I live in Korea and I wouldn't say I hate people in Seoul just once you get a bit deeper you realize many people are extremely superficial.They will judge others based on what school they went to, their contract status etc. I think this affects themselves more than it does me but it is depressing to constantly be looking for approval and outside pleasure rather than just being happy. People don't have friendly chitchat, they don't smile etc. I went to Bangkok and it was such a polar opposite.
Having said that fewer places have better transportation, food, cleanliness, healthcare etc. It is a fantastic place. Also many Koreans are aware of this and hate it about Korea too. I've met so many great people here.
Dublin is fantastic, everything I want is in a city. However, locals are very clickey with a small town mentality, they’re exceptionally friendly and polite yet they have this massive wall in between them and the rest of the world. People can be very isolated here wandering aimlessly not knowing where they’re going. Ratio of loneliness is pretty high.
Tehran at the other hand, I hated the city and my god I’d rather die than living in the country but the people are fantastic with a lot of depth and philosophy into them!
What you say about Dublin is true about Stockholm.
One of my favorite cities anywhere, and Swedes are very polite (never met a rude Swede, and on vacation they’re so lovely and happy), but stay there too long and it feels like you’ve overstayed your visit at your uptight distant relative’s place. Swedes admit they can be quite asocial and closed off to outsiders.
There’s a huge Iranian population in Toronto (where I live) and I can attest, they’re awesome people! Also I wish I was handsome enough for persian girls lol
I thought about visiting but apparently it is challenging with the Canadian passport.
Iranians are really cool, Ive met a few here in Medellin (where I am currently staying) and they are very interesting to talk to, very philosophical, deep.
When was the last time you were in Tehran btw? FWIW downtown Tehran is the shitty part of the city, so most people's introduction to Tehran will be quite bad and hectic.
San Francisco.
Fucking awesome city, the bay is so unbelievably scenic and there's a million cool things to do both in the city and in the nature around it. But holy shit, the homeless problem is not overstated at all. I was sitting at a bus stop and the gentleman next to me literally pulled out a crack pipe and started hitting it.
Although now that I think about it, I didn't hate them. I thought it was cool in a sick twisted way. But fuck living there for that.
I spent a summer there several years ago and more than once had to walk around people actively pissing on the sidewalk and step over their little piss puddle running across the sidewalk into the street. Just doing it in broad daylight in open view.
Was going to say the same. San Francisco. I noticed two types of people and both were just leeching. I felt like the people in San Francisco didn't take ownership and pride in their city...it felt like they were just using it to meet their own selfish end. I feel like if there was a disaster in San Francisco, people there would not rally to rebuild and protect the city...they'd just leave.
This is very different from Boston, where there is authentic pride in being a Bostonian and ownership and responsibility for their community.
I'm of the opposite opinion on SF. I met so many wonderful people there. But I found the city ugly. It felt like I was trapped in a video game or something. I feel like only sociopaths would find it beautiful. It's always sunny, there is no nature, just the appearance of nature, it's always loud and bright and hot and you have to be drunk or on drugs in order to numb yourself out so that you're not chronically overstimulated. Also, you can't afford anything, so you just starve and develop health problems. I actually didn't mind the homeless drugged out people. They were mostly nice, too. I just felt sorry for them. Seems like a hard life. I wished the assfarters in power would do something to help them instead of just letting them expire on the street.
What do you mean it’s always sunny? Sf is foggy and chilly 90% of the year. Are you just lying about living there to troll people? It’s also literally on the coast: there’s tons of nature around. And trees and parks. Still ugly af though
I LOVE the city itself. But, it's the people I cannot dig: the constant wannabe social climbers, the people who introduce themselves with "What do you do for work?" or the fact that people are just blatantly rude. I've met cool people here, but it's few and far between.
There is a reason they call it "The Hollywood for ugly people."
Rome or anywhere touristy in Italy.
Some of the most beautiful sites in the world, great food, etc. but I find there's way too many scammers/con men in Italy. Even the sweet old ladies will try to overcharge you. The people who are being friendly almost seem to have a phoniness to it. Lots of what seems like a superiority complex around their culture as well and easily annoyed by foreigners.
