I hate India. All of India. I spent 3 1/2 weeks many years ago touring through it with a friend. The dirt never washed out! It was life changing for sure but good god, I never have to go anywhere in that country again. Nepal was fine but yes, I definitely returned to the US grateful for my life. The poverty and filth there is on another level though I know this was so many years ago but I imagine it's still pretty bad there.

I also didn't care as much as I thought I would for Rome. Loved everywhere else we were in Italy and I didn't hate Rome but I do not find it that amazing city that you would think Rome would be. It's a city like all other cities - we enjoyed the food and the sights but just saying it's not the end all and be all. I much enjoyed more Paris, Tokyo, Vienna, etc. I feel the same about London - it's not a horrible place at all but if I was going to spend my $ - I would go to Geneva or Florence or Milos or a city that either took my breath away or was just truly unique v just another city cause I've been to a lot of cities in the world and some are definitely more fun/interesting/unique than others

Another place I kinda don't get is San Diego. Yes La Jolla is beautiful but SD as a whole is just another town - I find going up Hwy 1 toward Carmel/Big Sur to be beautiful. There's parts in S CA where you are actually on the beach which is really beautiful too. Unless you are bound for Sea World, I just don't see SD offering that much more of a unique experience v other locations in S CA near there. Not suggesting SD sucks just that I would take my money and not consider just SD specifically.

One place that really lived up to my expectations is Costa Rica however. I now realize why it's universally loved Also really loved Palm Springs CA and Santa Fe NM.

Nashville

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't hate it, but wouldn't return to Paraguay.

It's just super boring. I lived in LA for 10 years and have either lived in or traveled to almost every country and Paraguay is definitely bottom 10%. Not that it's a tourist destination or anything, but for good reason.

Sure you have. Please, tell me more about your time in the DRC? How did you like Syria? Any rec's for Afghanistan?

Well, I have been to the DRC - I loved Virunga and climbing and sleeping on top of Mount Nyiragongo. Virunga is apparently one of Ben Affleck's favorite places to visit. Syria used to be lovely but now, not so much. Don't recommend - although in Jordan, make sure to go camel riding in Wadi Rum and do Petra Kitchen in Petra (learn how to cook like a Bedouin!). Finally, Afghanistan. I loved Bamiyan and Mazar e Sharif. You can fly (used to be able to?) to Badakhshan - which is the craziest flight I have ever taken - zigzagging through mountains. But stay at the Bam e Dunya in the spring and watch the river raging ... it is truly magical.

I was actually going to post that while I did not dislike Amman, I don’t need to return.

BUT Wadi Rum and Petra should be on every traveler’s list! (We did the Bedouin camping and cooking thing too.) Spectacular!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just scrolled through this thread and found it so depressing. We are so bad at visiting other places. An all inclusive in Cancun is not anything close to traveling in Mexico. There is always someplace worthwhile in every place we visit, so lighten up and be a good traveler. I have been to most every place mentioned (except for some Africa locales). Cmon people…

Agree! Was just about to post something similar.

Yeah I posted something similar earlier. A lot of dislike seems to be poor accommodations— not the country itself.
That being said, I’ve had situations where I was deeply uncomfortable, or I feel like I’ve exhausted what I’m interested in, and do not want to return somewhere — but I’d never say I hated anywhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Las Vegas. Times Square.

And I hated Uzbekistan although there was some really amazing historical sites. People were really rude (Soviet level service) and seemed to hate tourists (although they certainly were not overrun with tourists), very sexist, totally corrupt government. Got food poisoning, detained by police (looking for a bribe), and sexually assaulted in a crowded market place full of women who did absolutely nothing to help me. Oh and our flight out was cancelled so we had to extend our stay. It really made me resistant to going anywhere in Central Asia again and made me think differently about traveling generally and what I’m willing to tolerate.

And I love Mexico but agree Cancun is the worst.

Can’t really think of any other places that I hate.

Sounds like a really horrible time. It seems Uzbekistan is really taking off as a destination these days. How many years ago was your visit?

It was a while ago but I really doubt much has changed although maybe they’ve built better hotels (ours was terrible). The government there is still not very great and they are just finally starting to move away from their cozy relationship with Russia. I don’t have the impression that they’ve really had a cultural transformation that way some of the former Soviet/eastern bloc states have. Anyway, the whole experience basically removed my “I’ll go anywhere! Everyplace has something interesting!” Attitude and now I want to know how women are treated generally and how corrupt the local governments are. But I will say again ghat the historic buildings are amazing and the plof is really good. It’s probably better if you’re a man or wifh a man. I was with a group that included men but most of my bad experiences where when I was just with another woman. I guess the other point id make is that I was in the touristy areas which are smaller towns and not as cosmopolitan as Tashkent — Tashkent might be better (although my memory of Tashkent is that itjeres not much to see there).

