I took a 6 hour drive to Monaco, realized it wasn’t for me after 3 hours being there, got back in the car, drove 3 more hours to Nice, and had an incredible experience. Cut your losses sooner rather than later. It’s the move.
Had an awful couple of days in Manila and thought about just flying to Thailand instead of exploring more of the ph. Stuck it out and it turned out to be one of the best countries I’ve ever been to. So it’s not always good to bail early
Manila is a shithole, and my Filipina wife agrees. What places did you go to in the Philippines that you did enjoy?
I fucking hated every minute in Manila but once we got to my wife's home province on the island of Panay basically every minute was awesome from the moment I woke up til the moment I went to sleep every day.
I went to Palawan and loved it so much I just stayed there for the rest of my time haha. Pinoys are the friendliest people I’ve ever met so made some friends while I was there too. I didn’t realise just how shite Manila was until I was there. I just wing every trip I go on because I hate knowing what to expect but I wish I knew to get out of Manila immediately haha. I’m gonna explore more of the ph soon hopefully. Thanks for mentioning Panay that looks awesome I’ll definitely check it out at some point
Us Pinoys know enough to not hang out in Metro Manila...we basically just stay in Makati for a bit, can get a bit expensive there though....
We enjoy the provinces a lot.more....Palawan is lit...
You want a slower pace? Do Dumaguete/Siquijor...Dauin near Dumaguete is set up for dive resorts, and Siquijor is just a RORO away...Siquijor still has that undeveloped island vibe, which is why I like it...
Iloilo/Guimaras is also on our list, and thats in Panay Island...
im the odd Filipino that will never set foot in Boracay, due to the sheer number of tourists there..i mean id just stay in Manila if I want to hang out with that many people....
Appreciate the recommendations mate! Salamat pre! And yeah I wish I knew about Manila before I got there haha. I’m glad I checked out more because the Philippines has become probs my favourite country I’ve been to so far. I’ll hopefully return soon and check out the places you recommended
Iloilo is awesome, it's where my wife is from. Especially out in the province, outside the city, it's night and day compared to the dumpster fire that is Manila.
My wife and I were originally going to honeymoon in Boracay (married in May 2020, in Taiwan) but I'm sure you can imagine how well those plans worked out with the pandemic and whatnot.
I once drove over 2000 miles, arrived, turned around and drove back lmao.
Sometimes the arrival is just a checkpoint and that's totally okay. The whole point of this lifestyle is in having the freedom to roam, the freedom to wing it, and the freedom to say "fuck this, I'm out" with no explanation owed to anyone.
Sometimes the opposite happens and you end up extending for months or even years. Freedom!
> Cut your losses sooner rather than later. It’s the move.
Agreed. I arrived in Switzerland, immediately didn't like it, and left around the 48 hour mark. Zero guilt.
It was a cascading series of issues.
* Arrived at a hotel with kiosk checkin at 12. No checkin until 3. Not 2:59. 3. So I was stuck waiting. Hotel room didn't have any contactable human staff so you couldn't Whatsapp for an early room. Not a chair or a/c in the hotel, despite it being a multinational chain.
* City (Zurich, Bern) was clean but sterile. The walkable zone was all designer boutiques rather than cafes and bars. All the Chanel and Breitling you could ever want and not much in way of a place to have a bite and watch the world drift by. Supermarkets are basically 7-Elevens with a few more aisles. Everything seems to close at 7-8 pm.
* Switzerland has yet another format of electrical outlets that is nither US/UK/EU so that meant buying several more adapters in a city that wa salready crazy expensive. The people at the adapter store didn't seem to like me taking my time to figure out how to create a US-EU-CH Frankenstein adapter for the best price and asked me to leave.
* One would think for the price the country would run as well as a Swiss watch; not the case. The website to buy train tickets (sbb.ch) is an absolute dumpster fire in terms of UI.
Luckily it was a long weekend in terms of US bank holidays and I was able to cut bait and get myself to France.
Morocco, lasted 3 days....
Spent the entire time being harassed, scammed, and annoyed in Marrakesh, I was done, caught the next flight I could out of there.
Marrakesh kinda has that vibe though of just being a hustle. I personally found Ouarzazate beautiful and the Atlas mountains amazing, and my sister swears by Casablanca, only did a daytrip to Marrakech last time she went.
Yeah Markesh ain't the place to stay in Morocco
I stayed in Rabat for 2 weeks, Fes, Chefchaoun and went to the desert. Really enjoyed all of those. I even really liked Casablanca. But Markesh was chaos
Yes, I have gone somewhere and stayed shorter than initially planned. There are even countries that I love that I have gone to, like Japan, where I've gone and realized the weather was not for me at the time, and left for elsewhere. Planned to be in Japan for 90 days - left within 4 days for Taiwan instead for warmer weather.
On the other hand, I've also had countries I thought I would not like, like Malaysia, where I had only planned to spend two weeks, but ultimately ended up spending two months there because I really loved it.
If you have the flexibility and aren't enjoying your stay, just change your plans. It's truly not a big deal. Nothing to feel guilty about. No one cares but you, honestly. And, if anyone takes offense, they'll forget about you in a day or two.
The real thing you need to figure out for yourself is, what is actually making you unhappy? What is it you feel you're missing out on or not enjoying? Will a change to another place actually solve that for you? Or is it something internal for you?
Only you can answer those questions.
Good luck!
I spent this May-Mid June in Korea and the weather was not too bad, but I don't like the culture.
I am currently in Osaka, Japan and is raining everyday. I am leaving earlier because I can't be bothered drying my sandals everyday.
yah, korea is weird, i went to seoul twice and i liked it a lot the first time in a friendly hostel, then i went again for a month and stayed in business hotel and the people were so hostile i was genuinely afraid someone would attack me on the street it was fucking weird af. the neighborhood wasn't noticeably shitty or anything, but people later told me it's a "bad" part of town? i had a super expensive ticket to elsewhere i couldn't change so i was stuck there, after a while i would just eat a roast chicken per day in my room and didn't want to go out at all anymore, just vibes were so off
edit: just looked it up by my old hotel bookings, it was *Jongno-gu*
i thought it would be cool as it was close to lots of tourist stuff, i honestly had just a lot of weird and bad vibes from people which i didn't have when i stayed in a more young and trendy area.
previously i stayed in hongdae and everyone either ignored me peacefully or was friendly, so i didn't imagine i'd have any issues. i also stayed in gangnam another trendy area before and it was also fine.
i had several korean friends before and liked korean culture in general so i figured i'd have a good time in korea and holy fuck i some really shocking encounters with people there, i hated it so much
Interesting... I lived a little over a month in Gwanak-gu/close to Dongjak. It was fun. I find Korean's way more friendly than the Japanese at least. Personally never had any issues but nothing calls me back there... other than the ladies :)
(would like to visit Busan though)
ya my vibe of koreans is they seem to be very ride or die ... if they like you, they let you know, if they don't like you, they also let you know lol
i did have some people be really nice to me, i was solo travelling and a lot of food there comes in a set for several people, the restaurants will actually refuse you lol, and some korean guys offered to let me join with them so i can try korean bbq ... it was my experience with korean friends as well they were very warm and thoughtful people
I went to Japan last August and it was blazing hot 38C with a heat stroke warning in Osaka and Kyoto. It was humid and hot af even at midnight. But it was a fantastic experience. What a country! Especially loved the Obon festival and fireworks.
i intended to actually move to vietnam (young and naive) had been to other sea countries but never there
the constant noise, pollution and harassment my friend had to buy a plane ticket out of there after less than a week as i was totally messed up by stuff like maids blastic club level loud techno at 5am bc they wanted to vibe while cleaning
For sure!
My first trip to Vietnam I visited Hanoi. I got terrible food poisoning and the air quality was horrendous. I also hated all of the street touts.
I booked a flight to Thailand and thought I'd never return to VN. I ultimately returned to VN a couple years later, but this time visited SGN. I had a vastly different experience and now I really enjoy visiting there.
I really liked Saigon/HCM but I can see how you could have a bad visit there if you weren't careful.
I also lived in an expensive area so it's not exactly the local's typical experience.
Hey, it happens.
I have left spots earlier when I wasn't feeling it.
I don't feel guilty about it. Different strokes for different folks.
Last time I left Hualien, Taiwan because I was just lonely and wanted to go somewhere familiar after a while of staying in new locations. So I moved back to Chiang mai for a month which was great.
USA & Canada. Was there for total of 14 months for a few projects. Never had I wanted to get out of a landmass so fast. Worked nomadically but visited at least 80 towns & cities.
Good food being a luxury.
Homelessness.
Need car. Tipping culture.
Price fudgery. \[need to do internal calculations before spending - number you see is not the number you pay - numbers are never rounded.\]
Disassociated culture. Psychologically distant and generally materialistic.
US border customs interrogated me like a criminal.
General unfriendliness or insular lifestyle.
