In my trips around the world, I’ve been to a lot of conventional places and a lot of off-the-grid places. Among other things, these experiences have led me discover that some of the best destinations for travelers are not always “undiscovered.”
Many places have a well-deserved reputation for being cool, and some other places you’ve never heard of maintain that status for a good reason. Still other places have gained undeserved reputations for being somewhere you “must’ visit before you die – but whenever I’ve gone there, I’ve felt a bit disappointed.
I’ll tell you about 9 of those here, but…
I don’t like to be overly-negative, so in addition to telling you what’s wrong with these overrated destinations, I’ll also give you an alternative for each one that is worth visiting. Then if you’ve been to either the overrated one or the alternative, you can tell me if you think I’m wrong, and also add your own overrated destination for everyone else to consider.
Ready? Here we go.
Niagara Falls. Niagara is nice to see once, but you don’t need to stay long. Whether you’re on the Canadian or American side, it’s overrun with kitsch. Yes, it’s a big waterfall. Wow. How much longer until we go home?
The Alternative: If you really want to see the world’s best waterfalls and you can go anywhere, then head to Zambia and check out the great Victoria Falls. I was there in 2006 and can confirm that it is indeed one seriously big waterfall. Afterwards, head over to the Victoria Falls Hotel on the Zimbabwean side and pay $1,000,000 for a Diet Coke.
If you can’t easily hop off to Southern Africa, then just go somewhere else in Ontario or Quebec. There’s lots to see in that part of Canada that is definitely worth checking out.
The Grand Canyon. Like Niagara, the same holds true for the Grand Canyon—it’s nice to see once, but there’s not much to stay for. I went there with my family last year, and my 16-year old sister and I had fun coming up with alternative names for the Grand Canyon. Our top choices were:
- The Decent Canyon
- The Not-Bad Canyon
- The “If you’re 10 miles away, go and see it” Canyon
You get the idea. Technically speaking, the Grand Canyon is impressive, but there’s so much hype about it that it’s hard to live up to your expectations upon arrival.
The Alternative: Sedona, Tucson, Santa Fe (New Mexico), or elsewhere in the area. The American Southwest can be a fun place. I liked hanging out in Sedona, where we stayed before driving to the Not-Bad Canyon. It does get pretty hot there, but it is the desert, after all.
The Bahamas. Just a few miles off the coast of Florida, the Bahamas are a sovereign country with a primary industry of tourism. It’s not a bad stop on a cruise (usually just before returning to the U.S.), but if I wanted to go to the so-called “real” Caribbean, I’d look elsewhere.
The Alternative: There are plenty of other nice islands in the Caribbean not yet overrun with visitors. St Kitts & Nevis is nice, for example, as is Dominica. Also, Barbados has a lot of visitors, but they do a better job with planning the overall development and culture of the island.
Paris, London, and Rome in the summer. These are all great cities, but not in the summer. Most Parisians leave their city in August, and they have the right idea.
The Alternative: For anyone traveling with U.S. or Canadian dollars, these aren’t great places to go at any time of the year, but for everyone else, going in the winter can be nice. And even if you do pay in dollars, lodging will usually be cheaper in the late fall or winter.
Las Vegas. What can I say about Vegas? It’s pretty much everything you’d expect, so if you like that kind of thing, you won’t be disappointed.
The Alternative: The best alternative is to keep your money and go anywhere else, but if you really want to gamble, head to an American Indian casino so that the money you lose will at least go into tribal education funds.
Dublin, Ireland. Dublin is now #3 on the world’s most expensive city list. There is definitely a fair amount of culture there (check out the library at Trinity College, for example), but the best of Ireland is found elsewhere.
The Alternative: Dublin isn’t a bad jumping off point – so head there first, then quickly go out to the other cities and smaller towns of Ireland. Chances are you’ll discover that they are more fun for visitors who want to experience the Ireland they’ve always imagined.
The Pyramids, or almost anywhere in Egypt. I just went to Egypt and the Pyramids, and I actually enjoyed the trip more than I expected. However, if you can only go to the Middle East once, Egypt would not be at the top on my list of recommendations.
The Alternative: Egypt’s neighbor, Jordan, is a better place to visit overall. You won’t be hassled nearly as much (some people will even give you rides for free or otherwise extend hospitality without taking anything in return), and the ancient city of Petra is simply amazing. If you’re interested in visiting Israel or Lebanon, you can get there easily from Amman, and overall you’ll likely be much happier in Jordan anyway.
Singapore. Personally, I like Singapore just fine, except for the glass doors at Starbucks. Watch out for those! But on the negative side, Singapore is somewhat of a manufactured city and a bit uptight for many travelers. As such, it has become the Asian city most travel writers love to hate.
