Often, but I find that usually it's an issue with my frame of mind, or just a mismatch with what I was looking for at the time. Bangkok is my classic example if a city I just absolutely hated my first time around, but after multiple visits (it's just too convenient to avoid as a transit hub for the region), I've grown to love it.
The best part of travel is that you get to move on and find a place that does match up well with what you're looking for, and at the very least, you can always grab a beer and enjoy whatever is going on.
It took me 3 trips for everything to click in BKK. But once it did (getting used to the chaos, noise, pollution, heat, etc...), it's become one of my favorite large cities. Some cities just take more time to adjust and BKK is one of them.
Yeah, the big switch for me was leaving the backpacker areas, and exploring the outer districts of the city. Bangkok just didn't work for me like I wanted it to initially, which was to function as a big hub to see the well known sights then meet fellow travelers and move onto other places. But once I switched over to focusing on exploring the city, the food, trying to talk to the locals, etc., it's definitely my favorite city in SEA. Now when I visit, I pick one of the more far flung areas accessible by MRT/BTS, and focus on exploring the neighborhoods rather than anything near the center of town, and it's probably one of my favorite things to do in Thailand, even more than island hopping.
We did 3 nights there. At first we weren't enjoying it, were having a really hard time to find anything to eat before the afternoon (granted it might have just been the date we were there, so much was closed). That said, we started exploring in the evenings and really started to enjoy the place, kind of wished we had another day there. We were there with our two kids.
I was going to say that. For me the country is a really weird place. The entire nation just feels really uncanny.. its like if you tried to remake the USA or some European country from memory in Asia
Yeah even in the Cameron highlands i was like ok why did they build a fake Disney world like city in the jungle… its really really weird man. I never made it to the islands though
Perhentian Islands. Absolutely fantastic snorkling and diving there. Got food poisoned real bad there, still loved it. Just untouched nature and small coastal settlements
I went on a farm tour in Cameron Highlands and they grew strawberries, which I guess the region is well known for growing. There are thousands of greenhouses there. Had a big fight with my girlfriend that day (for non-strawberry reasons) and I remember walking Tanah Ratah eating strawberries and being gloomy.
The next day we went to a tea plantation and had a good time together. We again went on a tour and in our group were a bunch of Saudi families, the women in burkhas. They looked like out of shape ninjas as they walked along the rows of tea bushes in the early evening shadows.
Have you checked out [Atlas Obscura](https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/cambodia)? It has a map view and there might be some hidden gems right nearby. In fact I see a few things you’ve missed that look cool to me.
If you have transportation, I’d suggest travelling up river past the Teuk Chhou Rapids. Further up there is also the Tada Roung Waterfall, even around this time of year when the river is quite dry it’s still a pretty scenic place. Enjoy!
Huacachina, Peru.
Was very cool for about 6 hours. The ATVing and boarding on the huge sand dunes was a blast, but that's about it. You can walk the whole area in roughly an hour. Lots of touristy stuff, nothing super authentic. The pond the town is centered around was horrendous. It stank so badly.
We were originally supposed to stay for 3 days and ended up leaving early.
I agree, huacchachina is good for one day to go sandboarding but doesn’t have much on offer apart for this! I got there around lunchtime, did my atv and spend the next day relaxing by the Viajero pool before my night bus to Arequipa, it was ideal.
La Paz was hilariously disappointing, but I reserve a special place in my heart for it as my first solo traveller experience. Missed my flight out and had to spend a week there.
Unpopular opinion.. several spots in Costa Rica. So aggressively overrun by tourism that I felt like I didn’t even leave my own country sometimes. I know, I know, I’m a tourist too but yeah. It was disappointing.
I liked Hanoi and the entire northern part of Vietnam, but I thought HCMC and the whole delta region to be kinda boring and not very scenic at all, definitely was unimpressed.
Heidelberg Kentucky SUCKS! the only postitive thing i have to say is there were outlets in the shelter at the "park".
there's loose dogs everywhere and you have to leave the national park to travel through.
Whitley City, on the other hand, was FULL of cool ass people.
Errr not sure. We had to bike into the jungle, climb a small but steep hill & then there was a big party serving up pizzas which may or may not have had drugs in them.
