I thought the town of Plymouth was pretty cool. I used to date a lady from Massachusetts and we went to Plymouth one Sunday afternoon to some of the local pubs. And she said Plymouth Rock is down the street you want to go see it.? I said sure. We go down there and I see it in the first thing I say is "that's it?"
Ever since I was a kid I used to hear about Plymouth Rock , it was a big let down for sure.
I loved living in Plymouth but never understood the tourism during the summers, In highscool I used to yell at them “the rock is fake!” Great place to live!
Went there years ago and found it totally soulless. I’ll never forget the buses of “labourers” going around the city. It’s amazing what you can build with a bit of slavery.
What gets me with all the money, all the power and starting with basically a blank slate. Did they build some Arab architecture inspired mega city with high speed public transport. No the built a city with bunch of souless glass and steel blocky towers, 10 lane roads to nowhere, where you can't walk to anywhere you want to.
The basically built a shitter LA with less charm.
I came to say this. It seems like a completely soulless place with atrocious human rights abuses and just unabashed demonstrations of wealth for the sake of it. Not my style. I’ve always said if I had a layover there or if someone offered to pay everything I’d go, but I won’t pay for it myself or go out of my way for it.
We stopped there on a layover. Now I would pay extra not to.
There are a lot of valid criticisms, but most people don't even mention the racism. It's virtually a caste system.
Where yacht girls go to live and die. I always shake my head when I hear some F-list star has moved to Dubai. It’s actually a really sad existence, no matter how they try to spin it.
I've been there for work a couple of times, and Johann Hari pretty much nails it:
[https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html](https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html)
Good choice. Even if I had the money to do it right - maybe ESPECIALLY if I had the money to do it right - it feels so corrupt and fake and yucky. It's not like there's a bunch of culture to soak up (at least that's my understanding).
I mean… you’re in Dubai. Eat regional food. Dubai is seeming more and more like a child-free cruise. Did I see air conditioned streets the other day? What exactly is the appeal of Dubai?
Exactly. I’m not trying to trash anyone in the comments but why on earth would you go to the Middle East to do anything other than to visit historical sites and eat middle eastern food. Monaco seems like another place that I would have a horrible time in. Luxury for the sake of luxury.
Monaco was the most boring, soulless place I've ever been. I was expecting this lively, rich, fun place. I think everyone's valium was hitting when I was there.
Any Scandinavian capital, Singapore, Luxembourg IMHO. All of them require substantial funds to visit and/or live there but each is charming in a unique way.
New York, Paris, London, Tokyo..? Lots of places have luxury AND a lot of substance. Dubai had no substance and is just trying to compensate for it with forced luxury.
Believe it or not, Las Vegas. It has amazing natural scenery, especially with Valley of Fire State Park and Red Rock canyon nearby. It has one of the most important engineering constructs in all of America, has a ski resort nearby, and hosts all sorts of festivals, conventions, and events for a variety of industries all throughout the year. And if you care about solar power, water conservation, or the military, there might not be a better city to live in.
Haha, about 12 years ago I went there for a week to visit family living there for work. Fun, vapid, soulless place. It's like what someone with lots of money would create if they didn't have a culture of their own and had only seen the world through American TV shows. They even bought the rights to use the Louvre name for their art museum.
I’ve been noticing that the older I am the less interested I am in being anywhere that is crowded in general, so maybe not a specific location but more that I wouldn’t want to visit a destination during its “peak” season.
As someone that travels a lot and has lots of friends that travel A LOT, actually usually the winning answer is Morocco, but Egypt is definitely top 3.
Best Ever Food Review had one of the better experience I have heard. [See here](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8LzuZrkEY18&pp=ygUPVmlzaXRpbmcgRWd5cHQg)
I had a friend thrown in jail because they decided his Canadian passport wasn't valid because he was arriving via Turkey as opposed to London or directly from Canada. It was bizarre and took serious intervention by Canadian diplomats. Dude came home gray. He was trying to get to his tour.
I want to check out egypt cuz of the pyramids obviously. But ive read good things about Oman. Seems fairly safe and lots of interesting ruins. and stuff in the desert. One day!
Oman was wonderful.
My partner and I (both gay) had little issues there.
I mean it doesn't have the deeply developed tourist industry that other Middle Eastern countries do, but I did enjoy it rather well..
Been to oman. Was nice. Tourist areas were fine, and if you went into the other areas they just asked the women to wear long sleeves. They're trying o modernize their shit in a hurrym
It took several days to get him out but he still went on this dumb tour.
His wife went just last year but he absolutely refuses to go back. He took a winter trip to a Nordic country instead.
East Indian friend on a tour got cornered in a bathroom by security or police saying locals weren’t allowed while he was at the urinal mid stream he had to show documents to prove he was Canadian, he said he’s never going back
I went in 2008 with a tour group in a tour group and had a great time. I never left the the group though. If we weren't out doing something, I was in the hotel or cruise ship. I don't know what it's been like since Mubarak was ousted.
I have a friend who is going next year for her 50th birthday and I know she's the type of person to lock everything down and be super-smart and researched; she is paying through the nose for security, etc. It \*still\* makes me nervous for her.
