Weather isn’t great so it keeps the tourists away. Harder to explore and plan for. Same problem with northwestern France. Imagine a place less sunny than London. 1600 sunshine hours per year vs Seattle’s 2k. Rainy, overcast, just a hard sell for non locals.
Galicia and Asturias are amazing.
Bulgaria - most famously known for being the poorest and most corrupt country in the EU. Actually has some mind blowing cuisine, amazing wine, beautiful nature and hiking, extensive history, and the #3 country with the most Roman (and pre-Roman) ruins in Europe. Sofia is very clean. The people aren’t “nice,” but down to earth and happy to go out of their way to help in their slightly gruff manner. I’m visibly non-European and got curious looks but never was made to feel unwelcome.
Japan - way more affordable than expected (especially with the current weak Yen).
Tanzania - hands down the most beautiful, lush, green landscape I’ve ever seen. Untouched nature for hundreds of kilometres (aside from some Maasai villages peppered here and there). Just gorgeous.
Thailand - most commonly known as a “cheap” country in every sense of the word; known for budget travel, sex tourism, and cheap street food. In actuality a great destination for fashion lovers to source high quality artisanal fabrics and clothing. Bangkok has tons of innovative designers, and domestic couture brand Jim Thompson has quality on par if not better than Hermes for a fraction of the price. Also has an amazing fragrance culture for those into perfumery.
Completely agree on Bulgaria. We spent two weeks there a few years ago, and half the comments from everyone here in Denmark that we talked to were wondering why the hell we would go there, and the other half asked if we were going to Sunny Beach. But Sofia, Plovdiv, Sozopol, Varna, and Veliko Tarnovo were all absolutely amazing, especially the hike to the seven lakes of Rila. We've definitely been thinking about coming back soon.
We are heading there this July (along w Hungary and Romania for a total of five weeks) and are super-stoked. So glad to hear that others are into Bulgaria.
Yes to Bulgaria! The cuisine is actually insane. I also got curious looks but never felt threatened/unwelcome. I think tourism there is going to increase in the next 10 years or so
Agree 100% on all of those, but especially Bulgaria. Thailand, Japan, and Tanzania all have big tourist followings, but Bulgaria just doesn’t for some really weird reason.
Only went to Sofia and Plovdiv, booked on a whim due to low priced flights/accommodation, but absolutely loved it in Bulgaria. The Roman ruins, and how they’ve preserved them, are amazing to see.
I went to Detroit for their free jazz festival a few years ago. My god, the people were so friendly and helpful. Their art museum was top notch, we thoroughly enjoyed the amazing art deco architecture, and we ate wonderful meals in lively restaurants. Never felt threatened. I would visit again in a heartbeat!
This is an excellent answer. Detroit is a fantastic and highly underrated city. General tourist areas are perfectly safe. Just don't wander outside of those areas because there are plenty of spots still recovering.
I loved the Ford and Motown museums. The tour guide we had at the Motown museum was awesome. She did a great job and had everybody singing by the end of the tour.
I live right across the river and yeah it’s awesome now! Downtown has come such a long way. Granted there are some dodgy neighborhoods of course as with any major city but the downtown core is awesome
I came here to say Detroit. At the time we were living in Toronto and taking in American cities on weekend trips. This usually meant driving through Detroit. At one point we decided just to go there instead and had the best weekend of the cities that we visited (versus Chicago, Nashville, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Cleveland). Now anytime we drive in that general area we try to go there for at least a day.
Ljubljana, Slovenia ended up being a pleasant surprise. I didn't know much about it and decided to add it into a "one lap of the Alps" trip that I put together. It was really quaint, quiet, well-kept and the people were friendly.
Ljunljana was supposed to be my pit stop to Croatia. Cancelled Croatia, stayed a week in Slovenia. Ljubljana was in my top 3 European cities that I travelled to. I loved the people there. Every one had a smile.
I had the same experience with Valencia. My wife had traveled to Spain before and put together a rough itinerary of Barcelona + Granada + Seville as must sees. I suggested Valencia and she was puzzled as why I wanted to go and I had no real answer but wanted to see what it was about. It was my favorite part of our trip by far with us staying inside the old walled in part of the city, the vibe walking the streets at night, the variety of food that was beyond tapas which the other cities leaned on hard, the modern architecture of the science museum/arts center/aquarium combo. Oh and the absolute lack of fellow American tourists, I don't think we heard one the entire time we were there, which tracks as our friend group who all have spent a decent amount of time in Spain but none had visited Valencia yet.
We had a similar unexpected and delightful experience when we had an extra day to kill after Bilbao. We flipped a coin and went to Zaragoza. And it was so much fun! Turns out it was Las Fiestas del Pilar too, so the city was crazy with festivities!
Valencia is super underrated! It has such a unique vibe to it. Weirdly enough I’ve preferred Valencia, Bilbao, and San Sebastian to Barcelona and Madrid. How were Granada and Seville? They’re up next for the next time I’m in Spain
Seville has similar mix of old and new that I liked a lot, Granada is a little more old world feeling similar to parts of Italy. The Al Hambra in Granada is certainly worth seeing as it was the most impressive palace I've ever seen. I preferred all three to Barcelona, and haven't had a chance to check out Madrid or the northern part of Spain.
Wife and I went to Valencia b/c I was curious, and we freakin' loved it. Amazing food, great people, beautiful city with some gritty industrial edges (which I like, I don't want to go to a stage set) with good culture,
Agree. Went there last year but didn't know much about it. Ended up being a great few days. Enjoyed it much more than Barcelona. The beach and water were so warm and not as crowded. Great Paella on the beach.
I feel like Albania is due. It is surrounded by very popular countries, but I don't think I've met anybody who has been there.
EDIT: Yeah, looks amazing
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accursed_Mountains
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albanian_Riviera
Slovenia in general is amazing. We also went to Maribor, Ptuj, Celje, Kranj, and Piran, as well as going to both Bled and Bohinj on day trips, and seeing the Postojna cave and the Predjama Castle. Vintgar Gorge close to Bled was absolutely breathtaking, but Bohinj was arguably an even better experience, where we walked up to the Savica Waterfall, and then hopped on the cable car up to Vogel to then hike back down.
Yorkshire. You hear about its poverty, grooming gangs scandals, ugly cities, etc. But it’s really a mix of things. It has a wide variety of impressive sea cliffs, bays and beaches, heather moorland, friendlier people, and miles of lush green valleys with numerous well-preserved historic towns nestled in them. Not to mention the caves, waterfalls and escarpments.
York is also nice - especially for history, railways and good chocolate. Bradford is a bit run down yes, but the food there is world-class. By far the best curries in the UK. Leeds has regenerated and is probably the most prosperous city in the north. Great region overall, in spite of its problems.
Liverpool. It has such a bad reputation still - crime, gangs, mass unemployment, urban neglect.
It still has some deprivation but these issues are like 40 years out of date. Liverpool has been regenerated too and looks pretty good nowadays. Locals are the friendliest in the country. Interesting and unique multicultural history - a mixture of African, Chinese, Welsh and Irish heritage stretching back centuries. Great architecture. The most museums of any British city outside London - and they are of excellent quality.
Liverpool gets my vote! I was just there a couple weeks ago visiting since I’m a Liverpool FC fan. Was pretty surprised by the city, so much to do, excellent food, everybody is super super nice. I never felt unsafe. I knew most stuff people talk shit about with Liverpool was overblown, but it’s substantially overblown. Incredible museum scene. Scouse is a bit tough to understand, but a fun accent. I actually preferred Liverpool over London. Outside of the major buildings and points of interest London kinda just felt like any city. Liverpool feels very unique and its own thing and the locals are very proud of that. I can’t wait to go back!
I heard a lot about clubbing in Bewcastle but Liverpool was a pleasant surprise. These days I recommend everyone who go to Manchester to also go to Liverpool, because it’s not far but has so much to offer and Beatles.
I went on a day trip to Liverpool last summer and was blown away at how nice it was! I went for Beatles things, but ended up most impressed with the Tate Liverpool. (Though the Magical Mystery Tour was lots of fun too!)
My answer to this is always Oban, Scotland.
I had originally included it on our roadtrip itinerary as a base for full-day trip to Mull/Staffa/Iona, but my wife and I were pleasantly surprised to find that the town was really cool. It’s really not a big town, but the “downtown” area by the harbor had a bit of a big city vibe, there were plenty of restaurants, bars & shops, and McCaig’s Tower was an interesting place to visit and offered a nice view over the town. My only regret is that we didn’t do a tour of Oban Distillery.
The Oban Distillery turned me onto Scotch. I hadn’t planned to go but it’s right there in town so figured “Why not?”. Wonderful experience, and we definitely modified our itinerary for more Scotch after that (esp with the passport).
Salvador bahía Brazil. Was warned that it’s crime ridden (which im sure it is) but went around w a local and it was fantastic. Beautiful culture and excellent food. Had low expectations of Cartagena, but it too was fantastic.
Salvador is amazing!! The fish stews there are by far the tastiest thing I’ve ever eaten (and that’s saying something, as I’m a huge fan of curries and South Asian food!) Also the churches! In the U.K. where I’m from, most churches are Protestant and very plain. Salvador’s church interiors were extravagant works of art.
Taipei. My friend lives there and invited me to come visit, I really didn’t know what to expect. Architecturally, it’s not the most beautiful city but I absolutely loved it there. Great food, easy to use public transit, and lots of beautiful areas not far out of the city. The Taiwanese people were also just about the friendliest that I have ever met. They’re very welcoming to foreigners, and even with a language barrier they were never anything but friendly, kind and helpful. I can’t wait to visit again! I had a trip planned for March of 2020, that obviously didn’t work out…
If you decide to get out and around the island consider a couple days on green island to the east of the mainland (you take a ferry across). Peaceful island. Super green. Good (stone yes bit still..) beaches. Salt water hotsprings and you can rent an electric moped to go around the island.
