The number one question people tend to ask when they find out what I do is easy enough to guess—What’s your favorite country?—but much harder to answer. I’ve been to—well, who really knows at this point?—but likely between 70 and 80 countries, and how do you even go about picking a favorite? Well, I guess it depends on your determining factors. Culture? Morocco. Off-the-beaten-path-ness? Romania. I could live there for the rest of my days? Portugal. Adventure sports, adrenaline opportunities? New Zealand. Will someone bring me another boat drink while I bask in this most perfect paradise? The Maldives, Cook Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, *insert one of a dozen tropical destinations I love and to which I can’t wait to return.*
But the other day I got a much easier, more interesting question posed to me via cyberspace: What are your least favorite countries? Now, this is a question I can get behind. It’s probably going to make me unpopular with a handful of tourism boards—not to mention many of you who either hold these places near and dear to your heart or, much worse, live in them—but here are a few places I have no plans to revisit anytime soon.
-Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I’m sorry, but I absolutely hated the stretch of country that I saw. I was on the Punta Cana side for a story for Real Simple, and it was so sad to me how there was a littering of resorts on the east side of the country, totally walled off from the actual towns and their people, completely separated from reality. The dichotomy of the rich travelers in the resorts and the poor villagers was too much to bear. The handful of resorts I did visit lacked both hospitality and basic services like electricity (apparently, it’s perfectly normal for the power to go out multiple times a day…forget maintaining a normal hygiene routine). I went scuba diving and the coral was bleached and the marine life non-existent. I also didn’t dig the people at the resort saying it wasn’t wise to actually get out and see a little of the DR, for safety reasons. Why would I even want to visit a country and not see any of it, but just stay in my own little hotel box? If that were the case, I would have remained in the States and gone to Florida. And had I known I was going to be hotel-bound the duration of my trip, I likely would have opted for elsewhere in the Caribbean (Dominica, Montserrat, Bonaire, wherever). Overall, my worst trip to date. The good things? Pretty sunsets and I learned to trapeze.
-Helsinki, Finland. It could be that whole cab debacle that tainted my experience, but having lived in Denmark and spent some time in Sweden and Norway, as well, I found Helsinki to be a bit drab and nowhere near as enticing as Scandinavia’s other big players. Lapland, however, I will give a shot…one day.
-Guatemala. I wanted to LOVE Guatemala, I really wanted to, but I just…didn’t. Neither did SVV. Lago Atitlan was beautiful (unfortunately, we started our trip here and everything else was downhill after that), but Antigua was a major disappointment. I’d heard so much hype from friends who had been there before, but we just found it Little America. Everyone was an American expat and spoke English. Chichicastenango did not live up to the hype, not even close: It’s played up as “the best market in Central America,” but as a global market shopper with a discerning, I came away with an outfit for my nephew and a purse for my niece and that’s it. Guatemala City was just dirty and rundown (as we knew it would be, but we had to fly in and out of there after all). Also, it rained our entire two weeks there, and there’s not a whole lot to do indoors. Aaaaand we got bed bugs in Monterrico. Awesome. I won’t say I’d never go back to Guatemala, but if I do, it will be a side trip to Tikal (Star Wars rebel base!) when next I’m in Belize.
-Brussels, Belgium. I’ve been to Belgium a handful of times. The first was on Spring Break in college, and then on other occasions while living in Holland. I love Antwerp and Bruges with every ounce of my soul. And Brussels was where Scott and I first drunkenly made out while at a conference at the European Parliament. Nevertheless, I find the city too industrial for my liking.
-Fes, Morocco. I could have stayed a month in Marrakesh. I had the time of my life in the Sahara. I thought Essaouria was stunning in its coastal beauty. Chefchaouen, its center painted entirely in blue, was a marvel. But Fes? I don’t get the appeal. I constantly felt as if I were going to get pickpocketed, and the tight medina with its multitude of hustlers chasing us for blocks did not really a pleasant experience make. I tasted my first pigeon here, so at least there’s that.