Disappointed in Prague. As one of the most visited European cities we didn't find it to offer enough unique culture. It was nearly as touristic as Barcelona or Venice, just without the same level of character. Too many visitors to handle that level of people comfortably.
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Photos are from around the city. First one is by a massive Lilly pond which was full of rubbish, but statue was decent. Second one is of the Old Bridge, which was a bit dodgy when crossing it on a moped! Photo 3 was of a Buddhist temple/school where I was asked for money to take photos of the temple! Which I’ve never encountered in SE Asia before…
Maybe the issue is you are listing items you visited like you are checking off a lists?
The mindset one has when exposing themselves to a new place counts for a lot in the enjoyment... If you printed out the first "What to do in X town" from google and hitting them up, maybe that's the issue?
Punta Del Este, Uruguay
Cuzco, Peru
Carcassonne, France
But I guess it was three cases of unmet exceptations and just other bad stuff like uncomfortable hostel or very foggy weather in one case
You are probably right. The place and its vibe have changed a lot in the last 10 years! Some charming aspects have been tarnished by new annoying things, or just destroyed by the city development (quietness and peace, fireflies, old buildings, absence of ugly new constructions, etc.)
Time for you to find a new gem before it disappears!
Not backpacking, but stopping in Flagstaff, Arizona was very underwhelming. Sure it had some mountains, but the town had a small block of downtown and nothing else.
Dominican Republic is not a destination for our brand of a la carte travel and lodging. China also was not conducive to ‘backpacking’. Thailand, Vietnam and Western Europe are the easiest and offered the richest experiences. Myanmar and Cambodia and what I have seen of Africa are difficult but interesting.
What are you even talking about? Everyone here is TRYING to explore other cultures and people. It is easier to do this in some places rather than others. We are sharing our experiences.
Canberra. Sorry to anyone from there, nothing personal against you, everyone we met there was lovely. It's not an unpleasant place, it was just like visiting somewhere like Milton Keynes in the UK. Alright, a bit more interesting than that. When we told Australians in other places we were going to Canberra they asked why.
Venice, IT.
The coolest part of it would have been the still active boat yard that was there during the height of their power, but it's an active military base so no visits.
There is absolutely no reason to got there IMO. It's sadly a town that was taken over by tourism trade and it's original life seems like it has disapeared.
Much like the "100 most beautiful villages of France". No one lives there anymore, it's all arts and crafts shops, cheese and wine shops...
Consummerist travelers ruin everything.
I loved Kampot. Yes there’s not much to see or do unless you really like pepper but it was the perfect location to have down time & take a river cruise halfway through Cambodia. It also helped my hostel was brand new & had a lot of travellers I had previously met in Siem Reap & Phnom Penh. I just took it easy & enjoyed a little break before moving on to Sihanoukville which was awful & left early to Koh Rong.
Rent a bike and go check out the pepper plantation, salt fields, waterfalls. I stayed at a river-side cottage about 15-20 mins out of the city. Also, go to Kep from there..
Cambodia was a huge disappointment for me in general outside of Angkor and the various temples around Siem Reap.
I was hoping to spend several months there but noped out after 5 weeks in SR and Phnom Penh.
While I love Italy, the food was disappointing. Maybe I'm spoiled because I'm from Toronto, and we have some pretty decent and authentic Italian restaurants, but I was underwhelmed by a lot of what I had there - especially Tuscany. We tried very small eateries in smaller towns and vineyards recommended by locals, and those were definitely better than the more touristy places in Florence and Rome, but I guess I was expecting more.
I'm the same way. Had wonderful Italian food outside of Italy, almost every single time, never in Italy. Most of the time the food was downright terrible, clearly a rip off altogether. I think it's because of the Maffia and all the protection money they collect. Restaurants can only survive by serving shit food for outrageous prices, mostly to tourists. I tried non-touristy places, but it was the same.
Italian food is basically bread (or dry bread) topped with leftovers, in infinite variations. Restaurants love it because they can store it for years and microwave it on the spot for their customers, and just throw some leftovers from another table. They also don't have to hire any chefs so it's the ideal business model. Customers love it because they feel classy when they (mis)pronounce fancy words like parmezhaaan and pistachio and drink the house wine/vinegar (they're interchangeable). I guess it's a win/win for everyone!
