Places you would, or wouldn't go back to?

[ozzguy]

Here's mine,

Will go back to:

Toronto (felt very safe and easy to get oot and aboot)
Slovenia (all of it)
Lithuania (all of it)
New York
Nordic countries
Paris
Russia (east of Moscow)
Hong Kong (not the main island).
New Zealand (except Auckland)

Will avoid again:
Naples (always felt like someone was following me)
Vatican City (waaaaaay to many people)
Southern Spain - Malaga/Benalmadena (beautiful scenery and locations but too many drunken Brits and Irish).
Athens (it seems like the city has given up making it look half decent)
Los Angeles.
Las Vegas (once is enough, and I'm not into gambling)
Venice (twice is enough)
Tangier (was never left alone, always had someone trying to sell me something)

 

[k_sheep]

Will go back to:
- Malaysia. Love that place. Even KL which is copping a beating.
- Sri Lanka. Still much to see.
- Egypt. So much history .... just would like it to settle a bit first.
- Eastern Europe ... far more interesting than western in my opinion.
- Bali. Sure I hate the "party" scene, but love the diving, food and relatively short flight.
- Philippines. There's serious safety issues across most of the islands but the diving is just out of this world. And it's the only place in the word where my <150cm friend feels tall

Will not go back to:
- Curacao. Loved it, but have "done" it.
- Italy. Snore! Just did not like it at all. And yes I went to about 15 different cities so I feel I gae it a fair shot.
- China. Though I've only been to Beijing and Xi'an, these are just miserable places to be a young white tourist. Sometimes I think I should go somewhere in the south, see if that's any better. But .... blergh.
- Vietnam. It's okay, but I've done it a couple of times. Food I just found disappointing compared to the rest of SE Asia.
- Russia. Done it (well partially - no one can do all of it!), expensive, visa is a PITA.
- Macao. Done it. Love the egg tarts, don't love the casinos.
- France. Done it. Hate the French attitude in some places (and no I was never rude or tried to speak English to anyone unless they started in English).

 

[Radio8tiv]

Would go back to:
Amsterdam, just didn't spend enough time last time (and more of Netherlands)
Paris and Loire Valley been to Paris a few times just love it
Monte Carlo, found the people friendly, streets were clean with nice cars to watch driving by
Florence, city had a good feel and didn't get to see it all
Japan, all of it but loved Tokyo, so clean and friendly/helpful/respectful people

would not go back:
Milan, just creeped me out, felt like I was being watched
Rome, seen it once that's enough
Athens, same as Rome once is enough

so many places I still want to go to, so if I can transit through some of my revisits I will, but not sure if I would plan a whole new holiday to see a place again (except Japan)

 

[tofidog]

Absolutely - + for both counties!

 

[Warks]

I've long said the world is too big a place to visit anywhere twice but that hasn't stopped me. I think I should change it to "the world is too big a place to visit anywhere you don't like twice."

There's a lot of places I visited on my big backpacking tour of 1989-91 that, at the time, I swore I would never revisit. However given how much time has passed they are not even the same places. Athens, I imagine, is actually worse now though. Belgrade was horrible. Amsterdam didn't do much for me. But who knows now? There are the hard work places that were okay when I was young like Cairo, Jerusalem and eastern/southern Africa but I probably couldn't handle too well now. But if I had one of the adult kids with me (they're not adults just yet) that might make a difference.

There's a place I've never visited that I'd like to check out though - Corsica. I've never met anyone who's been there but am currently reading "The Pillars of Hercules" by Paul Theroux where he travels around the Mediterranean in about 1994 (Yugoslavian war on) and it piqued my interest.

 

[Justinf]

I hear it's rough, what was your experience, if I may ask?

Got a full soda thrown at me, got abused with some really vile stuff and some funny stuff. Was pretty edgy.

 

[Cossie]

I've long said the world is too big a place to visit anywhere twice but that hasn't stopped me. I think I should change it to "the world is too big a place to visit anywhere you don't like twice."