-Cuba. I won’t say Andi and I didn’t have a great time—we did. And I won’t say we didn’t experience our share of travel trauma—we did that, as well. But I was honestly expecting so much more from this forbidden fruit than what I saw. Likewise, the food was terrible until we finally wised up our last night and ate at our casa particular, after which her husband gave us salsa lessons (the best part of the visit, by far). Perhaps had our pleas to rent a car been granted and we had made it down to Trinidad, as well as out to la Isla de la Juventud (we had tickets well in advance, but alas, the plane never left the ground), my Cuban memories would have been a bit fonder. As it stands, Havana has some impressive colonial architecture and Playas del Este was beautiful (yet locals weren’t allowed on the same stretch of sand as tourists), but I have no immediate plans to return.
-Singapore. Singapore was clean and green and the food was good and the people were nice, and it’s not that I in any way found it non-charming or unlikable. It’s just that it’s so teensy-tiny, I feel like I saw what I need to see and, thus, should spend my time exploring new territory. End of story. Haters, go ahead and hate.
-Roatan, Honduras. On the same trip as Guatemala, so maybe I’m not given it a fair shake due to our terrible luck with weather. The diving was fine (I’ve experienced better), and our dive resort Anthony’s Key was nice enough (though the food was so terrible it’s as if the place was implying I needed to be on a diet), but honestly, we circled the whole island and I saw very little that made me in a hurry to book a ticket back.
Do you agree with my above choices? Want to talk me out of my decision and give me a convincing reason I should give them second chances? What places have you visited that you found sorely overrated?
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Oh what a great post! I find these answers so much more interesting than what people liked about a place. I’m not surprised about the DR or Cuba, or even Brussels. Antwerp and Bruges are beautiful, but Brussels seems way too business-like to enjoy a proper vacation. I’ve heard similar things about Guatemala from other travelers as well, so it’s really not on my list of places to go. I would have thought that Singapore and Fes would be amazing, so it’s interesting that they were on your list. By the way, congrats on your Bloggie, I voted for you! Your blog is, by far, my favourite read on the internet. Thanks for writing such quality posts!
I found this immensely helpful for a wannabe traveler!
I want to go to Bruges so it’s nice to hear you like it.
Also good that I can cross Punta Cana off of my list.
I loved Brussels. Maybe it’s because I had just had a not so great time in Amsterdam and it was better by comparison. Either way, I liked the architecture, the chocolate and the euro beers in my friendly hostel. Also, I have never been to the Dominican Republic, but I don’t have plans to for the reasons you mentioned. The sight of poverty juxtaposed with wealth makes me sick. I am actually reluctantly going to my first resort in Mexico for a close friend’s destination wedding in July (I’m not reluctant to see her get married, just about the resort). I am planning the trip so that I get out of the resort walls as much as possible.
“Further up and further in,” I say. On to new adventures! Although, I would think you might give Guatemala and Honduras a shot when it’s not the rainy season
And since you already like it, I should mention Romania is lovely in the summer, too! I will also concur that anywhere you don’t get to see the country & meet the people definitely puts a damper on the whole experience. (That said, I had plenty an opportunity to converse with Cubans while I was there, and they are too fun!)
I was going to refute your opinion of Fes but then I realized I couldn’t really remember anything distinct about the city. And you are right that Essouria is the best bet there. I’d go back in a second. I haven’t been to Roaton, but I did spend a week roadtripping around the rest of Honduras country with friends. Give La Cieba a chance if you go back. Great post by the way.
From the countries on your list I’ve only ever been to Belgium (which is funny considering I traveled to about 60 countries…) but I totally agree on Brussels. My husband keeps saying we should move there, but there’s just nothing about it I like.
A country I found totally overrated was Malawi. I had just spent time in Kenya and Tanzania and all the travels I met kept saying Malawi was so much better – the people were supposed to be super-friendly and the nature amazing and the lake, oh the lake… I found it more of a watered-down version of the countries around it, nature-wise, the cities were boring like Brussels, and I was constantly advised not to swim in the lake because of the danger of bilharzia. Not exactly what I had been told it would be!
(Sorry, I meant to write ‘all the travellers I met…’)
For me, I was unhappy with Dublin, Ireland. I thought it was overrated for sure. Did the whole place in a weekend and all I said at the end was “that’s it?” Lame castle. Nice people. Didn’t feel the safest at night. A lot of graffiti, sketchy people….and there’s really nothing except drinking. Maybe that’s the appeal but the food was awful too.