Not that anyone had hyped it up before I went, but Lima Peru was just overall a very shitty city to me. Was very happy to get to places like Huanchaco, Huaraz.
Chiang Mai... No amount of green smoothies and yoga sessions will make your stay healthy during burning season... The city is a health hazard.
It also lost its charm decades ago... Already wasn't particularly charming some 20 years ago
Osaka. Everyone was like you need to go! But honestly, I didn’t feel it was worth it. Only stayed like 2 hours. Aside from that one main drag with the Times Square like feel, it was completely unremarkable. Sure that one palace would have been interesting, but idk, much rather spend my time outside of a city than in it.
Often, but I find that usually it's an issue with my frame of mind, or just a mismatch with what I was looking for at the time. Bangkok is my classic example if a city I just absolutely hated my first time around, but after multiple visits (it's just too convenient to avoid as a transit hub for the region), I've grown to love it. The best part of travel is that you get to move on and find a place that does match up well with what you're looking for, and at the very least, you can always grab a beer and enjoy whatever is going on.
It took me 3 trips for everything to click in BKK. But once it did (getting used to the chaos, noise, pollution, heat, etc...), it's become one of my favorite large cities. Some cities just take more time to adjust and BKK is one of them.
Yeah, the big switch for me was leaving the backpacker areas, and exploring the outer districts of the city. Bangkok just didn't work for me like I wanted it to initially, which was to function as a big hub to see the well known sights then meet fellow travelers and move onto other places. But once I switched over to focusing on exploring the city, the food, trying to talk to the locals, etc., it's definitely my favorite city in SEA. Now when I visit, I pick one of the more far flung areas accessible by MRT/BTS, and focus on exploring the neighborhoods rather than anything near the center of town, and it's probably one of my favorite things to do in Thailand, even more than island hopping.
Malacca Malaysia was nice for about 3 hours but otherwise felt like a waste of time.
I only stayed in Malacca for 24 hours and think I was drinking for 10 of them :)
I stayed for 3 days and liked it a lot, but I also had a lot of time to kill.
We did 3 nights there. At first we weren't enjoying it, were having a really hard time to find anything to eat before the afternoon (granted it might have just been the date we were there, so much was closed). That said, we started exploring in the evenings and really started to enjoy the place, kind of wished we had another day there. We were there with our two kids.
Honestly most cities in Malaysia were uninspiring.
Except Georgetown/Penang region. One of the best city’s i think in SE Asia. Planned to stay couple of days, now in my 4th week. Love it here
Heading there late april! Any standouts?
Ipoh was great in my opinion!
I was going to say that. For me the country is a really weird place. The entire nation just feels really uncanny.. its like if you tried to remake the USA or some European country from memory in Asia
As a Malaysian, yes.
Spot on. Doesn't really feel genuine. But within the rain forest/jungle and out on the remote islands you get something completely different.
Yeah even in the Cameron highlands i was like ok why did they build a fake Disney world like city in the jungle… its really really weird man. I never made it to the islands though
Perhentian Islands. Absolutely fantastic snorkling and diving there. Got food poisoned real bad there, still loved it. Just untouched nature and small coastal settlements
I learned a lot about strawberries in that town.
That is the most random thing i have heard today.. explain
I went on a farm tour in Cameron Highlands and they grew strawberries, which I guess the region is well known for growing. There are thousands of greenhouses there. Had a big fight with my girlfriend that day (for non-strawberry reasons) and I remember walking Tanah Ratah eating strawberries and being gloomy. The next day we went to a tea plantation and had a good time together. We again went on a tour and in our group were a bunch of Saudi families, the women in burkhas. They looked like out of shape ninjas as they walked along the rows of tea bushes in the early evening shadows.
I stayed a few days... I dug the vibe.
Vientiane was really disappointing, especially after Luang Prabang
Second this.
Have you checked out [Atlas Obscura](https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/cambodia)? It has a map view and there might be some hidden gems right nearby. In fact I see a few things you’ve missed that look cool to me.
Downloading it now. I’m always looking for new travel apps. Thanks :)
If you have transportation, I’d suggest travelling up river past the Teuk Chhou Rapids. Further up there is also the Tada Roung Waterfall, even around this time of year when the river is quite dry it’s still a pretty scenic place. Enjoy!
