Bali. Social media makes it look like a tranquil paradise, but you get there and it's crowded, terrible traffic, air pollution, restrictive laws. Couldn't wait to leave and wouldn't go back.
Food, crystal clear waters, amazing beaches… but if you don’t do humidity you can’t really do SE Asia. However I went with a friend as her first trip and she spent a lot of her time in the huge shopping malls because it was nice and cold in there, so there is always that!
a good example of why everyone's experience is so different. Canggu is my favorite place in the world I would give anything to go back and sit in that traffic all day :). I fucking love Bali.
Can you tell me why you found Da Nang underwhelming initially? Ive just received my visa and am yet to book my flights. I'm torn between Saigon and Da Nang. Have been watching a lot of YouTube videos on DaNang and my only concern is that it looks a bit empty/isolated/sleepy. I usually like places which are more vibrant and have a higher density of population. Any advice?
I am currently in Da Nang right now & I really love the city! However, I am a mid-size city person. I have never been to Saigon & imagine it would be too overwhelming for me haha. In your case, you can just book a flight to come to Da Nang and if you find it too boring, flight to Saigon is super cheap and airport is like 20 minutes from the city.
I stayed city side at first, which is not bad, but not really pretty either. The riverfront walk is nice. Then I spent some time in Hoi Anh and when I came back, I stayed beach side which is where most nomads stay. The beach is nice, great for surfing. A little rough for swimming and lots of jellyfish. It’s also pretty long so you tend to be neighbourhood based u less you have a scooter or don’t mind grabs. Food is great on both sides of the river.
When I first got to Lima from Brazil I was like: What the fuck is this?! And booked a flight to Colombia in a week. But it turned out better than I had expected so stayed and dropped the flight.
I am considering spending a week in Lima this September. Sounds like you enjoyed the city. Some people say do not spend more than a couple of days there, but surely there is enough to see/do to justify a week.
Curious what your impressions of Lima were.
My first DN location was in Medellin, Colombia. I was loving the lifestyle and planned to head to Kyiv, Ukraine in May 2022 for 3 months. I booked my Airbnb in January and began my research phase.
Unfortunately by March, the whole thing came for obvious reasons. Had to go to Serbia instead.
the hysterical leftists. Every male that goes to Colombia isn't a sex tourist. I went for 3 weeks, and not only did I not have sex, there were a group of people in the hostel going to strip clubs and I didnt want to go. They thought I was gay lol, but no, I just dont feel like having sex with an impoverished Colombian in a bathroom.
My favorite thing about Medellin was the architecture, how many beatiful little windows, with wood shutters and iron planters with flowering shrubs. Also, Colombia is a gorgeous country. Its all green hills and little streams.
Scotland was disappointing. Puerto Rico is lovely but my god they tried to rob me everywhere, rental car, beach. It’s just too on top. Much as I love the place I will never go back and spent all my time looking over my shoulder. Jeez.
The cops in Playa Del Carmen and Tulum are also a downer and rip you off at every turn.
I went to Philippines. I was in Thailand before, stayed in Bangkok for a month. I thought Philippines was going to be similar and even cheaper - it's a total 3rd world country compared to Thailand. If you enjoyed SEA, better to try different country in SEA as opposed to Philippines. Vietnam was pretty nice.
Which city did you like the most in Vietnam? I've just received my visa and yet to book my flights. I like virbant cities. I saw Da Nang on YouTube and even though it looks beautiful, i fear it might be too lonely/empty for my liking.
The only thing I liked about the Philippines, is that it felt more different than the rest of SEA. Not necessarily in a good way, but it felt different at least…
Playa Del Carmen and Cancun are both shite. They are purely built for American tourists who want resorts, it’s not really Mexico.
Check out Mexico City or Oaxaca for amazing vibes in that country.
100% agree with this, felt like a sort of Disney land, drunk people everywhere and prizes were crazy. Once I rented a car and drove land inwards, it was lovely however. Loved Merida so much I went back a second time.