The Alternative: Just half an hour away by bus, Malaysia offers a better presentation of Asian diversity. The cities are edgier (not necessarily a bad thing, when compared to an overly-sterile environment), and nearly everything is cheaper. You can also head down to Bantam Island (Indonesia) by ferry, although I found the experience a bit strange when I was there two years ago.
***
The Most Overrated Destination on the Planet
All of those destinations are somewhat overrated – which doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go there. You should do exactly what you want; just try to keep your expectations in check. There’s one place over all the others, however, that wins the prize for being the most over-hyped city anywhere on the planet:
Dubai, UAE. I enjoyed driving around the Emirates a couple years ago (there are seven of them – Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm Al Qwain – naturally, I went to each one), but my time in Dubai was surreal.
This is not actually that unusual, because most travelers end up thinking that Dubai is odd when they get there. The majority of the people you’ll interact with in Dubai are immigrant workers (English surpassed Arabic as the common language a while back), and seemingly permanent construction cranes fill the city. Yes, you can get anything you want in Dubai, but since sheiks and Russian billionaires use Dubai as a playground, it won’t be cheap. As for entertainment, there are shopping malls, shopping centers, shopping areas with fake ski resorts, and hotels with shopping malls enclosed within.
The Alternative: Oman, a nearby Persian Gulf country, is much more fun and a thousand times more authentic. Qatar is also OK, but seems to be on track to become another Dubai as soon as they can build a ski lodge and fake islands with huge hotels.
***
And Now, Your Turn
I need your help with this one. What other places are overrated, and what’s a better alternative? In other words, what did I miss?
Also, whenever people talk about their favorite places, someone usually disagrees – and that’s fine. Would you change anything in the above recommendations? Let me know.
###
You can follow me on Twitter here
You can join AONC on Facebook here
Main Image: JasonRogers
Singapore Image: Terance
October 7, 2009
Susan JenSweet
Hey! I LIVE in the Bahamas. It’s a great country.
Well, honestly, having said that, it’s not a place I would want to vacation. Maybe because I live here?
The family islands of the Bahamas are wonderful – off the beaten path of the usual touristy destinations of Nassau and Freeport.
Andros, Eleuthera, Abaco, San Salvador, Exuma – these are all islands of the Bahamas, simple and quiet and exquisitely beautiful. Give them a try. I encourage you.
October 12, 2009
Sheila Pizur
Agree on Cairo and pyramids at Giza as overrated, however, the Egyptian Museum was amazing. A bit disorganized, I understand the new museum will be better. The Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Aswan are all worthwhile. In Jordan, don’t forget Wadi Rum on the way to Petra. We preferred Jordan over Egypt for the same reason others have, it was a different feel…much more relaxed.
Just returned (yesterday) from another visit to Italy, our first time to Cinque Terra. Would recommend it, but not during high season. Another overrated place was Salzburg, we preferred the towns in Tyrol.
Other unexpected gems from the last few years,
Norway -Runda, Geiranger;
Ireland’s Beara Pennisula;
Scotland – Isle of Skye, Isle of Man, pretty much the entire country
South Africa -Garden Coast, the R62 from George towards Cape Town (not the N2) for wine tasting, definitely Robertson Valley over Stellenbosch. Cape Town for the township tour and Table Mountain, but that’s about it.
Wales
October 26, 2009
Larissa Rena
Hello there! I’m a new reader of your writing and quickly becoming a fan.
I live in Indonesia, an archipelago surrounded by Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. Our most famous travel destination is Bali, whereas most people around the globe find Bali even more popular than the country itself.
It’s true that until today, Bali offers the best service for international visitors. The cultural attraction is also amazing. However, I’d say Bali is overrated. Indonesia is, indeed, a large country in area, with Bali as a small part of it. So if you’ve only seen Bali, it doesn’t quite represent the whole country’s cultural richness. If you’re willing to experience Indonesia to the fullest, visit at least one destination per big island (Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, Papua). I personally could help much on Java, since I live there.
November 7, 2009
Becky
I’m more of a fan of “natural” sites or archaeological things than cities like Paris, London, or Warsaw (where I live) or Krakow. BUT
I loved Egypt. Went three times in one year (different parts). I’d highly recommend it. Fascinating.
I enjoyed the Grand Canyon. Didn’t go in the summer, though. Been two times with the kids.
Not mentioned: Petrified Forrest in AZ. Spectacular because I had no idea what to expect. Driving around that area of the desert was gorgeous because I didn’t think I particularly liked the desert colors. Also driving through Monument Valley, UT was nice.
Swimming in Hot Springs in Northern British Columbia in late Sept. (when there’s snow) is a great experience.
