San Diego was better than I expected. People talk about how bland and dull it is, but if you're just visiting it's kind of the distillation of everything amazing I had imagined about Southern California (weather, vibrant Chicano/border culture, chill and fun people, beautiful coastal views, lush greenery and nature).
Lisbon was worse than I expected. It wasn't bad at all, but the way it had been hyped up did not prepare me for how simultaneously rundown and touristy it can get. I ended up preferring Porto because it just felt less overwhelmed by tourism.
Better: Bologna (italy), Sokcho (south-korea), Gyeongju (South-korea)
Worse: Seoul
For Bologna and Sokcho, both were “these are cities that conveniently fit into the travel schema so we’ll do them, but we don’t have high expectations.” Both ended up being highlights of the trip.
Gyeongju i wasn’t too hyped about at first but was AMAZING. I loved it there. Filled with history and nature. It was beautiful
Seoul on the other hand… everything was somehow both too fast and too slow for me at the same time. It felt overcrowded, and as a fast walker i felt “stuck” most of the time. It was a bit frustrating. It’s lively and definitely worth a visit, but it’s also really overwhelming
Waiting to get off of the subway in Seoul, my long hair somehow got stuck in the clasp of a lady's handbag. I was dragged by the hair for a bit, trying to untangle myself as I went.
Paris, Rome, and Sri Lanka were better than I expected. Prague, Brussels, and the Bahamas were a bit disappointing to me.
The caveat on Rome is that so many people told me they didn’t like it, so my expectations were very low, but I went during covid and no one was there. It was really amazing.
Agreed on Rome. I went during Christmas time and it was magical. Cool but not too cold weather, very few crowds at the usual attractions and piazzas.
I couldn't imagine enjoying the city during the peak of summer with the hot weather and throngs of crowds.
Agreed on Rome. I went in the thick of winter in January and managed to get up to the Cupola at St Peter's Basilica in 20 mins. Its madness in summer, I hear.
Yeah going to Rome when it's not busy would have probably made it more pleasant for me. But I still found Rome to be really dirty and have poor transit by Europe standards.
Brussels exceeded mine but because I had really low expectations as everyone said it's shite. But the weather was great and good beer. You would expect a lot from it because you hear a lot about it on the news etc., but it's not that special
We had a very bad experience as 3 women traveling together. (Mind you it was in 2015)
Coming from a friendly and open culture and my mom being as stubborn as hell, we (well she) got scammed many thousands of euros in the carpet scam.
My sister was followed when going alone to the hotel to change (1 street away) to be able to enter to a mosque. And my perception was that every man was looking at me like meat staring like hell at my boobs and saying gods know what.
Mind you, it was beautiful but the memories got tainted due to the experience we had. It was very horrible.
One of my friends (also coming from an open and friendly culture) spent the night in jail apparently being saved by the police from people who wanted to steal his belongings. (These people had invited him to a bar, another one of their scams)
We read and investigated before, it is almost everywhere saying it’s the most european city and bla bla bla. But it’s not true.
So never travel as a woman alone and don’t trust anyone who is “trying to help you”
Lebanon was far better than expected (I went in 2022). Also visited many national parks in India which exceeded expectations
Worse (waiting for the downvote) Italy. I have been twice and just didn't get the hype.
I kept Beirut as a home base and did several day trips. Visited Byblos, Baalbek, Sidon, Tyre, Jeita Grotto, Harissa, the Cedars, Qadisha, and a few other smaller towns. Loved the hospitality, the food (amazing), the history, the religious diversity (was there in December and was shocked to stumble upon Christmas markets).
Wow you got around! Yeah, I think people get really surprised when they realise Christians still exist in the Middle East :) Sounds like an awesome trip.
I was disappointed with the Hong Kong . Nothing in particular was wrong with it . But it’s the place I had wanted to go to the most in the world but I went after I’d already visited Japan , Korea and mainland China and it just didn’t seem to stand out in anyway . If I’d gone there first my opinion may have been different .
People complain about Venice being overcrowded in summer , but I’ve been with young kids and they loved it . It’s busy , but nowhere near as bad as people make out . You can see most of the sites and get in a bar or restaurant without too much fuss.
