Traveler Beware: Top 10 Vacation Spots To Skip In 2023

Many vacation spots (whether a city or an entire country) don’t live up to the expectations, and you want to avoid traveling to such a place in 2023.

A Redditor asked on a popular forum, world travelers of Reddit, where did you go that was a total disappointment? And here are the top picks:

1. Blackpool, England Blackpool

is known for ballroom dancing and is a tourist destination that got over 19 mn people in 2021. However, only a few are fond of the city. Here is why:

‘I went there for work, and it’s always been spoken of as a lovely seaside town, with the illuminations being an incredible spectacle. The town was bad; it was dirty, full of chavs binge drinking on the streets; I got shouted several times because I had long hair and piercings. I went into a newsagent to buy a little bit of food, and it was no word of a lie, 90% alcohol, including test tube shots at the counter. 2/10 would not return to that hole. Ever.’ shared one.

‘Where are you from? You can’t be British; if you are, then you’d know Blackpool is an s..t hole.’ shared another.

2. Casablanca, Morocco

If you plan a trip to Morocco, Casablanca is where you will most likely land. It is known for its architecture and culture. However, Redditors don’t recommend it as a vacation spot.

‘The least-interesting place in a fascinating country. Really, Casablanca is just a dumpy business district on the coast. Other than one obscenely expensive mosque that the previous king had built, there’s really nothing to see. But the rest of Morocco? As beautiful a place as I’ve seen. Fez, the green highlands in the north, Essaouira, the High Atlas, Marrakesh … all gorgeous.’ shared one.

‘I traveled to Morocco too, and people are shocked to hear this. Everyone thinks because of the movie that Casablanca must be a romantic place, and it’s not. It’s a dump. I heard Tangiers is worse if you can imagine.’ shared another.

3. Tunis, Tunisia

If you are a traveler, you know that Tunisia is known for its golden beaches and affordability. However, Tunis is not the place to be.

‘Tunis in 2010. I freaking hated that place. I wasn’t surprised when the people revolted 6 months later, and I was like, “Wow, I’d revolt too. That place is bad.’ shared one.

‘I went to Tunis as well (as part of a cruise) and hated it as well. I was harassed the whole time to buy carpets, and the taxi drivers were in on it.’ shared another.

4. Cairo, Egypt

We all want to see the beauty of the Egyptian pyramids, but is Cairo a place to spend all your time? Probably, no. A user goes in depth explaining his bad experience in the city. He says:

‘I had a weird time in Cairo.

Our cab driver got out of the cab to fight someone because they were both trying to fit down a narrow alley, and neither would back up. He also took us on a detour to his cousin’s papyrus shop (exactly what I was warned he would do, but he did it anyway, despite us telling him not to).
Pyramids were surrounded by super dirty sand, and we rode horses out to them led by a child.
Speaking of that, everyone in that town thought they deserved a tip from me for every little thing (someone at the airport grabbed my bag and put it on a cart for me – no, you don’t get a tip for doing something I was able to do myself!).
The men were so rude but also stared at me like they wanted to do gross things to me. I literally had men in restaurants all stop eating, turn around, and just watch me and my friend eat the ENTIRE TIME.
After learning to just ignore the men there because most of them were so creepy, we were yelled at by some guy for not returning his casual greeting on the street. Sorry, dude. I ignored you because I have learned that it’s for the best to not even make eye contact, and now you’re mad at me? That’s not helping.
Another creepy encounter – I had a guy follow us through the market and grab my friend’s bum five times. Kept pretending to look at junk in shops when she’d turn around. Eventually told him to buzz off, and he finally left.’ shared one.

‘I went to Cairo as a teenager with my mother, and being both female and American made it an interesting experience. Being a passenger in a vehicle that hits another (since the lines on the road are there for no reason), watching the two drivers argue while still moving forward, then seeing food tossed into your vehicle to settle the said argument is pretty awesome. Like you said: some parts are beautiful, some you stay away from, and there are jerks everywhere.’ shared another

“Egypt, the pyramids were amazing, but the people were unbelievably rude, and the cities were the dirtiest I’ve ever seen. The food was probably the best part, and it was just ok.” said one.

5. Gibraltar, Overseas Territory Of U.K.

Gibraltar is known for its scenic beauty and wildlife. But it isn’t a favorite of most Redditors.

‘It really is just a big rock and not the country it technically claims to be. The hotel is bad. A car had washed up in the swimming pool, despite a clear sign that you weren’t supposed to throw your car off a cliff into the ocean. The food was disgusting, and I wasn’t the only one who refused to eat it. Everyone who decided to eat it anyway got sick. I also got peed on by a monkey.” said one.

“You can see everything Gibraltar has to offer in a few hours. We were stuck there for a week. Then we got stuck there after we were supposed to leave due to bad weather. Thick fog meant we spent 18 hours waiting in the airport while periodically watching our plane attempt to land and abort each time. Each time it almost crashing horribly in a new way that would have blocked the only road out of Gibraltar. The runway and the road are the same bit of asphalt.’ shared one.

‘during a day trip to Gibraltar, my friend and I started calling it trash island! Also, the hundreds of oil tankers circling the island made everything smell like diesel.’ shared another

6. Belarus

‘English guy here, Belarus. I’ve never felt so unwelcome. The police followed me everywhere, and my passport was being checked constantly. I just felt like I was being watched where ever I went.’ shared one.

‘I can’t imagine traveling to Belarus with anything but the lowest of expectations.’ shared another.

7. Iraq

I don’t know why anyone would go to Iraq for a vacation, but Redditors had an opinion.

‘I’ve been to Iraq twice. Both times it was bad. Too hot, buildings were just falling apart, trash in the streets, horrible drivers, roads had huge potholes, and the food on the trip sucked too.’ said one.

‘The first time I was there, the people were pretty nice. Almost dancing in the streets when my friends and I rolled up. The second time, everyone was a..hole. Even the kids threw rocks at us. I would not recommend visiting there.’ shared one.

‘I would expect Iraq to be a bad time for just about anyone who is there.’ shared another

8. Papua New Guinea

‘The capital, Port Moresby, was just not that nice of a city. There were barbed wire fences around nearly every building. Lots of poverty. I was told by my local guide that there were quite a few areas he wouldn’t even venture to. And because of that, I didn’t experience much of the area at all (it was a work trip anyways). Burning trash everywhere…

Of course, to really be disappointed, you have to have expectations of something better. Which I didn’t.

The landscape was quite beautiful though, and had there not been a very real malaria threat and the potential for indigenous tribes to capture and kill you, I would have liked to explore it.’ shared one

‘Port Moresby is known as one of the worst cities in the world.’ shared another.

9. Jamaica

Didn’t expect this on the list?

“Most people are friendly, but the vast majority expect exorbitant “tips” for doing next to nothing at all. If you denied them a tip, they immediately treated you bad. If you did tip a reasonable amount, they treated you bad. Often would look at the cash they were handed as if to say, “that’s it?” They’re very in your face about tipping, too, and expect money for everything”. said one

“If you are going to spend the money to go to the Caribbean, do not waste it going to Jamaica.” said another.

10. Dubai

“Dubai. Overpriced, fake, and completely lacking in culture. Took an open-top bus tour to see the city (it’s sprawling), and every other sightseeing stop was a freaking mall. I can go to some stupid mall at home.” said one.

We hope this helped you eliminate spots from your vacation list, thanks to this Reddit post. Do read about the Worst Cities For A Vacation: 10 People Share Their Personal Experience