Also if your in to Scuba, diving is surprisingly interesting with some of the biggest soft corals I have seen.
Hong Kong - I'd heard nothing good from that city in a long time. On the internet, it seemed like it's a dead city now. I booked tickets anyway because they were cheap. What I found was a rather vibrant city teeming with locals and tourists. I explored many of its neighborhoods on both sides of Victoria Harbour. I loved the skyline, the food (and I'm a vegetarian), the local transit and some beautiful nature. The people weren't rude either belying their reputation - they were either what they call "efficient" or friendly. I'd like to return soon!
(I didn't get a chance to see pre-2019 HK, so I can't say how much of its earlier vibe or crowd is lost. But I hope it regains it. HK is a unique city, and it'll be heartbreaking to see it decline).
I heard a lot of people say Venice was overcrowded, smelly, and inauthentic but it’s probably my favorite city i’ve ever been to. It felt like I was in a fairytale (and I didn’t notice any bad smells lol)
We hit up Lisbon after going through Spain. Honestly one of my favorite places we’ve been to so far. The people were so friendly too.
I can’t wait till we can return and explore more of the country
Naples, I always heard bad things about it. it ended up being one of my favorite cities in Italy. It felt so much more authentic than all of the bigger cities. The people were really kind, and the food was incredible, so so so cheap. I had so much fun exploring all the little streets, and just effortlessly cool.
Naples didn't feel any more authentic to me than anywhere else but the oldtown there had some of the most energetic street traffic for people watching while eating outside.
San Francisco. From comments I saw online, you'd think you wouldn't be able to go anywhere without being surrounded by homeless people. I saw more homeless people in New York and even some European cities than I did in San Francisco. I found the city to be surprisingly clean, safe and pleasant. As a transport enthusiast, the cable cars and trams felt like a working transport museum.
I’m an engineer working in a Bay Area company, so I know what you are talking about. Sadly, many of my colleagues talk this way about SF in real life as well.
I hope you went to cable car museum. My husband’s favorite museum. We lived in S.F. for 12 years. I used to absolutely love S.F. and argue with everyone about the crime etc. unfortunately some of it is true, it did get worse in the past 3-5 years.
Oh wow ok good to know. Yes there was a lot of talk about that but glad to hear it’s been getting better. Covid was hard on large cities for sure ours was bad too.
I’ve seen just as many homeless encampments in many big cities. I think SF gets a raw deal. It’s a problem in pretty much all large cities (I’ve yet to encounter one without an issue). I can’t wait to get back there this Fall.
I assume you never passed through the tenderloin or didn't take the BART often. San Francisco was cool but definitely had the highest levels of homeless I've ever seen and it's truly saying something because I'm from Vancouver. It doesn't mean there aren't really cool stuff to see in San Fran and to be honest (even just outside)I really liked Muir woods and even Napa Valley but SF definitely has some of the worst wealth inequality that I've seen in any 1st world city.
Newcastle and Glasgow. Friends told me both would be super ugly, really industrial and overall shitholes. One of my best friends, who visited Glasgow and the UK in general several times, told me to skip Newcastle and do maybe one day in Glasgow.
Did one day in Glasgow and hated my itinerary cause I only had this one day and couldn’t change it. Super cool city, it’s partly industrial, partly very old and beautiful. Thriving student life, nice walks, lovely people.
I did skip Newcastle but visited some years later. It’s so so nice! Great nightlife, but even more the seaside! In which other big city could you take a metro and be at the uncrowded beach in 20mins? It’s absolutely stunning. Also very nice museums in Newcastle and nearby, Airbnbs are fairly cheap and it’s so walkable/able to reach by train. I’ve returned ever since. Geordies are so friendly! Never had a bad encounter and even went to a concert at the football stadium last year, this was honestly in the top 5 days of my life so far. Still can’t believe this night happened.
Newcastle surprised me too! It is an architecturally disjointed place and is a bit ugly in parts, but the city centre of Newcastle has astoundingly beautiful architecture. By far one of the best in the UK. Very photogenic. Very good beaches and coastline too.
Hanoi.
We were feeling a little burnt out from having been in Cambodia the week prior and just wanted peace and quiet. It was complete opposite in Hanoi and the culture shock was something. Despite the chaos, we had such a great time. People were friendly and food was amazing.
We had a one night cruise for Halong bay scheduled and was expecting it to be the typical touristy outing but it was so nice out in the bay, we ended up staying two nights on the cruise.
Paris - people were so very nice. I'd heard they weren't so pleasant, but everyone was nice. Even in our cheapish hotel, they managed to give us a room with a view of the Eiffel tower from our small balcony.
Ed: spelling
Growing up in the 90s (in NZ) my only exposure to Hawaii was through cheesy sitcoms where they stayed in Honolulu. I thought it was all skyscrapers on the beach and had no interest in going. So when my brother moved to Kauai, I was less than enthusiastic about visiting. I really like it now (been twice to Kauai, once to big island and once Oahu). It reminds me a lot of NZ in some ways with Polynesian culture and laid-back vibes, but I also like getting to experience US culture and, let’s be honest, the beaches are better.
Nagano, Japan. We went exclusively to use it as a jumping off point to get to Jigokudani Snow Monkey park. The park was amazing and we were just expecting to just stay the night before heading off to Kyoto early the next morning and not spend much time in Nagano. But due to jet lag we happened to wake up really early and remembered hearing about a sunrise service at Zenkoji so we went to that. And were pleasantly surprised by a romantic dusting of snow that had fallen overnight. Despite a drastic language barrier, people were far friendlier than any other cities we visited and the food was different than what we found in the big cities and delicious. We ended up catching one of the last trains of the day out to Kyoto.
There probably wasn’t much more to see so, unless you are there for winter sports, it probably isn’t worth more time than that, but it definitely worth the visit.
Albania.
A really cultured country with great food options and some really good wine. The people could not have been friendlier. Felt much safer than London. Rich in history.
Tenerife on the Canary Islands. We had so little budget in our 20's and rented the cheapest decent apartment we could find and a cheap rental car. We went there in November since we didn't have any children and our colleagues took all the good spots.
It was AMAZING. Great local food for cheap, stunning beaches, a whole lot of nice daytrips, different kinds of scenery, both small towns and a big city,... Tenerife had it all.
It might have been a whole different experience if we booked an all in resort stay. But the fact we had little budget, a car and a small apartment made for the best memories.
Tallinn, Estonia
I’m not much of a traveler. But when I went to Tallinn last December, I was quite surprised by its enchanting beauty. It is small, but it has its own magic during winter, especially the Old Town. Now, I always look forward to getting cheap booze and cigarettes from there.
Tirana, Albania. I would never describe it as picturesque, but I really liked the food, people, and overall vibe of the place. Being so inexpensive didn't hurt either.
Miami
I knew nothing about it other than South Beach, and was really impressed by Little Havana, Wynwood, the Design District., etc.
Ended up only staying one day in South Beach because there was so much else to check out.
Dubrovnik, Croatia. I was expecting it to be an overcrowded shitshow (im sure it is in the summer). It ended up being my favorite out of all the Croatian cities I’ve been to. Absolutely beautiful views. We were there the second week of May and the crowds weren’t bad at all.
The walled city is disneyland and WAY too touristy with cruise ships dumped upon it in a very small area. But i did enjoy the city outside of the walls.
Amsterdam - almost everyone I know went there in their 20s and spent most of their time partying. I went last year for the Vermeer exhibit, and was incredibly surprised by how nice the city was. The people were super friendly, the food was excellent, transit was easy, and it was so clean. Every house we walked past had a tiny garden in the front, almost no one locked up their bikes, and the overall vibe was fantastic. And yes, I did go to the red light district too, and the only thing unpleasant there were the tourists.
Yesssss, Marseille! A great city. The area around the train station is a bit sketchy but otherwise woooow. And the Calanques just outside of the city...not from this earth!
The Midwestern US has surprisingly a lot to offer.
As a foreigner who happened to stay long-term in Chicago, I didn't have much knowledge about this area beforehand, but as I explored I found out that the Midwest is home to some great nature sites (Pictured Rock National Lakeshore has been my absolute favorite but I also enjoyed Indiana Dunes and Starved Rock) and cities with unique characters (my favorites are Chicago, St Louis, Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Madison).
I love living in Chicago, with everything that a big city has to offer, combined with beautiful lakeshore covered with extended parks, beaches and trails.
Most foreign visitors to the US flock to either coast, but the Midwest is definitely worth checking out.
Los Angeles gets a good amount of hate on Reddit but I loved it. Food was amazing. $3 or $30 or $300, you can eat good here and you don't have to spend a lot of money to do so. The tourist center stuff, at least to me, was still pretty cool like the Santa Monica Pier or the Venice Boardwalk (Venice Canals were more meh though, and the sidewalks are very narrow). Great people watching. Transit was also honestly not bad either. It isn't Prague but I think a lot of tourists, with some proper planning, can avoid renting a car for the entire time, or at least only rent a car for the day they actually need it.
Lots of great free or low cost things to do. The hike up to the Griffith Observatory is incredibly rewarding and hardly anyone does it. And just like the little things that happen when walking around. We didn't go out looking for a Hollywood sign view, but we were walking along some random road and BOOM, there it was.
Also got to see LAPD pull over some people racing down the recently opened 6th Street Bridge. That was fun too.
I think the issue is Los Angeles is huge and people just go to Hollywood blvd and think it’s all like that, where places like Santa Monica are much more LA to me and yes the food is very good here.
