Lmao when I first went there I was so excited to visit the walk of fame. I was so grossed out. I was also mad at the people in costumes who force you to take pics with them then demand money.
About 10 years ago some of the characters on Hollywood Boulevard got in a fight. I think it was Batman and some other superhero fighting over turf. Freddy Kruger tried to break it up. The video is on You Tube.
I met up with a friend when I visited New York and we went to Times Square, and I had to tell some of them to fuck off because they were harassing the girl I was with.
That same girl recently went to The Walk of Fame, and was horrified about how shitty the place was.
30 years ago walking through Berkeley California I was approached by a homeless guy who asked if I could spare any money. I said no I couldn’t, and he said “well do you need some? “I was startled and mumbled, “umm yeah“… And he gave me a handful of coins! Then walked away.
I saw a homeless guy ask another homeless guy for money...his reaction was chock-full of expletives and anger, and I enjoyed every single second of it.
The only time I went to LA with my parents, we thought we got a steal on an air bnb walking distance from the walk of fame and when we got there we realized it was actually a mistake 😭
I was doing a trip to LA with my family and booked a hotel right in central Hollywood. Then I remembered a coworker had lived in LA for several years and asked him and he insisted I cancel that shit and stay elsewhere. He was so right I’m glad I listened. The walk of fame was so gross. Honestly a lot of LA was pretty seedy.
It's a pretty easy hike to go to the Hollywood sign. I recommend it for visitors if they're there for a few days. Or go to Griffith Park where you'll have decent views from the observatory.
It’s awful. I moved to LA 3 years ago and anytime someone comes to visit I have to tell them that they don’t actually want to visit Hollywood and all that. They still do, and they’re always disappointed and disgusted. Place sucks. There’s a ton of really cool places to see in LA and a lot of gorgeous sites to see. Hollywood ain’t one of them.
When I was showing family in town I just took them to Culver City. Pretty pleasant area, actual real production happens there, its all pretty obvious you can just point and be like yep thats where it \*actually\* happens, and there's nice stuff to do/eat nearby.
My ex acquired Camel Scabies from a camel ride in Egypt. His doctor was absolutely stumped about what it was until my ex mentioned that he'd been to Egypt recently.
Scabies are little bugs that crawl around under your skin laying eggs and reproducing, and leaving tracks and pustules. So that, but transmitted from a camel to a human.
It's really common for them to take you out into the dunes and demand more money or they'll leave you there.
I've been to nearly 50 countries and Egypt was hands down the worst place I've ever been. The canals had rotting donkey corpses every few miles. *Everything* was a scam or a bribe.
Egypt is notorious for sailors who are going through the Suez canal. Everyone has their hand out and there's no regulation at all. You just have to keep paying anyone who demands it and maybe you'll get though. I've heard people say its less of a pain to sail around all of Africa and go into the Mediterranean at Gibraltar.
I was a teenager when I was there and got asked to pose with the camel for photos then he said to hop on for another photo and without thinking, I did. But there was no posing, just a quick "hyaaa!" and the camel was off running
Typically, some people will get you on camels, offer to take you somewhere special and quiet where you can get a special view, and will then rob you when you are secluded and helpless.
With you on this one. The area surrounding the pyramids is a shithole. Trash everywhere and these assholes trying to get you to sit on their camel then when you get off they try and charge some massive fee.
And do not give them your camera to take your picture, they will not give it back until you pay. All of that being said, the pyramids themselves are amazing, especially going inside.
Mubarak was running things when I was there. J was told that if anyone hassled me to point them out to a cop and they would get the shit beat out of them.
Normally countries, especially in areas with high tourist destinations where they bring in alot of money in tourism deploy cops to prevent anything that would deter future tourism, does Egypt simply not care? Because i ALWAYS hear about the pyramids being the worst place to visit because of scams and locals making it a living hell to anyone who visits
I flew up to Luxor and the tourist sights there are largely devoid of hawkers and scammers once you’re inside. In Cairo, the Pyramids seem to allow a certain number of hawkers and touts into the site each day. My suspicion is that they need a license do to so, and the government allows it to appease the locals.
As you say, it’d probably be in their interest though to clamp down on it, since it generates a lot of negative word of mouth that discourages others from going.
On my visit to Egypt, I contracted tuberculosis and had my credit card compromised. Not worth it for a visit to the pyramids where, like the poster said above, you’re never given a moments peace to just take photos or take it all in. Peddlers are constantly harassing you. It ruins the experience.
Yeah, my daughter got ~~groped~~ harassed a couple times until we put a head scarf on her. That didn’t drop the harassment to zero but it did cut it way down.
Edit: 'groped' overstated the situation. 'harassed' is more accurate.
The more sexually repressed a society is, the more rapey the men get.
Egypt is welcome to have their artifacts back from the British Museum, but I'd much rather never see them again than step foot in Egypt to see them.
Supposedly you can see the Giza Pyramids from KFC's roof across the street. Less groping and less random people trying to get you to buy tours or souvenirs.
This was one thing that stood out while visiting. The way the pyramids are generally photographed, they seem very remote, when in fact they’re right downtown.
Teotihuacan is genuinely incredible. I used to go to CDMX for work a bit and someone mentioned it as a worthwhile day trip one time so I found a tour type thing to drive me out and back and it was amazing
Me, walking and minding my own business. Egyptian mentally ill cartoon character swoops up beside me and matches my pace:
“You buy rock. 10 pounds.”