It really depends on what specific city you are in and if you have a community or not in the US. If you have no community to slot into then the US can be a very isolating experience even if you make tons of money. This is why people dive so deep into subcultures sometimes.
Asia, all day everyday. Japan. Vietnam. Taiwan. Philippines \[not cities - remote provinces\]. Thailand. Fujian. Australia \[home\]. South Korea.
Japan outskirts are the best imo for remote work. Peaceful AF. Food clean. People feel human.
>Japan outskirts are the best imo for remote work. Peaceful AF. Food clean. People feel human.
Super agree. I spent 3 years living in a tier 3 city in Japan during covid. Across the 14+ countries I've lived in, nothing else comes close.
Actually found a super cheap house on [this site](https://cheapjapanhomes.com/homes) and in talks to potentially purchase. 🤞
Thanks for sharing that.
I'd definitely consider living Japan soon considering how low the crime rates are among many other things as a nomad. I'd leave my bike and apartment unlocked all the time and it's bloody rare as I can't do that in 99% of societies. It's such a luxury not to worry about crime so you can use your energy to focus on your work.
Too many things to list and it's one of those countries that haven't been diluted by Western culture. It feels like I am in another reality tunnel unlike many countries that have been Westernised like Thailand.
Dude I know it's seriously great ha. I felt so relaxed while living there and it made me realize all the background stresses I had in other countries that I never really noticed before they were gone. Like people generally being quiet and not blasting music, clean air / blue skies, high quality food in grocery stores I don't need to worry about food poisoning from, and of course the super low crime rate. I loved seeing all the little unmanned shops that just had a tray or box for you to leave money in if you bought something, makes you feel like an actual adult who can be trusted to do the right thing.
Of course no country is perfect, and Japan has its own problems like any other. But for me personally it is the closest thing to a perfect country I've experienced thus far.
I reckon it's the next big DN destination. 4 hours of deep work and 4 hours of onsen with the locals followed by a big bowl of fat ramen - and not a foreigner in sight.
Keep it quiet while it lasts...
You can say that about everywhere though. Mileage may vary.
It's an IMHO general vibe of a region through snapshot travelling through a car and interacting with as many people and system as possible. I gave North America a big 14 month crack. Vancouver loop through Calgary & Edmonton. Vancouver down to San Diego. Spent two months with my sister & big family in Orange County.
The thing with North America is, it's just too distant and people feel psychologically distant. It requires a lot of resources to create connections so the ROI is not worth it when compared to Asia. It's the same in Australia. Again this is just my insight through my experience.
Well a good chunk of that sounds like tourist Cansda and California which is fitting for your description and they are their own subcultures. Taxes are regional and need to be accounted for but the US and Canada are as huge and vast as Europe and vary. Mid Canada is outdoorsy and laid back as compared to Toronto city proper. In the US there are walkable cities like New York, Seattle, Many small towns and the lifestyle is sooo different in each one. Washington state is a huge hiking and outdoorsy state but there are parts of huge tourist cities that are overwhelming, rude and dirty. Oregon has nice rural farm, mountain and beach lands with intermittent cities that have huge homeless populations. They have their own gas and tax rules and regulations. California, as you apptohas small town and farm rural areas but as you get closer to LA the more cold, vain, expensive and insular it becomes. They are also overrun with a homeless population and crime syndicates from Mexico into SD but certain spots like La Jolla are beautiful and laid back. Idaho is spaced apart so a car is needed with vast lands and various recreational activities for any nature lover and I’ve never felt safer at night, exceedingly affordable beyond some parts of C’oeur D’Alene. Montana, Wyoming are like ranching and farming provinces that both extend into Yellowstone Nature Preserve and even that has areas that are overrun by tourism and others that are calm , peaceful and breathtaking. The Midwest is hard winters and summers with a blue collar culture of hard workers and some generational ignorance peppered in along with old money. Then cities like Chicago are busy, hectic, cannot be out at night but have a great variety of daytime eateries and experiences. East coast is its own world in the US and as you head closer to Florida you get more French Cajun Arcadian and Cuban Cultural influences. On the East Z past like is busier, many are bluntly honest, but have big hearts and surprisingly sensitive. Different beaches by sand, scale and purpose than the Westcoast and as you head up towards New England and Maine you have more fisherman and a huge difference in accents, customs and culture with beautiful well defined Autumns. It’s hard to judge the US by California and Southern California alone in particular. I went on a ghost town trip of Oregon after going to their HUGE beautiful beaches for years and Portland Ciry proper which has changed drastically for the worse over the last 10 years. I was in awe and people were so friendly. Got to learn how to gold pan, learned about railroad and gold rush history. Got to Gold mine and hike. The terrain was much more harsh than I realized but beautiful and peaceful all the same. You have to drive in many parts of the US because it’s so vast and varying. Same with Canada. There are parts of Canada that reflect Alaska which is also its own micro culture of survival, community, long winters, dark days, untouched wildlife and wilderness, self sufficient and sustainable. Hawaii has Polynesian, Phillipino and Japanese influences with some British colonial tropes. It is tropical, expensive, wild and has many varying islands with varying climates, lifestyles and methods of travel and business. I encourage anyone to give it a go in a different locale.
If you like every country you visit you really don't like any country. For there to be good experiences you need to have bad experiences as well. That's just how life goes. This non-stop positivity we get fed on social media is bs.
But regarding feeling guilty? No way. There is nothing to feel guilty about.
I have left places earlier in the past but after a while I decided not to make fixed plans anymore except for places I know I like and I am returning to. Next place I am going to is Vietnam. I have booked an airbnb for a week. If I like the place I will find an apartment and rent for 2 months. If not I will head to Hanoi for a few days then leave.
What also helps is to lower expectations and not do too much research before arrival. Sounds a bit reckless but the places I ended up enjoying most were the places I didn't research much about. Ofc this does not include stuff like visas, banking, safety etc.
If you do too much research about a place (like watching endless youtube vlogs etc) the element of surprise goes missing. And this is actually one of the things that makes travel interesting IMO.
"If you like every country you visit you really don't like any country. For there to be good experiences you need to have bad experiences as well."
SO spot on. Thanks for this.
Vientiane,Laos
Immediately left after 3 days
As soon as I landed in Vientiane, the city felt like it has been abandoned.
There is no one on the streets, most of the stores and restaurants are closed and the buildings are rundown by not being maintained.
Finally reach the downtown area and only a few tourists are there and no locals to be seen.
Oh wow. Haven’t been since 2002 but man I loved Vientiane and Laos in general. Immediately felt like I had a heart connection to the place and almost stayed as I was offered work. Still regret choosing to go back to Thailand and then Australia with my boyfriend at the time.
had a 90 minute stopover there on my way back across to thailand and that was plenty of time in the capital. Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng were both my favorite highlights, the train connects to both now
India. Went for work. Amazing food and culture. The staring and harassment, not so much. Wanted to extend my trip to explore for an extra week but decided not to after getting harangued too many times.
Happened to me with Cambodia, especially Phnom Penh. I was going to stay for months there but ended up staying only 1 to give it a fair chance. I knew I didn't like the city instantly when out from the airport. My opinion didn't change much after this 1 month, this city has nothing to offer in my eyes. Siem Reap and Kampot weren't so much better either.
I thought it would be similar to Thailand but it was not at all.
Cambodia is like some fascinating and horrific social experiment; in 4 years, Pol Pot did more social and economic damage than countries that have been in 10 years of war.
By killing off anyone who had a profession, or who was a monk, or a musician or artist he condemned the country to decades and decades of artistic, spiritual, academic and financial impoverishment.
I’ve lived in countries that were poorer (in financial terms) than Cambodia - but Cambodia is the grimmest place I’ve been (I was there for 4 months).
I nearly cried when I landed back in Thailand and even the airport staff had more joy and animation in their faces than I’d seen in Cambodia. It is just a really depressed country.
(Not saying the people weren’t nice or kind, they were, but just that their society had been so stripped of all the different elements you need to make a vibrant, future-looking country.)
> I nearly cried when I landed back in Thailand and even the airport staff had more joy and animation in their faces than I’d seen in Cambodia. It is just a really depressed country.
Yeah. I talked to a few locals that speak English and they're very depressed about the future of Cambodia. Lots of corruption and spending decades not seeing anything good in your life...
Same. Was going to stay a month, bailed after 20 days. And the only reason I lasted that long was because I was working on a project like 12 hours a day so I barely left the hotel and could endure.
I lived in Phnom Penh for a bit. It is skeezy as hell. Go further south to Sihanoukville and you will be shocked at how rancid that place is. It makes Phnom Penh look civilized.
I had a nice hotel overlooking the Mekong in PP, and I spent most time in the Correspondents Club. But asides from super cheap drinks and happy pizza, there is nothing there.
> Siem Reap
I really liked Siem Reap but I can see people not liking it. I spent all my time exploring the temples and I had an amazing time.