There's a lot of places I visited on my big backpacking tour of 1989-91 that, at the time, I swore I would never revisit. However given how much time has passed they are not even the same places. Athens, I imagine, is actually worse now though. Belgrade was horrible. Amsterdam didn't do much for me. But who knows now? There are the hard work places that were okay when I was young like Cairo, Jerusalem and eastern/southern Africa but I probably couldn't handle too well now. But if I had one of the adult kids with me (they're not adults just yet) that might make a difference.

There's a place I've never visited that I'd like to check out though - Corsica. I've never met anyone who's been there but am currently reading "The Pillars of Hercules" by Paul Theroux where he travels around the Mediterranean in about 1994 (Yugoslavian war on) and it piqued my interest.

If you do get to Corsica, (it's on my list, where isn't!), it's worth going across the water to Sardinia, one of my favourite places, good food and wine, nice people, very laid back, it's Sardinia, not Italy as the locals say!

A lot of the places I went to before the wall came are of interest to me now, I probably wouldn't have bothered with going back to the former Yugoslavia, but from what I've read and heard about Croatia, Slovenia, etc, they are definitely on my list. Romania and Bulgaria are the same. The boss has family history in Ukraine (although they were ethnic German), so theres always that to go to as well.

 

[Pushka]

Stopped in Corsica on a cruise excursion. Fabulous market there. Its a bit edgy. And found the French particularly rude to tourists there.

Croatia is fabulous but maybe being wrecked by Aussie bumpkins.

 

[RB]

If you do get to Corsica, (it's on my list, where isn't!), it's worth going across the water to Sardinia, one of my favourite places, good food and wine, nice people, very laid back, it's Sardinia, not Italy as the locals say!

A lot of the places I went to before the wall came are of interest to me now, I probably wouldn't have bothered with going back to the former Yugoslavia, but from what I've read and heard about Croatia, Slovenia, etc, they are definitely on my list. Romania and Bulgaria are the same. The boss has family history in Ukraine (although they were ethnic German), so theres always that to go to as well.

We had a great time in Romania & Bulgaria. Didn't see many tourists at the time & were a bit intrigued why some English had moved into pockets of fellow countrymen-they seemingly had no intention of speaking the language but were happy to watch their Pommy football on pay tv & go to the odd pub that had bangers & mash on the menu! We saw some great historical sites, natural landscapes & although we are not skiiers it seemed there were plenty of uncrowded slopes

 

[codash1099]

I can't think of too many places that I would not go back to. In some cases, though, I won't go back because I've already been a few times, and some where one visit is enough and there are other places to see.

I will go back to Madrid and Barcelona, Paris and Edinburgh, to pick some at the top of my list. Plenty of others, but I'm afraid I'm running out of years.

 

[Lemon_Party]

"The Pillars of Hercules" by Paul Theroux where he travels around the Mediterranean in about 1994 (Yugoslavian war on)

+1 for this, and the majority of his books from me. And his sons TV doco's too...

 

[Warks]

+1 for this, and the majority of his books from me. And his sons TV doco's too...

Yes I've read nearly all of his travel books. Loved The Great Railway Bazaar and Riding the Iron Rooster. Only one I know of that I haven't read is The Happy Isles of Oceania. Also enjoy a Louis Theroux doco. Justin Theroux (nephew/cousin) isn't a bad actor either.

 

[Justinf]

WOULD

Hobart (sounds weird but it's my 'happy' place)
Hong Kong
Wellington
New York
Seattle
Montreal
Copenhagen
Quebec City
Chicago
Las Vegas
Vancouver Island
Barcelona
Darwin/Kakadu
Istanbul
London
Edinburgh
Derry
Austin
San Antonio (absolutely fell in love with this place)

WOULDN'T

Auckland (nothing wrong with it, just been there and no need to go back)
Boston (liked it, but not enough to return, unless it was for another visit to Fenway Park)
Disneyland, CA (I'd rather go to a Bieber concert)
Dublin (the rest of Ireland is amazing, Dublin isn't)
Dallas (unless I had a local to drive and show me around)

 

[Cossie]

Yes I've read nearly all of his travel books. Loved The Great Railway Bazaar and Riding the Iron Rooster. Only one I know of that I haven't read is The Happy Isles of Oceania. Also enjoy a Louis Theroux doco. Justin Theroux (nephew/cousin) isn't a bad actor either.