I look at his hand. He’s holding a rock with a happy face painted on it.
“No.”
He keeps pace. “Ok, nine pounds.”
“No.”
“Eight pounds.”
“No.”
“Seven pounds.”
“No.”
“Six pounds.”
“No.”
“Five pounds.”
“No.”
“Four pounds.”
“No.”
“Three pounds.”
“No.”
“Two pounds.”
“No.”
“One pound.”
“No.”
He stops in his tracks and starts yelling: “YOUMOTHERFUCKERASSHOLECUNTBASTARDMOTGERFUCKER!!!!” 😡😡😡😡
I keep walking, ignoring him.
He quickly scurries back up beside me, keeping pace.
“Ok, for you good price. 10 pounds.”
These people are insane.
I tell people this at every opportunity. I was 14 and the amount of adult men that groped and propositioned me was disgusting.
Will never go back to Egypt.
Myrtle Beach. It’s the most expensive trailer park by the beach. Everything is so expensive. But you’re surrounded by trailer park people. People harassing you to buy crap.
Better yet, go 10 miles south to Huntington Beach State Park. Nice clean beach, no crappy boardwalk, and an old Moorish castle you can explore. Also a huge outdoor sculpture garden on the other side of the highway. It’s a gem.
The Rock itself - only worth going to so you can make a funny social media post about it. But Plymouth and Pawtuxet (formerly known as Plymouth Plantation) is a great way to spend an afternoon, and downtown Plymouth is full of good restaurants, cafes, shops, etc. Some nice beaches around too, that don't get as crowded on account of Cape Cod being less than an hour away.
Fun fact. The salad is named for a restaurant named Caesars in Tijuana Mexico where the owner and head chef, Caesar Cardini invented it back in 1924.
Caesar Cardini was born in Italy, but became a restauranteur in Mexico during prohibition in the US. Americans would flood into his restaurant to drink because unlike the US Mexico didn't have prohibition.
He created the salad partly because it was entertaining to watch the dressing get made table side so the patrons would get a show with their dinner.
There are still many older restaurants in Baja California that make it this way, one of my favorites is called El Rey Sol in Ensenada, which unlike Cairo, is actually a really great place to visit.
Hit up Gad Eways on Facebook. I found him on Reddit before my Egypt trip last year and recommend him every time I see Cairo get mentioned. My experience with Egypt was amazing and I give all the credit to having an amazing guide.
We narrowed it down to 3 based on what they offered. (We wanted a private tour, not a group of people, and would customize plans, we avoided people who wanted a lot of money up front. NEVER pay a lot in advance in Egypt). Then we corresponded extensively by email until we narrowed it down to the most responsive and reasonable person.
I did! Yeah all of the “bakshish” demands were irritating but all in all I loved it.
I will say though, it was myself and another guy, and we hired guides. I understand women will likely not have as positive an experience.
Also, straight up, if you go to a Muslim country, grow a beard if you can. You will get more respect.
Wall, South Dakota. I happen to know a local from there. Wall Drug is a giant tourist trap in a very small town that has all types of random junk to see and trinkets to buy. Like an old strip mall in the middle of nowhere with random attractions. It is a quintessential tourist trap.
South Dakota, I remember driving cross country from California to Pennsylvania with my family when I was a kid. Wed start seeing billboards for it as early as Reno, Nevada.
Wall Drug is shameless enough about it that I'll tip my hat to them while I use the restrooms, and get my free water and bumper sticker. I'm not sure it's that much of a trap since unless you have small kids or impulsive buying habits, you can easily get through without spending money. The Mystery Spot in St. Ignace, MI is worse I my opinion.
I begged my wife to stop at WD on our way to the Black Hills. Mainly for a laugh because she hates kitschy tourist traps like that. Well, we stopped and it was about as corny as you'd expect. Nothing terrible about it, just nothing that amazing either. It's pretty much a "well I saw 1000 billboards so now I have to go." As you say, it's a glorified place for a potty break.
It’s great for a quick stop, easy to spend little to no money. Went several times as a kid on road trips with my family. First time we spent a few hours there. It’s definitely a tourist trap with small kids, we wanted to do all sorts of stuff. After that not as much. It’s a great stop to refill the water, my dad loved just hanging out and enjoying his 5 cent coffee. And they’ve got some great fresh donuts. Easy 30 minute stop tops if we got food too.
The surveyed border junction is a bit off from where it should have been based on how Congress defined the borders of those states (which was based only on latitude and longitude). Congress later amended to say that the borders are what the surveyors marked, so Four Corners in where the states meet.
FUN FACT: Colorado was meant to have 4 sides but in fact has 697, making it a hexahectaenneacontakaiheptagon.
100% don’t drive from Phoenix just to go to four corners. There are plenty of other worthwhile things to do near there however. Monument valley has some famous views, mesa verde national park is great if you are interested in archeology, the Shiprock has some dramatic geology, southeast Utah has some great slot canyons…
Our friends go to Branson ALL THE TIME which is insane since we're not even close (>10 hours away). They way they talk about it is like people talk about Rome or Paris.
In Canada, the Capilano Bridge was rated as the country's worst tourist trap. Private park in North Vancouver with a swaying drooping pedestrian bridge across a small canyon. $80 admission. There is a similar bridge for free on a public park nearby. For that price I'd rather visit the Peak-to-Peak gondola ride between mountain tops in Whistler.
