7 Tourist Destinations to Avoid

tourist destinations to avoid. Singapore
Tourist destinations to avoid: Singapore is one of them. Photo by Chili.

7 Tourist destinations to avoid | Today’s article is about places that tourists usually visit once and never again. Reasons vary. Most mentioned: ‘no local culture’, followed by ‘no outstanding landmarks’. Despite all this publicly open knowledge, why do tourists go there anyway? We give you some answers …

Tourist Destinations to Avoid: Dubai

7 tourist destinations avoid Dubai skyline
Dubai skyline. Photo by Chili.

According to many tourists, Dubai is boring, soulless, got no local culture, super hot in summer = no outdoor activities possible, expensive and a discriminating place – especially for Asians. Apart from that no random conversations are possible with locals.

Why do tourists end up in Dubai? It’s ideal for a shopping stopover, has an impressive skyline and very nice weather in winter.

Avoid Singapore

7 tourist destinations avoid Amazing Pool Singapore
Amazing Infinity Pool at the Marina Bay Sands in an otherwise avoidable City: Singapore. Photo by Chili.

Singapore suffers hot humid weather 10 to 11 months per year. The remaining 1 to 2 months it’s hot and hazy with a very high level of air pollution during dry season. Reason: intense slash-and-burn activities in neighboring Java (Indonesia). Congratulations! You just shortened your own livespan by 2 years due to inhaling smoky air for 2 months.
-> Singapore is also expensive
-> no unique character
-> almost no historic buildings except Raffles Hotel
-> only one truly outstanding landmark: Marina Bay Sands Hotel
-> almost no local culture

Why on earth do tourists end up in Singapore? Singapore is a very important global traffic hub – ideal for a stopover.

Avoid Hongkong

7 tourist destinations avoid Hongkong chicken boxes
Tourist Destinations to Avoid: Hongkong, chicken boxes.

-> crowded
-> soulless
-> almost no historic buildings
-> no outstanding landmarks
-> no local culture
Hongkong’s GDP is close to nothing. The GDP of America and Europe: over 12 trillion per year = $40,000 times 300,000,000 people. Hongkong is just a huge collection of toilet-sized apartments. Many locals live in so-called ‘chicken-boxes’. Living in a 6ft by 2ft space is no joke in HK. It’s freaking real.

Why do tourists go to Hongkong anyway? Hongkong is a very important global traffic hub with nice winter weather at around about 15 to 20 degrees celsius.

Avoid Bangkok

7 tourist destinations avoid Bangkok strip dancers
Bangkok strip dancers

Bangkok is actually not a boring place, but day temperatures reach 30 to 35 degrees celsius all year long. You can’t just walk around or have a peaceful meal somewhere without being constantly approached by hundreds of street vendors, taxi drivers and beggars. This kind of behavior is only worse in Mumbay. But ok. Mumbay is not a tourist destination at all. So let’s forget about that. There are by far better options to choose from in Thailand. For example Krabi.

Why do tourists end up in Bangkok? Bangkok is the no. 1 shopping destination for South East Asians because of cheap prices for fake branded stuff. It’s also a top location among sex tourists.

Avoid Frankfurt

7 tourist destinations avoid Frankfurt Römerberg at night
Frankfurt Römerberg at night

Frankfurt is a banker city. Avoid it. If you accidentally end up here, visit the Römerberg; that’s Frankfurt’s old city center. Then rush back to your hotel and watch some Family Guy or Bundesliga.

Why do tourists end up in Frankfurt? Frankfurt is a very important global traffic hub and starting point to explore Southern Germany, e.g. the Romantic Road which starts in nearby Würzburg.

Avoid Vladivostok

Vladivostok beautiful tiny bay
Vladivostok beautiful tiny bay

The location itself is close to paradise – at least in summer. The area around Vladivostok is simply spectacular, clustered with many hills, tiny bays and islands on the shore of the clear Sea of Japan. But as we all know Russian architecture and lifestyle does not go nice with nature. Soviet-style apartment blocks and numerous soviet monuments spoil the view. The city is dirty and unattractive.

Why do tourists visit Vladivostok? Probably to get disenchanted, or they might have lost a bet that forced them to go there. Casinos are a reason for rich Chinese tourists to disembark in Vladivostok.

Avoid Taipei

Boring Taipei
Boring Taipei. Photos by Chili.

From the standpoint of a tourist Taipei is just a big joke. They got that 101 skyscraper – once the tallest building on earth. But that’s pretty much it. Nothing else to explore. But even with nothing much to do in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei’s tourist head counts are growing. Overall prices are still comparably cheap. You can walk safely at night and it’s convenient to get around. If we would just know where to go. To the Hello-Kitty-Restaurant maybe? Check out this article -> What it is to eat in the Hello Kitty Restaurant in Taipei.

Why do tourists end up in Taipei? We don’t know. We really don’t know.


Tourist destinations avoid. By Chili & Thirp | Hugging horizons since 2004 | More overrated and dangerous travel spots here -> Disappointing Tourist Destinations. More good vibes here -> Travel Top Lists.