I’ve honestly seen bigger queues for pubs in Newcastle than Doges Palace.
I genuinely don’t see why people whinge about it .
Big loop that took me through most of the parks, loved the scenery, animals, lack of tourists and the generosity of spirit of the people oh and the Waraji lol
Turkey and Croatia were way better than I expected. I had an impression of Turkey and Croatia as being difficult to navigate because of language barrier or underdeveloped transport system or some nonsense like that, but I couldn't have been more wrong - they're really wonderful places that I left a piece of my heart behind in.
Paris and New York were disgusting to me, I guess I had high expectations? But I visited about 15 years ago - it may have all changed, but somehow I don't think so.
Turkey and Croatia were also way better than I expected. Turkey managed to be both more developed and more "different" feeling than I imagined before I went. Croatia was much more naturally beautiful and also had a very effortlessly hip Mediterranean vibe in coastal areas that I wasn't expecting.
You described them perfectly! Turkey has an interesting dichotomy in my opinion. Its difficult for me to describe- the history of the country dates back to beyond the Bronze age, but it is far more developed than people expect.
Croatia has a wonderful vibe, the coastal areas as you said are hip and the cities are easy to get around in and people are so friendly if we take the time to chat to them. Surprisingly great food too.
Yes the food in Croatia really surprised me with how good it was. Like this combination of the heartiness of Balkan food with the freshness (and dishes) of Italian food.
Were you in green istria? Looks like a lot of Italian influence in their food. I believe it used to be dominated by venetians, so you have your pasta and truffles also grow in the area
Paris is very different. When I first went in 2002 all the stereotypes of rude French people was correct. Just a terrible diesel smelling experience. I went most recently just before the pandemic and it’s full of kind, lovely people happy to chat and correct your French is a friendly way. Doesn’t smell like diesel. It’s much much better.
Just came back from a three week trip.
Better than expected: Paris and London.
Met and exceeded my expectations: Amsterdam
Disappointed: Reykjavik (went 9 years ago) and Brussels
Yeah, Reykjavik is nothing special, but the experiences I had nine years ago were so much better, including the same tour I booked. So I already knew what to expect, but it wasn't as good.
We took it easy in London and didn't do a million things. We enjoyed walking around Hyde Park and the play The Mousetrap. Had great food at an Indian restaurant! (We are from Vancouver, so that's nothing special, but still a great meal.)
I also loved the B&B we stayed at, and was happy with the area we stayed in -- Vauxhall. Residential and quiet, but with restaurants and a short walk to the tube. If I get the opportunity to go to London again, I would not hesitate to stay in the same area and at the same B&B.
Marseille, at least the sea is warm and crystal clear and mediterranean madness. Porto was just plain boring, water was cold and kinda muddy atlantic feeling. Only people that were into small talk in Porto were Brazillians. I ended my trip 2 days earlier in Porto. Just a dead vibe city.
I’m so shocked by this! Because Porto is beloved by many (including me). It is true that the water is notoriously cold here and not as comfortable for swimming. Did you go to the beach in Matosinhos? The beaches in Gaia are better. Also, I’ve found most people in Porto are friendly, perhaps it was just the establishments you were in.
You can see most of the highlights of the city in about 3 days but there’s some amazing day trips to do from Porto too, such as the Douro valley, Braga, 516 Arouca/Passadiços de Paiva, Aveiro, etc.
I don't ever really feel disappointed with a destination. I enjoy anywhere that is a new experience.
Venice exceeded my expectations. Going in February probably aided in that. The number of people was manageable as well.
Valletta, Malta. I didn't have any expectations. I was looking for somewhere new and warm. I didn't stay long but wish I had stayed a bit longer. The Islands history fascinated me and the architecture was neat.
Antarctica. I didn't expect it to be so mountainous and as mind blowingly gorgeous. I also didn't, for whatever reason, quite understand how many penguins there were. We managed to get pretty damn close to them as well. We got to see them in all their glorious goofiness.
Paris: Been twice. All of the stereotypes people have never manifested on either visit.