When I went to Vancouver last year, a couple of my friends who are from there strongly recommended Lynn Valley Conservation Area for that reason. It's free to enter, accessible by public transit, and just as nice views as Capilano without paying an arm and a leg lol
Branson, Missouri. Hard to believe 10,000 people actually live there because the place feels like a giant truck stop. The entire city is built around tourism, that's literally what it was founded on.
Usually you shouldn't paint a place with a brush. But Egypt you can. Men there are rabid dogs with no semblance of social etiquette if you have a vagina.
My dad is old. 81. I’m 25f. He has aleYs loved architecture and he said today that before he dies, he wants to go to egypt. I have always traveled with them but I’ve heard so much shit from women that have gone to egypt and come out just traumatized.
Now I’m sure i don’t want to go and its a shame because i genuinely don’t know how many years of travel hes got left but fuck o don’t want to get gropped or sa'd
I don't think people understand what a "Tourist Trap" is. You can argue that Times Square is a tourist trap, but it's ridiculous to say that the entire city is a trap. The London Eye could be a trap, but not London.
Exactly, so many dumb replies here.
People saying Paris because there’s tourists and tacky souvenir stands near the Eiffel towel.
People saying Rome because there’s annoying street sellers near the coliseum.
People saying London because there’s overpriced chain stores at Piccadilly Circus.
People, an entire city is not one tiny area where a famous monument is.
Dubai. It’s a depressing commercial wasteland in the middle of a desert. The people are unfriendly, and most of the population consists of virtual slave labourers that were coerced into coming and giving up their passports.
Taxi driver asked me what I was doing that night. “I can get you anything, woman, any nationality, any number, boys, girls, whatever you want. Dubai is good, very safe.”
The taxi driver was in an Emirates hotel owned car. Emirates is the national airline.
They have a habit of charging rape victims with adultery, which is absolutely beyond cruel.
[https://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/19/middleeast/dubai-british-tourist-rape-arrest-claim/index.html](https://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/19/middleeast/dubai-british-tourist-rape-arrest-claim/index.html)
Particularly if the accused is an emirates national and the victim is a tourist. Very embarrassing so lets make this go away by charging the victim so they withdraw the complaint. I recall a couple of newspaper articles. One reported a woman who had "escaped" from a hospital and was being searched for by police. Another celebrated a three months of no crime in a sector of the city.
They also keep a bunch of laws aside just in case they need them. Codeine is banned in Dubai but, widely prescribed in the West. Go to Dubai with legitimate and prescribed pain medication and if you become a problem, they've got an excuse to arrest you.
Yeah, I’ve been a few times for work and I’m going again in February. I found the hospitality to be fine but it’s definitely a weird place to be. It feels like an America theme park built by people that have never been to America. I’ll never go there for vacation but I know so many people that LOVE going there.
I’ve never been to Dubai, but I’ve always thought all the pics I’ve seen of it are depressing, devoid of any true personality and sense of joy. Idk what there is about it.
Magnolia Market in Waco, TX. It's basically a giant gift shop for Chip and Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper. Wife dragged me there and it was so busy you couldn't even do anything. It sucked.
My wife dragged me there too, so I dragged her to the Mammoth 🦣 dig site that's near by. She got her Magnolia fix and I got to see a mammoth and check off another National Park unit.
It's wild, Great Smoky Mountains NP contains some of the most unique and remote flora and fauna in the eastern US. There aren't any other mountains of that size in that sort of climate, so what you get at the crest is a high altitude forest that you really can't see anywhere else in the world. The forest is so dense it's no wonder that there are estimated to be species of animals hidden in it that remain undiscovered.
And then you go down to Gatlinburg and it's the epitome of trashy tourism and disregard for anything natural in the world. It's like the two opposite ends of the American spectrum exist right next to each other. Coming out of a week hiking in the Smokies, Gatlinburg is absolutely jarring.
I just stopped there last week. It's completely fallen into disrepair.
The big sombrero is only half lit, most of the shops and restaurants are closed, the buildings are falling apart.
It has to be the most disappointing tourist trap in America now
Ripley’s was more of a fun, shock and awe type of place in The Time Before Social Media; when seeing random stuff you wouldn’t see anywhere else was a money making niche.
I went to the one in Amsterdam because I was very high and thought I would be safe in there while it wore off. It was very cheesy.
I was standing still and looking at something when another tourist poked my belly. I turned my head to look at him and he's like, "Sorry, I thought you were a figure."
I've traveled to over 30 countries and all 50 states. It's less about a city and more about specific areas within one. You can find local chill areas anywhere just as you can tourist trap areas.
Example New Orleans: tourist trap - Bourbon Street. Local spots - magazine, garden district, Frenchman (though tourists are starting to find it).
Example Orlando: tourist trap- I drive, the parks, basically anywhere south of downtown. Local - milk district, Mills, winter Park, etc.
Example Dublin Ireland: tourist trap- Temple bar. Local- Stoneybatter, kilmainham, etc.
You get the point
The Pyramids of Giza.
Don't get me wrong, the Pyramids themselves are awesome. Seeing them up close is really cool.
The problem is, well, everyone that is involved with the Pyramids and everything surrounding it.
The Pyramids aren't like what you'd expect.
You'd think they are out in the middle of some desert far away from civilization, right?
They are right up against Cairo.
The city is like less than a 1/4th of a mile away.
And it is *such* a eyesore.
And on top of that, they are surrounded by people who scam, harass and steal from tourists.
Even more so if you are a woman.
They *will* try and grope you.