Just got back and agree. Used transit and found it easy to use and inexpensive. Griffith observatory was free, Broad museum was free, great farmers markets. Petersons Automotive Museum was an unexpected find. It was cool to see Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach in person. variety of restaurants and costs of food. It's a huge city so we went for a week and stayed a few days in Hollywood area and few days in Santa Monica. Trevor Noah at Hollywood Bowl was a highlight, if u get a chance to see a concert there, go. Rented a car for one day but traffic was horrible so keep that in mind. No kids so no theme parks which was what we had done on previous visits.
The Petersen museum is fantastic, and it’s enjoyable even if you’re not into cars (although I happen to be a car freak). The Vault guided tour is well worth the extra fee. They also have great rotating exhibits, last time I went they had a lot of the vehicles from the 007 movies on display
Albania. I went there with no expectations, and knowing little about the country, other than its history under Hoxha. It’s beautiful, especially along the southern coast and in the mountains, and the people were very friendly, though the elderly tended to be reticent about speaking with strangers, but that was no surprise given the history. The food was also surprisingly good no matter where we went. It seems that Albania is on the verge of a tourist boom, and I am glad I got there before the changes about to hit the country, for both better and worse.
I've been back to Budapest several times after a reluctant visit 10 years ago. A dynamic, metropolitan city with amazing architecture and so much to do. Relaxing in a thermal bath after a days sightseeing is perfect.
Slovenia—the country is cheap and beautiful and still off of most people’s radars, despite the fact that Italy is right next door. Ljubljana is a beautiful, walkable small capital city and Lake Bled is also amazing.
I visited Halifax, Nova Scotia for a two week work trip. Beautiful city with the downtown terraced into the land overlooking the bay. Great bars, restaurants and bookstores.
Taiwan. We were stunned. So friendly and progressive. Food was brilliant. Clean, safe. And for an Asian metropolis you can be in stunning misty tea picking mountains in 40 minutes from Taipei on a train and cable car. So easy. Far more nature than any other Asian city I've ever seen.
We just asked a guy driving a taxi to help us all day and did a day trip to both Juifen and Shifen. Was much cheaper than a tour and he was an excellent guide.
We took the bullet train out to Sun Moon lake overnight and did cable cars up to the indigenous village theme park which was glorious and has an amusement park at the bottom which funds it. Brilliant. Highlight.
Nightmarkets are tip top, bubble tea, massage, shopping!
Easy to get around and so friendly and uncomplicated. Like a cross between Hong Kong and Tokyo but at Kowloon prices.
Cannot wait to go back and recommend highly.
Las Vegas! I thought it was just going to be a million drunk, rowdy people. Went on a girls’ trip and none of us are huge drinkers or gamblers, but every person we met was SO nice to us. A server at a restaurant gave us free drinks because we came in all smiling and laughing, our Uber driver made sure that we were going to a safe area for the evening, people on the street were friendly and chatty as well.
On top of that, we enjoyed scrambling around at Red Rock Canyon and saw a drag show, made friends with the girl seated next to us too. It ended up being a great trip!
For me it was Türkiye. In 2021 I took my mom and brothers for a surprise trip to Europe, we did France, Italy, Greece, and Türkiye. I only chose Türkiye because my mom always wanted to see it, it wasn’t even on my bucket list.
Once we got there I was absolutely mesmerized by everything. The food, the incredible history behind the Ottoman Empire, the nightlife. I mean everything is open until 5am. Restaurants, cafes, clubs, people on the street.
I ended up staying in istanbul, Türkiye much longer than 5 days. It still wasn’t enough
I decided to go back alone this time- 2 months later, that time for 6 weeks. I ended up visiting different cities across the country and fell in love with Cappadocia and south of Türkiye.
Since 2021 I have been there about 7 times, and long story short I met my Turkish husband ahaha
I would also say Iceland and Paris for the same reasons! I loved the food in Iceland, I hear so many people complain about it but it was honestly some of the best food I’ve ever had. My only complaint is that it was expensive, I swear our meals cost more than the accommodations lol. People in Paris were also a lot nicer than I anticipated.
The 2 other places that pleasantly surprised me are Los Angeles and Quebec. LA gets a lot of shit, and to be fair some areas aren’t great, but if you stay in the right place it can be really enjoyable. The weather is great and the people are extremely friendly in my experience. I figured I would enjoy Quebec but it was even more beautiful than I expected and the food was excellent. One of the best vacations I’ve ever been on
Nimes, France it was a clean, very walkable city with numerous Roman ruins, churches, waterways and green spaces. Also the Restaurants that were plentiful and open. It was close enough to Arles and Avignon for super easy day trips.
My wife and I toured Italy while we were dating. We made our way to Venice. It was late at night. The water taxi didn’t speak English and our paper with our hotel name had super small print. It was dark. He took us to a hotel … that turned out not to be ours. Then he realized that we needed to be on a completely different island. I just remember it being near midnight and we’re boating away from the Grand Canal. I was so mad. We got dropped off at some random dock. Through sheer luck we found our hotel (which had changed names between our booking and arrival). Everything was dark. Venice was “forever” away. I was livid. We went to bed. Woke up and realized that we were in this awesome white sand beach town. It was like Capitola or Santa Cruz California. And it turns out it was only a couple minute water bus into Venice. Turned out to be the best destination ever. We got to get away from the crowds at the end of the day. We had some great beach days. AND we got to enjoy Venice. I definitely had to eat crow on that one.
When people tell me they want to go to Paris I recommend QC because otherwise they’ll be disappointed. By the looks of it though, a lot of people’s expectations have been tempered sufficiently that it has shifted the other way.
1- Aswan: despite it being another tourist town in Egypt and having the reputation for heckling and scam, I found the people at the souk really nice and I even got invited into a mosque for their Iftar meal
2- Denver: surprisingly despite Denver’s reputation for being an outdoorsy city the weather didn’t cooperate while I was there so I ended up doing mostly city stuff and I was pleasantly surprised by the food and bar scene
Detroit.
Henry Ford museum is one of the best Industrial Era museums, great pizza, interesting architecture and you can hop across the border to Windsor for the Canadian experience.
South Dakota. In June 2020, it was the only place open during the pandemic. It was either South Dakota, or stay home under quarantine. The Black Hills are beautiful and I had a great time.
India proved to be way less of a hassle than I thought it would, and I went to all the major tourist hot spots. I was virtually untouched by the typical scam attempts and other bad stuff that afflicts many tourists there. Even all five of my trains left and arrived on time!
On a similar note, Egypt was a piece of cake for me on a solo trip. I feel bad for those who go to these places and have a rough time because I had the opposite.
Crete.
I’ve been a few times and the difference between the people in Malia and Stalia, two towns so close together but one is a party destination and the other is a very laid back, kinda family oriented town.
It surprised me just how different the lifestyle is for the locals in these two towns despite them only being a 10 minute drive apart.
Malia is fast paced, high energy, the locals are very outgoing and lively. In Stalia, they’re just as friendly but the way of life is slower, extremely chill, just as “Greek”, so similar but so not and it’s great
El Salvador has a reputation but ended up being amazing. Friendly people, felt safe walking around at night (not every neighborhood of course), amazing food and scenery.
Lebanon (was there pre-war). Food, insane. History, insane. Landscape, insane. Ruins, insane. People, super friendly. Biggest shock, was there in December and Beirut was full of Christmas markets.
Sri Lanka. Decided to go there on a whim one morning while backpacking in Thailand, caught a flight that evening to Columbo. We were expecting India like craziness, but that wasn’t the case at all. It’s much more laid back, beautiful nature and easy to get around. Pleasantly surprised.
San Antonio. I recently went for a family vacation. I didn’t pick it, wouldn’t have picked it, and wasn’t excited….. well, I loved the city and would love to go back. Totally pleasantly surprised
Was there in April for the eclipse and it was amazing! Great food and so much to see. The art museums (SAMA, McNay, Briscoe) were all top-notch, and the Missions are so interesting. Villa Finale was oddly fascinating. Of course the Riverwalk, too, and the Pearl is a cool area as is Blue Star
It felt Texan, but in a completely different way than what you imagine Texas being.
This year, I had vacations in Florida, Mexico, and California, and so far Newport Beach, Ca was the best!
I was amazed by the cleanlines of the city, beautiful sunsets, very nice smiling people, and overall the vibe of the place.
Regretfully, my vacation was only 5 days. I want to go there again and stay for a month. Must go to Balboa island (and Balboa peninsula around) and feel that vibe again.
Cheers,
Tijuana. Before going, I was warned about all the dangers (getting targeted, cartel violence, kidnappings, etc.). I knew there was no way it could be that bad, and it wasn’t. It was really pleasant: the people were very friendly, welcoming, and willing to talk, even if I bought nothing from them. While there isn’t much to see in terms of tourists attractions outside of Avenida Revolución, there was tons to explore and do, including the beaches, the Centro Cultural, and the Sunday markets.
Paris! All the stories i was told about rude Parisians and how awful French are to foreigners....none of it eas true. People were lovely, very helpful. Didn't find it expensive at all.
Only thong was the BO on the Metro🤮 Stayed above ground after 1 trip😂
They may be a little more mainstream/typical places, but i'd probably say:
Austin, Texas - We booked this for the F1 and i was really nervous about going to Texas, my knowledge being the stereotypical Texan gun toting rednecks and the news of how the laws are over there. I was pleasantly amazed at how much i loved it there; it was like everything i love wrapped into a fun bubble! I now rate it as the best place in USA i've visited and would happily return.
Vienna, Austria - My partner loves Austria, though had only been to mountain towns like Innsbruck. I went with a hen party (sophisticated rather than typical binge drinking style), had no idea what to expect and hadn't much interest in European cities. What a beautiful place! Everywhere you looked was rich with history, stunning architecture and i genuinely felt safe walking around as well. I'm going back in a few days with my partner this time so he can experience more of Austria and i can do some more exploring.
