Travel Traps – Not Worth the Hype
By Sister72
All the guidebooks list it and everyone asks if you’ve seen it. Glossy images smile at you from postcards, calendars and those strangely universal plastic domes with fake snow. And when you get there, you take a deep breath and utter those unforgettable words….
Is that it?
Optimism is usually a good thing, but in the case of travel writing it can lead to a whole batch of turnips. Do guidebooks need to mention something for every province they cover? Do tourist boards get carried away? Or is it a case of the Emperor’s New Clothes? Someone (important) has said that this is great and everyone else is too afraid of looking stupid to point out the obvious.
It’s not.
Unless it’s me. It’s always possible that the answer to “Am I missing something?” is a big, fat “yes.”
Anyway, here’s my list of places that were simply not worth the effort:
Reproduced with permission - Anselmo Lastra
1) Estancia Harberton, Tierra del Fuego.
It may have a great history but the place itself is much like any other farm. Except for the huge cost and obligatory guided tour.
Mannekin Pis by Kerry Vaughan
2) Manneken Pis, Brussels
- it’s TINY! And, let’s face it, a statue of a small boy peeing…
3) Astronomical Clock, Prague
Great clock. Not worth waiting for the 'action'
- a crowd of tourists gather and shiver every hour waiting for….some small home-made figures to pop in and out. Actually, I take this one back. It’s hilarious to watch the baffled reactions of everyone else around you, before everyone starts laughing.
4) Hotel Inglaterra, Havana
The best part of Hotel Inglaterra. The staircase.
- touted as an historic and glamorous throwback to a previous age, it could also be summed up as manky and overpriced. If you want hotel luxury, head across the street. If you want authentic Havana accommodation check out the casa particulares. And if you want history, go to a museum.
Anyone have any others?
I will probably be hunted down for heresy, but … here goes … Florence. Compared to Rome, it’s a one-note, chocolate-box town. She and I just don’t click…
I don’t know Florence – and maybe never will ;)
I’ve thought of another one to add to the list: – the statue of D’Artagnan in Auch. After growing up with the story, finding the statue surrounded by weeds and graffiti was…disappointing.
[...] Otherwise I’m starting to sound like a tourist office brochure. Trouble is, that I really did find Segovia as enchanting as I was supposed to (for those who doubt my credentials in the criticism department, see what I thought about these tourist traps.) [...]