One of the most memorable things I’ve ever seen was watching the little penguins come on the beach in southern Australia.
Still want to see…South America, Kenya, Victoria Falls, Morrocco…
November 17, 2009
Daniel Saranda
I would add Vancouver to the list of overrated. If you can get anywhere because of the horrid traffic, the weather will likely drive you back to your hotel. It can be pretty when the sky is clear but head into the interior of the province and see the Shuswap lakes in the summer where the weather is much better, the views are spectatacular and it is infinitely less crowded. Long gone is the Vancouver of the 1980′s before it was “discovered”. BTW, the skiing at Whistler is very good, but again skiing at a Sunpeaks in Kamloops or any of the bigger resorts in the Okanagan will give you a better ski experience. Though Whistler has the apres ski life.
November 21, 2009
lilybeth
And if you are a back packer adventurer and love surfing you may want to discover the little hick town of LANUZA, of The Philippines. See if you like it. The people are friendly, the town has an amazing surfing ground, water falls and caves and beaches,and still not infiltrated with a lot of tourists. See their site google under Lanuza Surf.
November 26, 2009
Michela
If someone has not visited Italy yet, I am sure they will definitely start form the major attractions like Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan and so on…if you have been to a country yet, you tend to focus on the major places of interest and what attracts you most. The fact that something could be overrated or not is at that stae, in my opinion, unrelevant…but when it comes to a second, a third visit than you want to discover the most hidden and secret places, which most times turn out to be more fascinating and memorable ones…
December 1, 2009
Katie
I am currently studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain (one of the greatest cities in the world and DEFINITELY not overrated). On the weekends, my friends and I have been avid European travellers, striving to pack as much sightseeing into our four short months outside the US as possible. We have seen some really great underrated cities (Chefchaouen, Morroco). I would say at the top of my list for overrated cities would have to be Milan. It was one of the sketchiest cities I have ever been too, the Italian men are extremely aggressive on the streets. Furthermore, the realy impressive historical stuff was limited to one area of town, and it takes only 10 minutes to see just about all you need to see there. In my short stay there, I also witnessed a woman’s bag being stolen and a man beggar using puppies and other small animals to attract funds his way … sad and not that exctiting. I’d skip it and go back to Morocco if I had to do it all again
December 5, 2009
Bindi
Just got back from a month in Spain and highly recommend it as a great country to travel. Madrid, Seville, Granada and Barcelona are all amazing cities with unique offerings in each one. Barcelona is a crazy, noisy place somewhat overrun by commercialism (unlike what is portrayed in the Woody Allen movie) but the architectural wonders will knock you out, and there are some interesting out-of-the way sights that make up for the rough edges (just don’t go there in the summer– way too crowded).
I agree that traveling to Bali is an amazing cultural experience, one that you and thousands of tourists will all be having simultaneously. Kind of takes the fun out of it.
December 6, 2009
Z
I can see where you’re coming from about the overrated-ness. BUT, there are other places within the Bahamas that are not touristy places that are really worth the visit. Islands beside the capital island which have a smaller population are good places to visit. And like a lot of things, travel is one of those things which is based on personal taste and can not be subject to generalizations.
December 11, 2009
John
Barcelona is way, way overrated. It is expensive, dirty and full of thieves and aggressive prostitutes. It has some redeeming features – architecture and (over-priced) nightlife – but a better alternative would be Madrid, which has equally-good architecture and better food and shopping, or Budapest which is fantastic to visit in late summer. It has lots of wonderful, family-run restaurants dishing out exquisite dishes, plenty of sights to see and a large, efficient transportation network. It also has many decent bars.
Other great cities; London, Klaipeida and Vilnius in Lithuania, Krakow in Poland, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Phmom Penh, Aqaba, Cairo, Rome, Marrakesh, Helsinki, Tallinn, Palermo, Amsterdam.
January 2, 2010
Marian
I agree with some names in this list.
Been to Las Vegas. Love it for the night life, strip clubs, and best poker tournaments, awesome Cirq du Soleil Shows. But the city its fake and life isn’t like that.
Never wanted to check Niagara, the pyramids. Instead of Dubai I’d rather go to Maldives.
January 23, 2010
Casey
As our RTW winds down (SE Europe, Africa, Indian Subcontinent, SE Asia, now South America), of all the places we’ve been over these months we’d say without a doubt that Egypt was the place we could have skipped. Seeing the big points of interest did have a degree of coolness attached to them but the environment that has built up around them detracts in a big way. Granted, when 25% of your GDP comes from mass tourism things are going to get a bit over the top when it comes to milking that opportunity. But Egypt has gone too far.