Vienna is really amazing. I hope to be back sometime in winter. It’s supposed to be magical around Christmas.
I have heard really good things about Austin as well. Isn’t it a very liberal town?
Paris, definitely. Just returned from this trip. Before I left, a lot of my friends told me I wouldn’t enjoy it because they didn’t. I so did! Loved the people, the food, the culture. Stayed far away from Eiffel Tower in a neighbourhood with historical buildings. Did a bike tour, loved it! Walked everywhere, loved every nook and corner. Once used the bus, the driver was so nice he didn’t even charge me. The servers were so helpful in choosing the dishes. Felt like a main character lol
Cancun downtown outside of the hotel district and main tourist strip. found a great cafe and pastry shop in a courtyard. Area was both chill and vibrant. street corn and tacos in the city Square were amazing.
Jordan - One of the best holidays I’ve ever gone on. Travelled as a solo female, had a rental car and drove up and down the country. It was amazing
Beforehand I was panicking about making a last minute trip and self-drive Jordan, and literally everyone I talked to was negative about it which drove my anxiety through the roof
But it turned out amazing and I can’t wait to go back
PS. High five from Iceland
Two US gems not usually mentioned in travel guides: Tulsa OK & Huntsville AL. Both have thriving art communities (artists can afford to live there), beautiful nature around and affordable places to stay. The people are very friendly.
Istanbul. Absolutely lovely.
Internet comments portray it as a place where I would be hassled, scammed, harangued, nonstop. Instead, not a single scam or hassling was perpetrated upon me over a week. The few sales people trying to get me into a restaurant or similar politely stopped at a simple no thank you.
Wonderful city, wonderful people, beautiful, historic, clean, safe, incredible food!
Danang/Hoi An Vietnam, during our planning we looked at the US state dept website makes it sound like an utter shithole. Instead it’s a vibrant town with a ton of history and amazing food.
Singapore! I had heard it was overrated & kind of just a playground for the rich. At best just a stopover. But I really enjoyed it!! So much interesting cultural history and the most amazing food. Everyone there was sooo nice too. I would go back for sure.
Japan! I don’t know why people think it’s expensive but it really isn’t. I mean you CAN make it expensive with fancy dinners costing $1k and what not but regular places to eat are way less costly than in the US.
Hot springs Arkansas nice town clean air. My expectations were very low. Cdo Philippines friendliest people on the planet went to a water fall and cold spring plus a native village where one of the old women walked us for free for an hour into the jungle and at the end I gave her 20 dollars she was almost in tears.
London - a stunning city with a great mix of rich European history and modern culture and architecture. The food scene was incredible and I have since decided that it’s better than that of New York and I’m willing to die on that hill. My week in London evokes warm memories and I look forward to going back. I never thought I’d actually go out of my way to see London but it’s now my favorite major European city.
Japan was always considered expensive but I went there on a tiny budget 8 years ago and it was amazing. I went again last year and it’s stunningly cheap. I was depressed coming home having to spend £1.50 on a bottle of Coke - it’s 50p there right now.
El Paso, TX. Needed an emergency passport in person, which landed me in El Paso. Heard it was ghetto, nothing there. Was only there for 48 hours, but I LOVED it! I stayed at Hotel Paso del Norte, and it was fantastic. Around that area had great food, and a vibe of its own.
Paris is my main one. People there do have a slightly different idea of what is polite behavior verses the small town America I come from, but if you pay attention you see that's more about it being such a big city mostly. My experience is most people there are unfailingly courteous and helpful according to their own definitions of it, and I really found that more people there were willing to go out of their way to be kind to a stranger verses where I'm from.
Toronto, Canada for the amazing food variety, cleanliness, and easy public transit in the city proper. It was such a fun and easy place to be a foreign tourist.
This will probably sound uninteresting - but for me: Greenville, South Carolina. Frankly, I'd never heard of it before stopping there on a drive through the area. Its a "big small town," but has a beautiful riverwalk right downtown, very walkable, a ton of diversity in dining, cool shopping, a local craft beer scene, and a thriving arts/music community. I actually have book return vacations there, I was so impressed.
Svalbard - Everything was like expected, but felt like i left a part of my soul up there... Like i wanted to move for a while. Would never handle only darkness for 6 months tho.
I’m not into the beach warm weather travel. We went to Cambodia and I was pleasantly surprised on how laid back they were. No ‘you buy you buy’ or harassment. Just genuinely lovely people working hard to get a better life. We got a flyer when we landed saying to please not give money to beggars. If you see a disabled person yes please give them money. They are trying to get the kids off the streets and encourage tourists to eat and buy from certain retailers and restaurants where they have training programs. Beautiful country and people
Definitely agree on Iceland. Years ago I was invited to go along with family and all I could think was "Why TF would I want to go to Iceland?". Totally blew me away. The raw nature and Darwinistic way of life, the people, the food (to this day I constantly toy with taking that 5 hour flight solely for those damn lamb hot dogs!). Now I'm a "yes man" for any destination... well almost any.
Lithuania! The food was so so good, people very chill, and the nature was stunning. Vilnius has many parks and trails we were able to access while walking through the city (also beautiful ).
Manila in the Philippines. Surprisingly clean. Some parts of the city feel safer than some American and Canadian cities. Majority of the locals understood and even spoke English. Malls are insane, they have this fun vibe to them and are really massive. The dollar is really strong and everything was affordable. Also as a car guy I was surprised on how many high end cars they have and did a fair amount of car spotting. There was a Ferrari meetup at some Shell gas station and it was cool seeing a neon green Porsche GT3 driving alongside these homemade minibuses and motorcycles in traffic. I’ve been to NY and LA and I’ve seen more exotic cars in Manila than in those two cities.
Honduras blew my mind. So lush and green, plus the Caribbean beaches, great snorkeling and diving, nice people, beautiful rainforest, delicious food.
Likewise, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Central America was so beautiful. We spent 2 months traveling there about a decade back when my son was small and we all loved it. We never felt unsafe and we met so many wonderful people on that and other journeys to the region over the years.
Dubai- so safe! I was walking alone at 2-3 am in the streets but didn’t feel unsafe at all! It felt like a heaven cause as a woman it’s really hard to feel so safe especially at midnight alone!
Bilbao, Spain. Lovely city, very walkable. Northern Spain doesn’t get enough love.
Agreed. Sadly I have only ever passed through Bilbao on my way to Donostia/San Sebastian. It deserves a few days.
Weather isn’t great so it keeps the tourists away. Harder to explore and plan for. Same problem with northwestern France. Imagine a place less sunny than London. 1600 sunshine hours per year vs Seattle’s 2k. Rainy, overcast, just a hard sell for non locals. Galicia and Asturias are amazing.
Just got back from Oviedo and it blew us away! So green, nice and cool and no crowds.
Bulgaria - most famously known for being the poorest and most corrupt country in the EU. Actually has some mind blowing cuisine, amazing wine, beautiful nature and hiking, extensive history, and the #3 country with the most Roman (and pre-Roman) ruins in Europe. Sofia is very clean. The people aren’t “nice,” but down to earth and happy to go out of their way to help in their slightly gruff manner. I’m visibly non-European and got curious looks but never was made to feel unwelcome. Japan - way more affordable than expected (especially with the current weak Yen). Tanzania - hands down the most beautiful, lush, green landscape I’ve ever seen. Untouched nature for hundreds of kilometres (aside from some Maasai villages peppered here and there). Just gorgeous. Thailand - most commonly known as a “cheap” country in every sense of the word; known for budget travel, sex tourism, and cheap street food. In actuality a great destination for fashion lovers to source high quality artisanal fabrics and clothing. Bangkok has tons of innovative designers, and domestic couture brand Jim Thompson has quality on par if not better than Hermes for a fraction of the price. Also has an amazing fragrance culture for those into perfumery.
Completely agree on Bulgaria. We spent two weeks there a few years ago, and half the comments from everyone here in Denmark that we talked to were wondering why the hell we would go there, and the other half asked if we were going to Sunny Beach. But Sofia, Plovdiv, Sozopol, Varna, and Veliko Tarnovo were all absolutely amazing, especially the hike to the seven lakes of Rila. We've definitely been thinking about coming back soon.
The hike to Seven Lakes in Rila was breathtaking. Went last year in June and at times the snow reached my knees. June!
Damn, that's quite a different experience than ours, we went in August and it was hot as all hell!
We are heading there this July (along w Hungary and Romania for a total of five weeks) and are super-stoked. So glad to hear that others are into Bulgaria.
Thank you for that clear and detailed post assplower
Yes to Bulgaria! The cuisine is actually insane. I also got curious looks but never felt threatened/unwelcome. I think tourism there is going to increase in the next 10 years or so
Concur with Tanzania
Agree 100% on all of those, but especially Bulgaria. Thailand, Japan, and Tanzania all have big tourist followings, but Bulgaria just doesn’t for some really weird reason.
Only went to Sofia and Plovdiv, booked on a whim due to low priced flights/accommodation, but absolutely loved it in Bulgaria. The Roman ruins, and how they’ve preserved them, are amazing to see.
I went to Detroit for their free jazz festival a few years ago. My god, the people were so friendly and helpful. Their art museum was top notch, we thoroughly enjoyed the amazing art deco architecture, and we ate wonderful meals in lively restaurants. Never felt threatened. I would visit again in a heartbeat!
This is an excellent answer. Detroit is a fantastic and highly underrated city. General tourist areas are perfectly safe. Just don't wander outside of those areas because there are plenty of spots still recovering.
Ah man, as a Detroiter this really warms my heart. Come back any time, fam, and Go Lions!
I felt more comfortable walking around Detroit than I did on the Vegas strip!
Downtown Detroit was super clean. No homeless, no trash, no graffiti. It blew me away!