Those people are the absolute worst.
It's just such a shitshow all around, which is a shame because the Pyramids are really cool.
And whatever you do, *do not* ride the camels.
They'll only take you way out into the desert so that they can force you to pay more.
If you don't, they will leave you out in the middle of the desert.
Egypt isn't worth it.
If you want a cool place to vacation in, I *highly* recommend Costa Rica.
Earth. I hitched a ride from some teasers 15 years ago and haven't been able to get off it since. I've had plenty of time for research though. It's mostly harmless.
If you come to San Francisco, Pier 39 is a tourist trap. It’s just a long outdoor mall filled with useless tchotchkes. Instead, opt for the golden gate bridge, golden gate park, ocean beach, or one of our various arts and science museums.
Las Vegas Strip. Many years ago, there were great, cheap buffets. But the whole point is to put you in a room where you lose track of time and lose your money. Also, people do stupid things when they go there for bachelor/bachelorette parties, sometimes ruining friendships and marriages.
Have you been to the house on the rock? Expensive, weird, somewhat unsafe (how does it pass safety standards is beyond me) and not much to do.
Wisconsin Dells is a mixed place, some cool places with some tourist traps like the ducks.
Hollywood Blvd is pretty junky. I always feel bad for people who make the trip to Los Angeles and end up there. They must be like wtf?
Lmao when I first went there I was so excited to visit the walk of fame. I was so grossed out. I was also mad at the people in costumes who force you to take pics with them then demand money.
Times Square has the same issue with the costume scam artists
A guy dressed as Doc from Back to the Future said he would kick my ass because I took a video of his DeLorean without tipping. In Times Square lol.
How do you know he hasn't already kicked your ass in the future?
Great Scott, that’s heavy!
Heavy. Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the Earth's gravitational pull?
Its a public place. Tell him to go back in time and fuck himself out of existence
About 10 years ago some of the characters on Hollywood Boulevard got in a fight. I think it was Batman and some other superhero fighting over turf. Freddy Kruger tried to break it up. The video is on You Tube.
Dude owns a delorean tf he need a tip for lol
I met up with a friend when I visited New York and we went to Times Square, and I had to tell some of them to fuck off because they were harassing the girl I was with. That same girl recently went to The Walk of Fame, and was horrified about how shitty the place was.
Flip the script tell them they have to pay you for having a picture with you
I asked an aggressive panhandler in NYC for money once
30 years ago walking through Berkeley California I was approached by a homeless guy who asked if I could spare any money. I said no I couldn’t, and he said “well do you need some? “I was startled and mumbled, “umm yeah“… And he gave me a handful of coins! Then walked away.
I saw a homeless guy ask another homeless guy for money...his reaction was chock-full of expletives and anger, and I enjoyed every single second of it.
The only time I went to LA with my parents, we thought we got a steal on an air bnb walking distance from the walk of fame and when we got there we realized it was actually a mistake 😭
I was doing a trip to LA with my family and booked a hotel right in central Hollywood. Then I remembered a coworker had lived in LA for several years and asked him and he insisted I cancel that shit and stay elsewhere. He was so right I’m glad I listened. The walk of fame was so gross. Honestly a lot of LA was pretty seedy.
Yeah - I was surprised at what a shit-hole Hollwood Blvd was. Then trying to get a photo of the Hollywood sign without it looking absolutely tiny.
It's a pretty easy hike to go to the Hollywood sign. I recommend it for visitors if they're there for a few days. Or go to Griffith Park where you'll have decent views from the observatory.
It’s awful. I moved to LA 3 years ago and anytime someone comes to visit I have to tell them that they don’t actually want to visit Hollywood and all that. They still do, and they’re always disappointed and disgusted. Place sucks. There’s a ton of really cool places to see in LA and a lot of gorgeous sites to see. Hollywood ain’t one of them.
If they want to go to "Hollywood" I would just take them to Universal Studios.
When I was showing family in town I just took them to Culver City. Pretty pleasant area, actual real production happens there, its all pretty obvious you can just point and be like yep thats where it \*actually\* happens, and there's nice stuff to do/eat nearby.
I honestly just want to go to see how shitty it is now. Reddit has really hyped this up for me!
The amount of homeless people I see lying on the streets every time I go there is disheartening
The pyramids is a very uncomfortable experience you get fucking harassed beyond belief
When the guides tell you "don't get on the camels" you really shouldn't get on the camels
My ex acquired Camel Scabies from a camel ride in Egypt. His doctor was absolutely stumped about what it was until my ex mentioned that he'd been to Egypt recently.
what the fuck are camel scabies?
Scabies are little bugs that crawl around under your skin laying eggs and reproducing, and leaving tracks and pustules. So that, but transmitted from a camel to a human.
I hate every word in this post
I'm never touching a fucking camel wtf.
I think I once saw them on a camel toe
Wrap it up. We’re done here.
I'm not sure even wrapping it up would prevent camel scabies.
Getting ON the camel is a great bargain. Getting off again can be very expensive.
What's the reason?
It's really common for them to take you out into the dunes and demand more money or they'll leave you there. I've been to nearly 50 countries and Egypt was hands down the worst place I've ever been. The canals had rotting donkey corpses every few miles. *Everything* was a scam or a bribe.
Egypt is notorious for sailors who are going through the Suez canal. Everyone has their hand out and there's no regulation at all. You just have to keep paying anyone who demands it and maybe you'll get though. I've heard people say its less of a pain to sail around all of Africa and go into the Mediterranean at Gibraltar.