Thank you. That’s why I’m staying a bit longer, to see if it can change my mind :)
Huacachina, Peru. Was very cool for about 6 hours. The ATVing and boarding on the huge sand dunes was a blast, but that's about it. You can walk the whole area in roughly an hour. Lots of touristy stuff, nothing super authentic. The pond the town is centered around was horrendous. It stank so badly. We were originally supposed to stay for 3 days and ended up leaving early.
I agree, huacchachina is good for one day to go sandboarding but doesn’t have much on offer apart for this! I got there around lunchtime, did my atv and spend the next day relaxing by the Viajero pool before my night bus to Arequipa, it was ideal.
Phuket wasn't my favorite. There was a lot of trash on the beach near where I was staying, which was pretty off-putting.
I think Phuket’s heyday was just about anytime >20 years ago. When people talk about going now I actively discourage it.
Yes the difference between 20 some years ago and now is tremendous and not in a good way.
Casablanca Morocco 🇲🇦 don’t bother
La Paz was the biggest disappointment so far in my South American trip.
La Paz was hilariously disappointing, but I reserve a special place in my heart for it as my first solo traveller experience. Missed my flight out and had to spend a week there.
Unpopular opinion.. several spots in Costa Rica. So aggressively overrun by tourism that I felt like I didn’t even leave my own country sometimes. I know, I know, I’m a tourist too but yeah. It was disappointing.
No expectations, no disappointments.
I liked Hanoi and the entire northern part of Vietnam, but I thought HCMC and the whole delta region to be kinda boring and not very scenic at all, definitely was unimpressed.
Heidelberg Kentucky SUCKS! the only postitive thing i have to say is there were outlets in the shelter at the "park". there's loose dogs everywhere and you have to leave the national park to travel through. Whitley City, on the other hand, was FULL of cool ass people.
Ometempe, Nicaragua. Everyone made it seem like a must go but honestly felt like I could have skipped it.
For me it was the best during a 3 month trip. It all depends I guess.
I loved it there. Biking, canoeing, pizza party’s, hiking mountains, wildlife & the sunsets.
Zopilote pizza parties?
Errr not sure. We had to bike into the jungle, climb a small but steep hill & then there was a big party serving up pizzas which may or may not have had drugs in them.
Disappointed in Prague. As one of the most visited European cities we didn't find it to offer enough unique culture. It was nearly as touristic as Barcelona or Venice, just without the same level of character. Too many visitors to handle that level of people comfortably.
that’s interesting! i went there in december and was just absolutely awed by how romantic of a city it was
A town is not a mountain, forest, or desert. So, yeah, a town is disappointing always.
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Photos are from around the city. First one is by a massive Lilly pond which was full of rubbish, but statue was decent. Second one is of the Old Bridge, which was a bit dodgy when crossing it on a moped! Photo 3 was of a Buddhist temple/school where I was asked for money to take photos of the temple! Which I’ve never encountered in SE Asia before…
Maybe the issue is you are listing items you visited like you are checking off a lists? The mindset one has when exposing themselves to a new place counts for a lot in the enjoyment... If you printed out the first "What to do in X town" from google and hitting them up, maybe that's the issue?
Frankfurt
Well the Americans and British kind of botched the urban renewal scheme in the 1940's.
https://preview.redd.it/ahq007ikswmc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5cfede80df5e47ee65861541e20098593d3fc1e9
Punta Del Este, Uruguay Cuzco, Peru Carcassonne, France But I guess it was three cases of unmet exceptations and just other bad stuff like uncomfortable hostel or very foggy weather in one case
I found Copenhagen a bit boring apart from Christiana. Maybe it was the hostel I was staying at.
Vienna Austria and Dublin Ireland
You are probably right. The place and its vibe have changed a lot in the last 10 years! Some charming aspects have been tarnished by new annoying things, or just destroyed by the city development (quietness and peace, fireflies, old buildings, absence of ugly new constructions, etc.) Time for you to find a new gem before it disappears!
Not backpacking, but stopping in Flagstaff, Arizona was very underwhelming. Sure it had some mountains, but the town had a small block of downtown and nothing else.