The Great Railway Bazaar isdefinitely one of the books that got me hooked on travel, I have just read The Last Train to Zona Verde, not something I can say I overly enjoyed, in particular his semingly endless criticism of Paul Chatwin, totally unecessary in a travel book about Africa.

 

[Deleted member]

I still have plenty to see for the first time to be bothered with not going back to somewhere again ( stopovers excepted) my only exception (so far) is Rome.
it was, is, and may possibly always remain my favorite city.

I can say though, that I am fairly well over most of Asia, with the exception of Japan.
I also have a desire to check out Korea.

 

[get me outta here]

I go to NYC every year and on my return think that I don't need to revisit. After about 2 weeks I'm looking for some rewards flights again. Tend to go in May, not hot and only ever very cool, but not cold.

 

[Warks]

The Great Railway Bazaar isdefinitely one of the books that got me hooked on travel, I have just read The Last Train to Zona Verde, not something I can say I overly enjoyed, in particular his semingly endless criticism of Paul Chatwin, totally unecessary in a travel book about Africa.

Yes I read Zona Verde not long ago. A bit of a whinge but I guess in his 70s he realised that he was no longer up to remote African travel.

Dark Star Safari was good - his path followed a lot of my African travels a way back when. I reached many of the same conclusions about foreign aid at the time.


Back on topic - a place I want to return to: Lord Howe Island.
A place I don't want to go back to: Darwin.

 

[Nukie]

The one place I would love to go back to is Antarctica, so pristine and untouched and amazing scenery and wildlife. Don't think it will happen though. Love France, especially all the little villages off the beaten track. Not too many places I wouldn't go back to, just the "been there, done that" reason. Didn't like Kings Cross in Sydney, felt very unsafe and also Naples. So many places to go to; so little time....

 

[Pele]

Will go back:

Seychelles
Cocos island
Whitsundays
Japan
Malaysia
French Riviera/Monaco
Greek islands

Wont go back:
London
South Africa
Prague
Brasil

 

[travel193]

Fantastic thread. Many interesting responses and stories. As some others said, there aren't any places I wouldn't go...money, time and security considerations aside. Even the places where I had more miserable experiences taught me a lot. I also believe there are amazing people wherever you go and it's one of the greatest joys of travelling encountering them.

That being said, there are some places that left a bad impression.

Doha, Qatar - Overall feels like a country that is losing its culture in a pursuit of glitz and glamour. Growing too fast with little thought to originality and heritage. What's worse, it's built by 21st century slave labour. A country that prides itself on wealth when a large proportion of the population live in horrid conditions.
Terrible infrastructure for pedestrians as well.

Moscow & Saint Petersburg Russia - Remarkable place, but some very unfriendly encounters. Went in April which was still cold and grey which may have explained the persistent grumpiness. I think I need to spend longer there and know a local.

Manila, Philippines - Work trip so again not a fair assessment but was greatly disappointed. Horrendous traffic with poor public transport options. Food was also the worst I've had in SE Asia. Very unhealthy too. Speaking to others makes me think I was unlucky.
+Plus: very friendly people who I learnt a lot from.

Semi-surprised to see China appearing so frequently. It's a huge country in every possible way and so diverse it's worth going back to explore all the different provinces. I encourage people to go for longer and away from the tourist attractions.

Places I would love to return
Svalbard, Norway - Like being on another planet. You feel so close to the raw power of this planet and unfortunately it's fragility.

South Island, New Zealand - In my eyes the most beautiful landscape on Earth

The Kimberly, Australia - Incredible beaches, thousands of years of wisdom and the most breathtaking sunset you'll ever see.