Traveling is one of our greatest passions, and we wish we had the time to visit more and more places each year. Alas, we’re forced to be very selective about where we travel! While we’re busy planning our vacations, we start hyping ourselves up about how utterly amazing the entire trip will be.
But there are a lot of factors outside our control. And it pays off to do some background research before you buy your plane tickets. Redditor u/Gourmet-Guy sparked an interesting discussion on the r/AskReddit online community after asking folks to share what cities they’d never visit again and why. Read on to see what they had to say and what cities you might want to reconsider vacationing in.
Redditor u/Gourmet-Guy, who started the thread in the first place because they were a victim of Paris Syndrome, shared their thoughts on traveling abroad and avoiding tourist scams with us. You’ll find Bored Panda’s interview with them below.
#1
Dubai. It features so much about what I don’t like about humanity. All money and no substance.
Image source: zordabo, David Rodrigo
#2
Atlantic City is just bizarre. It feels like a run-down, smallish city, but it’s weirdly dotted with glitzy casinos. It’s like Vegas and Scranton got drunk one night and made a really strange baby
Image source: full_of_ghosts, Arya Dubey
#3
Marrakesh, Morocco. Only place I’ve ever been that I’ve sworn I’d never go back to. After 2 days of walking around followed by groups of men and boys trying to touch my wife (who was dressed modestly with legs and shoulders covered), followed by aggression when either me or her voiced our displeasure with this, we gave up trying to sight-see and spent the rest of our vacation in the hotel.
Image source: ItsSupperHans, Beatrice Sana
#4
Las Vegas, Nevada. The crowds, the noise, and the general debauchery were just too much for me.
Image source: Interesting_Bet5855, Ameer Basheer
#5
Birmingham, Alabama. My wife was almost kidnapped right in front of me while I was holding our infant. Luckily she’s scrappier than she looks and they gave up when they couldn’t quickly shove her in the car.
Image source: starwestsky, Documerica
#6
Paris. Somebody spat on me and called me a filthy Jew. I got lots of evil looks the whole time I was there because I was visibly Jewish. Never again will I visit Paris.
Image source: mrdaviddc
#7
Cairo…. My god… I have said this before but… the pollution, the people asking you for money everywhere you go, the mistreatment of animals… I wish I could say that the historical side of the city makes up for it but… nop.
Image source: udontnowme
#8
Cairo. I’ve seen everything I wanted to see there, but would never return. Tourists are treated like cattle there, by those involved in the tourist trade, much to the embarrassment of the many good Egyptian people who live in the city.
Image source: kublakhan1977, Jack Krier
#9
Hollywood, specifically Hollywood Boulevard. It’s really janky, the whole town kind of smells, and it’s just wholly disappointing.
Image source: rancidtuna, ian
#10
Egypt Sharm El Sheikh.
The ressort was fine.
But stepping in the city market….big agressive vibe towards woman tourist. even when the bf is next to her
Image source: genkieveryday, Irina Nakonechnaya
#11
Dallas. Endless subdivisions and strip malls and mega-churches. And the name “Metroplex” tells you all you need to know about its charm.
Image source: AMerrickanGirl, R K
#12
Mobile, Alabama. There was a palpable aura of anger and resentment in that town that I’ll never forget.
Image source: Casual-Notice, WeaponizingArchitecture
#13
Nassau, Bahamas absolutely horrible. Place is extremely run down. Locals don’t leave you alone and don’t take no for an answer . no I don’t want to buy a wooden flute from the 90s, no I don’t want to but D&G sunglasses from china for $80. Idk maybe I had a bad experience but I’ll never go back to the Bahamas, at least Nassau
Image source: rodman666, Isabella Smith
#14
Port-Au-Prince
Was checking my watch every few minutes counting down the days and hours until I could leave. It was a scary place where even those that are supposed to protect you are open to attacking and robbing/kidnapping/murdering you.
Image source: rayrayrayray, Heather Suggitt
#15
Fez, Morocco.