Orlando is the only place I've been on vacation that I would absolutely never want to go back to. We did go to Disney, and that was fine (it was close to 15 years ago now), but everything else about Orlando is just terrible.

And I've been to other places that people have mentioned - Phoenix/Scottsdale (only in winter though), Dubai, Pigeon Forge. None of them was as bad for me as Orlando, although I'm white, and I can see how a person of color would not want to ever go back to Pigeon Forge.

Anonymous wrote:Dubai. Hot. Lots of traffic. Expensive. Skip Dubai and go to the Maldives if you want a beach resort.

I lived in Dubai for work for a long time. I also do not understand why people go there for a beach vacation: the beaches are...not nice.

But I liked Dubai. I enjoyed being able to live a slower life, just visiting friends at their houses or mine, going out to dinner, staying at home and reading, and I even liked the big, silent malls, where I could go walk around by myself when I wanted some alone time. The beaches are terrible, yes, but the weather from about October to April is nice; it isn't hot all year.

Jekyll Island. Overly planned and fake.

Op here. Regarding PR - San Juan for me atleast, I’m not sure which part of PR the previous posters visited but I noticed that it didn’t necessarily lack culture. It was moreso that it comes across as a budget choice for the people we saw at the hotel and the locals didn’t seem to want to be there either.

I will say that while I did not hate San Juan. I can’t say that I will ever go back. It’s just that there isn’t anything there to draw me back that I cannot see somewhere else.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think I've hated anywhere, but I wouldn't return to Bali.

I also found Bali to be hit or miss. There are nice parts but they are harder to find.

Other observations:

Romans are exceptionally rude; Parisians friendlier than expected.

Egypt is a mess and horrible for tourists, a result of dealing with tourist hordes for millennia.

Don’t travel solo as a woman in India and you will be fine, with the exception of Varanasi, I’m still creeped out thinking about it nearly a decade after visiting.

Yes, Egypt was hideous. The disgusting sexual comments and harassment I received just walking in the street in Cairo, in a long-sleeved, long dress, were alarming. I never felt safe there.

I absolutely hated Karachi, Pakistan.

Filthy, dangerous, full of corruption and violence, air so polluted it makes you feel sick, and if you go during their Eid you get to see blood, heads, hooves, and organs strewn in the streets to stink in the sun from the animals people knife to death in the street.

Two thumbs down, do not recommend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't hate it, but wouldn't return to Paraguay.

It's just super boring. I lived in LA for 10 years and have either lived in or traveled to almost every country and Paraguay is definitely bottom 10%. Not that it's a tourist destination or anything, but for good reason.

Sure you have. Please, tell me more about your time in the DRC? How did you like Syria? Any rec's for Afghanistan?

Well, I have been to the DRC - I loved Virunga and climbing and sleeping on top of Mount Nyiragongo. Virunga is apparently one of Ben Affleck's favorite places to visit. Syria used to be lovely but now, not so much. Don't recommend - although in Jordan, make sure to go camel riding in Wadi Rum and do Petra Kitchen in Petra (learn how to cook like a Bedouin!). Finally, Afghanistan. I loved Bamiyan and Mazar e Sharif. You can fly (used to be able to?) to Badakhshan - which is the craziest flight I have ever taken - zigzagging through mountains. But stay at the Bam e Dunya in the spring and watch the river raging ... it is truly magical.

LOL. What government agency do you work for??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't hate it, but wouldn't return to Paraguay.

It's just super boring. I lived in LA for 10 years and have either lived in or traveled to almost every country and Paraguay is definitely bottom 10%. Not that it's a tourist destination or anything, but for good reason.

Sure you have. Please, tell me more about your time in the DRC? How did you like Syria? Any rec's for Afghanistan?

Well, I have been to the DRC - I loved Virunga and climbing and sleeping on top of Mount Nyiragongo. Virunga is apparently one of Ben Affleck's favorite places to visit. Syria used to be lovely but now, not so much. Don't recommend - although in Jordan, make sure to go camel riding in Wadi Rum and do Petra Kitchen in Petra (learn how to cook like a Bedouin!). Finally, Afghanistan. I loved Bamiyan and Mazar e Sharif. You can fly (used to be able to?) to Badakhshan - which is the craziest flight I have ever taken - zigzagging through mountains. But stay at the Bam e Dunya in the spring and watch the river raging ... it is truly magical.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't hate it, but wouldn't return to Paraguay.

It's just super boring. I lived in LA for 10 years and have either lived in or traveled to almost every country and Paraguay is definitely bottom 10%. Not that it's a tourist destination or anything, but for good reason.

Sure you have. Please, tell me more about your time in the DRC? How did you like Syria? Any rec's for Afghanistan?

Anonymous wrote:I hate Las Vegas. I’ve been multiple times for work conferences. I can’t imagine going for fun.

I used to love Vegas. It was a cheap place to have a lot of fun. It’s ruined now.