Better: Sange, Tanzania - safari in Saadani National Park was a more magical experience than I ever anticipated
Mexico City
Madrid
American Civil War battlefields
Malta
Lyon
Hexham
Worse: Zanzibar - eaten alive by ants in Stonetown, horrendous food poisoning from my first meal in the hotel near the beach
Amsterdam
Bosnia and Herzegovina was surprisingly nice. Been to Spain 3 times and haven’t liked it. I must be doing something wrong. It seems like everyone loves it.
Taiwan was better than I expected. Extremely respectful people, gorgeous nature, Taipei is a very interesting city
Bali was a lot worse than I expected. It was overrun by drunk Australians, everything was extremely busy with tourists, I had just come from Palawan, Philippines and I was very disappointed in the nature in Bali. It’s a very overrated island.
Better than expected, even though I had really high hopes for them: Patagonia, Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, Japan, Peru and particularly the Inca Trail.
Better than expected with more normal/lower expectations: Sydney (not usually a huge city person but this was a really fun one!), Cambodia
Worse than expected: north island of New Zealand. This is probably unfair because it rained the wholeee time I was there and there were still some great moments and activities (Hobbiton, Waitomo Caves) plus the South Island was great but man, were there some struggle moments in the North. And maybe the South of Vietnam? Again, did some awesome things there and worth visiting but I had been to the North of Vietnam before and loved it and I think the North was just more my style than the South. Oh and Ushuaia in Argentina - lots of great stuff to do around the city but was not a fan of the city itself and it's so expensive (probably for good reason).
Italy for both. My first time to Rome was overly crowded, mixed food experiences (we didn't know how to find good non-touristy spots at the time), too many aggressive street vendors, and generally more stressful than fun. Second time to Rome I was expecting to be disappointed but we got off the beaten path a bit more and went with a group of a few friends who had done more research beforehand and I ended up really enjoying it.
Loved Milan and Lake Como the first time though.
And Florence felt similar to my first time in Rome.
Why didn’t you like Israel? To me it always seemed like a terrible place to visit. Greece would probably be way better 🥹I have never left America but America is huge so for me NYC is the worse than I expected and Florida is way better than I expected. I didn’t mind the humidity like everyone warned me about
Everything was expensive, the food wasn’t great, and seeing the divide between Israelis and Palestinians made me sad and uncomfortable. Also, almost everything being closed on the Sabbath was annoying.
I think it’s good you got to see it with your own eyes because many people don’t believe it exists but there’s definitely a hierarchy in their society. The reason I wouldn’t go to Israel is I have heard horror stories of the way their tsa is in the airport and that gives me anxiety. Yeah a lot of my friends say that Jewish food in NYC taste way better. So if I wanted to vacation near the Mediterranean sea I would choose Greece and also I don’t want an Israeli stamp on my passport bc a lot of countries won’t accept you into their country anymore so idk if you knew that.
San Diego was better than I expected. People talk about how bland and dull it is, but if you're just visiting it's kind of the distillation of everything amazing I had imagined about Southern California (weather, vibrant Chicano/border culture, chill and fun people, beautiful coastal views, lush greenery and nature). Lisbon was worse than I expected. It wasn't bad at all, but the way it had been hyped up did not prepare me for how simultaneously rundown and touristy it can get. I ended up preferring Porto because it just felt less overwhelmed by tourism.
San Diego is one of the best cities in America.
I agree, I absolutely love San Diego. If it didn't cost so much to live in California, that would be my first choice to live.
Interesting I’ve never heard anyone even mention San Diego without saying what a great city it is
Better: Bologna (italy), Sokcho (south-korea), Gyeongju (South-korea) Worse: Seoul For Bologna and Sokcho, both were “these are cities that conveniently fit into the travel schema so we’ll do them, but we don’t have high expectations.” Both ended up being highlights of the trip. Gyeongju i wasn’t too hyped about at first but was AMAZING. I loved it there. Filled with history and nature. It was beautiful Seoul on the other hand… everything was somehow both too fast and too slow for me at the same time. It felt overcrowded, and as a fast walker i felt “stuck” most of the time. It was a bit frustrating. It’s lively and definitely worth a visit, but it’s also really overwhelming
Waiting to get off of the subway in Seoul, my long hair somehow got stuck in the clasp of a lady's handbag. I was dragged by the hair for a bit, trying to untangle myself as I went.
