BootsnAll Travel Community

Vang Vieng, Laos

Not that traveling 5,000 miles to watch "Friends" isn't worthwhile...

"Stone Henge"

I had wanted to see this megalythic monument for years and when I finally got the chance it was very disappointing. You couldn't get close enough to touch it or walk amongst the ruins, there were two busy highways running past...

After finally seeing it... I have to say it felt like a bunch of rocks, very old rocks, but still.....

Trekker

quote:

monument for years and when I finally got the chance it was very disappointing. You couldn't get close enough to touch it or walk amongst the ruins, there were two busy highways running past...

Agreed, Stonehenge is a real let down, it's a mess, so bad in fact that UNESCO has threatened to strip it of its World Heritage status. [article]

If you want to get up-close and personal with some ancient rocks then go to Carnac in Brittany or Newgrange and Carrowmore in Ireland - they're older, wilder and better managed sites.

NYC

Heard way to much about the variety of life... and not quite enough about the filth and fresh air smell.

Sealed my understanding of the big city, and why I like open spaces.

First time seeing a rat the size of a small dog... and I've caught some big rats.

I was really let down by Toronto, i spent a week there an couldn't wait to escape. Hong Kong also didn't live up it its reputation.
I have a feeling that somewhere along the way, a clever person hatched upon a plan to encourage all the tourists to go to Surfers Paradise and the Gold Coast, thereby leaving the rest of our beaches a little less crowded. This may also be true of Bondi.
I was greatly suprised by Ularu appearing on this list, I was there when it rained for four straight days, and I still found it to be thouroughly amazing. Though, I wasn't there with a tour group.

emm

Gatlinburg Tennesse.....defines the word TACKY.

i was personally very disappionted with venice. i had expectations of it that just werent filled. after hearing so much about it from so many people and finally getting there... it was like any other european or italian city... but with no cars, thats all.. and more touristed...

The Alamo -- a not very impressive pile bit of mud bricks. I passed by it a few times without noticing it.

Fortunately I didn't pay to go there as I saw it on my one-day town liberty during Air Force basic training.

Without a doubt ... Paris.

Oh, and Plymouth Rock is ... a rock on a beach. Not really worth going out of one's way for.

Paris. Yawn. Touristy, overpriced, crowded...even when I went off the beaten path, I was harassed.

quote:

Originally posted by Rocknrod:
NYC

...

First time seeing a rat the size of a small dog... and I've caught some big rats.

Oh come now, the rats add ambience. Charm. Character.

this is an interesting debate and it got me thinking about all the places I have been...where have i been to and just said "humph." I guess Verona comes to mind...i mean city from romeo and juliet, had a big wall surrounding the city, I was like big whoop...Had a few hours there, went to an internet cafe...

I also agree about the person who posted regarding several places in Oz along the east coast. Surfer's was suggested to me as a place to visit before i started my journey around Oz, i guess even after being there for 5 months, i was still the naive american to listen. I mean it is a HUGE tourist town...The nightlife was really fun, but besides that, nothing special...I also caught a terrible time (raining and cloudy the whole time)...

I only spent a few days before I headed to down to byron and then up the coast and around...

Uluru my mom took me too when she visited before my family came...I enjoyed spending time with her as i hadn't seen her for 6 months, but it was an overpriced tourist trap...We were there in the winter so it wasn't overly crowded, but everything was built up by the hotel...We did have good weather so the sunset was nice, and it was crazy to see a rock just stuck in the middle desert...Unless you love geology (as my mom does) there are other places to see in Oz...

Paris. I really like Paris, but no place can possibly live up to the hype surrounding that city.

Venice.

Cinque Terre. Hyped and touristed to the point of ridiculousness.

quote:

Originally posted by semicolon:
Gatlinburg Tennesse.....defines the word TACKY.

i agree with this one...unfortunately my parents didnt and forced me to go there for family vacation every year growing up

..maybe thats whats wrong with me....

I, too, was not thrilled with Venice. It was my least-favorite place when I went to Italy.

I'll have to agree with Zopa: Earth. Bit like a slow, muddy summer-camp experience...

semicolon... lol... i want to know who told you gatlinburg was classy... that's a riot. it's redneck disneyland. in this part of the country, it's where 18-22 year-olds go to rent a cabin and get drunk for 3 days during college breaks. but damn the smokey's are beautiful.

anyway, back to the point... overrated... amsterdam. yeah, pot is legal, hooray, you can do in public what you already do in private. heineken brewery? please.

college. meh.

Have to say, I never thought Amsterdam would come up on this thread....