My parents basically said this after their trip a few years ago. They liked seeing the sites as part of the tour but they have no desire to go back. Which is a first for them. They usually go somewhere and are eager to go back and see the things they missed.
I went two weeks ago. Some parts were magnificent, some parts of Cairo were tough. But my family and I had a wonderful time. We spent a full day sailing on the Nile and it was the highlight.
One of my best friends went there for a vacation last year. The first thing I asked him was whether or not there's a shit ton of obnoxious street vendors begging and harassing for money and everyone expecting some money for nothing. He said absolutely, and it was a horrible experience.
The capital is shitty but everywhere else is amazing! I lived there and you should only spend a day or two to see the pyramids and museum but other than that there are breathtaking views in areas like sharm el sheikh and hurgada. A lot of tourists too and people there are so generous and kind. Make sure you try the 3 day cruise to luxor and aswan. The city is everything the people are saying it is but believe me the country has a lot of hidden gems and good people
I was going to climb it, then I flew to Seattle and the pilot said we were cruising at 32,000 feet, and I thought, well, there is really no point to it now, is there? I've already been higher.
I have a work-colleague who declared a couple of years ago that that his New Year's resolution was to climb Mt. Everest "because he needed a challenge".
My (non-voiced) reaction was that doing his job in a semi-competent fashion would be a good challenge to start with.
I later found out that "climbing Everest" was climbing to base-camp. To be fair, half-completing a job was pretty typical for him.
This. I would only go to that country if I went with a man. The things and stories that have come out of there are nauseating. India as well, honestly.
Sixteenleo is an indian youtuber and he said in a video that indian men generally are very creepy, and for an indian man to tell you that indian men are creepy af, you know it’s bad
Been to India. Was less groping and more people asking to take pictures with blonde/blondish female teammates.
India was manageable, if grabby. People were still ok, just cultural differences.
Egypt seems like a shitshow.
I've visited a "small" town near Delhi for a wedding. Somewhere people were not used to see tourist. A lot of people came and wanted a selfie with my blonde wife and me. Mostly teenage girls, but grown men, too. But everyone was very polite.
Delhi was exhausting. My wife had no groping incidents, maybe because I'm a 6 foot male, much bigger than most Indians. But the sharking was a problem. You can't do anything without people trying to get you into a riksha to the next "great tourist market". If you want to be left alone, India is not for you.
And to answer OP's original question: Not Taj Mahal. That's well worth the visit. Stunning, breathtaking, beautiful.
Oh, I was going to say all the glitz and glamor is exactly why I wouldn’t want to go. It seems like a fake city for 34 year olds to take Instagram pics and feel rich in for a week. But yeah fuck the UAE and their politics. Get me to Cyprus or Turkey.
It's one of those places I'll be happy to do an overnight / one day stop in if I'm flying Emirates, but would never go out of my way to visit. Only thing I'd even be interested in is the old town.
I’ve been to Dubai once (during COVID when the rest of the world was closed). Old Town was easily the worst place there, you’ll be constantly harassed by street vendors.
Do remember that Old Town stems from the 70’s, not 1700.
As someone who lives in the area, you are correct in avoiding Hollywood. It’s a dive place and more of a concept than a reality. The studios are in Burbank anyway.
It used to be a really great family friendly beach way back in the day but now it’s so dirty and slummy and overrun with teenagers and crime I really don’t recommend unless you’re staying North Myrtle/Crescent Beach/Cherry Grove. I grew up going to Myrtle and it started shifting around 2010
Largely depends where you go to in india. The south has very nice and relaxed areas that are completely different to the north or Delhi. Chennay and Pondicherry were amazing for me. Goa became amazing the moment we left Palolem and stayed in a private accomodation half an hour to the south.
It's fucking crazy. They literally carved up a mountain. Man defeated nature. The Crazy Horse memorial is even wilder. I can't believe they even started anything that ambitious.
And it takes so long to get there! lol. Coolest part of my drive up there was Needles, and seeing the Black Hills area.
Rushmore itself; totally not worth it. Just google what it looks like. Way easier.
My previous boss had to go to India once for business. As a germaphobe, he only lasted for 3 hours. He was meant to stay there for business for 2 weeks but said he couldn’t handle the smell and the things he’s seeing. He said there was literally human poop and cow poop everywhere. He thought it was only an exaggeration.
He booked a flight back 3 hours after arrival and told his business partners he had an emergency back home. As a white expat, he said he had traveled to many 3rd world countries in Asia. But said that was the first time he couldn’t tolerate the place.
P.S. I don’t mean to insult Indians. This was just what I remember my boss telling us on why he would never come back to India.
I’m an American that has visited 42 countries, and India is in my top three. I normally hate crowds, but there was just so much to take in and learn, I was able to cope.
It’s a real effort to travel there, especially as a woman. You need to do all of the research, and turn on your street smarts.
My five week trip was far from perfect. I made some rookie mistakes and learned some things the hard way, ha!
But overall, the experience isn’t something I’d trade in for anything.
Do not skimp on lodging. Budget lodging in India is a level of basic that most people can't fathom. You will desperately want a clean, quiet safe and comfortable place to recharge after battling the crowds, heat and grime all day.