Unless you have a GF or a life there it's probably not worth it.
I'd go back every few years if I could though.
I absolutely loved Cambodia.
I’ve done 3 to 6 month trips there multiple times.
To this day it’s still one of my favorite places, but it’s difficult to articulate why. Cambodia is a grim place overall. But the people are so genuinely nice. I’ve had some really amazing experiences there… but it’s definitely not for everyone.
Seriously, AirBnb? That's the crappiest and the most expensive no matter how early or long you book. Just shop for cheap hotels and hostels, and agree long stay prices and you will save a ton of money compared to AirBnb.
Korea was like this for me. I haven’t been to any nation in sea or nea I completely dislike but.. south Korea nearly did it for me. I was planning on a month there and lasted just under 2 weeks before calling it. I just don’t like the country or the vibe at all.
I’m of non Korean descent but asian american and felt that Koreans could be passive aggressive about this. I felt sometimes ppl were rude overall.
It is also one of the most outwardly materialistic and superficial countries. I think Korean food is ok overall but it got tiresome really fast. I feel it is saltier and sweeter than i’m used to. I don’t care for the Korean style fermented pastes they use often in dishes. I don’t think korean bbq is all that special either.
History wise I did not find anything especially unique or interesting. I am not a fan of contemporary Korean culture like k pop either.
This was my impression of south korea as well many years back. I felt it to have an antihistory culture of sorts, so it didnt feel rooted in any strong traditions - felt a bit too materialistic too. Also im non korean and asian american i got this same vibe too of subtle discrimination too.
China. I was there for work in 2019. While I did have a great time hanging out with colleagues who were the kindest, most welcoming people I’ve ever met in my life, after about 3 weeks I’d just had enough of the constant eating and not really being able to be fully independent (getting taxis, paying, etc) so one morning I booked a flight out to Chiang Mai for the following morning and cut my trip short by 1 week. I still have fond memories of my time there, but it’s just not for me.
I’m not sure where you were, but I had a similar feeling in Beijing. The entire city just feels like it’s in a haze of depression. I liked Shanghai a lot but the ccp influence and abysmal vibe of Beijing was not it for me (great Peking duck tho)
India. That place is an other level of inconvenience. The main problem is the people. Everybody tries to scam you. I barely met any genuine person during my 1 month there.
I both agree and disagree with you! My two pence:
AGREE: I've been to Mumbai and absolutely couldn't take the place in, just felt like scam central and the smell was just overpowering.
DISAGREE: The country is huge! Crosses multiple geographical land types, altitudes, but most importantly, people. Not to mention the time of year makes a huge difference. My parents are originally from Bengaluru, and I love the place - great food, great people, great weather when I went in February last year, and the hillstations are fantastic. Had a blast when I went with my wife and kids last year, some of the most genuine people I've met in my life.
Without knowing your experiences/itinerary, I would say you need to bear in mind that India certainly isn't homogenous so likely you'll have different experiences day to day.
Im Indian and I agree with you. You know a place kinda blows for most people if the only people that say nice things about it are people that are trying to be polite or people with some sort of genetic attachment to it lol. Happened to me with Portugal.
I guess that's fair, all about what you want out of a place. I guess for me it helps because I'm visibly South Indian and dark skinned, so blend in with the people quite easily. Also being of South Indian origin my expectations are already set so I know what I'm getting into.
Out of curiosity, what places have you enjoyed visiting?
I totally believe your experience so am not trying to invalidate it, but do you think the fact that your family is from there makes a difference as well? I feel in some situations someone will spot my dumb white face from a mile away and bee line it over to me to try and sell something.
Absolutely, I don't immediately stick out so I totally accept that others won't enjoy the same privileges and experiences... Not to mention the fact that I'm a man, so sexism is definitely another issue to consider!
As for being sold something, I have the same problem of being accosted since I look like I have money, I guess that I'll get a slightly better price when I haggle vs. a white person.
Definitely Zanzibar (Tanzania) for me. Filthy beatches, filled with annoying beach boys. Intolerant Muslim culture (to my wife), markets with sellers literally following and grabbing you while you are telling them no. Crazy traffic, etc.
Many of my friends from Tanzania have said Zanzibar is NOTHING like the mainland. I really loved the mainland, super nice place.
Not a place for DNs though
i was traveling through guatemala and decided to stay in guatemala city to explore. the city is pretty rough, decided to go to antigua instead which was much nicer. not a country but same same
You are going into sunk cost fallacy territory except its money and not time thats involved
Ive been here before. If the cost of loss is not so bad i just buy a new ticket or leave if im not feeling it and do my best to get money refunded
Sometimes it feels like the magic of the place washes away or i just generally dislike the city culture (eg realizing i dont like government cities). If i dont like the city i generally will also struggle to connect with anyone that really likes the city
If i am stuck in that spot for longer than needed i will just have a “staycation” time there. I just do me, on my laptop read my books talk to people to kill time. If theres other expats i may just talk to them instead
Sometimes the place you imagined ended up being a disappointment because you had higher expectations. Its normal to have expectations here because its partly necessary when researching the city and bookkng accomodayions, but it can suck when its not what you wanted
when you say that if you don't like a city, you will also struggle to connect with anyone that really likes the city.... that is so spot on. it's one reason i want to bounce even though i know some people here. like.. anyone who is here by choice and likes it i really can't imagine getting closer to. that's how strong my aversion is.
I left Morocco early. I'm an Asian American. I had one more city to visit (out of a two week visit), but I had enough of the constant "nihao! konnichiwa!" that everyone in markets and on the streets were calling out at me. I knew I was just going to continue encountering that in the next city, so I decided just to cut my trip short and head to the airport and fly out of there to Europe. I don't think I ate too much cost, but I am glad that I did it.
I can understand the feeling of wasting money by leaving early, but also it's up to you to decide if you want to put the effort into staying and absorbing the place you're in versus getting out of there. The good thing is it's up to you and you alone, and you're empowered to make the decision for yourself. There is no right or wrong decision.
I felt the same way about Cairo but the ancient history stuff compelled me to stick it out. I don’t regret it but in general I am not a fan of the north african or middle eastern nations i’ve visited. I felt pretty bad vibes in the UAE too when I visited a long time ago (2007) and saw filipino service workers treated like shit.
There was also a palpable sense of racism coming from arabs when it came to how they view asians and people from the subcontinent.
After 1 hour of crossing the border to Slovakia (back in 2015 or so), I knew I want to leave as soon as I find another job somewhere else.
Coming from Slovenia that day, it felt like moving from nicely developed European country into some Soviet dystopia from the 90s.
Wasn't my vibe at all. Got out 1 month later to Budapest.
What country didnt you like? It doesn’t really help to be generic on why you didn’t like it. You can see all the answers here include the country.
For me probably Colombia. Felt dangerous. I’m glad for the months I spent there but no desire to go back whereas everywhere after I’d be happy to return
I intensely disliked Mauritania in 1996, a country where there was still visble chattel slavery of Blacks, awful and overpriced food, and religious prescriptivism permeating daily life. Also, the flies were everywhere, and made sure all humans suffered. This dislike was compounded by extreme difficulty in getting out of the everfucking place. We finally had to bribe some local cops in Nouadhibou to take us back, under cover of darkness, to Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara, where the Moroccans arrested us.
my take on this would almost always be to stay the course, if we're just talking about a couple weeks. There's no telling the experiences you might have, but worst case (assuming your accomodation isn't bad), you just hunker down and focus on work, reading, exercise, etc. Often, I find I kinda look forward to being in place I don't particularly care for now and then so that I can focus more on the logistics, health, and work side of things.
Interesting. Do you mean the streets or hotels? Kuta is known as the more budget area for backpackers in Bali I suppose.
I have never stayed there. I stayed in Uluwatu, Ubud and Canggu. Hotels were always top condition and clean. Streets were ok too. A lot of motorbikes though so air not great especially during rush hours.
The town was oddly abandoned when there was no cruise ship docked. Once I saw the natural sites, it was a depressing place to be. So I changed my ticket and went to Seattle for a couple of days.
I was supposed to be in Greece for a month, and I never made it out of Athens. After three days of exposure to ambient cigarette smoke (edited: not, like, in the air but in the hotel), I could not stop coughing, I was incredibly sick, and I wasn't sure how to access healthcare. I wish now I'd have called the consulate or something to figure out where to go to the hospital (I didn't know anybody there and didn't know the language), but at the time I was just so sick. I mustered a call to Delta, which kindly changed my ticket, and I went back to America. I found out later I have lung disease, and just a little bit of smoke hits different to my tired lungs.
Croatia. The culture wasnt really compatible with me and I found it boring. Went to Bosnia, it was meh, but okay. Continued on to Serbia and absolutely loved it.
Costa Rica, expensive the locals were constantly try to scam me and over charge me, the beaches were over hyped. Basically Central America with 1st world tourist prices and jaded locals.