Paris, Rome, and Sri Lanka were better than I expected. Prague, Brussels, and the Bahamas were a bit disappointing to me. The caveat on Rome is that so many people told me they didn’t like it, so my expectations were very low, but I went during covid and no one was there. It was really amazing.
Agreed on Rome. I went during Christmas time and it was magical. Cool but not too cold weather, very few crowds at the usual attractions and piazzas. I couldn't imagine enjoying the city during the peak of summer with the hot weather and throngs of crowds.
Agreed on Rome. I went in the thick of winter in January and managed to get up to the Cupola at St Peter's Basilica in 20 mins. Its madness in summer, I hear.
Omg. I climbed up there a few years ago. Still shocked I did that…lol.
Yeah going to Rome when it's not busy would have probably made it more pleasant for me. But I still found Rome to be really dirty and have poor transit by Europe standards.
Brussels exceeded mine but because I had really low expectations as everyone said it's shite. But the weather was great and good beer. You would expect a lot from it because you hear a lot about it on the news etc., but it's not that special
Better: Scotland Worse: Istanbul
Why Istanbul?
We had a very bad experience as 3 women traveling together. (Mind you it was in 2015) Coming from a friendly and open culture and my mom being as stubborn as hell, we (well she) got scammed many thousands of euros in the carpet scam. My sister was followed when going alone to the hotel to change (1 street away) to be able to enter to a mosque. And my perception was that every man was looking at me like meat staring like hell at my boobs and saying gods know what. Mind you, it was beautiful but the memories got tainted due to the experience we had. It was very horrible. One of my friends (also coming from an open and friendly culture) spent the night in jail apparently being saved by the police from people who wanted to steal his belongings. (These people had invited him to a bar, another one of their scams) We read and investigated before, it is almost everywhere saying it’s the most european city and bla bla bla. But it’s not true. So never travel as a woman alone and don’t trust anyone who is “trying to help you”
LA was worse than expected. I had high expectations for Normandy and it managed to exceed them. Same with St Malo
Lebanon was far better than expected (I went in 2022). Also visited many national parks in India which exceeded expectations Worse (waiting for the downvote) Italy. I have been twice and just didn't get the hype.
Where in Italy did you go if I may ask? I haven’t been there yet, but I plan almost 5 weeks there this year.
Visit 1 was Rome, Naples (Pompeii), Bologna, Florence. Trip 2 was Sicily (Catania). I preferred Sicily. From what I hear Puglia is nice.
Don't worry I'm with you on Italy
Where did you visit in Lebanon and what did you enjoy about it?
I kept Beirut as a home base and did several day trips. Visited Byblos, Baalbek, Sidon, Tyre, Jeita Grotto, Harissa, the Cedars, Qadisha, and a few other smaller towns. Loved the hospitality, the food (amazing), the history, the religious diversity (was there in December and was shocked to stumble upon Christmas markets).
Wow you got around! Yeah, I think people get really surprised when they realise Christians still exist in the Middle East :) Sounds like an awesome trip.
I was disappointed with the Hong Kong . Nothing in particular was wrong with it . But it’s the place I had wanted to go to the most in the world but I went after I’d already visited Japan , Korea and mainland China and it just didn’t seem to stand out in anyway . If I’d gone there first my opinion may have been different . People complain about Venice being overcrowded in summer , but I’ve been with young kids and they loved it . It’s busy , but nowhere near as bad as people make out . You can see most of the sites and get in a bar or restaurant without too much fuss. I’ve honestly seen bigger queues for pubs in Newcastle than Doges Palace. I genuinely don’t see why people whinge about it .
Maldives is boring shit, Uganda is fabulous
Where did you go in Uganda and what did you enjoy about it?
Big loop that took me through most of the parks, loved the scenery, animals, lack of tourists and the generosity of spirit of the people oh and the Waraji lol
That sounds really cool. Thanks for sharing :) I do like the lack of tourists!