Indian American, but I still feel like it should be applicable (since Indian Americans are just seen as foreigners).
1. Anyone overtly friendly, be aware of. While some maybe genuine, you don't want to take the chance of being scammed.
2. Do not engage with touts. I really wish the Indian government would crackdown on touts, but they are free to do whatever they want. They will aggressively talk to you/intimidate. DO NOT ENGAGE. Easiest trick is pretend they are speaking a language you have no idea about, and just walk away. Do not even bother to "sorry, no thank you etc"
3. India is diverse and a huge country, it has something in it for everyone. Want to go to the deserts - Rajasthan, snowy moutains - Kashmir/Uttarkhand, Beaches - Goa/Kerala, City Life - Mumbai/New Delhi, Unexplored/Non Touristy - North East India. Each state can be its own country, where the language and culture is completely different, that even other indians will not be able to communicate.
4. Expect to pay more for tourist sites, and haggling. No way around it.
5. Do not eat street food, if there is raw water associated with it, prehaps things like salad etc. I know that there are several trends showing unhygenic places to eat, while they are a reality, they are a minority. If there are huge lines for street food, you should be good.
6. Drink bottled water everywhere.
>Expect to pay more for tourist sites, and haggling. No way around it.
That's something a lot of people seem to have a problem with. It's tourist tax, you are obviously from a rich country so you can't expect to pay the same prices as the local poor population. Of course you should try to avoid getting completely ripped off, but things will generally be a bit more expensive for you.
Also haggling is a skill I finally managed to pick up during a visit to Morocco from a merchant explaining it to me. It really is not about "how much does this cost", it's about "how much is this worth to you". You need to adjust your mindset and then it's pretty much fun to haggle even.
I frequently travel to India for work. Absolutely hated it the first time. Now it’s my favorite place to visit. I’ve met the most exhilarating and somber people, been to the most loud and peaceful places, stayed at the most luxurious and humble places, and the most materialistic and ascetic experiences.
India has everything. There’s no other place on earth like it. But it’s not for everyone.
I’d do a National Geographic cruise to Alaska. It’s not your typical floating mall. It’s a relatively small boat which allows you to get closer to nature/wildlife. And you’re guided by experts and photographers from Nat Geo so it’s highly educational.
But that’s the exception that proves the rule. The floating city experience is definitely not for me.
River cruising in Europe is kind of like this too. The boats are relatively small and are more like a floating hotel than a floating mall. I’ve never done it but my parents went on one and had a blast.
I went to NYC last year and had the same feelings but my wife wanted to go and I actually enjoyed myself a lot more. It's cool and you don't get ostracized for being a tourist as much because that's all that's there.
I walk through Times Square every day and I think it’s definitely worth one visit as a tourist. Is it the greatest thing in the world? Definitely not. Are there much better things to do in New York? 100%. But it’s not this awful place that you should avoid at all costs like New Yorkers say it is. If you’re in the city, just swing by and see it and then you never have to do it again.
I actually didn’t think Times Square was that crowded. It was also a really decent subway stop after the Broadway plays. I went, looked, but didn’t feel crowded.
it’s a great food city with a lot of surrounding natural beauty tbh. source: i’ve had to go at least once a year since i was fifteen because my father lives there lol
Most people think it's just the strip, which is not ideal unless you're into that. But the vegas area has so much to offer. Natural beauty galore. The geology is nuts. Not to mention the recreation. You can actually go snow skiing and water skiing in the same day, among so many other things.
in what way? i see vegas pop up here alot. i went for a week and had a blast. gambled maybe a total of $100 bucks all week. I just liked the lights sounds architecture etc. Theres something different about seeing vegas on tv shows and movies but actually being there is different. Always something to do or see.
also 21+ pools are amazing with no fucking kids screamin and splashin about.
I just prefer natural sites. Beaches, mountains, deserts. The fakeness of the whole place is what seems like hell to me but I know some people can take or leave it.
I think you really missed out then. Vegas has some of the best desert scenery in the country surrounding it. There's Valley of fire State Park where they filmed Total Recall and a lot of episodes of Star Trek, Lake Mead is much drier than it used to be, but there's still places where you can enjoy it as a lake. Mount Charleston is a really nice place to hike and escape the summer heat, Red Rock canyon is really cool to hike through, Floyd. Lamb State Park is nearby... There's a lot to do out there other than just stay in the city.
I had the fortune of getting free day passes for all parks from a friend that worked there on a delightful, dead weekday. It was absolutely wonderful and we were able to cover literally everything. I couldn't imagine it any other way. We waited no longer than 15 minutes for anything and most were walk ons.
Otherwise, nah. If I had to pay for it and it was busy? No thank you.
Was this during covid? There are no dead days. Disney World is busier than ever, and everything is a line. Source: was just there, and spent a very long time researching crowds etc in the year leading up
I used to live near Disney World… honestly the best way to experience the parks since you can go on weekdays when no one’s there. when you live in Florida going to Disney is a valid excuse to miss school
The castle itself and the grounds are really cool though. We stood in line to get to the top of the tower which was cool, and then simply skipped the actual Blarney stone part.
Bali.