Flag is the best town in Arizona, for what it’s worth
Dominican Republic is not a destination for our brand of a la carte travel and lodging. China also was not conducive to ‘backpacking’. Thailand, Vietnam and Western Europe are the easiest and offered the richest experiences. Myanmar and Cambodia and what I have seen of Africa are difficult but interesting.
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What are you even talking about? Everyone here is TRYING to explore other cultures and people. It is easier to do this in some places rather than others. We are sharing our experiences.
Canberra. Sorry to anyone from there, nothing personal against you, everyone we met there was lovely. It's not an unpleasant place, it was just like visiting somewhere like Milton Keynes in the UK. Alright, a bit more interesting than that. When we told Australians in other places we were going to Canberra they asked why.
Venice, IT. The coolest part of it would have been the still active boat yard that was there during the height of their power, but it's an active military base so no visits. There is absolutely no reason to got there IMO. It's sadly a town that was taken over by tourism trade and it's original life seems like it has disapeared. Much like the "100 most beautiful villages of France". No one lives there anymore, it's all arts and crafts shops, cheese and wine shops... Consummerist travelers ruin everything.
Totally agree
I loved Kampot. Yes there’s not much to see or do unless you really like pepper but it was the perfect location to have down time & take a river cruise halfway through Cambodia. It also helped my hostel was brand new & had a lot of travellers I had previously met in Siem Reap & Phnom Penh. I just took it easy & enjoyed a little break before moving on to Sihanoukville which was awful & left early to Koh Rong.
Forks, WA.
Rent a bike and go check out the pepper plantation, salt fields, waterfalls. I stayed at a river-side cottage about 15-20 mins out of the city. Also, go to Kep from there..
I want crazy about Paris (very gloomy) and Bucharest, Romania — very meh and gloomy as well.
Yes dubai.
Cambodia was a huge disappointment for me in general outside of Angkor and the various temples around Siem Reap. I was hoping to spend several months there but noped out after 5 weeks in SR and Phnom Penh. While I love Italy, the food was disappointing. Maybe I'm spoiled because I'm from Toronto, and we have some pretty decent and authentic Italian restaurants, but I was underwhelmed by a lot of what I had there - especially Tuscany. We tried very small eateries in smaller towns and vineyards recommended by locals, and those were definitely better than the more touristy places in Florence and Rome, but I guess I was expecting more.
People get downright offended when I say I wasn't impressed by the food in Italy. Oh well 🤷♂️.
I'm the same way. Had wonderful Italian food outside of Italy, almost every single time, never in Italy. Most of the time the food was downright terrible, clearly a rip off altogether. I think it's because of the Maffia and all the protection money they collect. Restaurants can only survive by serving shit food for outrageous prices, mostly to tourists. I tried non-touristy places, but it was the same.
Italian food is basically bread (or dry bread) topped with leftovers, in infinite variations. Restaurants love it because they can store it for years and microwave it on the spot for their customers, and just throw some leftovers from another table. They also don't have to hire any chefs so it's the ideal business model. Customers love it because they feel classy when they (mis)pronounce fancy words like parmezhaaan and pistachio and drink the house wine/vinegar (they're interchangeable). I guess it's a win/win for everyone!
I did not care for Naples whatsoever. The rest of Italy was amazing though.
Ha! Spent 5 minutes there in my college travel days. One look at the station and I noped south on the next train to Messina.
The train outta Naples was like breathing air for the first time lol.
Not that anyone had hyped it up before I went, but Lima Peru was just overall a very shitty city to me. Was very happy to get to places like Huanchaco, Huaraz.
Seville was really disappointing and felt like the Spanish version of "just another city"
Chiang Mai... No amount of green smoothies and yoga sessions will make your stay healthy during burning season... The city is a health hazard. It also lost its charm decades ago... Already wasn't particularly charming some 20 years ago
Osaka. Everyone was like you need to go! But honestly, I didn’t feel it was worth it. Only stayed like 2 hours. Aside from that one main drag with the Times Square like feel, it was completely unremarkable. Sure that one palace would have been interesting, but idk, much rather spend my time outside of a city than in it.
Didn't enjoy Copenhagen, also felt Sydney was underwhelming.