Seasoned travellers share the most underwhelming tourist attractions
When it comes to travelling the world, there are always places and attractions that have been overhyped by those who travelled there before.
While some places are known as hotspots for a reason, others can fail to deliver.
Sharing some of their experiences, a group of travel writers have shared stories of the times they were left feeling deflated while travelling the world.
Mona Lisa, Paris, France
While most travellers who visit the world-famous Louvre museum in Paris are destined to join the hoards of people to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa, others have dubbed her underwhelming.
According to one travel writer at Stuff Travel, the small dimensions of da Vinci’s masterwork make it difficult to see.
They wrote, “You either need to BYO ladder or be over six feet tall to even catch a glimpse over the hordes of tourists waving their cellphones.”
“A security barrier also means that it's impossible to appreciate the finer details of the hyper-realistic work - which essentially defeats the point altogether.”
They concluded by writing that despite being ‘the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world’, the Mona Lisa is also one of the world's biggest letdowns.”
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Located in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, this vibrant tourist hotspot is a treat for the senses, or, as others have called it, an overstimulating nightmare.
A combination of the blazing heat, suffocating humidity, loud clubs, and seemingly endless floods of tourists, this vibrant destination is not for the faint of heart.
One seasoned traveller admitted that while some might find the holiday spot idyllic, for those searching for somewhere a bit less overstimulating, “head a little bit further south to Tulum”.
That Wānaka Tree, New Zealand
One of New Zealand's most popular tourist hotspots, especially on social media, is the picturesque Wānaka tree, located on the South Island.
A travel writer made the trip to NZ with her sister to view the stunning landscape, but both women were left severely underwhelmed when they arrived.
“From the carpark, over the bridge and down the trail to the lakeside to find That Wānaka Tree had not a single leaf. "Is that it?" my sister blurts out. I must agree, was that it?” the seasoned traveller wrote.
“A true case of Instagram versus reality.”
Image credits: Getty Images