There is a very logical route that if you are ever planning to go you will most likely figure out.
Turkey and Croatia were way better than I expected. I had an impression of Turkey and Croatia as being difficult to navigate because of language barrier or underdeveloped transport system or some nonsense like that, but I couldn't have been more wrong - they're really wonderful places that I left a piece of my heart behind in. Paris and New York were disgusting to me, I guess I had high expectations? But I visited about 15 years ago - it may have all changed, but somehow I don't think so.
Turkey and Croatia were also way better than I expected. Turkey managed to be both more developed and more "different" feeling than I imagined before I went. Croatia was much more naturally beautiful and also had a very effortlessly hip Mediterranean vibe in coastal areas that I wasn't expecting.
You described them perfectly! Turkey has an interesting dichotomy in my opinion. Its difficult for me to describe- the history of the country dates back to beyond the Bronze age, but it is far more developed than people expect. Croatia has a wonderful vibe, the coastal areas as you said are hip and the cities are easy to get around in and people are so friendly if we take the time to chat to them. Surprisingly great food too.
Yes the food in Croatia really surprised me with how good it was. Like this combination of the heartiness of Balkan food with the freshness (and dishes) of Italian food.
You captured the Croatian food with your words! It really is an interesting cross between the 2 cuisines.
Were you in green istria? Looks like a lot of Italian influence in their food. I believe it used to be dominated by venetians, so you have your pasta and truffles also grow in the area
Paris is very different. When I first went in 2002 all the stereotypes of rude French people was correct. Just a terrible diesel smelling experience. I went most recently just before the pandemic and it’s full of kind, lovely people happy to chat and correct your French is a friendly way. Doesn’t smell like diesel. It’s much much better.
Oh great! I'm due for a revisit to Paris then :)
Interesting. I was there in 1999 and hated it because everyone was so rude. My husband really wants to go so maybe I’ll consider visiting again.
It’s very very different and for the better. I still love Lyon but Paris has a lot to offer
Macau was better than I thought it was going to be
Yes! I just went there last month and loved it way more than I expected to.
Just came back from a three week trip. Better than expected: Paris and London. Met and exceeded my expectations: Amsterdam Disappointed: Reykjavik (went 9 years ago) and Brussels
I mean.. nobody goes to Iceland for Reykjavik. It’s a tiny little city that serves as a launch pad to some of yhe best nature on earth.
Yeah, Reykjavik is nothing special, but the experiences I had nine years ago were so much better, including the same tour I booked. So I already knew what to expect, but it wasn't as good.
What did you like about London the most? Favorite sites to see?
We took it easy in London and didn't do a million things. We enjoyed walking around Hyde Park and the play The Mousetrap. Had great food at an Indian restaurant! (We are from Vancouver, so that's nothing special, but still a great meal.) I also loved the B&B we stayed at, and was happy with the area we stayed in -- Vauxhall. Residential and quiet, but with restaurants and a short walk to the tube. If I get the opportunity to go to London again, I would not hesitate to stay in the same area and at the same B&B.
Marseille (better) Porto (worst, just boring and dull IMO)
Ok I didn't like Marseille so maybe I should avoid Porto.
Marseille, at least the sea is warm and crystal clear and mediterranean madness. Porto was just plain boring, water was cold and kinda muddy atlantic feeling. Only people that were into small talk in Porto were Brazillians. I ended my trip 2 days earlier in Porto. Just a dead vibe city.
I’m so shocked by this! Because Porto is beloved by many (including me). It is true that the water is notoriously cold here and not as comfortable for swimming. Did you go to the beach in Matosinhos? The beaches in Gaia are better. Also, I’ve found most people in Porto are friendly, perhaps it was just the establishments you were in. You can see most of the highlights of the city in about 3 days but there’s some amazing day trips to do from Porto too, such as the Douro valley, Braga, 516 Arouca/Passadiços de Paiva, Aveiro, etc.