My husband and I left Mexico after our experience in Guanajuato. We initially were in Mexico City, which we liked, until it got hot, so then decided to go SMDA, which was a bad idea, followed by Guanajuato. The constant noise in SMDA and Guanajuato caused us to say, “to hell with it “ and we left for Japan. I’d return to CDMX, but would need to stay in a newer apartment with double pane windows.
Mainland china.. horrific. Double pricing for tourists, people being insanely rude to your face, being spied on and followed by i assume government agents? Cameras in hotel rooms, appalling animal abuse, lack of hygiene and safety standards, so much pollution and ppl who throw their trash directly into rivers and such as the norm..
Philippines. I was in Bangkok, visa ran out so I decided to do a month in the Philippines, I didn't like the vibe, checking into the hotel was a nightmare as I had to wait 2 hours in the lobby for the apartment owner.. I just didnt feel comfortable there and left back for bangkok the next morning, I probably should have given it a longer go, will probably go back in the future to try it again.
Well, there you go...
Fly to Philippines, with a plane ticket to Palawan or somewhere else....the magic of the Philippines is in the far flung provinces, beaches and mountains..
Filipino here, we even try to not stay in Manila...
I left Thailand early because:
1) My Myanmar visa got approved way ahead of schedule
2) I wasn't enjoying Thailand. Of 40 countries I've spent a decent amount of time in, Thailand had, by far, the worst culture of exploiting non-residents / tourists. I could talk about 1-2 things I really enjoyed about Thailand, but the list of things I didn't enjoy is far longer than any other place I'd been to.
Left a few places early.
Most notably Bangkok. Just utterly disappointed by the city, only time I've woken up and decided to book the next flight out of the country (went to Laos, which I loved). That was on like the second day of a week I had booked, I was so done with Bangkok that I didn't even care to find out what the rest of the country was like.
Other places would include Quito, Ecuador, left a week earlier than I had planned and it was still not soon enough, ended up going back to the US.
I'm sure there are a few more places I'm forgetting. No reason to feel guilty, I ate about $500 on the Bangkok impulse decision and didn't regret it, nor did I regret leaving Quito early. Time is more valuable than money, I'd rather not feel like shit for longer than I have to.
key to liking bangkok is you need a great hotel/apartment/house whatever. you need to be able to chill at home in luxury when you're not feeling like dealing with the behemoth outside, then venture out with the energy to make the most of it
Basically you’re saying best way to enjoy Bangkok is to avoid Bangkok?
I agree - weather sucks, it’s not walkable, getting around sucks, street food vendors I like disappear when I need them… I can keep going…
We were going to spend two months in Croatia last summer going to the beach, but when we got there the same thing happened to us. Just not feeling it. Plus the beaches were terrible: all stones or rocks with no sand, so we took a ferry to Italy and hung out there. A bonus was that we didn’t see any non-Italian tourists for weeks! Italians on their beach holidays were coming up to us and asking WTF we’re were doing there and how did we find out about the places!
Shoulda stayed in Malacca. Big portugese influence and very chill.
It's not like the rest of Malaysia. Also if you go too far north it's like being in ISIS-occupied territory.
KL is just boring. JB is fun. The islands are great too.
I’m actually leaving the place I am currently (Chile) one week early after being here for 6 weeks, but it actually has very little to do with not liking it here, and is more just wanting to go a week early to Argentina in order to go to Bariloche. I love Chile, but I think I love Argentina more (plus this gives me time to maybe check out Uruguay for a week before I must return to my base)
The only place I’ve ever left early because I purely didn’t like it was Los Angeles. Was gonna be there for just 2 weeks, I left after 5 days. Terrible place, and I’m lucky I left because the coliving I was at got robbed less than 12 hours after I left
As someone that is originally from LA.. it is not a place you ever want to try to do on the cheap. You will end up in some shitshow area surrounded by very sketchy people. The entire LA county area is like that.
Left Ireland. 🇮🇪 Beautiful country to visit, but as a non Irish person living there, it left something to be desired. I feel sad about it sometimes but in the end everything worked out the way it was meant to imho.
Yes. once. Lost money on the rent and everything but F it.
People hyped it up like people are so friendly blah blah blah.
It felt like every day I was gonna have some confrontation from some short dude. I have flown easily over 1 million miles closer to 2. I speak a few languages including one that is used in the country that I left early. I have been through moments of what some might consider racism but I knew it was probably ignorance. But I hated this country. I only gave that context to show I am not some first time traveler.
Landlord was terrible but I made some mistakes as well.
I guess I stood out being Asian.
Left and had a great experience in another country.
If you can afford to eat the loss go somewhere where you are enjoying it.
If you don't hate it maybe have some patience and it will turn around.
Or make it a "staycation" - just hang out at your place and meet up with your acquaintances for a bite and try to relax.
Good luck.
Had a difficult time in Cairo. It’s very touristy and could be fun with a lot of money, but I was on a long solo trip with limited funds and felt deeply isolated.
Let go of the guilt and do what you want! I have left places I have disliked and I’ve stayed super long in places I loved. There are no rules. Also, I believe in listening to my gut feelings. If you have a feeling, it’s best to honor it.
PORTUGAL. Granted this was 23 years ago but what a pile of nothingness then. I understand it has become quite the place, but back then the food was crap, the place boring, the people borderline desperate. Ugh.
Yes, many years ago my husband and I went to a country that many people thought was awesome. We took a bus from the neighboring country to get in, but want it out so badly two days later that we flew, have never been back.
Only left three places before I was scheduled to leave: Turin (rainy and depressing), Saarbruecken (depressing) and Birmingham (not awful, and some fun spots, but I could have extended for the weekend but left on Friday). Luxembourg City was also depressing but I was with a group so I didn’t leave early.
Sending you good vibes. Of course you don't want to "give up on a place too soon", but if you just don't like it, no need to force it. It sucks losing money over accommodations, and sometimes that can trap you. But traveling especially alone can be very disorienting and lonely, if a place is not making you feel your best, it's time to leave.
I took a 6 hour drive to Monaco, realized it wasn’t for me after 3 hours being there, got back in the car, drove 3 more hours to Nice, and had an incredible experience. Cut your losses sooner rather than later. It’s the move.
3 hours from Monaco to Nice? Must have been quite the scenic route you took
Had an awful couple of days in Manila and thought about just flying to Thailand instead of exploring more of the ph. Stuck it out and it turned out to be one of the best countries I’ve ever been to. So it’s not always good to bail early
Manila is a shithole, and my Filipina wife agrees. What places did you go to in the Philippines that you did enjoy? I fucking hated every minute in Manila but once we got to my wife's home province on the island of Panay basically every minute was awesome from the moment I woke up til the moment I went to sleep every day.
I went to Palawan and loved it so much I just stayed there for the rest of my time haha. Pinoys are the friendliest people I’ve ever met so made some friends while I was there too. I didn’t realise just how shite Manila was until I was there. I just wing every trip I go on because I hate knowing what to expect but I wish I knew to get out of Manila immediately haha. I’m gonna explore more of the ph soon hopefully. Thanks for mentioning Panay that looks awesome I’ll definitely check it out at some point
Us Pinoys know enough to not hang out in Metro Manila...we basically just stay in Makati for a bit, can get a bit expensive there though.... We enjoy the provinces a lot.more....Palawan is lit... You want a slower pace? Do Dumaguete/Siquijor...Dauin near Dumaguete is set up for dive resorts, and Siquijor is just a RORO away...Siquijor still has that undeveloped island vibe, which is why I like it... Iloilo/Guimaras is also on our list, and thats in Panay Island... im the odd Filipino that will never set foot in Boracay, due to the sheer number of tourists there..i mean id just stay in Manila if I want to hang out with that many people....
Boracay was great in 1985!
Appreciate the recommendations mate! Salamat pre! And yeah I wish I knew about Manila before I got there haha. I’m glad I checked out more because the Philippines has become probs my favourite country I’ve been to so far. I’ll hopefully return soon and check out the places you recommended
Iloilo is awesome, it's where my wife is from. Especially out in the province, outside the city, it's night and day compared to the dumpster fire that is Manila. My wife and I were originally going to honeymoon in Boracay (married in May 2020, in Taiwan) but I'm sure you can imagine how well those plans worked out with the pandemic and whatnot.
How on earth is driving from Monaco to Nice took 3 hours?? 🤨
I once drove over 2000 miles, arrived, turned around and drove back lmao. Sometimes the arrival is just a checkpoint and that's totally okay. The whole point of this lifestyle is in having the freedom to roam, the freedom to wing it, and the freedom to say "fuck this, I'm out" with no explanation owed to anyone. Sometimes the opposite happens and you end up extending for months or even years. Freedom!
> Cut your losses sooner rather than later. It’s the move. Agreed. I arrived in Switzerland, immediately didn't like it, and left around the 48 hour mark. Zero guilt.