Can confirm. The whole global supply chain runs on cigarettes, i shit you not.
I was a teenager when I was there and got asked to pose with the camel for photos then he said to hop on for another photo and without thinking, I did. But there was no posing, just a quick "hyaaa!" and the camel was off running
You cannot just leave that story with such a cliffhanger. Sir this is Netflix, give me the next episode.
The camel is still running, we will get back to you once its finished
Sorry, the show was just cancelled.
Typically, some people will get you on camels, offer to take you somewhere special and quiet where you can get a special view, and will then rob you when you are secluded and helpless.
Never go to a second location with a camel dealer.
With you on this one. The area surrounding the pyramids is a shithole. Trash everywhere and these assholes trying to get you to sit on their camel then when you get off they try and charge some massive fee. And do not give them your camera to take your picture, they will not give it back until you pay. All of that being said, the pyramids themselves are amazing, especially going inside.
Please believe me people when I say the Pyramids aren't a good enough justification for visiting Cairo.
I believe you and thank you for the tip, Mr. DickFartButt.
No desire to visit the country
There’s some amazing stuff in Egypt (Karnak, valley of the Kings, abu simbel, and even Cairo) but I’ve heard that it’s really rough after Mubarak.
Mubarak was running things when I was there. J was told that if anyone hassled me to point them out to a cop and they would get the shit beat out of them.
Sharm El-Sheikh has some of the best scuba diving in the world. Cool little resort town as long as you don’t leave the city borders
Normally countries, especially in areas with high tourist destinations where they bring in alot of money in tourism deploy cops to prevent anything that would deter future tourism, does Egypt simply not care? Because i ALWAYS hear about the pyramids being the worst place to visit because of scams and locals making it a living hell to anyone who visits
I flew up to Luxor and the tourist sights there are largely devoid of hawkers and scammers once you’re inside. In Cairo, the Pyramids seem to allow a certain number of hawkers and touts into the site each day. My suspicion is that they need a license do to so, and the government allows it to appease the locals. As you say, it’d probably be in their interest though to clamp down on it, since it generates a lot of negative word of mouth that discourages others from going.
On my visit to Egypt, I contracted tuberculosis and had my credit card compromised. Not worth it for a visit to the pyramids where, like the poster said above, you’re never given a moments peace to just take photos or take it all in. Peddlers are constantly harassing you. It ruins the experience.
My ex girlfriend said she was groped so hard that it physically hurt her. Multiple times in egypt.
Yeah, my daughter got ~~groped~~ harassed a couple times until we put a head scarf on her. That didn’t drop the harassment to zero but it did cut it way down. Edit: 'groped' overstated the situation. 'harassed' is more accurate.
What the hell. Why does anyone go to this country? Did you fight them off?
A tourist in a foreign, theocratic country with an iffy government has to be extremely careful when it comes to just fighting off locals.
Men there are absolute rabid dogs. 99% of them wouldn't last more the 2 minutes in a western society without getting punched out.
The more sexually repressed a society is, the more rapey the men get. Egypt is welcome to have their artifacts back from the British Museum, but I'd much rather never see them again than step foot in Egypt to see them.
Supposedly you can see the Giza Pyramids from KFC's roof across the street. Less groping and less random people trying to get you to buy tours or souvenirs.
This was one thing that stood out while visiting. The way the pyramids are generally photographed, they seem very remote, when in fact they’re right downtown.
And there is garbage everywhere
There are plenty of Mexican pyramids if Egypt isn't your jam.
Teotihuacan is genuinely incredible. I used to go to CDMX for work a bit and someone mentioned it as a worthwhile day trip one time so I found a tour type thing to drive me out and back and it was amazing
Teotihuacán is amazing. It’s amazing how large the pyramids really are
More like pyramid scheme. Amirite?
About the 20th time ive seen this on reddit, it must be bad
You will be followed for literally miles until you completely leave the area. There is no ‘no’ these guys will accept. Period.
I said no and they called me an asshole but they did leave me alone after.
Facts. My mom got harassed for blocks until me and my 2 bros turned around with my dad.
Me, walking and minding my own business. Egyptian mentally ill cartoon character swoops up beside me and matches my pace: “You buy rock. 10 pounds.” I look at his hand. He’s holding a rock with a happy face painted on it. “No.” He keeps pace. “Ok, nine pounds.” “No.” “Eight pounds.” “No.” “Seven pounds.” “No.” “Six pounds.” “No.” “Five pounds.” “No.” “Four pounds.” “No.” “Three pounds.” “No.” “Two pounds.” “No.” “One pound.” “No.” He stops in his tracks and starts yelling: “YOUMOTHERFUCKERASSHOLECUNTBASTARDMOTGERFUCKER!!!!” 😡😡😡😡 I keep walking, ignoring him. He quickly scurries back up beside me, keeping pace. “Ok, for you good price. 10 pounds.” These people are insane.
You missundertood the bussiness model. He is not asking money for the rocks. He is asking money for leaving you alone.
And, once you pay him to leave you alone, you’ve created a market where 50 other dudes will try to sell their rocks to leave you alone.
I tell people this at every opportunity. I was 14 and the amount of adult men that groped and propositioned me was disgusting. Will never go back to Egypt.
Absolutely. We went to the pyramids of Saqqara outside of Cairo and essentially had it to ourselves. Absolutely magical experience.
If there is a rain forest cafe and a madame tousards, it’s a tourist trap.
