A volley of exclamation marks suggests anger and even disbelief, and is often followed by the immortal words:
“I will never come here again.”
Paris has long been called the City of Love, but the French capital has been bashed online by some visitors for lacking romance. Photo: Shutterstock
The following online reviews show travellers at their most disgruntled, although in some instances, still able to find humour in their predicament.
James M took his family for a ride on the London Eye observation wheel but probably will not be going again. “I don’t like heights and I didn’t like this. My wife and daughter loved it. I read the newspaper and pretended I was elsewhere. Apparently the views are great.”
The London Eye, while offering great views of the British capital, isn’t for everyone. Photo: Shutterstock
He probably would not enjoy the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, either.
One reviewer was less than impressed: “Ugly clunk of metal ruining the view of the park, looks like it was made by a homeless man.”
And here’s a tourist who will not be getting married in the French capital any time soon: “What is wrong with people to think this is romantic? If someone proposed to me at this tower or even in Paris […] I’d RUN a mile and be on the next flight out of the city.”
Meanwhile in Bangkok, a reviewer using the alias Ruffedgerose begins in dramatic fashion: “There was a case where a few people died in this hotel.” After this initial bombshell, the guest switches to an unpleasant but less serious issue: “Saw strands of hair on the toilet seat.”
People at a night market in Bangkok. Photo: Shutterstock
The writer then takes a sinister turn, adding “The feeling and aura was just bad,” before reverting to the role of tedious tour guide: “However there is a convenient [sic] store and it is near the night markets.”
You would not expect anyone to be disappointed with the United States’ Grand Canyon.
But according to someone going by the name of Bonvoyaddict it’s a “Cluster of ugly looking rocks and a gorge that runs for miles. Boring is an understatement. Don’t waste your time visiting.”
This online scribe, however, must have seen something in the landmark that attracts close to 5 million people a year: “I drove nine hours one-way to see it, but it felt like it was only worth a two-hour drive. So if you happen to be within two hours, it’s worth considering.”
A tourist takes in the view along the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park. One visitor was unimpressed, writing online that it is “a cluster of ugly looking rocks”. Photo: Shutterstock
Some bucket-listers at Machu Picchu in Peru were similarly unimpressed with what they saw: “Just a bunch of rocks. Massive cash grab.”
“Not very impressive. [I’d give it] two stars if they install wifi.”
One ultra-frustrated sightseer was clearly expecting the ancient Incan citadel to be of a more contemporary design, waterproof and less, erm, infernal: “The view is one of the few strong points of this dilapidated place. The houses are literally in ruins; not even a ceiling to protect us from the heavy and frequent exotic rain […] I do not recommend this hellish destination.”
Machu Picchu, in Peru, was called “a massive cash grab” by one online reviewer. Photo: Shutterstock
Perhaps they should have gone to Venice instead. Oh, wait: “Gondola ride way too expensive, I even asked the gondola owner if at that price, I could take the boat home.”
And, “Would I visit again, NO. Can’t see what all the fuss is about. It’s just a canal and a very busy one at that.”
One visitor has a tip for underwhelmed holidaymakers: “Just go to the Venetian [resort] in Las Vegas, you will have a better time.”
A gondola traverses a narrow waterway in Venice, Italy. Photo: Shutterstock
Not necessarily. Commenting in March, Ajay S. writes that The Venetian “is the WORST hotel in Las Vegas”. Reviewer Tina L. is also a fan of upper case for emphasis: “This place will try and SCAM you for anything.”
And one Vegas visitor seems to have confused the neon-lit Nevada city with a war zone: “I was horrified and felt that my life was at risk many times in the daytime.”
A recent visitor to The Venetian’s Asian sister, The Venetian Macao, also feared for their life, when they had to walk to the casino resort, after more than one shuttle bus driver refused to give them a ride: “We must have look [sic] poor and horrible and we have never [been] treated so poorly. We have to cross the highway dangerously since it is still in repair and renovation and it took us 30 minutes to walk to the Venetian Hotel in the hot sun. By the time I got to the hotel, I am furious and my temper is short.”
A gondola ride at The Venetian Las Vegas could be an alternative to the “very busy” real Venice. Photo: Shutterstock
Negative reviews of the Acropolis of Athens tend to focus on poor levels of organisation – “understaffed”, “disorganised” and “rude” crop up a lot – although a few Philistines feel their time exploring the 5th century BC archaeological site was wasted. Perhaps a lift would have helped.
“What a silly bunch of ancient rocks! Also very high up the hill. They should have made it more accessible but it doesn’t [sic] worth the visit anyway.”
And here’s the winner in the “brevity is the soul of wit” category: “It’s a long way to go to see cranes, scaffolding, a tractor and a lot of people stood too close together.”
Tourists at the Parthenon, at the Acropolis of Athens. Photo: Shutterstock
A visitor to Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa was dismayed at the distance between Pisa railway station and the 12th century Tuscan landmark: “It is not really worthy. Not close to train station and just taking pictures is only thing what [you] can do. CINQUE TERRE IS BETTER.” Capital letters again, this time to shout about somewhere we are led to believe is an upgrade on Pisa’s wonky tower.
I would not be in too much of a rush if I were you, though.
Of the five ancient fishing villages known as Cinque Terre, Vernazza is considered the most beautiful. But if we browse reviews of the picturesque seaside settlement in northwest Italy, negative opinions trounce positive feedback.
The Leaning Tower attracts plenty of visitors, but has been criticised online for not being near Pisa train station. Photo: Shutterstock
“Wall to wall people. So busy you just shuffle along”; “There was no seating at any restaurant. Every ledge and step was filled with cranky looking hot people”; “Just hated the place, so many people in a very small place.”
But is it reasonable to complain about crowds clogging village streets without acknowledging that we are all tourists and thus part of the problem?
As a Dutch satnav maker pointed out in an ad campaign a few years ago: “You are not stuck in traffic. You are traffic.”
Niagara Falls has been a sightseeing and honeymoon destination since the early 19th century but the American side of the water could do with some TLC, if this poignant review is anything to go by: “Neighbourhood after neighbourhood, street after street, old dilapidated buildings, junk everywhere, no pedestrians anywhere.
“Businesses boarded up. It’s such a mess. Hardly anyone walking around the falls or the parks. It’s a disaster. So sad. Canada built their side up and we let our side die.”
Poor organisation and overcrowding at the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, often leave visitors fuming. Photo: AFP
India’s Taj Mahal also has its problems. Poor organisation and overcrowding at the Unesco site leaves visitors fuming – and who knows what happened to this online contributor’s mum: “It was a disgusting experience. Police at the checkpoint behaved very rudely with my mother.”
Oh, and choose your accommodation in Agra, home city of the magnificent mausoleum, with care: one visitor managed to stay in “the worst hotel I have ever visited. Most of the staff, even the on-duty manager, were all drunk and don’t know how to deal with a customer.”
Most of the staff were DRUNK? That certainly deserves to be in capital letters.
Denial of responsibility! Pioneer Newz is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials, please contact us by email – [email protected]. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.