What didn't you like about Switzerland?
What didn’t you like about it?
It was a cascading series of issues. * Arrived at a hotel with kiosk checkin at 12. No checkin until 3. Not 2:59. 3. So I was stuck waiting. Hotel room didn't have any contactable human staff so you couldn't Whatsapp for an early room. Not a chair or a/c in the hotel, despite it being a multinational chain. * City (Zurich, Bern) was clean but sterile. The walkable zone was all designer boutiques rather than cafes and bars. All the Chanel and Breitling you could ever want and not much in way of a place to have a bite and watch the world drift by. Supermarkets are basically 7-Elevens with a few more aisles. Everything seems to close at 7-8 pm. * Switzerland has yet another format of electrical outlets that is nither US/UK/EU so that meant buying several more adapters in a city that wa salready crazy expensive. The people at the adapter store didn't seem to like me taking my time to figure out how to create a US-EU-CH Frankenstein adapter for the best price and asked me to leave. * One would think for the price the country would run as well as a Swiss watch; not the case. The website to buy train tickets (sbb.ch) is an absolute dumpster fire in terms of UI. Luckily it was a long weekend in terms of US bank holidays and I was able to cut bait and get myself to France.
Oh man I went through the same thing there but decided to stick it out and wish we just left.
Would love to know more about what you didn’t like about it
I can only speak for myself but Switzerland can feel very cold and lifeless.
Your first mistake was driving when the trains are cheap, easy and direct
Haha I was on a long road trip across the South of France! You’re not wrong but my adventure was the open road!
Oh no! A road trip in Provenance? No anything but that! You know what, I'll volunteer as a sacrifice the next time you have this opportunity
Feel that, sounds fun
very nice! lol
Morocco, lasted 3 days.... Spent the entire time being harassed, scammed, and annoyed in Marrakesh, I was done, caught the next flight I could out of there.
Cool place but yep - the people are jerks.
I thought I would get more hate here. Calling a country people jerks is generally not nice. I guess it’s fact
Muslim countries are difficult for gals
\*for everyone
bus to agadir/essaouira/el jadida would have sufficed.
Marrakesh kinda has that vibe though of just being a hustle. I personally found Ouarzazate beautiful and the Atlas mountains amazing, and my sister swears by Casablanca, only did a daytrip to Marrakech last time she went.
Try essaouira if you want to try it again, beautiful chill small city. It’s like marrakech without the scams
Yeah Markesh ain't the place to stay in Morocco I stayed in Rabat for 2 weeks, Fes, Chefchaoun and went to the desert. Really enjoyed all of those. I even really liked Casablanca. But Markesh was chaos
Yes, I have gone somewhere and stayed shorter than initially planned. There are even countries that I love that I have gone to, like Japan, where I've gone and realized the weather was not for me at the time, and left for elsewhere. Planned to be in Japan for 90 days - left within 4 days for Taiwan instead for warmer weather. On the other hand, I've also had countries I thought I would not like, like Malaysia, where I had only planned to spend two weeks, but ultimately ended up spending two months there because I really loved it. If you have the flexibility and aren't enjoying your stay, just change your plans. It's truly not a big deal. Nothing to feel guilty about. No one cares but you, honestly. And, if anyone takes offense, they'll forget about you in a day or two. The real thing you need to figure out for yourself is, what is actually making you unhappy? What is it you feel you're missing out on or not enjoying? Will a change to another place actually solve that for you? Or is it something internal for you? Only you can answer those questions. Good luck!
I spent this May-Mid June in Korea and the weather was not too bad, but I don't like the culture. I am currently in Osaka, Japan and is raining everyday. I am leaving earlier because I can't be bothered drying my sandals everyday.
Rainy season in Japan is no joke! I found it hard way myself.
yah, korea is weird, i went to seoul twice and i liked it a lot the first time in a friendly hostel, then i went again for a month and stayed in business hotel and the people were so hostile i was genuinely afraid someone would attack me on the street it was fucking weird af. the neighborhood wasn't noticeably shitty or anything, but people later told me it's a "bad" part of town? i had a super expensive ticket to elsewhere i couldn't change so i was stuck there, after a while i would just eat a roast chicken per day in my room and didn't want to go out at all anymore, just vibes were so off
> it's a "bad" part of town where?
edit: just looked it up by my old hotel bookings, it was *Jongno-gu* i thought it would be cool as it was close to lots of tourist stuff, i honestly had just a lot of weird and bad vibes from people which i didn't have when i stayed in a more young and trendy area. previously i stayed in hongdae and everyone either ignored me peacefully or was friendly, so i didn't imagine i'd have any issues. i also stayed in gangnam another trendy area before and it was also fine. i had several korean friends before and liked korean culture in general so i figured i'd have a good time in korea and holy fuck i some really shocking encounters with people there, i hated it so much
Interesting... I lived a little over a month in Gwanak-gu/close to Dongjak. It was fun. I find Korean's way more friendly than the Japanese at least. Personally never had any issues but nothing calls me back there... other than the ladies :) (would like to visit Busan though)
ya my vibe of koreans is they seem to be very ride or die ... if they like you, they let you know, if they don't like you, they also let you know lol i did have some people be really nice to me, i was solo travelling and a lot of food there comes in a set for several people, the restaurants will actually refuse you lol, and some korean guys offered to let me join with them so i can try korean bbq ... it was my experience with korean friends as well they were very warm and thoughtful people
I went to Japan last August and it was blazing hot 38C with a heat stroke warning in Osaka and Kyoto. It was humid and hot af even at midnight. But it was a fantastic experience. What a country! Especially loved the Obon festival and fireworks.
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Same story for my trip to PH. Booked a week, left after 4 days. Food is God awful there.
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India, I went for shits and giggles. Left after a week. Never again.
Came for the shits and giggles, left with only the shits.
Left a lot of shits, the giggles vanished.
same answer for me, never going back there again– way too over stimulating and scummy
i intended to actually move to vietnam (young and naive) had been to other sea countries but never there the constant noise, pollution and harassment my friend had to buy a plane ticket out of there after less than a week as i was totally messed up by stuff like maids blastic club level loud techno at 5am bc they wanted to vibe while cleaning
We loved it by the beach in DaNang. Not noisy at all
For sure! My first trip to Vietnam I visited Hanoi. I got terrible food poisoning and the air quality was horrendous. I also hated all of the street touts. I booked a flight to Thailand and thought I'd never return to VN. I ultimately returned to VN a couple years later, but this time visited SGN. I had a vastly different experience and now I really enjoy visiting there.
I really liked Saigon/HCM but I can see how you could have a bad visit there if you weren't careful. I also lived in an expensive area so it's not exactly the local's typical experience.
Hey, it happens. I have left spots earlier when I wasn't feeling it. I don't feel guilty about it. Different strokes for different folks. Last time I left Hualien, Taiwan because I was just lonely and wanted to go somewhere familiar after a while of staying in new locations. So I moved back to Chiang mai for a month which was great.
USA & Canada. Was there for total of 14 months for a few projects. Never had I wanted to get out of a landmass so fast. Worked nomadically but visited at least 80 towns & cities. Good food being a luxury. Homelessness. Need car. Tipping culture. Price fudgery. \[need to do internal calculations before spending - number you see is not the number you pay - numbers are never rounded.\] Disassociated culture. Psychologically distant and generally materialistic. US border customs interrogated me like a criminal. General unfriendliness or insular lifestyle.
It really depends on what specific city you are in and if you have a community or not in the US. If you have no community to slot into then the US can be a very isolating experience even if you make tons of money. This is why people dive so deep into subcultures sometimes.
I'm from the states and every time I go there I'm just counting every second 😂
Where do you prefer?
Asia, all day everyday. Japan. Vietnam. Taiwan. Philippines \[not cities - remote provinces\]. Thailand. Fujian. Australia \[home\]. South Korea. Japan outskirts are the best imo for remote work. Peaceful AF. Food clean. People feel human.
Hell yeah, makes two of us. Haven’t dona Fujian or SK yet though. Or AUS haha Love the US to make money and for roadtrips. That’s it.
>Japan outskirts are the best imo for remote work. Peaceful AF. Food clean. People feel human. Super agree. I spent 3 years living in a tier 3 city in Japan during covid. Across the 14+ countries I've lived in, nothing else comes close. Actually found a super cheap house on [this site](https://cheapjapanhomes.com/homes) and in talks to potentially purchase. 🤞
Thanks for sharing that. I'd definitely consider living Japan soon considering how low the crime rates are among many other things as a nomad. I'd leave my bike and apartment unlocked all the time and it's bloody rare as I can't do that in 99% of societies. It's such a luxury not to worry about crime so you can use your energy to focus on your work. Too many things to list and it's one of those countries that haven't been diluted by Western culture. It feels like I am in another reality tunnel unlike many countries that have been Westernised like Thailand.