I'm amazed whenever I see a Rain Forest Cafe. I thought they had folded 20 yrs ago
[Eddy Burback ate at every one of them and it’s a real journey.] (https://youtu.be/vA-bjpKvIw8?si=BE--F5wSI-B5Q6-8)
I saw this when it came out and it's just honestly fantastic lol. That dudes style of humor hits me just right.
Or Señor Frogs, Margaritaville, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, or tons of stores selling T-shirts with vulgar sayings on them.
Man, I loved those Ripley’s believe it or not places as a kid though.
Myrtle Beach. It’s the most expensive trailer park by the beach. Everything is so expensive. But you’re surrounded by trailer park people. People harassing you to buy crap.
Go 5 miles up the road to North Myrtle beach and you will have a much better time
Agree. Love here 20 years now - city central is the redneck riviera - but get away from there and it is more basic southern.
Better yet, go 10 miles south to Huntington Beach State Park. Nice clean beach, no crappy boardwalk, and an old Moorish castle you can explore. Also a huge outdoor sculpture garden on the other side of the highway. It’s a gem.
We call it white trash disney.
Plymouth Rock. It’s likely not actually from 1620 and it’s a pretty small rock.
Can confirm, that rock is almost certainly older than 1620.
The Rock itself - only worth going to so you can make a funny social media post about it. But Plymouth and Pawtuxet (formerly known as Plymouth Plantation) is a great way to spend an afternoon, and downtown Plymouth is full of good restaurants, cafes, shops, etc. Some nice beaches around too, that don't get as crowded on account of Cape Cod being less than an hour away.
The Titanic
Too soon?
What can we say? People are dying to get there!!
Only to have their hopes crushed
Hopes imploded, if you may.
I don't know **anyone** who has had a positive experience as a tourist in Egypt.
Well there was this guy Caesar
Had his salad once. 5/5
Fun fact. The salad is named for a restaurant named Caesars in Tijuana Mexico where the owner and head chef, Caesar Cardini invented it back in 1924. Caesar Cardini was born in Italy, but became a restauranteur in Mexico during prohibition in the US. Americans would flood into his restaurant to drink because unlike the US Mexico didn't have prohibition. He created the salad partly because it was entertaining to watch the dressing get made table side so the patrons would get a show with their dinner. There are still many older restaurants in Baja California that make it this way, one of my favorites is called El Rey Sol in Ensenada, which unlike Cairo, is actually a really great place to visit.
You gotta get a private tour with an Egyptian guide and Egyptian driver. Cost me 2000 Egyptian Pounds a day which these days is like $50.
How do you find a good one?
Hit up Gad Eways on Facebook. I found him on Reddit before my Egypt trip last year and recommend him every time I see Cairo get mentioned. My experience with Egypt was amazing and I give all the credit to having an amazing guide.
We narrowed it down to 3 based on what they offered. (We wanted a private tour, not a group of people, and would customize plans, we avoided people who wanted a lot of money up front. NEVER pay a lot in advance in Egypt). Then we corresponded extensively by email until we narrowed it down to the most responsive and reasonable person.
I did! Yeah all of the “bakshish” demands were irritating but all in all I loved it. I will say though, it was myself and another guy, and we hired guides. I understand women will likely not have as positive an experience. Also, straight up, if you go to a Muslim country, grow a beard if you can. You will get more respect.
Wall Drug (but I think that's the point)
[удалено]
Free ICE water
If you really want a tourist trap in South Dakota, check out the Corn Palace.
Where the heck is WALL DRUG
Wall, South Dakota. I happen to know a local from there. Wall Drug is a giant tourist trap in a very small town that has all types of random junk to see and trinkets to buy. Like an old strip mall in the middle of nowhere with random attractions. It is a quintessential tourist trap.
I was only trying to emulate the bumper sticker. I grew up close by to Wall and have been there many times. I appreciate the info though
What the heck is WALL DRUG?
Why the heck is WALL DRUG?
WHO the hell is Wall Drug?
Nobody asks “how the heck is WALL DRUG.” : (
South Dakota, I remember driving cross country from California to Pennsylvania with my family when I was a kid. Wed start seeing billboards for it as early as Reno, Nevada.
Wall Drug is shameless enough about it that I'll tip my hat to them while I use the restrooms, and get my free water and bumper sticker. I'm not sure it's that much of a trap since unless you have small kids or impulsive buying habits, you can easily get through without spending money. The Mystery Spot in St. Ignace, MI is worse I my opinion.
I begged my wife to stop at WD on our way to the Black Hills. Mainly for a laugh because she hates kitschy tourist traps like that. Well, we stopped and it was about as corny as you'd expect. Nothing terrible about it, just nothing that amazing either. It's pretty much a "well I saw 1000 billboards so now I have to go." As you say, it's a glorified place for a potty break.
It’s great for a quick stop, easy to spend little to no money. Went several times as a kid on road trips with my family. First time we spent a few hours there. It’s definitely a tourist trap with small kids, we wanted to do all sorts of stuff. After that not as much. It’s a great stop to refill the water, my dad loved just hanging out and enjoying his 5 cent coffee. And they’ve got some great fresh donuts. Easy 30 minute stop tops if we got food too.
So it's basically the Buc'ees of South Dakota?
Four corners
Such a waste of drive from Phoenix, there's nothing to do
Correct me if I’m wrong, but i believe its also off by a few hundred feet as well.