It’s interesting to see how several of your least favorite places are in Central America. No surprise really since it’s an impoverished region.
I hope you’ll like HCMC ;o It’s a very industrialized city (unlike Hanoi which is all culture). Thanks for the post. Love your blog!
During our honeymoon we went to Roatan (on our cruise) and had a similar experience as you described in the DR. A little area of space that we were “supposed” to stay in for safety and was surrounded by barbed wire!
I 100% agree about the Dominican Republic. We booked five nights in a resort, but left after only two days. We knew we had to leave when another guest at the resort told us to never go anywhere we could not use the American Dollar. Yikes. It was after those two days that we really had a great time. We took a bus into Santo Domingo and saw great architecture, ate good food (the food at the resort was horrendous), and experienced a much more local flavor. We also went into the “interior”–Jarabacoa–and hired some of the locals to drive us around on their mini-scooters. We saw waterfalls and had a blast. I definitely recommend that as opposed to the usual resort treatment.
I would have to disagree with Guatemala. Every part of the country in amazingly beautiful. As you said, the northern part is something you should go back for. I was awestruck in Tikal, staying overnight in the town of Flores is a treat, plus one of the most beauiful places I have seen is Semuc Champey, it’s hard to get to but worth it. From here, going on to Rio Dulce, and taking a boat up to Livingston, a coastal Garifuna town is a must. You can take a boat from Livingston back to Belize too. I have to think the rainy season has something to do with you disliking this country, try it again in the dry season and see what you think.
Ooh, I love! hearing about overrated places, both in the U.S. and abroad.
I’ve been super fortunate on all of my international trips and have loved 99.9% of them. Granted, I haven’t taken as many as you have (When is your globe-trotting book coming out? The whole world needs access to your savvy travel experience!), but: Russia was amazing (I want to go back!), and I still keep in touch with my translator seven years later; I’ve had multiple great Canadian trips; and my time in Beijing and the northeast coast of South Korea (as well as Seoul!) was unforgettable, and featured some of the best moments I’ve had while traveling to-date.
But…Mexico. I went years ago to do community service (building houses and volunteering at an orphanage) in and around Rosarito, and I have to say, while there were surely worthwhile experiences to be found while I was there, Mexico the country doesn’t interest me as a tourist destination, and I was appalled at the extreme poverty resting just behind the white walls of the resort area of Rosarito, which was completely walled off (similar to your description of the Dominican Republic above). I have plenty of friends who swear by Mexico as a vacation spot, but I’ll be honest in admitting I just don’t get it. I would be curious to hear your thoughts on Mexico, if you have some (and if I haven’t missed a huge post you did on it already)?
Places I never need to visit again:
Las Vegas. I’m not much of a gambler, and I’d much rather go to Paris or Venice than go to hotels themed after them. Felt like an adult version of a theme park, but minus the rollercoasters (which are the best part)
Croatia. Oddly. Most people love it. It was pretty, and the people were nice, and the coastline was gorgeous, but I just wasn’t a huge fan. Not really sure why except that everything was about a 7 out of 10, and why go back for that?
Places that were surprisingly fantastic:
Granada, Spain. Poor planning led to us spending an extra day and a half there. It was a fantastic city to sit and relax in. Enough to do, but not too much, and the people were nice.
Krakow, Poland. Went for about 36 hours so we could go to Auschwitz, and I had a fever the entire time. Despite that, I loved it. Absolutely loved the city of Krakow. A great town square, truly the nicest people I’ve met, and fun tours to do. Can’t put my finger on it, but the city just had a great vibe.
I loved this post! I loved how you tried to give places a chance and what your reasons were for placing them on this list!
My comment is pretty much the same as Kerri Anne’s… While I haven’t been to nearly as many places as you… I’ve been fortunate enough to have enjoyed most of the countries I’ve visited: China … but living there may have helped that along… Cambodia and Thailand (probably the closest country to potentially make it to this list, but then again, I find it’s faults somewhat endearing!). I can say that I did not enjoy Cancun! Minus one restaurant, La Habichuela, the food was horrible! We did manage to enjoy ourselves a bit more after renting a car and driving ourselves to Chichen Itza and making a few pit stops at random places along the way. Still .. Cancun itself (especially the Hotel Zone, of course) felt as if I were in The States… with giant strip malls and chain restaurants from the U.S. It’s also been the only place to ever give me diarrhea! Seriously. And I lived in China… eating at the sketchiest of restaurants and from street vendors in small towns who’d make Bourdain gag.