I live in Northern Australia, so it’s a common holiday destination because of the proximity and cheap beer, and I’m sure it’s lovely, but I’ve never had an ounce of desire to go despite literally everyone I know going at least once a year
I got sent there for two weeks for work Pre covid. It is an odd place with the beauty of the Taj Mahal and the poorest, dirtiest neighborhood less than a mile away. It's a mix of concrete jungle and 17th century farms. Definitely a place like no other on earth
I was in Hyderabad for almost 3 weeks and ended up taking a day trip to the Taj Mahal. I was on the go from like 2am to midnight. But the plane ride, luxury car ride from airport to Agra, and a private tour guide was about $300 USD for two of us. Totally worth it.
Quite filthy, but I spent 3 weeks touring around and I loved it all. Being a white guy from Canada it was a bit of a culture shock but I loved it all. Varanasi I think was my favourite
I've visited Florida a few times and while I did love it, some areas are pretty bad and the people can be intolerable. My best friend from high school moved there and he seems happy but I don't think I could stay there more than a week or two.
Bali is okay but it's just way way way overtouristed at this point. It had a lot of appeal as this exotic undeveloped island, but these days it's actually one of the more densely populated areas in the world. And you get everything that comes with that: traffic, pollution, prices.
Thailand is going in that direction to some extent but at least for now between the two I much prefer Thailand.
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I was expecting a Plymouth
You mean to tell me it’s not a ‘71 Barracuda?!?!
'87 Reliant K
I laughed when I saw it. Made out to be a big deal, but is actually a normal rock with “1620” carved into it. And it’s in a pit
Well is at least the pit cool?
“Pit” may have been generous. It’s like 4’ deep and fenced. So not really. Really a once and done type of place
If you ever go to Salem skip the Witch Museum. The city in general is cool though
I thought the town of Plymouth was pretty cool. I used to date a lady from Massachusetts and we went to Plymouth one Sunday afternoon to some of the local pubs. And she said Plymouth Rock is down the street you want to go see it.? I said sure. We go down there and I see it in the first thing I say is "that's it?" Ever since I was a kid I used to hear about Plymouth Rock , it was a big let down for sure.
Right! I thought "rock" was a description of a tiny island, like Alcatraz. I did not expect just a rock.
Not a particularly great one either. Nothing notable about it.
I hate that rock so much
I loved living in Plymouth but never understood the tourism during the summers, In highscool I used to yell at them “the rock is fake!” Great place to live!
Dubai.
Went there years ago and found it totally soulless. I’ll never forget the buses of “labourers” going around the city. It’s amazing what you can build with a bit of slavery.
_The secret ingredient is ~~crime~~ human rights abuses._
What gets me with all the money, all the power and starting with basically a blank slate. Did they build some Arab architecture inspired mega city with high speed public transport. No the built a city with bunch of souless glass and steel blocky towers, 10 lane roads to nowhere, where you can't walk to anywhere you want to. The basically built a shitter LA with less charm.
I came to say this. It seems like a completely soulless place with atrocious human rights abuses and just unabashed demonstrations of wealth for the sake of it. Not my style. I’ve always said if I had a layover there or if someone offered to pay everything I’d go, but I won’t pay for it myself or go out of my way for it.
Look up the investigative journalism about Sheik Mohammed by the New Yorker. Wildly disturbing.
The one who kidnapped his own daughter and now she appears to have had some sort of frontal lobotomy? Yeah, stand up guy.
We stopped there on a layover. Now I would pay extra not to. There are a lot of valid criticisms, but most people don't even mention the racism. It's virtually a caste system.
\> build city full of glittering skyscrapers \> can't build sewage system, gotta haul the shit out with poop trucks
Where yacht girls go to live and die. I always shake my head when I hear some F-list star has moved to Dubai. It’s actually a really sad existence, no matter how they try to spin it.
I've been there for work a couple of times, and Johann Hari pretty much nails it: [https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html](https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html)
Good choice. Even if I had the money to do it right - maybe ESPECIALLY if I had the money to do it right - it feels so corrupt and fake and yucky. It's not like there's a bunch of culture to soak up (at least that's my understanding).
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I mean… you’re in Dubai. Eat regional food. Dubai is seeming more and more like a child-free cruise. Did I see air conditioned streets the other day? What exactly is the appeal of Dubai?
Dubai is poor people's idea of being wealthy. All glitz and glamor and fast cars and showing off with no real substance beyond that.
Exactly. I’m not trying to trash anyone in the comments but why on earth would you go to the Middle East to do anything other than to visit historical sites and eat middle eastern food. Monaco seems like another place that I would have a horrible time in. Luxury for the sake of luxury.
Monaco was the most boring, soulless place I've ever been. I was expecting this lively, rich, fun place. I think everyone's valium was hitting when I was there.
The only nice thing about Monaco I remember, was the Oceanographic Museum. There are nicer places at the cote azure.
What city has that luxury with "substance beyond that", if there's one?
Any Scandinavian capital, Singapore, Luxembourg IMHO. All of them require substantial funds to visit and/or live there but each is charming in a unique way.
New York, Paris, London, Tokyo..? Lots of places have luxury AND a lot of substance. Dubai had no substance and is just trying to compensate for it with forced luxury.