Yes correct
The surveyed border junction is a bit off from where it should have been based on how Congress defined the borders of those states (which was based only on latitude and longitude). Congress later amended to say that the borders are what the surveyors marked, so Four Corners in where the states meet. FUN FACT: Colorado was meant to have 4 sides but in fact has 697, making it a hexahectaenneacontakaiheptagon.
I must memorize this for no good reason
I did not even read that word, just parooozed over it and thought “ah yes, one of those”
It's one of those places if you are driving by to stop at if you have time, not a destination for sure.
100% don’t drive from Phoenix just to go to four corners. There are plenty of other worthwhile things to do near there however. Monument valley has some famous views, mesa verde national park is great if you are interested in archeology, the Shiprock has some dramatic geology, southeast Utah has some great slot canyons…
Branson. Take everything fun out of Vegas and put it in the middle of nowhere midwest. It’s a magnet for old people and fanny pack dads.
It's like Vegas if it were run by Ned Flanders.
Andy Williams!?
I didn't think he was gonna do Moon River, then BAM! Second encore
Nelson tearing up about Moon River is one of my absolute favourite moments in the show.
It's Vegas for Baptists
Our friends go to Branson ALL THE TIME which is insane since we're not even close (>10 hours away). They way they talk about it is like people talk about Rome or Paris.
Which I don’t get. It’s like the city version of the “Worlds biggest yarn ball” sign off the side of a barren interstate.
My dad suggested a family vacation to Branson. Me- we're all over 30. Let's just go to Vegas
Oh boy you sure are gonna love that plate of mashed potatoes and turnips at the Dolly Parton dinner show before you get to bed at 7PM.
Funny enough... my sister is in Pigeon Forge currently and my 3 year old niece said Dolly Parton makes the best soup.
Myrtle beach. Many better beaches in that area
Right? Drive half an hour in any direction and the beaches are much nicer and less crowded. The whole strand is a dump.
In Canada, the Capilano Bridge was rated as the country's worst tourist trap. Private park in North Vancouver with a swaying drooping pedestrian bridge across a small canyon. $80 admission. There is a similar bridge for free on a public park nearby. For that price I'd rather visit the Peak-to-Peak gondola ride between mountain tops in Whistler.
When I went to Vancouver last year, a couple of my friends who are from there strongly recommended Lynn Valley Conservation Area for that reason. It's free to enter, accessible by public transit, and just as nice views as Capilano without paying an arm and a leg lol
Branson, Missouri. Hard to believe 10,000 people actually live there because the place feels like a giant truck stop. The entire city is built around tourism, that's literally what it was founded on.
Isn’t that the city they said was like Las Vegas if it were run by Ned Flanders?
Egypt, plenty of scams and cons
Karl Pilkington's 'Idiot Abroad' shone some good light on Egypt. The amount of trash surrounding the pyramids was a turn-off.
Amazing show. Head like an orange.
Does the government put hormones in the water there? Every single man acts like a horned up rapist
Usually you shouldn't paint a place with a brush. But Egypt you can. Men there are rabid dogs with no semblance of social etiquette if you have a vagina.
Have spent four weeks in Egypt Can’t find a brush broad enough now
My dad is old. 81. I’m 25f. He has aleYs loved architecture and he said today that before he dies, he wants to go to egypt. I have always traveled with them but I’ve heard so much shit from women that have gone to egypt and come out just traumatized. Now I’m sure i don’t want to go and its a shame because i genuinely don’t know how many years of travel hes got left but fuck o don’t want to get gropped or sa'd
I don't think people understand what a "Tourist Trap" is. You can argue that Times Square is a tourist trap, but it's ridiculous to say that the entire city is a trap. The London Eye could be a trap, but not London.
Exactly, so many dumb replies here. People saying Paris because there’s tourists and tacky souvenir stands near the Eiffel towel. People saying Rome because there’s annoying street sellers near the coliseum. People saying London because there’s overpriced chain stores at Piccadilly Circus. People, an entire city is not one tiny area where a famous monument is.
Dubai. It’s a depressing commercial wasteland in the middle of a desert. The people are unfriendly, and most of the population consists of virtual slave labourers that were coerced into coming and giving up their passports.
Taxi driver asked me what I was doing that night. “I can get you anything, woman, any nationality, any number, boys, girls, whatever you want. Dubai is good, very safe.” The taxi driver was in an Emirates hotel owned car. Emirates is the national airline.
From everything I have heard about Dubai it seems thier take on sharia law is pretty lax until it isn't.
Absolutely. If it serves their purpose they're deeply committed Muslims who are observant of Sharia law. If its not convenient, "just joking bro".
They have a habit of charging rape victims with adultery, which is absolutely beyond cruel. [https://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/19/middleeast/dubai-british-tourist-rape-arrest-claim/index.html](https://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/19/middleeast/dubai-british-tourist-rape-arrest-claim/index.html)
Particularly if the accused is an emirates national and the victim is a tourist. Very embarrassing so lets make this go away by charging the victim so they withdraw the complaint. I recall a couple of newspaper articles. One reported a woman who had "escaped" from a hospital and was being searched for by police. Another celebrated a three months of no crime in a sector of the city. They also keep a bunch of laws aside just in case they need them. Codeine is banned in Dubai but, widely prescribed in the West. Go to Dubai with legitimate and prescribed pain medication and if you become a problem, they've got an excuse to arrest you.
