Vacations aren’t always the dream experiences we’d like them to be.
Even those who travel to destinations that are home to world wonders, stunning mountain scenery and coastlines favoured by the rich and famous.
On the other hand, there are places that leave tourists desperate to return.
But where are they?
Two Reddit threads reveal all. In one, users talk about places they never want to return to (including a US state that is a “tourist trap”), and in another, the topic is places users “want to revisit again and again,” including a stunning English seaside town and a Louisiana city.
Places visitors NEVER want to return to
In a recent discussion on a Reddit forum, tourists shared the tourist spots they would never return to, and Monaco (above) came under heavy criticism.
It may be home to a wonder of the world, but tourists have slammed Egypt for being ‘ruined by scammers’
This discussion was started by Reddit user ‘Affordable Traveler’, who asked: ‘What place will you never travel to again?’
From Europe to Africa to the United States, several of the world’s top destinations failed to impress taxpayers.
Including Cairo.
Reddit user ‘Cheat-Meal’ said: ‘Cairo, Egypt. I will never go back there again. Sure the pyramids are beautiful, but scammers and resellers ruin the experience.’
‘Crap_bag’ joined the conversation with his experience in Egypt and recalled: ‘I got locked in a perfumery in Egypt, didn’t buy anything and eventually gave up, but at the time it kind of freaked me out. I had just gone for a walk. I also saw a guy washing his balls with a hose on the street during the walk, so it wasn’t the best first impression, but it was certainly memorable.’
India Complaints about “constant harassment and disrespect” and being “stared at, harassed and groped” also came up in the discussion.
‘Thecwestions’ declared: ‘India. No love of curry could ever take me there again.’
FloridaMeanwhile, it was denounced as a “hot, disgusting, dirty tourist trap”, although one user said it has “amazing nature… if you can escape the damp, sticky environment of shopping malls to find it”.
For one traveler, it was the bright lights of Monaco That didn’t impress me. ‘Tazdevil64’ said: ‘Monaco! The public toilets in the palace were absolutely filthy! At the Monte Carlo casino, the croupiers and employees didn’t pay attention to you unless you were a regular customer or obviously wealthy.’
Price was a deciding factor for one traveler, ‘Joecooool418’, who said: ‘Probably SwissIt’s beautiful, but damn. The cheapest dinner we had was about $150 (£117) and most were over $200 (£156). Thirty-minute train or chairlift rides into the mountains cost $130 (£101) per person. The Alps are just as beautiful in France, Italy, Austria and Germany, and food and activities are about half the price.
Sometimes it’s not about fate itself, but about circumstances. ‘Gre209by’ said: ‘Rome In the middle of summer. Personally, the heat and crowds made it pretty awful.
Dubai It was also blacklisted by some – ‘a giant tourist trap’ – along with Jamaica (‘outrageous’ and ‘suspicious scams’).
Places that tourists want to return to again and again
One Reddit user describes St Ives (above) as “beautiful”, with “pristine beaches”.
‘Strictcompliance’ said of New Orleans (above): ‘This is the most culturally alive place I’ve ever been in my life’
In a separate Reddit thread‘Vorm’ asked: ‘What place, city, resort or hotel is so good that you always come back to it again and again?’
In the UK, it was Cornwall That left one traveler wanting more.
‘Coffeewalnut05’ said: ‘St. Ives In Cornwall, the city offers pristine sandy beaches, good history and architecture, the sea is turquoise, there are some lovely bays and coastal walking paths with an endless variety of fragrant flowers. It is probably the closest environment to a tropical one that can be found in the UK.
Another traveler loved the coastal town of Penang In Malaysia, it is described as “being in several countries at once” due to the “mix of cultures”.
They were also impressed by Oman’s Middle East, noting that there was “so much to see and a huge variety of landscapes: desert, mountains, beaches, forests, wadis, ancient villages and lovely people.”
‘JusthereforNachos’ said: ‘I love all of Japan, but if I had to choose, I’d always love Kanazawa.’ Kenrokuen (pictured above) is an ‘exquisite garden’ in the city.
New Orleans It also received top marks.
‘Strictcompliance’ said of the Louisiana city: ‘This is the most culturally alive place I have ever been in my life.
‘My husband and I go whenever we can, and learning about the neighborhoods, the music culture, the history, the food, the politics, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.’
Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are must-see spots on Japan’s tourist trail, but one traveler shared another spot he can’t stay away from.
‘JusthereforNachos’ said: ‘I love all of Japan, but if I had to choose, Kanazawa I love it every time I go. It’s known as “Little Kyoto” and it lives up to the hype.
‘Kenrokuen It is an exquisite garden, they have temples and geishas and their local craft is gold leaf.