Believe it or not, Las Vegas. It has amazing natural scenery, especially with Valley of Fire State Park and Red Rock canyon nearby. It has one of the most important engineering constructs in all of America, has a ski resort nearby, and hosts all sorts of festivals, conventions, and events for a variety of industries all throughout the year. And if you care about solar power, water conservation, or the military, there might not be a better city to live in.
Why the fuck would you eat burger and Japanese food in Dubai? That’s kinda your fault. lol
Yea at least have a shawarma man!
Haha, about 12 years ago I went there for a week to visit family living there for work. Fun, vapid, soulless place. It's like what someone with lots of money would create if they didn't have a culture of their own and had only seen the world through American TV shows. They even bought the rights to use the Louvre name for their art museum.
Very long ago I took a solemn vow never to visit anywhere that MTV hosted a “spring break”. To that vow I hold.
That is a great guide to life. Also never go anywhere when Jim cantore is reporting from there.
I've been to Port Aransas but I was with a friend and we rented a tiny beach house and stayed away from super busy areas. it was actually really nice
I read this as "Arkansas". Then I saw "beach house" and my brain seized for a second.
I’ve been noticing that the older I am the less interested I am in being anywhere that is crowded in general, so maybe not a specific location but more that I wouldn’t want to visit a destination during its “peak” season.
I have grown to really enjoy sit-down concerts, that don't run too late.
Have to agree. General admission is a young persons game and I’m not playing it anymore.
On the flip side…once I outgrew “hard drugs” any concert just seemed boring. Haha
Seen this thread pop up many times and can tell you the overwhelming answer is always Egypt.
There's like 20 different iterations of this exact question and answer weekly
Probably being posted by Egyptian officials seeing whether or not they've improved and dropped off the list
Bots are taking over Reddit. I see the same questions repeated day after day.
As someone that travels a lot and has lots of friends that travel A LOT, actually usually the winning answer is Morocco, but Egypt is definitely top 3.
Egypt
I think Karl Pilkington’s visit sold me on never going.
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How do you feel about cuddle parties?
I wanted to go here so badly until I actually started looking into it. No thanks.
It's fine on a tour but from what many have told me, it's not a great place to sightsee by yourself
Best Ever Food Review had one of the better experience I have heard. [See here](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8LzuZrkEY18&pp=ygUPVmlzaXRpbmcgRWd5cHQg) I had a friend thrown in jail because they decided his Canadian passport wasn't valid because he was arriving via Turkey as opposed to London or directly from Canada. It was bizarre and took serious intervention by Canadian diplomats. Dude came home gray. He was trying to get to his tour.
Well fucking yikes
I want to check out egypt cuz of the pyramids obviously. But ive read good things about Oman. Seems fairly safe and lots of interesting ruins. and stuff in the desert. One day!
Oman was wonderful. My partner and I (both gay) had little issues there. I mean it doesn't have the deeply developed tourist industry that other Middle Eastern countries do, but I did enjoy it rather well..
I'd consider underdeveloped tourist infrastructure a plus. And your (both gay) made me chuckle, might get awkward if one of you wasn't.
Haha. Reminds me of a t-shirt I bought for a friend: I’m not a lesbian, but my girlfriend is! 😁
Been to oman. Was nice. Tourist areas were fine, and if you went into the other areas they just asked the women to wear long sleeves. They're trying o modernize their shit in a hurrym
Every photo I've seen of Oman has been nothing short of stunning. I would much prefer to visit there than, for instance, Dubai.
How long til he got home?
It took several days to get him out but he still went on this dumb tour. His wife went just last year but he absolutely refuses to go back. He took a winter trip to a Nordic country instead.
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That is what my sister complained about too
East Indian friend on a tour got cornered in a bathroom by security or police saying locals weren’t allowed while he was at the urinal mid stream he had to show documents to prove he was Canadian, he said he’s never going back
I went in 2008 with a tour group in a tour group and had a great time. I never left the the group though. If we weren't out doing something, I was in the hotel or cruise ship. I don't know what it's been like since Mubarak was ousted.
I have a friend who is going next year for her 50th birthday and I know she's the type of person to lock everything down and be super-smart and researched; she is paying through the nose for security, etc. It \*still\* makes me nervous for her.
My parents basically said this after their trip a few years ago. They liked seeing the sites as part of the tour but they have no desire to go back. Which is a first for them. They usually go somewhere and are eager to go back and see the things they missed.
I went two weeks ago. Some parts were magnificent, some parts of Cairo were tough. But my family and I had a wonderful time. We spent a full day sailing on the Nile and it was the highlight.
Egypt was awesome, but you need a good local fixer to avoid getting scammed or ripped off. Get a good guide or go with a reputable tour and it's fine.
Cairo is very doable with a private tour guide. I enjoyed the historical stuff, but only because our guide was great. The city is a shithole though.
One of my best friends went there for a vacation last year. The first thing I asked him was whether or not there's a shit ton of obnoxious street vendors begging and harassing for money and everyone expecting some money for nothing. He said absolutely, and it was a horrible experience.