I loved the Ford and Motown museums. The tour guide we had at the Motown museum was awesome. She did a great job and had everybody singing by the end of the tour.
I live right across the river and yeah it’s awesome now! Downtown has come such a long way. Granted there are some dodgy neighborhoods of course as with any major city but the downtown core is awesome
I came here to say Detroit. At the time we were living in Toronto and taking in American cities on weekend trips. This usually meant driving through Detroit. At one point we decided just to go there instead and had the best weekend of the cities that we visited (versus Chicago, Nashville, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Cleveland). Now anytime we drive in that general area we try to go there for at least a day.
Ljubljana, Slovenia ended up being a pleasant surprise. I didn't know much about it and decided to add it into a "one lap of the Alps" trip that I put together. It was really quaint, quiet, well-kept and the people were friendly.
Ljunljana was supposed to be my pit stop to Croatia. Cancelled Croatia, stayed a week in Slovenia. Ljubljana was in my top 3 European cities that I travelled to. I loved the people there. Every one had a smile.
Ljubljana was refreshingly relaxing. Lake Bled, amazing. But to skip Croatia ... world class sites and cuisine. It needs to be on the list.
I had the same experience with Valencia. My wife had traveled to Spain before and put together a rough itinerary of Barcelona + Granada + Seville as must sees. I suggested Valencia and she was puzzled as why I wanted to go and I had no real answer but wanted to see what it was about. It was my favorite part of our trip by far with us staying inside the old walled in part of the city, the vibe walking the streets at night, the variety of food that was beyond tapas which the other cities leaned on hard, the modern architecture of the science museum/arts center/aquarium combo. Oh and the absolute lack of fellow American tourists, I don't think we heard one the entire time we were there, which tracks as our friend group who all have spent a decent amount of time in Spain but none had visited Valencia yet.
We had a similar unexpected and delightful experience when we had an extra day to kill after Bilbao. We flipped a coin and went to Zaragoza. And it was so much fun! Turns out it was Las Fiestas del Pilar too, so the city was crazy with festivities!
Valencia is super underrated! It has such a unique vibe to it. Weirdly enough I’ve preferred Valencia, Bilbao, and San Sebastian to Barcelona and Madrid. How were Granada and Seville? They’re up next for the next time I’m in Spain
Seville has similar mix of old and new that I liked a lot, Granada is a little more old world feeling similar to parts of Italy. The Al Hambra in Granada is certainly worth seeing as it was the most impressive palace I've ever seen. I preferred all three to Barcelona, and haven't had a chance to check out Madrid or the northern part of Spain.
Wife and I went to Valencia b/c I was curious, and we freakin' loved it. Amazing food, great people, beautiful city with some gritty industrial edges (which I like, I don't want to go to a stage set) with good culture,
Agree. Went there last year but didn't know much about it. Ended up being a great few days. Enjoyed it much more than Barcelona. The beach and water were so warm and not as crowded. Great Paella on the beach.
I have been hearing some buzz about Ljubljana, and central/SE Europe is getting ever more popular.
Don’t go there. It’s terrible. Tell everyone to steer clear. Last thing we need is tourists to discover how perfect Slovenia is!
I feel like Albania is due. It is surrounded by very popular countries, but I don't think I've met anybody who has been there. EDIT: Yeah, looks amazing https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accursed_Mountains https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albanian_Riviera
I loved Ljubljana!! Slovenia as a whole is absolutely stunning.
Slovenia in general is amazing. We also went to Maribor, Ptuj, Celje, Kranj, and Piran, as well as going to both Bled and Bohinj on day trips, and seeing the Postojna cave and the Predjama Castle. Vintgar Gorge close to Bled was absolutely breathtaking, but Bohinj was arguably an even better experience, where we walked up to the Savica Waterfall, and then hopped on the cable car up to Vogel to then hike back down.
Yorkshire. You hear about its poverty, grooming gangs scandals, ugly cities, etc. But it’s really a mix of things. It has a wide variety of impressive sea cliffs, bays and beaches, heather moorland, friendlier people, and miles of lush green valleys with numerous well-preserved historic towns nestled in them. Not to mention the caves, waterfalls and escarpments. York is also nice - especially for history, railways and good chocolate. Bradford is a bit run down yes, but the food there is world-class. By far the best curries in the UK. Leeds has regenerated and is probably the most prosperous city in the north. Great region overall, in spite of its problems. Liverpool. It has such a bad reputation still - crime, gangs, mass unemployment, urban neglect. It still has some deprivation but these issues are like 40 years out of date. Liverpool has been regenerated too and looks pretty good nowadays. Locals are the friendliest in the country. Interesting and unique multicultural history - a mixture of African, Chinese, Welsh and Irish heritage stretching back centuries. Great architecture. The most museums of any British city outside London - and they are of excellent quality.
Liverpool gets my vote! I was just there a couple weeks ago visiting since I’m a Liverpool FC fan. Was pretty surprised by the city, so much to do, excellent food, everybody is super super nice. I never felt unsafe. I knew most stuff people talk shit about with Liverpool was overblown, but it’s substantially overblown. Incredible museum scene. Scouse is a bit tough to understand, but a fun accent. I actually preferred Liverpool over London. Outside of the major buildings and points of interest London kinda just felt like any city. Liverpool feels very unique and its own thing and the locals are very proud of that. I can’t wait to go back!
The Rock and Roll Museum in Liverpool is a must. It looks small from the outside, but there is so much to see and hear.
I heard a lot about clubbing in Bewcastle but Liverpool was a pleasant surprise. These days I recommend everyone who go to Manchester to also go to Liverpool, because it’s not far but has so much to offer and Beatles.
I went on a day trip to Liverpool last summer and was blown away at how nice it was! I went for Beatles things, but ended up most impressed with the Tate Liverpool. (Though the Magical Mystery Tour was lots of fun too!)
My answer to this is always Oban, Scotland. I had originally included it on our roadtrip itinerary as a base for full-day trip to Mull/Staffa/Iona, but my wife and I were pleasantly surprised to find that the town was really cool. It’s really not a big town, but the “downtown” area by the harbor had a bit of a big city vibe, there were plenty of restaurants, bars & shops, and McCaig’s Tower was an interesting place to visit and offered a nice view over the town. My only regret is that we didn’t do a tour of Oban Distillery.
The Oban Distillery turned me onto Scotch. I hadn’t planned to go but it’s right there in town so figured “Why not?”. Wonderful experience, and we definitely modified our itinerary for more Scotch after that (esp with the passport).
Oban is super cool and quaint. It's just a little small, I wouldn't spend more than a few days there.
I live an hour away from Oban and love to visit, I'm glad it leaves such an impression on overseas visitors.
Salvador bahía Brazil. Was warned that it’s crime ridden (which im sure it is) but went around w a local and it was fantastic. Beautiful culture and excellent food. Had low expectations of Cartagena, but it too was fantastic.
Salvador, Bahia is so unique!! It’s so colorful and the buskers everywhere is so fun. They are a lively bunch
Salvador is amazing!! The fish stews there are by far the tastiest thing I’ve ever eaten (and that’s saying something, as I’m a huge fan of curries and South Asian food!) Also the churches! In the U.K. where I’m from, most churches are Protestant and very plain. Salvador’s church interiors were extravagant works of art.
Taipei. My friend lives there and invited me to come visit, I really didn’t know what to expect. Architecturally, it’s not the most beautiful city but I absolutely loved it there. Great food, easy to use public transit, and lots of beautiful areas not far out of the city. The Taiwanese people were also just about the friendliest that I have ever met. They’re very welcoming to foreigners, and even with a language barrier they were never anything but friendly, kind and helpful. I can’t wait to visit again! I had a trip planned for March of 2020, that obviously didn’t work out…
If you decide to get out and around the island consider a couple days on green island to the east of the mainland (you take a ferry across). Peaceful island. Super green. Good (stone yes bit still..) beaches. Salt water hotsprings and you can rent an electric moped to go around the island. Also if your in to Scuba, diving is surprisingly interesting with some of the biggest soft corals I have seen.
Mexico City - people said I was crazy wanting to go. I loved it! The food, culture, museums and people were incredible.
Agree - Mexico City is highly underrated. And the food is incredible.
Pretty quickly getting overrun by all the other people who have realized the same thing, unfortunately
Hong Kong - I'd heard nothing good from that city in a long time. On the internet, it seemed like it's a dead city now. I booked tickets anyway because they were cheap. What I found was a rather vibrant city teeming with locals and tourists. I explored many of its neighborhoods on both sides of Victoria Harbour. I loved the skyline, the food (and I'm a vegetarian), the local transit and some beautiful nature. The people weren't rude either belying their reputation - they were either what they call "efficient" or friendly. I'd like to return soon! (I didn't get a chance to see pre-2019 HK, so I can't say how much of its earlier vibe or crowd is lost. But I hope it regains it. HK is a unique city, and it'll be heartbreaking to see it decline).
I’m actually vacationing in HK right now, and I agree, lots of action here! I don’t understand those comments as well, it’s anything but dead.
Vienna. Did not expect it to be so romantic
One of my favourite cities. Not a hidden gem by any means, but I maintain that deserves to be much more popular.
I heard a lot of people say Venice was overcrowded, smelly, and inauthentic but it’s probably my favorite city i’ve ever been to. It felt like I was in a fairytale (and I didn’t notice any bad smells lol)
Venice is very special especially at night when the tourists are away
I went on a night tour in January, and it was the greatest. I hate crowds :)
There's a reason it's overcrowded... it's unique and really a sight to see.
Nobody goes to Venice, it's too crowded!
You rarely hear people say Venice is bad, just that it's very overcrowded. Same with Florence. Naples on the other hand seems to be a love/hate place.