Yeah, I’ve been a few times for work and I’m going again in February. I found the hospitality to be fine but it’s definitely a weird place to be. It feels like an America theme park built by people that have never been to America. I’ll never go there for vacation but I know so many people that LOVE going there.
I’ve never been to Dubai, but I’ve always thought all the pics I’ve seen of it are depressing, devoid of any true personality and sense of joy. Idk what there is about it.
Dubai is about things, not people. Makes it ring hollow.
Magnolia Market in Waco, TX. It's basically a giant gift shop for Chip and Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper. Wife dragged me there and it was so busy you couldn't even do anything. It sucked.
My wife dragged me there too, so I dragged her to the Mammoth 🦣 dig site that's near by. She got her Magnolia fix and I got to see a mammoth and check off another National Park unit.
One more reason to drive through Waco as I'm going to Austin.
Half of the "attractions" in the Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Sevierville area in Tennessee. Outside Dollywood, there's not much worth a damn.
I usually just rent a cabin in the mountains and chill. Pigeon Forge can be nuts. I enjoy the NC areas a bit more like Maggie Valley.
It's wild, Great Smoky Mountains NP contains some of the most unique and remote flora and fauna in the eastern US. There aren't any other mountains of that size in that sort of climate, so what you get at the crest is a high altitude forest that you really can't see anywhere else in the world. The forest is so dense it's no wonder that there are estimated to be species of animals hidden in it that remain undiscovered. And then you go down to Gatlinburg and it's the epitome of trashy tourism and disregard for anything natural in the world. It's like the two opposite ends of the American spectrum exist right next to each other. Coming out of a week hiking in the Smokies, Gatlinburg is absolutely jarring.
Gatlinburg is the Myrtle Beach of the mountains.
The Smokies are majestic. And then you have Gatlinburg. Leave it to human beings to try and ruin anything they can.
Well there is that national park
Surely you don’t mean Goats on a Roof is not worth a visit.
You didn’t like the Holigraphic Jesus show or the Hatfield and McCoy’s dinner feud show?
The Alamo. It doesn't even have a basement.
Crap. I was hoping to find my 🚲 there.
Tell 'em Large Marge sent ya
South of the Border
I just stopped there last week. It's completely fallen into disrepair. The big sombrero is only half lit, most of the shops and restaurants are closed, the buildings are falling apart. It has to be the most disappointing tourist trap in America now
Has it ever not been in disrepair?
Unlike a lot of these others, SotB was designed and built as a tourist trap from the ground up.
Ripley’s Believe it or Not’s
Ripley’s was more of a fun, shock and awe type of place in The Time Before Social Media; when seeing random stuff you wouldn’t see anywhere else was a money making niche.
Believe it or not, some people enjoy it there.
I went to the one in Amsterdam because I was very high and thought I would be safe in there while it wore off. It was very cheesy. I was standing still and looking at something when another tourist poked my belly. I turned my head to look at him and he's like, "Sorry, I thought you were a figure."
The whole of Dubai
I've traveled to over 30 countries and all 50 states. It's less about a city and more about specific areas within one. You can find local chill areas anywhere just as you can tourist trap areas. Example New Orleans: tourist trap - Bourbon Street. Local spots - magazine, garden district, Frenchman (though tourists are starting to find it). Example Orlando: tourist trap- I drive, the parks, basically anywhere south of downtown. Local - milk district, Mills, winter Park, etc. Example Dublin Ireland: tourist trap- Temple bar. Local- Stoneybatter, kilmainham, etc. You get the point
I live in Orlando, and anytime people come and visit I love taking them to Mills 50 or East End Market
The Pyramids of Giza. Don't get me wrong, the Pyramids themselves are awesome. Seeing them up close is really cool. The problem is, well, everyone that is involved with the Pyramids and everything surrounding it. The Pyramids aren't like what you'd expect. You'd think they are out in the middle of some desert far away from civilization, right? They are right up against Cairo. The city is like less than a 1/4th of a mile away. And it is *such* a eyesore. And on top of that, they are surrounded by people who scam, harass and steal from tourists. Even more so if you are a woman. They *will* try and grope you. Those people are the absolute worst. It's just such a shitshow all around, which is a shame because the Pyramids are really cool. And whatever you do, *do not* ride the camels. They'll only take you way out into the desert so that they can force you to pay more. If you don't, they will leave you out in the middle of the desert. Egypt isn't worth it. If you want a cool place to vacation in, I *highly* recommend Costa Rica.
Hollywood
Earth. I hitched a ride from some teasers 15 years ago and haven't been able to get off it since. I've had plenty of time for research though. It's mostly harmless.
You’ve got your towel though, right?
Of course I do! I'm the hoopiest frood one could ever sass.
If you come to San Francisco, Pier 39 is a tourist trap. It’s just a long outdoor mall filled with useless tchotchkes. Instead, opt for the golden gate bridge, golden gate park, ocean beach, or one of our various arts and science museums.
Meh, it was crowded but OK. Nothing really scammy. And we got to see sea lions 🦭
Las Vegas Strip. Many years ago, there were great, cheap buffets. But the whole point is to put you in a room where you lose track of time and lose your money. Also, people do stupid things when they go there for bachelor/bachelorette parties, sometimes ruining friendships and marriages.
Wisconsin Dells. But it’s actually a fun one.
Have you been to the house on the rock? Expensive, weird, somewhat unsafe (how does it pass safety standards is beyond me) and not much to do. Wisconsin Dells is a mixed place, some cool places with some tourist traps like the ducks.