Holidays aren’t always the dream experiences we’d like them to be.
Even the ones to destinations that are home to wonders of the world, stunning mountain landscapes and waterfronts favoured by the rich and famous.
On the flip side, there are the places that leave tourists desperate to return.
But where are they?
Two Reddit threads reveal all. In one users discuss places they never want to return to – including a ‘tourist trap’ U.S state – and in another, the topic is places users ‘want to revisit time after time’, with a stunning English seaside town making the cut, along with a city in Louisiana.
Places visitors NEVER want to return to
On a recent Reddit forum discussion, tourists shared the travel hotspots they’d never return to, with Monaco (above) heavily criticised
It might be home to a Wonder of the World, but tourists have slammed Egypt for being ‘ruined by scammers’
This discussion was kicked off by Reddit user ‘Affordable Traveler’, who asked: ‘What’s one place you’ll never travel to again?’
From Europe to Africa and the USA, several of the world’s top destinations failed to impress contributors.
Including Cairo.
Reddit user ‘Cheat-Meal’ said: ‘Cairo, Egypt. Never again will I go there. Sure the pyramids are beautiful, but the scammers and touts ruin the experience.’
‘Crap_bag’ joined in with their experience of Egypt, recalling: ‘I got locked in a perfume shop in Egypt, still didn’t buy anything and he eventually gave up but was a bit scary at the time. I’d only gone for a walk. Also saw a guy washing his balls with a hosepipe in the street on said walk, so not the best first impression but certainly a memorable one.’
India also came up in the discussion, with complaints of ‘constant harassment and disrespect’ and being ‘stared at, hounded and groped’.
‘Thecwestions’ declared: ‘India. No amount of love for curry could ever drag me there again.’
Florida, meanwhile, was denounced as a ‘hot, gross, scuzzy tourist trap’, though one user did say it has ‘amazing nature… if you can escape the clammy grasp of the strip malls to find it’.
For one traveller, it was the bright lights of Monaco that failed to impress. ‘Tazdevil64’ said: ‘Monaco! The public restrooms at the palace were absolutely filthy! At the Monte Carlo casino, the dealers and employees paid no attention to you if you weren’t a regular, or very obviously wealthy.’
Price was a deciding factor for one traveller, ‘Joecooool418’, who said: ‘Probably Switzerland. It’s beautiful but holy s*** is it expensive. The cheapest dinner we had was about $150 (£117) and most were over $200 (£156). Thirty-minute train rides or lifts to the mountains cost $130 (£101) per person. The Alps are just as pretty in France, Italy, Austria, and Germany, and food/activities cost about half the price.’
Sometimes it’s not about the destination itself but the circumstances. ‘Gre209by’ said: ‘Rome at the peak of summer. Personally, the heat and crowds made it pretty horrible.’
Dubai was also blacklisted by some – ‘a giant tourist trap’ – along with Jamaica (‘outrageous scams’ and ‘sketchy’).
Places tourists want to go back to time and time again
One Reddit user describes St Ives (above) as ‘gorgeous’, with ‘pristine beaches’
‘Strictcompliance’ said of New Orleans (above): ‘This is the most culturally alive place I have ever been in my life’
On a separate Reddit thread, ‘Vorm’ asked: ‘What place, town, resort or hotel is that good, that you keep revisiting time after time?’
In the UK, it was Cornwall that kept one traveller wanting more.
‘Coffeewalnut05’ said: ‘St Ives in Cornwall. You’re spoilt for pristine sandy beaches in that town, good history and architecture, the sea is turquoise, there are some gorgeous bays, and coastal trails to hike with an endless variety of fragrant flowers. Probably the closest to a tropical environment that you can find in the UK.’
Another traveller loved the coastal city of Penang in Malaysia, describing it as ‘like being in several countries at once’ due to the ‘mix of cultures’.
They were also impressed by Middle Eastern Oman, noting there was ‘so much to see and a huge variety of landscapes; desert, mountains, beaches, woodlands, wadis, ancient villages and lovely people’.
‘JusthereforNachos’ said: ‘I love all of Japan but if I had to choose, Kanazawa has my heart every time.’ Kenrokuen (pictured above) is an ‘exquisite garden’ in the city
New Orleans 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 down every chance we get, and learning about the neighborhoods, the musical culture, the history, the food, the politics, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.’
Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are staples on Japan’s tourist trail but one traveller shared another spot that they can’t stay away from.
‘JusthereforNachos’ said: ‘I love all of Japan but if I had to choose, Kanazawa has my heart every time. It’s known as “Little Kyoto” and it is way beyond living up to the hype.
‘Kenrokuen [there] is an exquisite garden, they have temples and geisha and their local handicraft is gold leaf.’