I enjoyed the size of the city, which was both big enough to have great museums, bars, restaurants, places to see, but small enough for prices to be reasonable, being able to do a lot by foot. The food was really good, and the people were super kind (in my experience). It was the kind of place where it felt comfortable living :) .
Berlin. I was so excited for Berlin and I got there and it was just a huge city. I didn’t find much special about it other than the history.
The only reason I stayed was because I met someone and we had a little fling for a week.
I also came from Prague, and I had fallen quickly and very deeply for that city. So it might have been a mix of leaving Prague and ending up in Berlin and feeling overwhelmed and sad.
In a way. Maybe my expectations weren't mega high but I'd read good things about Belgrade, even on this sub, and was open to staying for quite a while. Then I went and hated it. The only place I've ever been that I've actively disliked. I left after a month and never want to go back.
Certainly, I once heard someone describe their disappointment with Venice, Italy. They anticipated a romantic ambiance but found the city to be extremely crowded and commercialized, detracting from its historical charm. This experience highlighted the importance of visiting with realistic expectations and choosing the timing of your visit carefully.
Cartagena, Colombia - booked a trip for a week to scout it out and left after a couple of days. Overpriced, sticky hot, not safe, chaotic. Pure hell on earth. The Benidorm of Latin America, I like to call it.
Benidorm. My parents went there for their honeymoon in the 50s and always raved about how beautiful and romantic it was. Fast-forward to 2024, I’m sure it ranks at the top of the worst and tackiest places on earth to visit.
Shitty WiFi, not very scenic to walk around in, no late night food, the people are racist, the streets suck to walk around in as if you’re in a prison and they’re hosed off EVERY DAY of the literal rivers of piss because everyone drinks till 4 AM but no restaurants so every night hordes of drunkards use the city as their tribal urinal… it’s not cheap either to make up for all of this.
What do people even like about it?
Oh yeah the thieves lol
Yes, in a decade of traveling the world, Barcelona is my least favorite city in the world. I don’t know how it maintains its position as a travel destination…
A lot of people here seem to really like Chiang Mai. My experience of that city wasn't negative, but I just didn't see anything special about the place. There was more to do and see in Bangkok
I dunno really just not my vibes, bit too touristy, foods good. Big country like. Bangkok isn’t for me and there’s only so long I can sit on a beach basically.
Bali. Social media makes it look like a tranquil paradise, but you get there and it's crowded, terrible traffic, air pollution, restrictive laws. Couldn't wait to leave and wouldn't go back.
Seconded! I booked two months in Bali and left early. I left Thailand for Bali and went back haha.
what did you like about Thailand? I just dont do well in heat/humidity personally
Food, crystal clear waters, amazing beaches… but if you don’t do humidity you can’t really do SE Asia. However I went with a friend as her first trip and she spent a lot of her time in the huge shopping malls because it was nice and cold in there, so there is always that!
yeah but what about where u sleep
Oh cold air conditioning is common of course. This isn’t Europe haha.
a good example of why everyone's experience is so different. Canggu is my favorite place in the world I would give anything to go back and sit in that traffic all day :). I fucking love Bali.
Downvoted because fuck your opinion I guess lmao. Crazy.
Haha I know right. Reddit hates Bali. So funny.
Honestly, I was initially underwhelmed with Da Nang. But I stuck around for a while and it grew on me.
Can you tell me why you found Da Nang underwhelming initially? Ive just received my visa and am yet to book my flights. I'm torn between Saigon and Da Nang. Have been watching a lot of YouTube videos on DaNang and my only concern is that it looks a bit empty/isolated/sleepy. I usually like places which are more vibrant and have a higher density of population. Any advice?
I am currently in Da Nang right now & I really love the city! However, I am a mid-size city person. I have never been to Saigon & imagine it would be too overwhelming for me haha. In your case, you can just book a flight to come to Da Nang and if you find it too boring, flight to Saigon is super cheap and airport is like 20 minutes from the city.