This is all very good to know since a) I have the travel bug after finally leaving the country and falling in LOVE with Israel and b) I trust your opinion.
Great post, lady!
I completely agree with your Dominican Republic opinion! That was probably the worst trip I’ve ever been on, although parts of it are just becoming funny to me now. Being chased around and harrassed by hotel staff was not fun at all and definitely gave me a bad impression of the place. The “excursions” were pretty boring and I feel I could have seen more interesting things at home. Most of all the situation, like you say, about the resorts completely wall-ing you off from the actual country was depressing to me.
I love this travel post, no one really mentions the places they didn’t enjoy!
ha!! What a great idea for a post! Lurve it!
Great post! When talking about this subject it seems there’s always someone who gets offended, which I don’t really get. I love hearing about other people’s travels, and hearing why they loved a place or why they thought it wasn’t all that. Agreeing is optional.
I’m from Finland myself, and completely agree with you on Helsinki. I haven’t lived in Finland for 7 years now, and these days it’s actually one of my favourite destinations, but simply because my roots are there and my family is there. Plus the whole nostalgia factor. But if I was a traveller in Helsinki with no one to show me around, after a while I just wouldn’t know what to do there. Finland is a great, safe country with superb living quality, education etc. but as for visiting, it’s a tad bit… well, boring comes to mind. It’s also expensive, and doesn’t quite make up for being expensive.
Personally I was surprised to find that I didn’t fall in love with Australia. And you wouldn’t believe how many people have taken offence on that! The worst beach holiday destination: Nha Trang, Vietnam. (Although I loved Vietnam as a whole.) Some European cities that I think are overrated are Madrid and Dublin. Also – dare I even say this – while I love Italy with a passion, I can’t help the fact that I was a tiny bit disappointed with Rome. And no, I’m not expecting anyone to agree with me on that one
Great post (and initial question)! I have to disagree on Brussels. I loved the architecture, the food, the beer, the vibe of the whole thing. One of my top three cities in Europe. I was disappointed in Rome. Similar to your experiences in Fes (minus the chasing for blocks, thank goodness
) but I felt like I had to constantly be on guard, was nervous the whole time, didn’t find the food that great, couldn’t get over how dirty. All around let down. Nearly every other city in Italy though (am rather meh about Milan) – so, so great.
I haven’t been to any of the places you listed here…but I’m still in shock that you said in another post how much you hate Vegas!
Thank god, someone who agrees with me about Helsinki! Drab! Exactly! And I too, spent time in Denmark, Norway and Sweden before heading to Finland. The best part of my time in Helsinki was a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia. Although the food was some of the most consistently good of any European country I visited, but I certainly won’t be rushing back there!
I’m a new reader and I am thoroughly enjoying my time in your head and suitcase!
..n..**
ooh ooh I forgot to include the place I found highly over rated, drum roll please: MEXICO
Blerg
The food was not unique or very yummy-the best eatery we found was a sushi joint-why we decided to eat sushi in mexico is beyond me. And there wasn’t a whole lot to do other than laying by the pool, which is awesome but can get old quickly! And when we went to go explore the surroundings we were bombarded by poverty which really made me really upset, I just couldn’t ignore the fact that a lot of people were suffering. Broke my heart.
I enjoy reading your blog, but this is my first time posting a comment because I completely disagree about Guatemala! Readers — don’t let this post scare you away!
I spent a month there last year, and it is probably my favorite country in Latin America. Yes, Guatemala City is dirty and dangerous, and Antigua is filled with tourists — but the architecture is beautiful, and there was plenty to do outside of town — a volcano hike to see lava, biking to a coffee plantation. You could spend a week just at Lake Atitlan, jumping from town to town by boat and renting kayaks or doing yoga. I spent the majority of my time at a language school in Quetzaltenango (aka Xela), a more authentic city with great day trips to hot springs, farms with the biggest carrots you’ve ever seen and really intense volcano hikes. The ruins at Tikal were spectacular and so was the jungle setting. The country also has such a rich, heartbreaking history you can discover from people who live there and from books by authors like Rigoberta Menchu. I was there during the dry season (Nov. to April) when it was sunny every day.