The harassment of tourists by peddlers in that city is mind-boggingly aggressive and orders of magnitudes worse than anywhere else.
It doesn’t help the old city is a labyrinth where Google maps does not work. You stop for one second to try to orient yourself and you are surrounded by people offering to “help” you. So stressful
Image source: tiredadventurer
#16
Pattaya.
Never have I ever seen so many disgusting men and the down-classing of women so in your face.
Addis Ababa.
Absolute s**t hole. No idea where the city starts and the mud ends.
Manila
Traffic is literally 24 hours a day. It move took me 4 hours to go 10 miles.
Image source: anon, Ryutaro Uozumi
#17
I’d like to avoid going back to San Francisco if I can. It just makes me sad now.
Image source: DemonicWashcloth
#18
New Orleans, for fun at least. I’ve had to go there a lot for work and witnessed the following:
On Bourbon st. I saw two guys get into a scuffle then one pull a gun and aim it at his head.
On Poydras st as we were pulling out of a parking area a woman dropped trou and started s******g infront of us
Next to the Superdome as a crowds of people were pouring into the stadium a guy pulled his peeper out and started pissing aimed towards the crowd but not in proximity.
In French Quarters a woman pulled her car in front of us and began beating a man yelling he’d be going back jail.
Place is out of control.
Image source: Lives2Splooge69, Kristina Volgenau
#19
Manila
1. Traffic
2. Pollution
3. Poverty
Image source: blacks11, Andrey Andreyev
#20
Stockton, CA. The McDonald’s had an armed security guy.
Image source: KarlSethMoran, LPS.1
#21
Cabo. It’s an Americanized beach with American prices with gang members offering you drugs every 50 feet.
Image source: flatearthvaxxer
#22
I don’t need to go back to Miami, or at least to South Beach. My husband and I went last year and it was a little bit of a nightmare. We always find fun together, so it was still a good vacation, but I’d rather spend money elsewhere.
Image source: loudlittle, Antonio Cuellar
#23
Nashville. Felt like I entered the same bar over and over and over again. Bachelorette parties everywhere. Great for age 25.
Image source: skoldane
#24
Memphis, TN. Had to do some field work there. Cool park next to the river. Cool BPS pyramid. Never seen so many people driving around with cracked windshields. Almost got hit while driving multiple times by people running stop signs and red lights. Last straw was when I was coming up to an intersection, had a green light. Noticed someone in a white truck coming from the left. Slammed on breaks, barely slowed enough for the white truck to pass just in front of me and T-bone a sedan that was in the lane next to mine. Firemen had to jaws-of-life the car open to get the guy out and immediately sent him off to the hospital in an ambulance. Guy wasn’t moving or responding to EMS, don’t know if he died or what. Immediately called my boss and told him I’m GTFO and going home.
Image source: Mad_Mikes
#25
I’m both shocked and pleased to see Detroit yet-to-be mentioned in this thread.
It isn’t perfect but as a city it’s **really** turned itself around over the past 15 years.
Image source: CloudsTasteGeometric
#26
Bradford, UK.
It just doesn’t have a lot going for it, unfortunately. The sort of place where when people find out you are from out of town, they ask what you are doing there, but not in a sort of cheery “Oh, what are you here for?” way, but a “Seriously, why have you chosen to come here?” way.
Image source: BobBobBobBobBobDave, Jonfarman
#27
Canberra . I saw a bit of an ugly drug and angry youth scene that I never dreamt existed in Australia. Couldn’t leave the place fast enough.
Image source: McMetm, Social Estate
#28
Ashgabat, glad I went, but creepy. Total authoritarian dear leader surveillance state. Basically can’t leave the hotel unless escorted. Bad food.
Utterly fascinating, but can totally scratch it off my list of “been there, done that”
Image source: timpdx
#29
Blackpool. Not unless I’m forced against my will
Image source: ans-myonul
#30
Kamloops. It’s dirty, and whoever designed their roadways had no idea what they were doing.
Image source: CloakandCandle
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