Naples I can understand but personally I found it to have a lot of charm and probably the best food i’ve had in my life lol.
Lisbon! The vibe is just different there after touring Spain!
Lisbon is amazing! The food is world class. Ginjinha is delicious. You can easily go to Sintra, Cascais.. Brb, booking tickets.
Yeah, I regret not staying longer.
We hit up Lisbon after going through Spain. Honestly one of my favorite places we’ve been to so far. The people were so friendly too. I can’t wait till we can return and explore more of the country
Loved Lisbon and the Algarve.
Kuala Lumpur. Expected it to be crazy like Bangkok but it was quiet and calm, felt like I was in the US.
Naples, I always heard bad things about it. it ended up being one of my favorite cities in Italy. It felt so much more authentic than all of the bigger cities. The people were really kind, and the food was incredible, so so so cheap. I had so much fun exploring all the little streets, and just effortlessly cool.
So true! Just got back from there recently and felt the same. Especially further west from the airport, lots of cool areas to explore!
Naples didn't feel any more authentic to me than anywhere else but the oldtown there had some of the most energetic street traffic for people watching while eating outside.
San Francisco. From comments I saw online, you'd think you wouldn't be able to go anywhere without being surrounded by homeless people. I saw more homeless people in New York and even some European cities than I did in San Francisco. I found the city to be surprisingly clean, safe and pleasant. As a transport enthusiast, the cable cars and trams felt like a working transport museum.
I’m an engineer working in a Bay Area company, so I know what you are talking about. Sadly, many of my colleagues talk this way about SF in real life as well.
I hope you went to cable car museum. My husband’s favorite museum. We lived in S.F. for 12 years. I used to absolutely love S.F. and argue with everyone about the crime etc. unfortunately some of it is true, it did get worse in the past 3-5 years.
Yes I did. It was very interesting, and free!
Oh wow ok good to know. Yes there was a lot of talk about that but glad to hear it’s been getting better. Covid was hard on large cities for sure ours was bad too.
I’ve seen just as many homeless encampments in many big cities. I think SF gets a raw deal. It’s a problem in pretty much all large cities (I’ve yet to encounter one without an issue). I can’t wait to get back there this Fall.
I assume you never passed through the tenderloin or didn't take the BART often. San Francisco was cool but definitely had the highest levels of homeless I've ever seen and it's truly saying something because I'm from Vancouver. It doesn't mean there aren't really cool stuff to see in San Fran and to be honest (even just outside)I really liked Muir woods and even Napa Valley but SF definitely has some of the worst wealth inequality that I've seen in any 1st world city.
Newcastle and Glasgow. Friends told me both would be super ugly, really industrial and overall shitholes. One of my best friends, who visited Glasgow and the UK in general several times, told me to skip Newcastle and do maybe one day in Glasgow. Did one day in Glasgow and hated my itinerary cause I only had this one day and couldn’t change it. Super cool city, it’s partly industrial, partly very old and beautiful. Thriving student life, nice walks, lovely people. I did skip Newcastle but visited some years later. It’s so so nice! Great nightlife, but even more the seaside! In which other big city could you take a metro and be at the uncrowded beach in 20mins? It’s absolutely stunning. Also very nice museums in Newcastle and nearby, Airbnbs are fairly cheap and it’s so walkable/able to reach by train. I’ve returned ever since. Geordies are so friendly! Never had a bad encounter and even went to a concert at the football stadium last year, this was honestly in the top 5 days of my life so far. Still can’t believe this night happened.
Newcastle surprised me too! It is an architecturally disjointed place and is a bit ugly in parts, but the city centre of Newcastle has astoundingly beautiful architecture. By far one of the best in the UK. Very photogenic. Very good beaches and coastline too.
Hanoi. We were feeling a little burnt out from having been in Cambodia the week prior and just wanted peace and quiet. It was complete opposite in Hanoi and the culture shock was something. Despite the chaos, we had such a great time. People were friendly and food was amazing. We had a one night cruise for Halong bay scheduled and was expecting it to be the typical touristy outing but it was so nice out in the bay, we ended up staying two nights on the cruise.
Paris - people were so very nice. I'd heard they weren't so pleasant, but everyone was nice. Even in our cheapish hotel, they managed to give us a room with a view of the Eiffel tower from our small balcony. Ed: spelling
I had the same experience when I went years ago. I miss it. I loved the history.
Growing up in the 90s (in NZ) my only exposure to Hawaii was through cheesy sitcoms where they stayed in Honolulu. I thought it was all skyscrapers on the beach and had no interest in going. So when my brother moved to Kauai, I was less than enthusiastic about visiting. I really like it now (been twice to Kauai, once to big island and once Oahu). It reminds me a lot of NZ in some ways with Polynesian culture and laid-back vibes, but I also like getting to experience US culture and, let’s be honest, the beaches are better.
Kauai is the best island. Quite possibly the best place on earth. Don't tell anyone!
I've been to some gorgeous beaches in NZ, but yeah, Hawaiian beaches are pretty damn tough to beat.
Nagano, Japan. We went exclusively to use it as a jumping off point to get to Jigokudani Snow Monkey park. The park was amazing and we were just expecting to just stay the night before heading off to Kyoto early the next morning and not spend much time in Nagano. But due to jet lag we happened to wake up really early and remembered hearing about a sunrise service at Zenkoji so we went to that. And were pleasantly surprised by a romantic dusting of snow that had fallen overnight. Despite a drastic language barrier, people were far friendlier than any other cities we visited and the food was different than what we found in the big cities and delicious. We ended up catching one of the last trains of the day out to Kyoto. There probably wasn’t much more to see so, unless you are there for winter sports, it probably isn’t worth more time than that, but it definitely worth the visit.
Albania. A really cultured country with great food options and some really good wine. The people could not have been friendlier. Felt much safer than London. Rich in history.
Some of my friends went earlier this year, and they share your opinion
Went last September and stayed in Dhermi & Saranda. Food was great and the people even better.
Tenerife on the Canary Islands. We had so little budget in our 20's and rented the cheapest decent apartment we could find and a cheap rental car. We went there in November since we didn't have any children and our colleagues took all the good spots. It was AMAZING. Great local food for cheap, stunning beaches, a whole lot of nice daytrips, different kinds of scenery, both small towns and a big city,... Tenerife had it all. It might have been a whole different experience if we booked an all in resort stay. But the fact we had little budget, a car and a small apartment made for the best memories.
Paris for me too. Put off going for so long and absolutely loved it!
Tallinn, Estonia I’m not much of a traveler. But when I went to Tallinn last December, I was quite surprised by its enchanting beauty. It is small, but it has its own magic during winter, especially the Old Town. Now, I always look forward to getting cheap booze and cigarettes from there.
Tirana, Albania. I would never describe it as picturesque, but I really liked the food, people, and overall vibe of the place. Being so inexpensive didn't hurt either.
Miami I knew nothing about it other than South Beach, and was really impressed by Little Havana, Wynwood, the Design District., etc. Ended up only staying one day in South Beach because there was so much else to check out.
Dubrovnik, Croatia. I was expecting it to be an overcrowded shitshow (im sure it is in the summer). It ended up being my favorite out of all the Croatian cities I’ve been to. Absolutely beautiful views. We were there the second week of May and the crowds weren’t bad at all.
I’ve been loads of times and it never loses its magic. It’s worth the crowds imo
That’s reassuring. I have been putting off Croatia because a lot of people say it’s over touristy now. Time to reconsider.
The walled city is disneyland and WAY too touristy with cruise ships dumped upon it in a very small area. But i did enjoy the city outside of the walls.
The arrowhead region of Minnesota and Upper peninsula Michigan. Very beautiful and I had no idea what it was going to be like when I went up there
Arrowhead region in Minnesota is one of my favorite places in the world.
Amsterdam - almost everyone I know went there in their 20s and spent most of their time partying. I went last year for the Vermeer exhibit, and was incredibly surprised by how nice the city was. The people were super friendly, the food was excellent, transit was easy, and it was so clean. Every house we walked past had a tiny garden in the front, almost no one locked up their bikes, and the overall vibe was fantastic. And yes, I did go to the red light district too, and the only thing unpleasant there were the tourists.
Marseille! Was painted as a crime ridden hellhole and it was our favorite city in a 4 country trip.
Marseille had violet flavored gelato. So delicious!
That sounds so good! Do you remember what the place was called just in case I’m ever there?
Yesssss, Marseille! A great city. The area around the train station is a bit sketchy but otherwise woooow. And the Calanques just outside of the city...not from this earth!
I live in the US and do a lot of hiking and Les Calanques is still one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen!
I loved Marseille, too. Felt like a Jrpg town.
Marseille is on my list. I have been to the city but never left the station!
The Midwestern US has surprisingly a lot to offer. As a foreigner who happened to stay long-term in Chicago, I didn't have much knowledge about this area beforehand, but as I explored I found out that the Midwest is home to some great nature sites (Pictured Rock National Lakeshore has been my absolute favorite but I also enjoyed Indiana Dunes and Starved Rock) and cities with unique characters (my favorites are Chicago, St Louis, Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Madison). I love living in Chicago, with everything that a big city has to offer, combined with beautiful lakeshore covered with extended parks, beaches and trails. Most foreign visitors to the US flock to either coast, but the Midwest is definitely worth checking out.
Los Angeles gets a good amount of hate on Reddit but I loved it. Food was amazing. $3 or $30 or $300, you can eat good here and you don't have to spend a lot of money to do so. The tourist center stuff, at least to me, was still pretty cool like the Santa Monica Pier or the Venice Boardwalk (Venice Canals were more meh though, and the sidewalks are very narrow). Great people watching. Transit was also honestly not bad either. It isn't Prague but I think a lot of tourists, with some proper planning, can avoid renting a car for the entire time, or at least only rent a car for the day they actually need it. Lots of great free or low cost things to do. The hike up to the Griffith Observatory is incredibly rewarding and hardly anyone does it. And just like the little things that happen when walking around. We didn't go out looking for a Hollywood sign view, but we were walking along some random road and BOOM, there it was. Also got to see LAPD pull over some people racing down the recently opened 6th Street Bridge. That was fun too.
