so hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montreal. People are mean and weird, city is very average in all ways (average Chinatown, average old part, average shopping areas and too crowded). The rest of Quebec is great.

Their whole identity seems to be Quebec first, second and third, then Canadian.

I didn’t find that when I went with my family an I find it weird that someone would think their individual tourist experience is universal. It’s “crowded” like any big city, and didn’t encounter any meanness, quite the opposite in fact, as I thought people were more open to tourists given that Montreal is a big melting pot.

With kids, we loved the restaurants (poutine and crepes especially), old Montreal, the trails in Mont Royal and the biodome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was bored by Amsterdam. It’s okay for a quick visit, but I wouldn’t go back.

I really didn't care for Amsterdam on my first quick visit. I enjoyed my second quick visit more. It surely was boring.
I've had quick visits to Paris twice and loved them both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montreal. People are mean and weird, city is very average in all ways (average Chinatown, average old part, average shopping areas and too crowded). The rest of Quebec is great.

Their whole identity seems to be Quebec first, second and third, then Canadian.

I didn’t find that when I went with my family an I find it weird that someone would think their individual tourist experience is universal. It’s “crowded” like any big city, and didn’t encounter any meanness, quite the opposite in fact, as I thought people were more open to tourists given that Montreal is a big melting pot.

With kids, we loved the restaurants (poutine and crepes especially), old Montreal, the trails in Mont Royal and the biodome.

What Midwestern suburb is chiming in here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was bored by Amsterdam. It’s okay for a quick visit, but I wouldn’t go back.

I tend to agree. I spent 3 years living in Belgium/Netherlands and I just...can't recommend it! Think of it as like a black hole of time and space that I don’t really want to revisit. I know I had some fun times there and it wasn't all bad by any means but whenever I see someone here majorly hyping up like, Ghent and Maastricht, I cringe so hard.

I lived in Brussels for a couple of years and loved it. Excellent food—better than French, so many beautiful parks, stunning architecture—old and new, and cheap. There are so many short train trips you can take to other parts of Belgium and the rest of Europe, or you can fly direct almost anywhere. Daily free public lectures on art, history or politics, at the local universities, and many are in English. If you bike, the whole region is heaven.

[Anonymous]

Cancun - never again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe Vietnam? I had the opposite experience of a pp… loved the landscape but the people are the absolute worst. My friend speaks Vietnamese fluently so we understood everything being said about us and the other tourists (nasty nasty stuff). They also have a culture of scamming that’s way worse than anywhere I’ve ever been (and I’m very well traveled). We traveled the entire country for 2 weeks from south to north.

All that said I went in 2010 so maybe it’s changed - Nomadic Matt changed his tune recently too after his article from the late 2000s: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/why-ill-never-return-to-vietnam/

I spent a month there in 2003 and had an amazing experience. Almost all the locals were kind, and a shop owner in Hanoi even made me dinner one night (we would hang out in front of her shop and play cards. I think the only thing I ever bought from her was a beer for $0.50). I never paid more than $10/night for accommodation, and went everywhere by motorbike. I doubt I would have the same experience if I went back, since that was 20+ years ago.

I had a similar experience in 2000. It was amazing and such a breath of fresh air after the scams and overwhelm of Bangkok.

I spent time in Vietnam around 2007. I loved the people - it has a real hustle culture that I admire. You don’t get a truly vibrant urban culture like in Saigon without hustle. Outside of Saigon things were more relaxed. Yes we got scammed by a taxi driver but I just think back to Vietnam’s legacy of Western and Chinese intervention and swallow my pride.

That said, I don’t really see it as a tropical or relaxing vacation. But if you are curious about history and culture and enjoy cities, yes.