Monday, July 21, 2014

Overrated Travel Destinations

I found this article that was posted to Yahoo! Travel about overrated, boring top travel destinations. This is "Siena" and these are all her opinions

Bora Bora
More than one friend of mine calls this island “boring boring.” The reefs and water are absolutely spectacular, but how long can you stare at fish? There’s nothing else to do. The resorts are on their own private motus (islets), so there’s no nightlife, and guests aren't looking to socialize at all as they’re all on their honeymoons. I just felt sorry for the guys who had to paddle me around on a canoe for breakfast . And it’s expensive. If you want Polynesia, just go to Hawaii. If you want exotic, go all the way to Asia, where your money will go a whole lot further. Even though I have never been, I feel like we would be VERY bored if we went here. Like she said, what else is there to do but lay on a beach?!? Not my style. 

{Source: Thinkstock}
Dubai
“The Las Vegas of the Middle East,” as Dubai is often called, is really a half-finished monument to wretched excess. Also, it’s hot. When I recently visited, there were also grim reminders everywhere of the economic crash in 2009: abandoned skyscraper skeletons with idle cranes on top, billboards advertising the Ferrari that would be thrown in along with the purchase of a luxury condo. Still, shopping remains the most popular sport (and international draw) here, but that’s another non-selling point for me. Yes, you can ski at the Mall of the Emirates. Know where else you can ski? Mountains. Enough said, I don't like Vegas so why would I want to go here?

Abu Dhabi
Billed as the cultural emirate, Abu Dhabi is supposed to offer a more enlightened alternative to glitzy Dubai. At least there’s no over-consumption hangover here, as the city is still filthy rich even after bailing out its flashy neighbor. And so the government has invested in the very best culture money can buy, shelling out for museum outposts and starchitect-designed buildings — the Performing Arts Centre by Zaha Hadid, the Louvre Abu Dhabi by Jean Nouvel, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi by Frank Gehry. But for all of that, there’s no “there” there.  Cities like New York and London are great because of their genuine culture, not the store-bought variety that seems to run rampant in Abu Dhabi. Eh, sounds like I would rather visit London...

Ireland
I’ll probably get hate mail for this, but there’s something I find entirely too precious about the Emerald Isle. Castles and Guinness and fiddles are completely lost on me, and I don’t care about that mythical fun factor they call “craic,” however you pronounce that. I dislike Irish pubs in the U.S. Why would I want to go to the motherland? Disagree with her here, I think I would love Ireland and I think my husband would also like it. I'm not saying its a place we would visit multiple times but a good 5-7 days here would make a great vacation!

{Source: Thinkstock}
Roatán Island, Honduras
Yes, the diving is great. But it’s also great in nearby Belize and the largely undiscovered San Andres Islands off the coast of Nicaragua. And those places aren't crowded with cookie-cutter condo developments, mass-market resorts, drunken beach parties, and booze cruises. And while Roatán isn't the only place in the world with “dolphin experiences,” it’s the place where I got talked into doing one. I cringed through every awkward minute of my hour spent holding onto to the swimming animals’ fins and surfing on their snouts, but I got through it by reminding myself that it could have been worse — I could have been the dolphin. If thre is one thing we hate its booze cruises and cookie-cutter resorts that specialize is parties...Belize is on our list though.

Luxembourg
TooDamnOrderly. Luxembourg is the most sensible place I've ever been. I hated it. I would like to visit every country in Europe, so maybe just drive through Luxembourg?

Have you ever been to any of these places? Do you agree with her?


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