I lived in Cairo for a year, and will probably be back for two more years, and even though I look forward to living overseas again, I have to say it is one of my least favorite place I’ve ever been. Also Bucharest, Romania. I don’t think I gave it a fair shot because in about 3 hours I decided I wanted to get out immediately, and proceeded to find a train to that effect, but I would never go back. The rest of Romania was beautiful.
Ohhh man I’d have to disagree with Guatemala. That is my most favorite country to go to! And yes it can be very dangerous and dirty in parts but there is so much more to that country. The people are just amazing and the whole country is beautiful. I’d say totally visit when it’s not the rainy season, I can see how the rain will completely ruin a trip there. But I also suggest getting close with the people next time. You’ll see a whole new side. Promise.
I agree with your impression of the Dominican Republic. I was there over 10 years ago on a missions trip so we spent all of our time in the impoverished areas. We landed in Santo Domingo and the first thing I noticed was the stark difference between the resort areas and the rest of the island. The beach side of the road was covered in resorts that were “protected” with barbed wired fences and the inland side of the road was covered in shacks. The island was beautiful for what it was – a Caribbean island. However the stark differences between the resort areas and the rest of the island were saddening.
The only place on your list that I have been to is Brussells, and I actually liked it. However, I was only there for one night. I might have felt differently if I had to entertain myself for several days. We found this little alleyway that was filled with tiny little restaurants (like 6 tables in each). There were musicians lining the alley and the wine was flowing. It was a lot of fun!
I did not like Mexico and I would probably never go there again. I went with my husband and we spent pretty much the whole trip at the hotel. We ventured out once, but we kept getting propositioned by drug dealers.
Hi, by the way. I’m kind of a sporadic blog reader but I like checking in here once in a while to read about your travels!
Okay, you knew that I was gonna defend Guatemala and ESPECIALLY Cuba, right????????? Haha, in all seriousness I do believe that we all have the right to our opinions, so…all I’m gonna say is to each their own. But, I really did LOVE my time in Guatemala and Cuba is 1 of the top 5 places I’ve ever been.
Ok, I don’t blame you for not liking Helsinki after suffering through jet lag, crappy weather AND getting hit by a cab, but great weather can change everything! I thought the Art Nouveau architecture was fabulous and the ambiance during the Night of the Arts was fabulous. lWe was there for 3 days in early September 2009, after spending a month in Finland, starting in Lapland and working our way down. Oulanka National Park and the sights along the Via Karelia are really worth a visit. I say give Helsinki another chance during the summer….
Hey,
I’ve been an avid reader of your blog for a while now and when I saw your this post, I was a little shocked to say the least. I’m from the Dominican Republic and to be honest, I am quite surprised to see the impression that was left by one very small area of our country. Seeing how so many people in the comments agree with your point of view, I can’t help the need to address. And perhaps entice you to visit us one more time. What you saw is NOT the Dominican Republic. Not even close.
Yes, people here live in one of two extremes: poverty or wealth. It’s our situation as a developing country, a category we are certainly not alone in. To give you a mental picture, 30% of the citizens live below the poverty line. It’s the sad reality of our country, something we are struggling to change. Because we are a developing country, we experience power outages with great frequency. Most houses (and resorts I’m guessing) are equipped with ‘plantas’ (power plants) or ‘inversores’ (generators). Life doesn’t stop here if the power goes out, which is kind of awesome in it’s own way.
The worse thing anyone can do is go to all-inclusive resorts. It’s very well known in the local scene that the food, the accommodations and the staff are borderline terrible. Regardless of what they say, get out of the hotel. You’ll encounter jovial people, fantastic food, gorgeous beaches and breathtaking mountains.