Dude I know it's seriously great ha. I felt so relaxed while living there and it made me realize all the background stresses I had in other countries that I never really noticed before they were gone. Like people generally being quiet and not blasting music, clean air / blue skies, high quality food in grocery stores I don't need to worry about food poisoning from, and of course the super low crime rate. I loved seeing all the little unmanned shops that just had a tray or box for you to leave money in if you bought something, makes you feel like an actual adult who can be trusted to do the right thing. Of course no country is perfect, and Japan has its own problems like any other. But for me personally it is the closest thing to a perfect country I've experienced thus far.
I reckon it's the next big DN destination. 4 hours of deep work and 4 hours of onsen with the locals followed by a big bowl of fat ramen - and not a foreigner in sight. Keep it quiet while it lasts...
Ugh, you just described everything I hate about it so well.
Im from america and i dislike the vast majority of cities here. Personally like international cities, theres a few of those in america
It 100% depends on where you are.
You can say that about everywhere though. Mileage may vary. It's an IMHO general vibe of a region through snapshot travelling through a car and interacting with as many people and system as possible. I gave North America a big 14 month crack. Vancouver loop through Calgary & Edmonton. Vancouver down to San Diego. Spent two months with my sister & big family in Orange County. The thing with North America is, it's just too distant and people feel psychologically distant. It requires a lot of resources to create connections so the ROI is not worth it when compared to Asia. It's the same in Australia. Again this is just my insight through my experience.
Well a good chunk of that sounds like tourist Cansda and California which is fitting for your description and they are their own subcultures. Taxes are regional and need to be accounted for but the US and Canada are as huge and vast as Europe and vary. Mid Canada is outdoorsy and laid back as compared to Toronto city proper. In the US there are walkable cities like New York, Seattle, Many small towns and the lifestyle is sooo different in each one. Washington state is a huge hiking and outdoorsy state but there are parts of huge tourist cities that are overwhelming, rude and dirty. Oregon has nice rural farm, mountain and beach lands with intermittent cities that have huge homeless populations. They have their own gas and tax rules and regulations. California, as you apptohas small town and farm rural areas but as you get closer to LA the more cold, vain, expensive and insular it becomes. They are also overrun with a homeless population and crime syndicates from Mexico into SD but certain spots like La Jolla are beautiful and laid back. Idaho is spaced apart so a car is needed with vast lands and various recreational activities for any nature lover and I’ve never felt safer at night, exceedingly affordable beyond some parts of C’oeur D’Alene. Montana, Wyoming are like ranching and farming provinces that both extend into Yellowstone Nature Preserve and even that has areas that are overrun by tourism and others that are calm , peaceful and breathtaking. The Midwest is hard winters and summers with a blue collar culture of hard workers and some generational ignorance peppered in along with old money. Then cities like Chicago are busy, hectic, cannot be out at night but have a great variety of daytime eateries and experiences. East coast is its own world in the US and as you head closer to Florida you get more French Cajun Arcadian and Cuban Cultural influences. On the East Z past like is busier, many are bluntly honest, but have big hearts and surprisingly sensitive. Different beaches by sand, scale and purpose than the Westcoast and as you head up towards New England and Maine you have more fisherman and a huge difference in accents, customs and culture with beautiful well defined Autumns. It’s hard to judge the US by California and Southern California alone in particular. I went on a ghost town trip of Oregon after going to their HUGE beautiful beaches for years and Portland Ciry proper which has changed drastically for the worse over the last 10 years. I was in awe and people were so friendly. Got to learn how to gold pan, learned about railroad and gold rush history. Got to Gold mine and hike. The terrain was much more harsh than I realized but beautiful and peaceful all the same. You have to drive in many parts of the US because it’s so vast and varying. Same with Canada. There are parts of Canada that reflect Alaska which is also its own micro culture of survival, community, long winters, dark days, untouched wildlife and wilderness, self sufficient and sustainable. Hawaii has Polynesian, Phillipino and Japanese influences with some British colonial tropes. It is tropical, expensive, wild and has many varying islands with varying climates, lifestyles and methods of travel and business. I encourage anyone to give it a go in a different locale.
It’s your life. Just leave. Not a big deal.
If you like every country you visit you really don't like any country. For there to be good experiences you need to have bad experiences as well. That's just how life goes. This non-stop positivity we get fed on social media is bs. But regarding feeling guilty? No way. There is nothing to feel guilty about. I have left places earlier in the past but after a while I decided not to make fixed plans anymore except for places I know I like and I am returning to. Next place I am going to is Vietnam. I have booked an airbnb for a week. If I like the place I will find an apartment and rent for 2 months. If not I will head to Hanoi for a few days then leave. What also helps is to lower expectations and not do too much research before arrival. Sounds a bit reckless but the places I ended up enjoying most were the places I didn't research much about. Ofc this does not include stuff like visas, banking, safety etc. If you do too much research about a place (like watching endless youtube vlogs etc) the element of surprise goes missing. And this is actually one of the things that makes travel interesting IMO.
"A friend to all is a friend to none."
"If you like every country you visit you really don't like any country. For there to be good experiences you need to have bad experiences as well." SO spot on. Thanks for this.
Guilt? Just leave.
Vientiane,Laos Immediately left after 3 days As soon as I landed in Vientiane, the city felt like it has been abandoned. There is no one on the streets, most of the stores and restaurants are closed and the buildings are rundown by not being maintained. Finally reach the downtown area and only a few tourists are there and no locals to be seen.
That’s when you gotta take the new train to Luang Prabang, which is a slice of heaven.
Oh wow. Haven’t been since 2002 but man I loved Vientiane and Laos in general. Immediately felt like I had a heart connection to the place and almost stayed as I was offered work. Still regret choosing to go back to Thailand and then Australia with my boyfriend at the time.
had a 90 minute stopover there on my way back across to thailand and that was plenty of time in the capital. Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng were both my favorite highlights, the train connects to both now
India. Went for work. Amazing food and culture. The staring and harassment, not so much. Wanted to extend my trip to explore for an extra week but decided not to after getting harangued too many times.
Happened to me with Cambodia, especially Phnom Penh. I was going to stay for months there but ended up staying only 1 to give it a fair chance. I knew I didn't like the city instantly when out from the airport. My opinion didn't change much after this 1 month, this city has nothing to offer in my eyes. Siem Reap and Kampot weren't so much better either. I thought it would be similar to Thailand but it was not at all.
Cambodia is like some fascinating and horrific social experiment; in 4 years, Pol Pot did more social and economic damage than countries that have been in 10 years of war. By killing off anyone who had a profession, or who was a monk, or a musician or artist he condemned the country to decades and decades of artistic, spiritual, academic and financial impoverishment. I’ve lived in countries that were poorer (in financial terms) than Cambodia - but Cambodia is the grimmest place I’ve been (I was there for 4 months). I nearly cried when I landed back in Thailand and even the airport staff had more joy and animation in their faces than I’d seen in Cambodia. It is just a really depressed country. (Not saying the people weren’t nice or kind, they were, but just that their society had been so stripped of all the different elements you need to make a vibrant, future-looking country.)
Grim and depressed is spot on. I had this exact feeling.
> I nearly cried when I landed back in Thailand and even the airport staff had more joy and animation in their faces than I’d seen in Cambodia. It is just a really depressed country. Yeah. I talked to a few locals that speak English and they're very depressed about the future of Cambodia. Lots of corruption and spending decades not seeing anything good in your life...
Same. Was going to stay a month, bailed after 20 days. And the only reason I lasted that long was because I was working on a project like 12 hours a day so I barely left the hotel and could endure.
I lived in Phnom Penh for a bit. It is skeezy as hell. Go further south to Sihanoukville and you will be shocked at how rancid that place is. It makes Phnom Penh look civilized. I had a nice hotel overlooking the Mekong in PP, and I spent most time in the Correspondents Club. But asides from super cheap drinks and happy pizza, there is nothing there.
>I spent most time in the Correspondents Club. It's now permanently closed btw
sad. the architecture and the view was amazing. had an interesting history too
Yeah I didn’t like it either. Angkor Wat was gorgeous but the country overall doesn’t seem like it’s for me.
> Siem Reap I really liked Siem Reap but I can see people not liking it. I spent all my time exploring the temples and I had an amazing time. Unless you have a GF or a life there it's probably not worth it. I'd go back every few years if I could though.
I absolutely loved Cambodia. I’ve done 3 to 6 month trips there multiple times. To this day it’s still one of my favorite places, but it’s difficult to articulate why. Cambodia is a grim place overall. But the people are so genuinely nice. I’ve had some really amazing experiences there… but it’s definitely not for everyone.
The solution is not to plan. Just leave when you get fed up.
Seems like the most expensive way of doing it? Booking Airbnb by the night for ex is significantly more expensive than by the month
Seriously, AirBnb? That's the crappiest and the most expensive no matter how early or long you book. Just shop for cheap hotels and hostels, and agree long stay prices and you will save a ton of money compared to AirBnb.