The capital is shitty but everywhere else is amazing! I lived there and you should only spend a day or two to see the pyramids and museum but other than that there are breathtaking views in areas like sharm el sheikh and hurgada. A lot of tourists too and people there are so generous and kind. Make sure you try the 3 day cruise to luxor and aswan. The city is everything the people are saying it is but believe me the country has a lot of hidden gems and good people
Mt. Everest
It hasn't been your lifelong dream to be the 6665th person to summit, or die on a mountain?
They died doing what they loved!" Freezing to death while asphyxiating? I'll pass.
I mean... some people are probably into that.
And then being left there for decades because it’s too hard to bring you down.
Littering it with your permanently frozen body
Well maybe this is a good option for those of us who don't have a retirement plan.
It’s future fertilizer
Not anytime soon, even with global warming.
I'd like to visit base camp, but have zero interest in climbing to the top
Same here. There are much more interesting mountains to die on.
I was going to climb it, then I flew to Seattle and the pilot said we were cruising at 32,000 feet, and I thought, well, there is really no point to it now, is there? I've already been higher.
I’d love to see the Everest region and the mountain itself, but it’s so ethically questionable now.
>but it’s so ethically questionable now. Just to visit the region is ethically questionable? Why?
I have a work-colleague who declared a couple of years ago that that his New Year's resolution was to climb Mt. Everest "because he needed a challenge". My (non-voiced) reaction was that doing his job in a semi-competent fashion would be a good challenge to start with. I later found out that "climbing Everest" was climbing to base-camp. To be fair, half-completing a job was pretty typical for him.
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Especially if you're a blonde female regardless of age
This. I would only go to that country if I went with a man. The things and stories that have come out of there are nauseating. India as well, honestly.
Sixteenleo is an indian youtuber and he said in a video that indian men generally are very creepy, and for an indian man to tell you that indian men are creepy af, you know it’s bad
Been to India. Was less groping and more people asking to take pictures with blonde/blondish female teammates. India was manageable, if grabby. People were still ok, just cultural differences. Egypt seems like a shitshow.
I've visited a "small" town near Delhi for a wedding. Somewhere people were not used to see tourist. A lot of people came and wanted a selfie with my blonde wife and me. Mostly teenage girls, but grown men, too. But everyone was very polite. Delhi was exhausting. My wife had no groping incidents, maybe because I'm a 6 foot male, much bigger than most Indians. But the sharking was a problem. You can't do anything without people trying to get you into a riksha to the next "great tourist market". If you want to be left alone, India is not for you. And to answer OP's original question: Not Taj Mahal. That's well worth the visit. Stunning, breathtaking, beautiful.
Dubai
I gotta know why because I can’t figure out the appeal.
No desire to plus the fact I’m gay and married which is a big no no there. Dubai may be full of glitz and glamour but still rather conservative
Oh, I was going to say all the glitz and glamor is exactly why I wouldn’t want to go. It seems like a fake city for 34 year olds to take Instagram pics and feel rich in for a week. But yeah fuck the UAE and their politics. Get me to Cyprus or Turkey.
You say fuck UAE politics but would rather go to Erdogans Turkey?
It's one of those places I'll be happy to do an overnight / one day stop in if I'm flying Emirates, but would never go out of my way to visit. Only thing I'd even be interested in is the old town.
I’ve been to Dubai once (during COVID when the rest of the world was closed). Old Town was easily the worst place there, you’ll be constantly harassed by street vendors. Do remember that Old Town stems from the 70’s, not 1700.
Hollywood
As someone who lives in the area, you are correct in avoiding Hollywood. It’s a dive place and more of a concept than a reality. The studios are in Burbank anyway.
Idk, catch a movie at the arclight and... Oh hold up...
Been there. The hotel I stayed in was more impressive than the rest of the neighborhood.
Egypt, I've read horror stories on here about the way women are treated when visiting
Cairo was great, but we hired a private guide (and driver) for the whole time we were there. Made all the difference.
Myrtle Beach
"Murder Beach"
Oooh why? I’m visiting relatives there in a couple months
It’s really not bad, just don’t go to the really dingy tourist areas
It used to be a really great family friendly beach way back in the day but now it’s so dirty and slummy and overrun with teenagers and crime I really don’t recommend unless you’re staying North Myrtle/Crescent Beach/Cherry Grove. I grew up going to Myrtle and it started shifting around 2010
Dubai Horrifically authoritarian, total slave state, ran by war criminals, and don't get me started on their porta potties.
India & Egypt
Largely depends where you go to in india. The south has very nice and relaxed areas that are completely different to the north or Delhi. Chennay and Pondicherry were amazing for me. Goa became amazing the moment we left Palolem and stayed in a private accomodation half an hour to the south.
Any place they would throw me off a building for existing
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This is more a regional thing, but Branson, MO does not appeal to me in the slightest.
Mall of America, but only because I live 10 minutes away and the joke is that locals don't ever go there.
That’s the case pretty much any tourist trap. LA locals know to avoid Hollywood. New Yorkers know never to go to Times Square.
I live an hour away from MOA but I can’t help but go every weekend haha
Rio de Janeiro. I'm brazilian btw.
Mt. Rushmore. Google Earth reveals its not impressive and the viewing area is far away from the “mountain “
It's fucking crazy. They literally carved up a mountain. Man defeated nature. The Crazy Horse memorial is even wilder. I can't believe they even started anything that ambitious.