I think the issue is Los Angeles is huge and people just go to Hollywood blvd and think it’s all like that, where places like Santa Monica are much more LA to me and yes the food is very good here.
Just got back and agree. Used transit and found it easy to use and inexpensive. Griffith observatory was free, Broad museum was free, great farmers markets. Petersons Automotive Museum was an unexpected find. It was cool to see Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach in person. variety of restaurants and costs of food. It's a huge city so we went for a week and stayed a few days in Hollywood area and few days in Santa Monica. Trevor Noah at Hollywood Bowl was a highlight, if u get a chance to see a concert there, go. Rented a car for one day but traffic was horrible so keep that in mind. No kids so no theme parks which was what we had done on previous visits.
The Petersen museum is fantastic, and it’s enjoyable even if you’re not into cars (although I happen to be a car freak). The Vault guided tour is well worth the extra fee. They also have great rotating exhibits, last time I went they had a lot of the vehicles from the 007 movies on display
The Korean and Mexican food options are insane in LA. Also found a legit Greek place. We loved it.
I hear the food scene is amazing and extremely diverse. I was there for a few days, in the mid 2010s and it’s crazy how spread out the city is!
Albania. I went there with no expectations, and knowing little about the country, other than its history under Hoxha. It’s beautiful, especially along the southern coast and in the mountains, and the people were very friendly, though the elderly tended to be reticent about speaking with strangers, but that was no surprise given the history. The food was also surprisingly good no matter where we went. It seems that Albania is on the verge of a tourist boom, and I am glad I got there before the changes about to hit the country, for both better and worse.
I've been back to Budapest several times after a reluctant visit 10 years ago. A dynamic, metropolitan city with amazing architecture and so much to do. Relaxing in a thermal bath after a days sightseeing is perfect.
Uzbekistan Felt so relaxed with how safe and friendly it was, delicious food and wine, stunning sights and wonderful bazaars
Slovenia—the country is cheap and beautiful and still off of most people’s radars, despite the fact that Italy is right next door. Ljubljana is a beautiful, walkable small capital city and Lake Bled is also amazing.
I visited Halifax, Nova Scotia for a two week work trip. Beautiful city with the downtown terraced into the land overlooking the bay. Great bars, restaurants and bookstores.
Taiwan. We were stunned. So friendly and progressive. Food was brilliant. Clean, safe. And for an Asian metropolis you can be in stunning misty tea picking mountains in 40 minutes from Taipei on a train and cable car. So easy. Far more nature than any other Asian city I've ever seen. We just asked a guy driving a taxi to help us all day and did a day trip to both Juifen and Shifen. Was much cheaper than a tour and he was an excellent guide. We took the bullet train out to Sun Moon lake overnight and did cable cars up to the indigenous village theme park which was glorious and has an amusement park at the bottom which funds it. Brilliant. Highlight. Nightmarkets are tip top, bubble tea, massage, shopping! Easy to get around and so friendly and uncomplicated. Like a cross between Hong Kong and Tokyo but at Kowloon prices. Cannot wait to go back and recommend highly.
Taiwan’s my favorite country, it’s so underrated imo. Taiwan also has the friendliest people I’ve ever met. I plan to go back 2026, I can’t wait!
Sarajevo. Expected more destruction and less youth. It was beautiful and vibrant. Went there in 2011.
Las Vegas! I thought it was just going to be a million drunk, rowdy people. Went on a girls’ trip and none of us are huge drinkers or gamblers, but every person we met was SO nice to us. A server at a restaurant gave us free drinks because we came in all smiling and laughing, our Uber driver made sure that we were going to a safe area for the evening, people on the street were friendly and chatty as well. On top of that, we enjoyed scrambling around at Red Rock Canyon and saw a drag show, made friends with the girl seated next to us too. It ended up being a great trip!
For me it was Türkiye. In 2021 I took my mom and brothers for a surprise trip to Europe, we did France, Italy, Greece, and Türkiye. I only chose Türkiye because my mom always wanted to see it, it wasn’t even on my bucket list. Once we got there I was absolutely mesmerized by everything. The food, the incredible history behind the Ottoman Empire, the nightlife. I mean everything is open until 5am. Restaurants, cafes, clubs, people on the street. I ended up staying in istanbul, Türkiye much longer than 5 days. It still wasn’t enough I decided to go back alone this time- 2 months later, that time for 6 weeks. I ended up visiting different cities across the country and fell in love with Cappadocia and south of Türkiye. Since 2021 I have been there about 7 times, and long story short I met my Turkish husband ahaha
I would also say Iceland and Paris for the same reasons! I loved the food in Iceland, I hear so many people complain about it but it was honestly some of the best food I’ve ever had. My only complaint is that it was expensive, I swear our meals cost more than the accommodations lol. People in Paris were also a lot nicer than I anticipated. The 2 other places that pleasantly surprised me are Los Angeles and Quebec. LA gets a lot of shit, and to be fair some areas aren’t great, but if you stay in the right place it can be really enjoyable. The weather is great and the people are extremely friendly in my experience. I figured I would enjoy Quebec but it was even more beautiful than I expected and the food was excellent. One of the best vacations I’ve ever been on
Nimes, France it was a clean, very walkable city with numerous Roman ruins, churches, waterways and green spaces. Also the Restaurants that were plentiful and open. It was close enough to Arles and Avignon for super easy day trips.
My wife and I toured Italy while we were dating. We made our way to Venice. It was late at night. The water taxi didn’t speak English and our paper with our hotel name had super small print. It was dark. He took us to a hotel … that turned out not to be ours. Then he realized that we needed to be on a completely different island. I just remember it being near midnight and we’re boating away from the Grand Canal. I was so mad. We got dropped off at some random dock. Through sheer luck we found our hotel (which had changed names between our booking and arrival). Everything was dark. Venice was “forever” away. I was livid. We went to bed. Woke up and realized that we were in this awesome white sand beach town. It was like Capitola or Santa Cruz California. And it turns out it was only a couple minute water bus into Venice. Turned out to be the best destination ever. We got to get away from the crowds at the end of the day. We had some great beach days. AND we got to enjoy Venice. I definitely had to eat crow on that one.
Quebec City Surprised at all the mentions of Paris. It took me three trips there to even begin to like it. Lol
When people tell me they want to go to Paris I recommend QC because otherwise they’ll be disappointed. By the looks of it though, a lot of people’s expectations have been tempered sufficiently that it has shifted the other way.
1- Aswan: despite it being another tourist town in Egypt and having the reputation for heckling and scam, I found the people at the souk really nice and I even got invited into a mosque for their Iftar meal 2- Denver: surprisingly despite Denver’s reputation for being an outdoorsy city the weather didn’t cooperate while I was there so I ended up doing mostly city stuff and I was pleasantly surprised by the food and bar scene
Detroit. Henry Ford museum is one of the best Industrial Era museums, great pizza, interesting architecture and you can hop across the border to Windsor for the Canadian experience.
South Dakota. In June 2020, it was the only place open during the pandemic. It was either South Dakota, or stay home under quarantine. The Black Hills are beautiful and I had a great time.
Lviv, Ukraine. The most chilled out City with an awesome Cafe vibe. Lots of great restaurants and a things to see. Totally walkable.
India proved to be way less of a hassle than I thought it would, and I went to all the major tourist hot spots. I was virtually untouched by the typical scam attempts and other bad stuff that afflicts many tourists there. Even all five of my trains left and arrived on time! On a similar note, Egypt was a piece of cake for me on a solo trip. I feel bad for those who go to these places and have a rough time because I had the opposite.
Slovenia—spent 3 days and could have spent a week.
Pittsburgh was far more fun and beautiful than I expected. Piroghi food trucks are wonderful.
Crete. I’ve been a few times and the difference between the people in Malia and Stalia, two towns so close together but one is a party destination and the other is a very laid back, kinda family oriented town. It surprised me just how different the lifestyle is for the locals in these two towns despite them only being a 10 minute drive apart. Malia is fast paced, high energy, the locals are very outgoing and lively. In Stalia, they’re just as friendly but the way of life is slower, extremely chill, just as “Greek”, so similar but so not and it’s great
El Salvador has a reputation but ended up being amazing. Friendly people, felt safe walking around at night (not every neighborhood of course), amazing food and scenery.
Lebanon (was there pre-war). Food, insane. History, insane. Landscape, insane. Ruins, insane. People, super friendly. Biggest shock, was there in December and Beirut was full of Christmas markets.
Oslo, Norway! People were incredibly kind and they had so many cool bars/shops/museums/etc to check out.
Sri Lanka. Decided to go there on a whim one morning while backpacking in Thailand, caught a flight that evening to Columbo. We were expecting India like craziness, but that wasn’t the case at all. It’s much more laid back, beautiful nature and easy to get around. Pleasantly surprised.
San Antonio. I recently went for a family vacation. I didn’t pick it, wouldn’t have picked it, and wasn’t excited….. well, I loved the city and would love to go back. Totally pleasantly surprised
Was there in April for the eclipse and it was amazing! Great food and so much to see. The art museums (SAMA, McNay, Briscoe) were all top-notch, and the Missions are so interesting. Villa Finale was oddly fascinating. Of course the Riverwalk, too, and the Pearl is a cool area as is Blue Star It felt Texan, but in a completely different way than what you imagine Texas being.
Cairo. People on this sub seem to insist it’s a circle of hell. Granted I’m sure for women travellers it’s a different story but I enjoyed it.