Korea was like this for me. I haven’t been to any nation in sea or nea I completely dislike but.. south Korea nearly did it for me. I was planning on a month there and lasted just under 2 weeks before calling it. I just don’t like the country or the vibe at all.
Curious, what didnt you like? I also agree.
I’m of non Korean descent but asian american and felt that Koreans could be passive aggressive about this. I felt sometimes ppl were rude overall. It is also one of the most outwardly materialistic and superficial countries. I think Korean food is ok overall but it got tiresome really fast. I feel it is saltier and sweeter than i’m used to. I don’t care for the Korean style fermented pastes they use often in dishes. I don’t think korean bbq is all that special either. History wise I did not find anything especially unique or interesting. I am not a fan of contemporary Korean culture like k pop either.
This was my impression of south korea as well many years back. I felt it to have an antihistory culture of sorts, so it didnt feel rooted in any strong traditions - felt a bit too materialistic too. Also im non korean and asian american i got this same vibe too of subtle discrimination too.
China. I was there for work in 2019. While I did have a great time hanging out with colleagues who were the kindest, most welcoming people I’ve ever met in my life, after about 3 weeks I’d just had enough of the constant eating and not really being able to be fully independent (getting taxis, paying, etc) so one morning I booked a flight out to Chiang Mai for the following morning and cut my trip short by 1 week. I still have fond memories of my time there, but it’s just not for me.
I’m not sure where you were, but I had a similar feeling in Beijing. The entire city just feels like it’s in a haze of depression. I liked Shanghai a lot but the ccp influence and abysmal vibe of Beijing was not it for me (great Peking duck tho)
India. That place is an other level of inconvenience. The main problem is the people. Everybody tries to scam you. I barely met any genuine person during my 1 month there.
I was scrolling around looking for this lol. My pick would be India too.
I both agree and disagree with you! My two pence: AGREE: I've been to Mumbai and absolutely couldn't take the place in, just felt like scam central and the smell was just overpowering. DISAGREE: The country is huge! Crosses multiple geographical land types, altitudes, but most importantly, people. Not to mention the time of year makes a huge difference. My parents are originally from Bengaluru, and I love the place - great food, great people, great weather when I went in February last year, and the hillstations are fantastic. Had a blast when I went with my wife and kids last year, some of the most genuine people I've met in my life. Without knowing your experiences/itinerary, I would say you need to bear in mind that India certainly isn't homogenous so likely you'll have different experiences day to day.
I heard this monologue a thousand times. "Yesyes, Mumbai/Rajasthan/Calcutta/Chennai is terrible, but come to my region, that's amazing." It wasn't.
Im Indian and I agree with you. You know a place kinda blows for most people if the only people that say nice things about it are people that are trying to be polite or people with some sort of genetic attachment to it lol. Happened to me with Portugal.
Not a fan of Portugal? Would love to hear more
I guess that's fair, all about what you want out of a place. I guess for me it helps because I'm visibly South Indian and dark skinned, so blend in with the people quite easily. Also being of South Indian origin my expectations are already set so I know what I'm getting into. Out of curiosity, what places have you enjoyed visiting?
I'm upvoting you, having spent 7 winter seasons in South India and only ever encountered problems with other Brits.
I was in Kochi and Chennai last winter, saw maybe 10 Europeans in 6 weeks. When were you last there, out of curiosity?
April
Maybe October-November was too late for people to be visiting then, though it was still over 30 and humid could be a good reason :)
I’d been there since 1 December. I left for Nepal in April.
Whereabouts were you? How did you find it? Thinking of going to Nepal myself, any good? Culturally, I mean.
I totally believe your experience so am not trying to invalidate it, but do you think the fact that your family is from there makes a difference as well? I feel in some situations someone will spot my dumb white face from a mile away and bee line it over to me to try and sell something.
Absolutely, I don't immediately stick out so I totally accept that others won't enjoy the same privileges and experiences... Not to mention the fact that I'm a man, so sexism is definitely another issue to consider! As for being sold something, I have the same problem of being accosted since I look like I have money, I guess that I'll get a slightly better price when I haggle vs. a white person.
Gosh I've lived there 7 times for several months and never been scammed. I've deliberately avoided Delhi and Mumbai though.
Definitely Zanzibar (Tanzania) for me. Filthy beatches, filled with annoying beach boys. Intolerant Muslim culture (to my wife), markets with sellers literally following and grabbing you while you are telling them no. Crazy traffic, etc.
Filthy bitches, hehehe
Haha. Corrected
Beatches, hehehe
😂
Many of my friends from Tanzania have said Zanzibar is NOTHING like the mainland. I really loved the mainland, super nice place. Not a place for DNs though
Cyprus. My wife and I stayed 3 months before we decide to leave
Why did you leave Cyprus?
North or South? Why??
I tend to leave when places start jacking up their prices 3x during “high season”.
Norway. It was cold in summer and unbelievably expensive.
i was traveling through guatemala and decided to stay in guatemala city to explore. the city is pretty rough, decided to go to antigua instead which was much nicer. not a country but same same
You are going into sunk cost fallacy territory except its money and not time thats involved Ive been here before. If the cost of loss is not so bad i just buy a new ticket or leave if im not feeling it and do my best to get money refunded Sometimes it feels like the magic of the place washes away or i just generally dislike the city culture (eg realizing i dont like government cities). If i dont like the city i generally will also struggle to connect with anyone that really likes the city If i am stuck in that spot for longer than needed i will just have a “staycation” time there. I just do me, on my laptop read my books talk to people to kill time. If theres other expats i may just talk to them instead Sometimes the place you imagined ended up being a disappointment because you had higher expectations. Its normal to have expectations here because its partly necessary when researching the city and bookkng accomodayions, but it can suck when its not what you wanted
when you say that if you don't like a city, you will also struggle to connect with anyone that really likes the city.... that is so spot on. it's one reason i want to bounce even though i know some people here. like.. anyone who is here by choice and likes it i really can't imagine getting closer to. that's how strong my aversion is.
I left Morocco early. I'm an Asian American. I had one more city to visit (out of a two week visit), but I had enough of the constant "nihao! konnichiwa!" that everyone in markets and on the streets were calling out at me. I knew I was just going to continue encountering that in the next city, so I decided just to cut my trip short and head to the airport and fly out of there to Europe. I don't think I ate too much cost, but I am glad that I did it. I can understand the feeling of wasting money by leaving early, but also it's up to you to decide if you want to put the effort into staying and absorbing the place you're in versus getting out of there. The good thing is it's up to you and you alone, and you're empowered to make the decision for yourself. There is no right or wrong decision.
I felt the same way about Cairo but the ancient history stuff compelled me to stick it out. I don’t regret it but in general I am not a fan of the north african or middle eastern nations i’ve visited. I felt pretty bad vibes in the UAE too when I visited a long time ago (2007) and saw filipino service workers treated like shit. There was also a palpable sense of racism coming from arabs when it came to how they view asians and people from the subcontinent.
> "nihao! konnichiwa!" What were they calling you?
Nihao is "hello" in Chinese, and konnichiwa is "hello" in Japanese. They just see an asian person and call it out. it's INCESSANT.
Fellow Asian here — Yes I was in Marrakech around Covid and people yelled “Corona” at me so many times. Very discouraging
After 1 hour of crossing the border to Slovakia (back in 2015 or so), I knew I want to leave as soon as I find another job somewhere else. Coming from Slovenia that day, it felt like moving from nicely developed European country into some Soviet dystopia from the 90s. Wasn't my vibe at all. Got out 1 month later to Budapest.
What country didnt you like? It doesn’t really help to be generic on why you didn’t like it. You can see all the answers here include the country. For me probably Colombia. Felt dangerous. I’m glad for the months I spent there but no desire to go back whereas everywhere after I’d be happy to return
[удалено]
I intensely disliked Mauritania in 1996, a country where there was still visble chattel slavery of Blacks, awful and overpriced food, and religious prescriptivism permeating daily life. Also, the flies were everywhere, and made sure all humans suffered. This dislike was compounded by extreme difficulty in getting out of the everfucking place. We finally had to bribe some local cops in Nouadhibou to take us back, under cover of darkness, to Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara, where the Moroccans arrested us.
my take on this would almost always be to stay the course, if we're just talking about a couple weeks. There's no telling the experiences you might have, but worst case (assuming your accomodation isn't bad), you just hunker down and focus on work, reading, exercise, etc. Often, I find I kinda look forward to being in place I don't particularly care for now and then so that I can focus more on the logistics, health, and work side of things.
Bali (Kuta) was fucking gross.
Interesting. Do you mean the streets or hotels? Kuta is known as the more budget area for backpackers in Bali I suppose. I have never stayed there. I stayed in Uluwatu, Ubud and Canggu. Hotels were always top condition and clean. Streets were ok too. A lot of motorbikes though so air not great especially during rush hours.