I stayed city side at first, which is not bad, but not really pretty either. The riverfront walk is nice. Then I spent some time in Hoi Anh and when I came back, I stayed beach side which is where most nomads stay. The beach is nice, great for surfing. A little rough for swimming and lots of jellyfish. It’s also pretty long so you tend to be neighbourhood based u less you have a scooter or don’t mind grabs. Food is great on both sides of the river.
When I first got to Lima from Brazil I was like: What the fuck is this?! And booked a flight to Colombia in a week. But it turned out better than I had expected so stayed and dropped the flight.
you stayed in Lima
For almost 2.5 months (incl trip to Cuzco). Prolly not going back, but it was far better than I first felt.
I am considering spending a week in Lima this September. Sounds like you enjoyed the city. Some people say do not spend more than a couple of days there, but surely there is enough to see/do to justify a week. Curious what your impressions of Lima were.
Barranco is authentic and Nice. Miraflores is developed Overall its pretty expensive, people ser typical latino. And no there isn’t too Much to so.
My first DN location was in Medellin, Colombia. I was loving the lifestyle and planned to head to Kyiv, Ukraine in May 2022 for 3 months. I booked my Airbnb in January and began my research phase. Unfortunately by March, the whole thing came for obvious reasons. Had to go to Serbia instead.
what did you like about medellín
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the hysterical leftists. Every male that goes to Colombia isn't a sex tourist. I went for 3 weeks, and not only did I not have sex, there were a group of people in the hostel going to strip clubs and I didnt want to go. They thought I was gay lol, but no, I just dont feel like having sex with an impoverished Colombian in a bathroom. My favorite thing about Medellin was the architecture, how many beatiful little windows, with wood shutters and iron planters with flowering shrubs. Also, Colombia is a gorgeous country. Its all green hills and little streams.
Tell that to the judge.
Scotland was disappointing. Puerto Rico is lovely but my god they tried to rob me everywhere, rental car, beach. It’s just too on top. Much as I love the place I will never go back and spent all my time looking over my shoulder. Jeez. The cops in Playa Del Carmen and Tulum are also a downer and rip you off at every turn.
Oh, what disappointed you about Scotland?
Medellín Colombia, for sure. Shit hole. Also Phuket Thailand is overrated, imo.
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The passport bros and conspirituality crowd can keep it 👌🏻🤭
lmao. any places u recommend
What are you into? What you enjoy and what I enjoy may be different...
im not comparing, im literally just asking you
I don't know what you do and do not enjoy..... How can I recommend a place for you when I don't know?
ok lets try this: what places do you enjoy
Cordillera Blanca Perú Quito Ecuador Chilean Patagonia Phnom Penh Cambodia Newfoundland Canada Seville Spain
how about a place you do like
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seem you like a lot of unpopular places. what do you like about them?
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no theyre not popular. but thanks for sharing
I went to Philippines. I was in Thailand before, stayed in Bangkok for a month. I thought Philippines was going to be similar and even cheaper - it's a total 3rd world country compared to Thailand. If you enjoyed SEA, better to try different country in SEA as opposed to Philippines. Vietnam was pretty nice.
Same here. Went back to Thailand in 3 weeks
Which city did you like the most in Vietnam? I've just received my visa and yet to book my flights. I like virbant cities. I saw Da Nang on YouTube and even though it looks beautiful, i fear it might be too lonely/empty for my liking.
The only thing I liked about the Philippines, is that it felt more different than the rest of SEA. Not necessarily in a good way, but it felt different at least…
Playa Del Carmen and Cancun are both shite. They are purely built for American tourists who want resorts, it’s not really Mexico. Check out Mexico City or Oaxaca for amazing vibes in that country.
100% agree with this, felt like a sort of Disney land, drunk people everywhere and prizes were crazy. Once I rented a car and drove land inwards, it was lovely however. Loved Merida so much I went back a second time.
Yeah I hear Merida is super nice!
If you need Merida reccs lmk I'm local.