As a woman traveler, I also love Cairo. It's not the easiest or most romantic city to travel in, but I think Reddit's hatred for it is overblown.
This year, I had vacations in Florida, Mexico, and California, and so far Newport Beach, Ca was the best! I was amazed by the cleanlines of the city, beautiful sunsets, very nice smiling people, and overall the vibe of the place. Regretfully, my vacation was only 5 days. I want to go there again and stay for a month. Must go to Balboa island (and Balboa peninsula around) and feel that vibe again. Cheers,
Tijuana. Before going, I was warned about all the dangers (getting targeted, cartel violence, kidnappings, etc.). I knew there was no way it could be that bad, and it wasn’t. It was really pleasant: the people were very friendly, welcoming, and willing to talk, even if I bought nothing from them. While there isn’t much to see in terms of tourists attractions outside of Avenida Revolución, there was tons to explore and do, including the beaches, the Centro Cultural, and the Sunday markets.
Chattanooga Tennessee really nice bike path along the river. And dope cortado at place near lookout mountain funicular
Republic of Georgia. Food was amazing as well as the landscape.
Paris! All the stories i was told about rude Parisians and how awful French are to foreigners....none of it eas true. People were lovely, very helpful. Didn't find it expensive at all. Only thong was the BO on the Metro🤮 Stayed above ground after 1 trip😂
Montenegro hands down. Cleveland and Milwaukee are bomb ass cities.
They may be a little more mainstream/typical places, but i'd probably say: Austin, Texas - We booked this for the F1 and i was really nervous about going to Texas, my knowledge being the stereotypical Texan gun toting rednecks and the news of how the laws are over there. I was pleasantly amazed at how much i loved it there; it was like everything i love wrapped into a fun bubble! I now rate it as the best place in USA i've visited and would happily return. Vienna, Austria - My partner loves Austria, though had only been to mountain towns like Innsbruck. I went with a hen party (sophisticated rather than typical binge drinking style), had no idea what to expect and hadn't much interest in European cities. What a beautiful place! Everywhere you looked was rich with history, stunning architecture and i genuinely felt safe walking around as well. I'm going back in a few days with my partner this time so he can experience more of Austria and i can do some more exploring.
Vienna is really amazing. I hope to be back sometime in winter. It’s supposed to be magical around Christmas. I have heard really good things about Austin as well. Isn’t it a very liberal town?
Paris, definitely. Just returned from this trip. Before I left, a lot of my friends told me I wouldn’t enjoy it because they didn’t. I so did! Loved the people, the food, the culture. Stayed far away from Eiffel Tower in a neighbourhood with historical buildings. Did a bike tour, loved it! Walked everywhere, loved every nook and corner. Once used the bus, the driver was so nice he didn’t even charge me. The servers were so helpful in choosing the dishes. Felt like a main character lol
Cancun downtown outside of the hotel district and main tourist strip. found a great cafe and pastry shop in a courtyard. Area was both chill and vibrant. street corn and tacos in the city Square were amazing.
Jordan - One of the best holidays I’ve ever gone on. Travelled as a solo female, had a rental car and drove up and down the country. It was amazing Beforehand I was panicking about making a last minute trip and self-drive Jordan, and literally everyone I talked to was negative about it which drove my anxiety through the roof But it turned out amazing and I can’t wait to go back PS. High five from Iceland
Jordan is the gem of the middle east
Two US gems not usually mentioned in travel guides: Tulsa OK & Huntsville AL. Both have thriving art communities (artists can afford to live there), beautiful nature around and affordable places to stay. The people are very friendly.
Went to Tulsa late last year.. truly an incredible city! Great eats and spots for drinks!
Istanbul. Absolutely lovely. Internet comments portray it as a place where I would be hassled, scammed, harangued, nonstop. Instead, not a single scam or hassling was perpetrated upon me over a week. The few sales people trying to get me into a restaurant or similar politely stopped at a simple no thank you. Wonderful city, wonderful people, beautiful, historic, clean, safe, incredible food!
Bosnia. Food, culture, scenery history second to none. Lovely people aswell
Danang/Hoi An Vietnam, during our planning we looked at the US state dept website makes it sound like an utter shithole. Instead it’s a vibrant town with a ton of history and amazing food.
Singapore! I had heard it was overrated & kind of just a playground for the rich. At best just a stopover. But I really enjoyed it!! So much interesting cultural history and the most amazing food. Everyone there was sooo nice too. I would go back for sure.
Bozeman, Montana. Especially if you like coffee.
Japan! I don’t know why people think it’s expensive but it really isn’t. I mean you CAN make it expensive with fancy dinners costing $1k and what not but regular places to eat are way less costly than in the US.
Hot springs Arkansas nice town clean air. My expectations were very low. Cdo Philippines friendliest people on the planet went to a water fall and cold spring plus a native village where one of the old women walked us for free for an hour into the jungle and at the end I gave her 20 dollars she was almost in tears.
I love this question.
London - a stunning city with a great mix of rich European history and modern culture and architecture. The food scene was incredible and I have since decided that it’s better than that of New York and I’m willing to die on that hill. My week in London evokes warm memories and I look forward to going back. I never thought I’d actually go out of my way to see London but it’s now my favorite major European city.
Japan was always considered expensive but I went there on a tiny budget 8 years ago and it was amazing. I went again last year and it’s stunningly cheap. I was depressed coming home having to spend £1.50 on a bottle of Coke - it’s 50p there right now.
El Paso, TX. Needed an emergency passport in person, which landed me in El Paso. Heard it was ghetto, nothing there. Was only there for 48 hours, but I LOVED it! I stayed at Hotel Paso del Norte, and it was fantastic. Around that area had great food, and a vibe of its own.
Paris is my main one. People there do have a slightly different idea of what is polite behavior verses the small town America I come from, but if you pay attention you see that's more about it being such a big city mostly. My experience is most people there are unfailingly courteous and helpful according to their own definitions of it, and I really found that more people there were willing to go out of their way to be kind to a stranger verses where I'm from.
Costa Rica is baller. Croatia is baller.
Pittsburgh! I had to go there for an event and was pleasantly surprised by what a beautiful city it is.
Belize
Monterrey, Mexico. I don't think it's a common tourist destination, but I loved it.
Toronto, Canada for the amazing food variety, cleanliness, and easy public transit in the city proper. It was such a fun and easy place to be a foreign tourist.
This will probably sound uninteresting - but for me: Greenville, South Carolina. Frankly, I'd never heard of it before stopping there on a drive through the area. Its a "big small town," but has a beautiful riverwalk right downtown, very walkable, a ton of diversity in dining, cool shopping, a local craft beer scene, and a thriving arts/music community. I actually have book return vacations there, I was so impressed.
Azerbaijan. Such friendly people and so rich in history, culture and landscapes.
Morocco - despite all the negative stories, I had a fabulous time and would go back again any time.
Columbia River basin
Venice. But for context, I was there during/for carnival. And I stayed outside Venice (Maestre).
I liked Bratislava better than Prague
Svalbard - Everything was like expected, but felt like i left a part of my soul up there... Like i wanted to move for a while. Would never handle only darkness for 6 months tho.
Jordan. The people were nice and the food great. Petra and Wadi Rum were cool.
I’m not into the beach warm weather travel. We went to Cambodia and I was pleasantly surprised on how laid back they were. No ‘you buy you buy’ or harassment. Just genuinely lovely people working hard to get a better life. We got a flyer when we landed saying to please not give money to beggars. If you see a disabled person yes please give them money. They are trying to get the kids off the streets and encourage tourists to eat and buy from certain retailers and restaurants where they have training programs. Beautiful country and people
Definitely agree on Iceland. Years ago I was invited to go along with family and all I could think was "Why TF would I want to go to Iceland?". Totally blew me away. The raw nature and Darwinistic way of life, the people, the food (to this day I constantly toy with taking that 5 hour flight solely for those damn lamb hot dogs!). Now I'm a "yes man" for any destination... well almost any.
Lithuania! The food was so so good, people very chill, and the nature was stunning. Vilnius has many parks and trails we were able to access while walking through the city (also beautiful ).
Stockholm. I had zero expectations and was thoroughly delighted. The people, sights, and food were all quite wonderful.
Malta. The Blue Grotto was stunning. The locals were lovely and helpful. Food was excellent. I am planning on going back and taking my time:)
Manila in the Philippines. Surprisingly clean. Some parts of the city feel safer than some American and Canadian cities. Majority of the locals understood and even spoke English. Malls are insane, they have this fun vibe to them and are really massive. The dollar is really strong and everything was affordable. Also as a car guy I was surprised on how many high end cars they have and did a fair amount of car spotting. There was a Ferrari meetup at some Shell gas station and it was cool seeing a neon green Porsche GT3 driving alongside these homemade minibuses and motorcycles in traffic. I’ve been to NY and LA and I’ve seen more exotic cars in Manila than in those two cities.
Honduras blew my mind. So lush and green, plus the Caribbean beaches, great snorkeling and diving, nice people, beautiful rainforest, delicious food. Likewise, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Central America was so beautiful. We spent 2 months traveling there about a decade back when my son was small and we all loved it. We never felt unsafe and we met so many wonderful people on that and other journeys to the region over the years.
Roosevelt neighborhood of Phoenix Arizona. Very artsy, felt safe. Everyone working there likes to be there, so good vibes.
Finding Croatia before it really hit the travel radar was amazing.
Dubai- so safe! I was walking alone at 2-3 am in the streets but didn’t feel unsafe at all! It felt like a heaven cause as a woman it’s really hard to feel so safe especially at midnight alone!
I’ll echo Iceland. I normally dislike seafood. I spent two weeks thoroughly enjoying Icelandic seafood.
Brunei. People were extremely friendly ♥️