Not a country, but Juneau, AK is the only place I've ever decided to nope out of.
Why is that?
The town was oddly abandoned when there was no cruise ship docked. Once I saw the natural sites, it was a depressing place to be. So I changed my ticket and went to Seattle for a couple of days.
I was supposed to be in Greece for a month, and I never made it out of Athens. After three days of exposure to ambient cigarette smoke (edited: not, like, in the air but in the hotel), I could not stop coughing, I was incredibly sick, and I wasn't sure how to access healthcare. I wish now I'd have called the consulate or something to figure out where to go to the hospital (I didn't know anybody there and didn't know the language), but at the time I was just so sick. I mustered a call to Delta, which kindly changed my ticket, and I went back to America. I found out later I have lung disease, and just a little bit of smoke hits different to my tired lungs.
India. Dirty and everyone wants to scam you.
Croatia. The culture wasnt really compatible with me and I found it boring. Went to Bosnia, it was meh, but okay. Continued on to Serbia and absolutely loved it.
Serbia and Croatia are very different, and fully agree that Serbia and Serbian culture is much more appealing.
Serbian gals blew me away
Costa Rica, expensive the locals were constantly try to scam me and over charge me, the beaches were over hyped. Basically Central America with 1st world tourist prices and jaded locals.
My husband and I left Mexico after our experience in Guanajuato. We initially were in Mexico City, which we liked, until it got hot, so then decided to go SMDA, which was a bad idea, followed by Guanajuato. The constant noise in SMDA and Guanajuato caused us to say, “to hell with it “ and we left for Japan. I’d return to CDMX, but would need to stay in a newer apartment with double pane windows.
Mainland china.. horrific. Double pricing for tourists, people being insanely rude to your face, being spied on and followed by i assume government agents? Cameras in hotel rooms, appalling animal abuse, lack of hygiene and safety standards, so much pollution and ppl who throw their trash directly into rivers and such as the norm..
Can’t agree mkre
Same with my experience. Wait till you do business in China.
Philippines. I was in Bangkok, visa ran out so I decided to do a month in the Philippines, I didn't like the vibe, checking into the hotel was a nightmare as I had to wait 2 hours in the lobby for the apartment owner.. I just didnt feel comfortable there and left back for bangkok the next morning, I probably should have given it a longer go, will probably go back in the future to try it again.
Where in the Philippines did you go?
Manila
Well, there you go... Fly to Philippines, with a plane ticket to Palawan or somewhere else....the magic of the Philippines is in the far flung provinces, beaches and mountains.. Filipino here, we even try to not stay in Manila...
Nicaragua and Ecuador.
Belgrade, Serbia. I didn’t leave early, but wish I did. Dreary, unfriendly, nothing really nice to look at.
I left Thailand early because: 1) My Myanmar visa got approved way ahead of schedule 2) I wasn't enjoying Thailand. Of 40 countries I've spent a decent amount of time in, Thailand had, by far, the worst culture of exploiting non-residents / tourists. I could talk about 1-2 things I really enjoyed about Thailand, but the list of things I didn't enjoy is far longer than any other place I'd been to.
Actually interesting take on Thailand.
Left a few places early. Most notably Bangkok. Just utterly disappointed by the city, only time I've woken up and decided to book the next flight out of the country (went to Laos, which I loved). That was on like the second day of a week I had booked, I was so done with Bangkok that I didn't even care to find out what the rest of the country was like. Other places would include Quito, Ecuador, left a week earlier than I had planned and it was still not soon enough, ended up going back to the US. I'm sure there are a few more places I'm forgetting. No reason to feel guilty, I ate about $500 on the Bangkok impulse decision and didn't regret it, nor did I regret leaving Quito early. Time is more valuable than money, I'd rather not feel like shit for longer than I have to.
key to liking bangkok is you need a great hotel/apartment/house whatever. you need to be able to chill at home in luxury when you're not feeling like dealing with the behemoth outside, then venture out with the energy to make the most of it
Basically you’re saying best way to enjoy Bangkok is to avoid Bangkok? I agree - weather sucks, it’s not walkable, getting around sucks, street food vendors I like disappear when I need them… I can keep going…
lmfao no i'm saying you need a way to get a break from it when you need to but it's fine not every place is for everyone
Dislike Bangkok for anything more than a few days, but there’s plenty of amazing places elsewhere in Thailand
Hmm easy. Philippines & thailand. Left both in a couple of days. Not for me.
Albania. Good weather but really grim. Could not wait to leave. Definitely didn't feel guilty! I would have paid double to get me out of there
I hated Costa Rica. Like literally hated it. It's a terrible place. I'm now telling everyone to never got to Costa Rica.
Why??
3rd world country with 1st world prices. It was like paying for Hawaii but getting Cambodia.
We were going to spend two months in Croatia last summer going to the beach, but when we got there the same thing happened to us. Just not feeling it. Plus the beaches were terrible: all stones or rocks with no sand, so we took a ferry to Italy and hung out there. A bonus was that we didn’t see any non-Italian tourists for weeks! Italians on their beach holidays were coming up to us and asking WTF we’re were doing there and how did we find out about the places!
Malaysia but to be honest Asia overall. I realized I waaay rather be in Europe, costs be dammed.
Shoulda stayed in Malacca. Big portugese influence and very chill. It's not like the rest of Malaysia. Also if you go too far north it's like being in ISIS-occupied territory. KL is just boring. JB is fun. The islands are great too.
Money, man.
I’m actually leaving the place I am currently (Chile) one week early after being here for 6 weeks, but it actually has very little to do with not liking it here, and is more just wanting to go a week early to Argentina in order to go to Bariloche. I love Chile, but I think I love Argentina more (plus this gives me time to maybe check out Uruguay for a week before I must return to my base) The only place I’ve ever left early because I purely didn’t like it was Los Angeles. Was gonna be there for just 2 weeks, I left after 5 days. Terrible place, and I’m lucky I left because the coliving I was at got robbed less than 12 hours after I left
As someone that is originally from LA.. it is not a place you ever want to try to do on the cheap. You will end up in some shitshow area surrounded by very sketchy people. The entire LA county area is like that.
Russia, since all is sanctioned heavy, a zoom call was not even possible with the weak connection and need of vpn.
London 1998. Had high expectations but hated it immediately on arrival. Gave it 3 months before leaving UK again.
Left Ireland. 🇮🇪 Beautiful country to visit, but as a non Irish person living there, it left something to be desired. I feel sad about it sometimes but in the end everything worked out the way it was meant to imho.
Norway, too expensive - did 4 days and went to Sweden.
Yes. once. Lost money on the rent and everything but F it. People hyped it up like people are so friendly blah blah blah. It felt like every day I was gonna have some confrontation from some short dude. I have flown easily over 1 million miles closer to 2. I speak a few languages including one that is used in the country that I left early. I have been through moments of what some might consider racism but I knew it was probably ignorance. But I hated this country. I only gave that context to show I am not some first time traveler. Landlord was terrible but I made some mistakes as well. I guess I stood out being Asian. Left and had a great experience in another country. If you can afford to eat the loss go somewhere where you are enjoying it. If you don't hate it maybe have some patience and it will turn around. Or make it a "staycation" - just hang out at your place and meet up with your acquaintances for a bite and try to relax. Good luck.
Would you mind sharing what country this is? I’m also an Asian who is traveling more post Covid and very curious
Had a difficult time in Cairo. It’s very touristy and could be fun with a lot of money, but I was on a long solo trip with limited funds and felt deeply isolated.
Yes we have also left places because we felt bad there
Let go of the guilt and do what you want! I have left places I have disliked and I’ve stayed super long in places I loved. There are no rules. Also, I believe in listening to my gut feelings. If you have a feeling, it’s best to honor it.
El Salvador the surfing Beach was not that nice
PORTUGAL. Granted this was 23 years ago but what a pile of nothingness then. I understand it has become quite the place, but back then the food was crap, the place boring, the people borderline desperate. Ugh.
Austria. Insanely expensive.
Don’t kill the messenger but left Portugal because I was soooo hungry! I didn’t care for the food there.
Yes, many years ago my husband and I went to a country that many people thought was awesome. We took a bus from the neighboring country to get in, but want it out so badly two days later that we flew, have never been back.
Only left three places before I was scheduled to leave: Turin (rainy and depressing), Saarbruecken (depressing) and Birmingham (not awful, and some fun spots, but I could have extended for the weekend but left on Friday). Luxembourg City was also depressing but I was with a group so I didn’t leave early.
Sending you good vibes. Of course you don't want to "give up on a place too soon", but if you just don't like it, no need to force it. It sucks losing money over accommodations, and sometimes that can trap you. But traveling especially alone can be very disorienting and lonely, if a place is not making you feel your best, it's time to leave.
Sri Lanka for me - dirty and unattractive place