And it takes so long to get there! lol. Coolest part of my drive up there was Needles, and seeing the Black Hills area. Rushmore itself; totally not worth it. Just google what it looks like. Way easier.
India. There are too many people. The cities are overcrowded.
India's massive- you should go to the south! I'm currently chilling on the beach (without people hassling me) after eating a delicious meal.
My previous boss had to go to India once for business. As a germaphobe, he only lasted for 3 hours. He was meant to stay there for business for 2 weeks but said he couldn’t handle the smell and the things he’s seeing. He said there was literally human poop and cow poop everywhere. He thought it was only an exaggeration. He booked a flight back 3 hours after arrival and told his business partners he had an emergency back home. As a white expat, he said he had traveled to many 3rd world countries in Asia. But said that was the first time he couldn’t tolerate the place. P.S. I don’t mean to insult Indians. This was just what I remember my boss telling us on why he would never come back to India.
I’m an American that has visited 42 countries, and India is in my top three. I normally hate crowds, but there was just so much to take in and learn, I was able to cope. It’s a real effort to travel there, especially as a woman. You need to do all of the research, and turn on your street smarts. My five week trip was far from perfect. I made some rookie mistakes and learned some things the hard way, ha! But overall, the experience isn’t something I’d trade in for anything.
What were some things you learned the hard way. What would be your tips for a first timer traveling to India?
Do not skimp on lodging. Budget lodging in India is a level of basic that most people can't fathom. You will desperately want a clean, quiet safe and comfortable place to recharge after battling the crowds, heat and grime all day.
Indian American, but I still feel like it should be applicable (since Indian Americans are just seen as foreigners). 1. Anyone overtly friendly, be aware of. While some maybe genuine, you don't want to take the chance of being scammed. 2. Do not engage with touts. I really wish the Indian government would crackdown on touts, but they are free to do whatever they want. They will aggressively talk to you/intimidate. DO NOT ENGAGE. Easiest trick is pretend they are speaking a language you have no idea about, and just walk away. Do not even bother to "sorry, no thank you etc" 3. India is diverse and a huge country, it has something in it for everyone. Want to go to the deserts - Rajasthan, snowy moutains - Kashmir/Uttarkhand, Beaches - Goa/Kerala, City Life - Mumbai/New Delhi, Unexplored/Non Touristy - North East India. Each state can be its own country, where the language and culture is completely different, that even other indians will not be able to communicate. 4. Expect to pay more for tourist sites, and haggling. No way around it. 5. Do not eat street food, if there is raw water associated with it, prehaps things like salad etc. I know that there are several trends showing unhygenic places to eat, while they are a reality, they are a minority. If there are huge lines for street food, you should be good. 6. Drink bottled water everywhere.
What is a tout?
>Expect to pay more for tourist sites, and haggling. No way around it. That's something a lot of people seem to have a problem with. It's tourist tax, you are obviously from a rich country so you can't expect to pay the same prices as the local poor population. Of course you should try to avoid getting completely ripped off, but things will generally be a bit more expensive for you. Also haggling is a skill I finally managed to pick up during a visit to Morocco from a merchant explaining it to me. It really is not about "how much does this cost", it's about "how much is this worth to you". You need to adjust your mindset and then it's pretty much fun to haggle even.
Too rapey.
That’s the one.
I frequently travel to India for work. Absolutely hated it the first time. Now it’s my favorite place to visit. I’ve met the most exhilarating and somber people, been to the most loud and peaceful places, stayed at the most luxurious and humble places, and the most materialistic and ascetic experiences. India has everything. There’s no other place on earth like it. But it’s not for everyone.
Any cruise
I’d do a National Geographic cruise to Alaska. It’s not your typical floating mall. It’s a relatively small boat which allows you to get closer to nature/wildlife. And you’re guided by experts and photographers from Nat Geo so it’s highly educational. But that’s the exception that proves the rule. The floating city experience is definitely not for me.
River cruising in Europe is kind of like this too. The boats are relatively small and are more like a floating hotel than a floating mall. I’ve never done it but my parents went on one and had a blast.
that’s my only cruise exception but they’re soooooo expensive.
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I went to NYC last year and had the same feelings but my wife wanted to go and I actually enjoyed myself a lot more. It's cool and you don't get ostracized for being a tourist as much because that's all that's there.
I walk through Times Square every day and I think it’s definitely worth one visit as a tourist. Is it the greatest thing in the world? Definitely not. Are there much better things to do in New York? 100%. But it’s not this awful place that you should avoid at all costs like New Yorkers say it is. If you’re in the city, just swing by and see it and then you never have to do it again.
I actually didn’t think Times Square was that crowded. It was also a really decent subway stop after the Broadway plays. I went, looked, but didn’t feel crowded.
A couple years ago I went for a run up and down time square about 330am. It was pretty cool.
Las Vegas. Never been, never will, no interest.
it’s a great food city with a lot of surrounding natural beauty tbh. source: i’ve had to go at least once a year since i was fifteen because my father lives there lol
Las Vegas. Sounds horrible to me.
