Uninspiring Travel Destinations
Travel Talk
Interesting list from the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6951371.stm
Included in the list of destinations that weren't as inspiring as expected for many people are:
- Stonehenge -- "an isolated pile of rocks in a usually muddy field...Watching the traffic fly didn't contribute to my enlightenment."
- Eiffel Tower -- "So long to get to the top and when you get there it's not even impressive... The queues are ridiculous and the lasers beamed from it at night just make it look super-tacky."
- Statue of Liberty
Any other famous destinations that haven't lived up to the hype?
- Comments
16 years
Mall of America in Minneapolis. Probably not what one might consider a tourist attraction, but it's apparently the second most visited site in the USA. According to them anyway.
It's a mall.
16 years
Second most visited site in the USA? That's embarrassing for the USA :D
I haven't been to that mall, but I went to the one in Edmonton. I don't remember much about it -- just that I got lost and walked about a mile inside the mall until I found my hotel (which was also in the mall).
16 years
According to Forbes traveller:
http://www.forbestraveler.com/best-lists/most-visited-tourist-attractions-story.html
it received 40 million visitors in 2006. Just behind NYC.
But they don't count it as a tourist attraction. Try telling that to the millions who flock there from MSP just across the road.
16 years
Interesting article...
Watching the slideshow reminded me of one of my disappointing tourist destinations: Niagra Falls -- though I was only there in winter.
I was expecting something spectacular like this or this, but saw something more like this, except with a more industrialized look. All these buildings, but on a gray, freezing winter day.
16 years
Glockenspiel, Munich. Bores the hell out of me.
most photographed thing in germany isnt it? and yes, its nightmarishly boring.
16 years
Statuepark, Budapest. Big hype, big disappointment! Only about 30 statues of communism, an hour and a half away from the city.
16 years
Interesting article...
Watching the slideshow reminded me of one of my disappointing tourist destinations: Niagra Falls -- though I was only there in winter.
Agree totally on Niagara falls. Spent a few days on the Canadian side a few years ago. The falls are spectacular, but the experience is ruined by some of the most hideous overdevelopement you're ever likely to see. I guess it's sort of grown organically aver the years, but someone should have tried to control it at some point. Still, maybe it hits its target demographic?
Also spent a night in a hostel on the American side about 15 years ago - the owner basically told us not to walk anywhere as it was too dangerous. Don't know if this was true or middle class paranoia, but he seemed genuine. The city did seem pretty run down at the time.
16 years
The falls are spectacular, but the experience is ruined by some of the most hideous overdevelopement you're ever likely to see.
It's too bad they built everything so close to the falls.
I've just started a related thread about inspiring travel destinations.
16 years
Las Vegas is the most crass, commercial excuse of a place to waste a lot of money. Where else can you see an "almost life size" version of the Eiffel Tower? I think I would rather see the real thing.
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