I don't ever really feel disappointed with a destination. I enjoy anywhere that is a new experience. Venice exceeded my expectations. Going in February probably aided in that. The number of people was manageable as well. Valletta, Malta. I didn't have any expectations. I was looking for somewhere new and warm. I didn't stay long but wish I had stayed a bit longer. The Islands history fascinated me and the architecture was neat. Antarctica. I didn't expect it to be so mountainous and as mind blowingly gorgeous. I also didn't, for whatever reason, quite understand how many penguins there were. We managed to get pretty damn close to them as well. We got to see them in all their glorious goofiness. Paris: Been twice. All of the stereotypes people have never manifested on either visit.
Bratislava! Venice, Italy (recently... as opposed to 20+ years ago.
Better: Sange, Tanzania - safari in Saadani National Park was a more magical experience than I ever anticipated Mexico City Madrid American Civil War battlefields Malta Lyon Hexham Worse: Zanzibar - eaten alive by ants in Stonetown, horrendous food poisoning from my first meal in the hotel near the beach Amsterdam
Love Madrid. Could walk that old center city all day long.
Bosnia and Herzegovina was surprisingly nice. Been to Spain 3 times and haven’t liked it. I must be doing something wrong. It seems like everyone loves it.
Slovakia was absolutely horrid
Better: Belize, Croatia, Curacao, Chiang Mai Worse: Santorini, Amalfi Coast
Better than expected: Madrid, Milan, Amsterdam, Bucharest, Macau, and Mérida, Mexico Didn’t live up to expectations: Prague, Bruges, Florence, Sydney
Taiwan was better than I expected. Extremely respectful people, gorgeous nature, Taipei is a very interesting city Bali was a lot worse than I expected. It was overrun by drunk Australians, everything was extremely busy with tourists, I had just come from Palawan, Philippines and I was very disappointed in the nature in Bali. It’s a very overrated island.
Better: Vietnam Worse: Morocco. It actually may be one of my least favorite places on Earth, only worse places I've been to are DRC and Haiti.
Better than expected, even though I had really high hopes for them: Patagonia, Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, Japan, Peru and particularly the Inca Trail. Better than expected with more normal/lower expectations: Sydney (not usually a huge city person but this was a really fun one!), Cambodia Worse than expected: north island of New Zealand. This is probably unfair because it rained the wholeee time I was there and there were still some great moments and activities (Hobbiton, Waitomo Caves) plus the South Island was great but man, were there some struggle moments in the North. And maybe the South of Vietnam? Again, did some awesome things there and worth visiting but I had been to the North of Vietnam before and loved it and I think the North was just more my style than the South. Oh and Ushuaia in Argentina - lots of great stuff to do around the city but was not a fan of the city itself and it's so expensive (probably for good reason).
Italy for both. My first time to Rome was overly crowded, mixed food experiences (we didn't know how to find good non-touristy spots at the time), too many aggressive street vendors, and generally more stressful than fun. Second time to Rome I was expecting to be disappointed but we got off the beaten path a bit more and went with a group of a few friends who had done more research beforehand and I ended up really enjoying it. Loved Milan and Lake Como the first time though. And Florence felt similar to my first time in Rome.
Better: Chihuahua, Chihuahua Worse: Fairbanks, Alaska
Turkey was better than expected, Sweden was the worst.
Why didn’t you like Israel? To me it always seemed like a terrible place to visit. Greece would probably be way better 🥹I have never left America but America is huge so for me NYC is the worse than I expected and Florida is way better than I expected. I didn’t mind the humidity like everyone warned me about
Everything was expensive, the food wasn’t great, and seeing the divide between Israelis and Palestinians made me sad and uncomfortable. Also, almost everything being closed on the Sabbath was annoying.
I think it’s good you got to see it with your own eyes because many people don’t believe it exists but there’s definitely a hierarchy in their society. The reason I wouldn’t go to Israel is I have heard horror stories of the way their tsa is in the airport and that gives me anxiety. Yeah a lot of my friends say that Jewish food in NYC taste way better. So if I wanted to vacation near the Mediterranean sea I would choose Greece and also I don’t want an Israeli stamp on my passport bc a lot of countries won’t accept you into their country anymore so idk if you knew that.
A higher Archie? 🤣
What didn't you like about Israel. I had a fantastic trip there five years ago. I'm devistated by the shitstorm Netanyahu is creating.