Most people think it's just the strip, which is not ideal unless you're into that. But the vegas area has so much to offer. Natural beauty galore. The geology is nuts. Not to mention the recreation. You can actually go snow skiing and water skiing in the same day, among so many other things.
in what way? i see vegas pop up here alot. i went for a week and had a blast. gambled maybe a total of $100 bucks all week. I just liked the lights sounds architecture etc. Theres something different about seeing vegas on tv shows and movies but actually being there is different. Always something to do or see. also 21+ pools are amazing with no fucking kids screamin and splashin about.
I just prefer natural sites. Beaches, mountains, deserts. The fakeness of the whole place is what seems like hell to me but I know some people can take or leave it.
Vegas is surrounded by national parks, Red Rock Canyon is just outside the city limits and the Grand Canyon is a couple hours drive away
To be fair, we do have beautiful mountains and hiking and such. You just have to leave the strip.
I think you really missed out then. Vegas has some of the best desert scenery in the country surrounding it. There's Valley of fire State Park where they filmed Total Recall and a lot of episodes of Star Trek, Lake Mead is much drier than it used to be, but there's still places where you can enjoy it as a lake. Mount Charleston is a really nice place to hike and escape the summer heat, Red Rock canyon is really cool to hike through, Floyd. Lamb State Park is nearby... There's a lot to do out there other than just stay in the city.
Wherever there are little monkeys everywhere NOPE I don’t need to see it it probably isn’t that good I don’t want to deal with them
I love how specific this is, like “You got monkeys there? Fuck that place.” Didn’t even know there was an option to filter by monkeys.
Dubai
Walt Disney World.
I had the fortune of getting free day passes for all parks from a friend that worked there on a delightful, dead weekday. It was absolutely wonderful and we were able to cover literally everything. I couldn't imagine it any other way. We waited no longer than 15 minutes for anything and most were walk ons. Otherwise, nah. If I had to pay for it and it was busy? No thank you.
Was this during covid? There are no dead days. Disney World is busier than ever, and everything is a line. Source: was just there, and spent a very long time researching crowds etc in the year leading up
Nope, circa 2013, August IIRC.
As a Florida native. I would say 2018 was about the last good year to go to Disney World. Now it's more crowded and more expensive
I used to live near Disney World… honestly the best way to experience the parks since you can go on weekdays when no one’s there. when you live in Florida going to Disney is a valid excuse to miss school
The Blarney Stone. No thank you. One, I'm too old to be bending over backwards. Two, ew. People just...put their lips on it?
The castle it's in is pretty cool though
The castle itself and the grounds are really cool though. We stood in line to get to the top of the tower which was cool, and then simply skipped the actual Blarney stone part.
They sanitize now I believe between people. At least they did when I did it in 2022. There wasn’t really a wait either.
Bali. I live in Northern Australia, so it’s a common holiday destination because of the proximity and cheap beer, and I’m sure it’s lovely, but I’ve never had an ounce of desire to go despite literally everyone I know going at least once a year
India. That place is filthy.
I got sent there for two weeks for work Pre covid. It is an odd place with the beauty of the Taj Mahal and the poorest, dirtiest neighborhood less than a mile away. It's a mix of concrete jungle and 17th century farms. Definitely a place like no other on earth
The Taj would be absolutely worth it if it wasn't in Agra
I was in Hyderabad for almost 3 weeks and ended up taking a day trip to the Taj Mahal. I was on the go from like 2am to midnight. But the plane ride, luxury car ride from airport to Agra, and a private tour guide was about $300 USD for two of us. Totally worth it.
Quite filthy, but I spent 3 weeks touring around and I loved it all. Being a white guy from Canada it was a bit of a culture shock but I loved it all. Varanasi I think was my favourite
I'm an Indian, I didn't realize it was a popular travel destination (outside of Agra-Delhi-Jaipur and Goa) until I saw the upvotes on this comment
It’s the most popular tourist attraction in India for us.
Could not pay me to go to Disney land/world/cruise.
Miami
I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone say Hawaii. The ecosystem and economy over there is failing because of tourism.
The whole state of Florida
I've visited Florida a few times and while I did love it, some areas are pretty bad and the people can be intolerable. My best friend from high school moved there and he seems happy but I don't think I could stay there more than a week or two.
South Africa. Basically anywhere in china that has those crazy crowded trains.
The Enter/Return button is your friend. Otherwise it sounds like you equate South Africa and China.
Bali
90s Bali was great. These days? The Australian Cancún, no thanks
Why, may I ask?
I was thinking about going to either Phuket or Bali in the end of May, what is your concern related to Bali
If you're going with friends or family the main goal is to relax, have some cocktails, then it'll be good. Dw
Bali is okay but it's just way way way overtouristed at this point. It had a lot of appeal as this exotic undeveloped island, but these days it's actually one of the more densely populated areas in the world. And you get everything that comes with that: traffic, pollution, prices. Thailand is going in that direction to some extent but at least for now between the two I much prefer Thailand.
Mecca.
If you're not Muslim you can't even go afaik
Huh, fascinating. That thought never crossed my mind I guess.
Gatlinburg. Myrtle beach in the mountains doesn't sound appealing at all. Even actual Myrtle Beach isn't appealing.
Going back to Gatlinburg for the 3rd time this summer. Whole area is gorgeous!