My recommendation? Follow the locals. The locals hardly go to Punta Cana when it comes to ‘playita’ (beach) time. We go to Barahona (located in the far west) to the beach called Bahia de las Aguilas. It part of the Jaragua National Park, and it is considered by us as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. If you liked our sunsets in Punta Cana, they are nothing compared to Bahia de las Aguilas. It’s completely isolated and most of the people that go either camp in the beach or stay in the nearest hotels. I recommend Casa Bonita (http://www.casabonitadr.com). It’s small (12 rooms) and it has great views. It also has good eco tours (http://www.casabonitadr.com/ecotours.html) which satisfies mountain and beach needs.
We also go to the North, to the Samana Peninsula to Las Terrenas. It’s little fishing village on the North Coast of the Samana Peninsula that now bustles with tourism and a very active nightlife. There are many activities to do here from snorkeling to windsurfing. Also, from January 15th to March 20th, humpback whales flock to the Peninsula of Samana to mate. There are boats that take you to where they are so you can snap some pictures and experience a once in a lifetime event. Pizza Playa, La Terrace and Cayuco are the best restaurants in the area. For accommodations, The Alisei Hotel (http://www.aliseihotel.com/) is located just outside the village of Las Terrenas is one of the favorites.
Last but not least, if you want to experience a more metropolitan perspective of the Dominican Republic, visit the capital: Santo Domingo. You will not be disappointed. It’s rich with cultural aspects such as the Zona Colonial, which was the first settlement made by Christopher Columbus. It harbors the first cathedral in America. We also have tons of museums, restaurants with all kinds of food (traditional and international), parks, malls, nightclubs and more.
If by any chance this perhaps made you reconsider a second visit and you’d like more recommendations on where to go or anything else, I’d be more than glad to help you out with that.
I’ve been living between Los Angeles, Miami, London and Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) for the past 10 years and I’m afraid the only reason the DR ended up making such a bad impression on you was the place you stayed in, not at all a reflection of what it’s like to vacation in the DR. I see also that a lot of people who have gone there agree with your impression of the island, so I’m afraid that despite my having a great opinion of the place, it’s probably DR’s own fault for not having better resources devoted to its beauty or a better staff at its hotels. I think this is a major flaw in almost every island in the Caribbean, but more so in islands like Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti / Dominican Republic), Jamaica and Puerto Rico where they create that “wall” between tourists and locals.
I get it that the Caribbean is the place for “warm beach vibes” but these larger islands are remnants of Colonial settlements, the first Churches of America, the first schools and universities, big military fortresses and a ton of rare minerals that were discovered there. I think if their governments stopped selling them as “beach spots” and instead focused on their rich culture they’d have a better time of it. In the DR, Santo Domingo, the nation’s capital, was named “Cultural Capital of the Americas of 2010″. If you went to Punta Cana… that’s like the worst place you could go to hands down. Punta Cana is the “go-to” spot of retiring old ladies. Unless you’re there for golfing, a wedding or I dunno, meeting Oscar De La Renta, Punta Cana is just boring, boring, boring.
Here’s a couple of way better things to do: Go to the highest point in the Caribbean (Pico Duarte) and then the lowest point (Enriquillo Lake) to pet some crocodiles, go eat strawberries in the FREEZING mountains of Constanza and then 4-wheel through the desert Dunes of Bani. Go watch whales off the coast of Samana and kite surf in Cabarete (or get to a beach rave, they usually have local fare, native music and David Guetta mixed in, very Ibiza meets Pocahontas), eat fried Coral fish and Yaniqueques in the beaches of Juan Dolio (and learn bachata, it’s like tango and lambada, only better), and… and… well this isn’t very PC but… go get “Drive-Through Cocktails”. Seriously, get some beer, champagne, whiskey, vodka cranberry, pina colada, what-have-you in the same fashion you’d get a happy meal. Because the DR has that, drive through bars. Order the “Cool Vita” and try to guess what’s in there while you run from the “Diablo Cojuelo” during Mardi Gras in La Vega.
Give the DR a second shot, but with the right plan… and the right guide
Seeing as the countries on my resume equal three, and none of them are on your list, (in fact, I doubt they even count,) I can’t really judge. I *can* say, however, that this is one of my favorite articles that you’ve ever written. I think it’s interesting to hear not only so I can make a mental note not to place them at the top of my wish list, but more so because it’s interesting to hear exactly what defines a bad experience in your eyes. Very enlightening.