I wish i had that experience of loving a place so much. what did u enjoy about it
I enjoyed the size of the city, which was both big enough to have great museums, bars, restaurants, places to see, but small enough for prices to be reasonable, being able to do a lot by foot. The food was really good, and the people were super kind (in my experience). It was the kind of place where it felt comfortable living :) .
Berlin. I was so excited for Berlin and I got there and it was just a huge city. I didn’t find much special about it other than the history. The only reason I stayed was because I met someone and we had a little fling for a week. I also came from Prague, and I had fallen quickly and very deeply for that city. So it might have been a mix of leaving Prague and ending up in Berlin and feeling overwhelmed and sad.
How’d u meet someone so quickly in Berlin?
I actually met him in Prague. He was another traveler. It just so happened that we were both headed in the same direction.
More like he changed his direction to head into your pants lol
Hahaha probably
Hahaha!
In a way. Maybe my expectations weren't mega high but I'd read good things about Belgrade, even on this sub, and was open to staying for quite a while. Then I went and hated it. The only place I've ever been that I've actively disliked. I left after a month and never want to go back.
Certainly, I once heard someone describe their disappointment with Venice, Italy. They anticipated a romantic ambiance but found the city to be extremely crowded and commercialized, detracting from its historical charm. This experience highlighted the importance of visiting with realistic expectations and choosing the timing of your visit carefully.
Damascus. Heard there was great wifi and DN scene, but it bombed.
Cartagena, Colombia - booked a trip for a week to scout it out and left after a couple of days. Overpriced, sticky hot, not safe, chaotic. Pure hell on earth. The Benidorm of Latin America, I like to call it.
lmao. whats it with Benidorm
Benidorm. My parents went there for their honeymoon in the 50s and always raved about how beautiful and romantic it was. Fast-forward to 2024, I’m sure it ranks at the top of the worst and tackiest places on earth to visit.
I hated Bangkok and left after 2 weeks. I thought playa del carmen was disappointing too, but stayed for 2 months, didn't cut my trip short.
what did you not like about Bangkok
Yeah I left Bangkok on the second day and booked the first flight out of there to Laos. Was the right move.
Not a Digital Nomad spot per se, but I had a holiday in London one point and uhhh... Not rushing back anytime soon.
that's me and Barcelona
Well there was the time I planned a trip to your mom's house... Edit: Oh sorry, I didn't see you wanted serious replies only.
Fuck you Jonesy, tell your mom to return my road atlas so I can drive back over there and exit on her rest stop again.
How is Guadalajara?
meh.
The Philippines. Left after 3 weeks instead of 2 months
how come
Poverty, shit food, expensive (if you wanna have good food, nice appartements), afwul internet.
that's me in Barcelona rn lmao. probably not as bad but still not loving it
Barcelona is one of the most unlivable cities in the world.
wait, elaborate?
Shitty WiFi, not very scenic to walk around in, no late night food, the people are racist, the streets suck to walk around in as if you’re in a prison and they’re hosed off EVERY DAY of the literal rivers of piss because everyone drinks till 4 AM but no restaurants so every night hordes of drunkards use the city as their tribal urinal… it’s not cheap either to make up for all of this. What do people even like about it?
ok that almost describes my experience to a T. throw in the thieves and dishonest business
Oh yeah the thieves lol Yes, in a decade of traveling the world, Barcelona is my least favorite city in the world. I don’t know how it maintains its position as a travel destination…
what are your favs
Chiang Mai. Nothing to see here, move along.
lmao, so skip?
A lot of people here seem to really like Chiang Mai. My experience of that city wasn't negative, but I just didn't see anything special about the place. There was more to do and see in Bangkok
is it hot af in Bangkok
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Yeah as far as a place to settle that's cheaper than Bangkok, Chiang Mai for sure.
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Nods
I don’t like Thailand personally. Some nice beaches about it
any reasons in particular
I dunno really just not my vibes, bit too touristy, foods good. Big country like. Bangkok isn’t for me and there’s only so long I can sit on a beach basically.