“Awful, Awful Place”: 28 Tourists Share Cities They Will Never Visit Again

Traveling can be a magical, eye-opening experience, but not all locations are made equally. From tourist traps to just plain old boring and tacky cities, some places are not worth it. 

Someone asked “In your travels, which city was the biggest letdown?” and netizens shared their worst experiences. We also got in touch with Macca Sherifi from An Adventurous World and he was kind enough to answer some of our questions. So get comfortable as you read through, upvote your favorites, and be sure to comment on your own experiences below.

More info: An Adventurous World

12 PHOTOS

#1

Image credits: ElisaBelloo

Dubai. It's like Vegas with no soul. I never thought Vegas had a soul, then I visited Dubai.

Dewthedru:
It’s like Vegas but for business. Huge advertisements everywhere. Big, gaudy towers and shopping places seemed to be the main attractions. And zero people doing any work are from there. It's just a big, bright, and expensive facade. No soul at all.

#2

Niagara Falls, Ontario. Not the falls themselves. They're spectacular. The town is awful.

veebs7:
Tacky, touristy hellhole next to one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world. I guess if you’re a family with young kids, there’s plenty to do aside from the falls, but otherwise, ugh.

Imaginary_Airport_43:
It used to be the #1 honeymoon destination for Americans before it was over-commercialized. Supposedly, during the Victorian era, it still had a wild and magical aura about it, but it was lost once it became developed and touristy.

#3

Cairo without a doubt. Anyone who hasn't been just Google and the horror stories will keep you away.

emmas dilemma:
My disappointment when I got to the Pyramids…and directly across the road was a Pizza Hut. Dafuq?

Pictolic got in touch with veteran traveler Macca Sherifi from An Adventurous World and he was kind enough to answer some of our questions. First, we wanted to know what travel advice he would give a younger self.

“Don't stress about money. It's always better saying yes to the experiences you want to do, even if they cost a lot of money, than saying no and regretting it for the rest of your life.” It’s also important to get one’s priorities straight, as the internet is littered with people who end up with underwhelming experiences. 

#4

Hollywood. "Who hurt you" - the city.

EmeraldIbis:
I realized after my trip that you need to research where to go in LA. My usual travel style is to just show up without much of a plan and wander around, but that doesn't work in LA. The famous tourist locations like Hollywood Boulevard and Venice Beach are disgusting.

AnjoonaToona:
I live near Hollywood and trust me, it's one of the sh**tier parts of LA.

#5

Tel Aviv as a teen Christian thinking they were our allies and friends. Israelis spit on my mother, called us goyim, and everyone ripped us off. The men were perverted and rude. I’ve also never been to a city where people argue amongst themselves so much. We got scammed for dinner, our Airbnb tried to overcharge us, we got scammed at markets and stores, and laughed at for being Christians and Americans on several instances. They say Tel Aviv is famous for hospitality but that's only true if you are Hebrew. Also, the most outwardly racist place I’ve been. Another family with our church was Mexican and the Israelis thought they were arab, so the way they were treated was disgusting. They got spit on twice.

#6

Las Vegas was all fun for 2 nights, but we made a mistake and stayed for 4 nights. Couldn't wait to leave.

ositola:
You arrive bright-eyed and full of energy. You leave dehydrated and don't open any banking apps until you get paid again.

We also wanted to hear his thoughts on what things are worth splurging on. “If you've got the money then great. By paying a premium, it can save you a lot of time in travel time or when planning a trip. However, I love the planning element of a holiday, so I wouldn't want to take that away!” he shared with Bored Panda. 

#7

Dallas, Texas. I cannot believe how boring that city is. I’ve had much more fun in every other Texas city I’ve visited (Austin, San Antonio, even Fort Worth!).

TheBigC87:
I grew up in Ft. Worth. This is so accurate. DFW is a huge suburban sprawl where the character has been sucked dry. San Antonio is the best city in Texas for tourism.

r0n0c0:
For all of its hype and local pride, Dallas is a disappointment. I went there for business once. It’s historic and fun, people said. They were wrong.

#8

Little Rock Arkansas

I expected nothing and somehow got even less than that.

Would not recommend it.

#9

Sochi, Russia.

An absolute hellhole, with no flair, and no atmosphere apart from "give us all your money and then f**k off." Also swelteringly hot.

Awful, awful place.

Lastly, from unwritten rules to extra tips, Macca left us with these parting thoughts. “Research research research. I think the more you know about the destination - the culture, the history, the food - then the better prepared you are. Just having a bit of knowledge can change your trip, and you'll find it a lot easier talking to locals and having a more authentic experience.”

#10

I live in Korea but not in Seoul. I've been to Seoul many times and I had this feeling that it's all a front. Ppl are miserable. Housing crisis. Over worked zombies. Underpaid zombies. A city of zombies. They smile robotically and wave around their Samsung phones in elation to their leaders - Kpop and Instagram. This city is designed for Instagram and social media. There's no restaurant with soul. (no pun). There's no business that seems true to itself.

#11

Nashville. Unless you can't get enough of country music, felt like you ran out of stuff to do very quickly.

#12

Atlantic City is a once in a lifetime experience. As I'm never going there again.

The most heartbreaking sight was all the kids on the steps of the casino, waiting for their parents who "just went for a quick spin of the roulette wheel". Those poor kids were waiting nearly all day and night.

The boardwalk is full of the kind of people you hope don't sit next to you on a plane. Loud, drunk and they have OPINIONS.

Never again.

#13

LA is terrible if you don’t have a local to show you around.

Billymillion1965:
Los Angeles is a horrible place to visit but a wonderful place to live. Beach and snow-capped mountains that can be driven to in the same day. Everything a big city can offer and the best weather on earth. I miss it so much.

#14

Daytona Beach Florida. I was SO excited to go to Florida in High school. Cockroach in the hotel room. Biohazard bag in the water, all scummy touristy stuff. No thanks, saved up all that money to go working at the school store just to be disappointed. Went to Tybee Georgia a year ago and, that place was fantastic.

Sippinonjoy:
Daytona is the trashiest city in America. Florida has many beautiful beaches, but Daytona is the absolute worst place I’ve ever been.

#15

Houston

It was just concrete and roadways. I did a bunch of the highlights and unique things there... But it just didn't have a personality.

New York, LA, Atlanta, Dallas, Vegas, Miami, New Orleans, Jackson, Baton Rouge, Kansas City, etc. all have a feel to them. But Houston just feels like a place people go to exist and work.