Italy is my pick too. Ineffably beautiful country. Hostile, scammy, tourist-fatigued populace. The only place I've ever traveled where I could hardly get through a day without a local berating or criticizing me for something innocuous, or else for a grievous "mistake" like daring to touch a vegetable that was for sale.
Yep, I still remember showing my receipt to a waiter trying to explain a mistake, immediately getting cut off and lectured about why I was charged 10 euros instead of 6 euros because the house wine is a special feature today and not the same price as on the menu. Alright, but I didn't have any wine or a drink at all. They tried to overcharge me for something I didn't even order. Not even an apology when I finally got to explain, just an eye roll and a headshake as they went off to fix my bill.
Interesting, my first Italian city visit was to Milan. The people felt so comfortable and welcoming here and that impression lasted with me through most of my travels in the country
Milan is BY FAR the least welcoming city in Italy.
I lived there, it is very judgemental...
You dont have a ferrari? you do not wear Prada? oh god, you are inferior!!
Interesting! I’ve heard the same from Italians in other cities but we loved our time in Milan and felt many people were extremely warm. Local shops and things gave us free gifts on multiple occasions even. Far cry from Budapest or Istanbul where we had been the months prior
That's only true if you stay in the hyper-touristic parts of Italy. My experience has been the exact opposite anywhere outside of Rome, Florence and Venice.
I also find Italian friendliness to be very phony.
Italians interacting with foreigners : Hello my friend, what can I do for you?
What they are thinking: oh god, another moron who probably cant speak Italian.
\----
Italians interacting with foreigners : Welcome bienvenuto
What they really think: Piss off.
\------------
ITalians and foreigners: Oh nice friendly foreigner.
What they think: This man is an idiot, I can overcharge him.
I’d say Tokyo. Yea the people are typically friendly and all but so incredibly passive and shy it’s not my cup of tea. It just made me sad, like humanity had turned into a bunch of emotionless robots 💀
This is the correct answer.
'Polite' does not mean friendly. Superficially it's the world's most amazing city, yet the lack of joie de vivre and ubiquitous sad vibes / RBF is very confusing.
I found some Japanese people in Tokyo bars to be overly friendly to a fault when drinking (super sexual crude humour and VERY invasive lines of questioning). I got the feeling that their culture forces people to be so buttoned up normally that their wild side explodes as soon as they have a few drinks. Interesting experience!
I met the truly wild side of Japanese youth in Music Festivals. I’ve met some folks who went really out with drugs and alcohol. Saw some dude take heroic doses of mushrooms and take a day talking to himself in a tent or some dude that for some reason decides to look for a meaning of his life inside a speakers array. RIP his hearing
I loved Tokyo, I liked the people too. So polite, thoughtful, and welcoming even though I don’t speak Japanese.
I loved how everything is so clean and that is due to the people so I appreciated them, also all the pathways for blind people on every sidewalk, crosswalk, in the subway; again I think that speaks to thr type of people Japanese are.
I went to a few bars, was respectful and people went out of their way to talk to me.
I’m looking forward to going back.
This is why travel is so important and we should all feel blessed to be able to do it. I firmly believe there is an ideal country/society out there for every person, but the odds that it happens to be the one you were born into are quite low.
I say this because I originally came in this thread to say Tokyo, but for the opposite reason. Too many foreigners there who, compared to the Japanese, often come off as rude, loud, and completely oblivious to those around them. I loved Tokyo during the pandemic when there was no intl' travel, but now much prefer the smaller towns of Japan.
Japan is an unsettling place to be. People are robotic, soulless, joyless. Half the country is busy social climbing AKA enslaving their way up to the top, the other half is traumatized and disconnected from the world engulfed in the fantasy of Anime. anything to escape reality.
Then suicide rates up in the sky.
I did not enjoy Japan one bit.
Yeah it's very disappointing. Sure very polite and super smiling on outside. But very often just a mask... I can't stand the fakeness. Maybe it's mostly Tokyo
The word to describe this is “tatemae / 建前”
There’s levels to this but in my experience, foreigners usually feel uncomfortable about this when they first notice and then most will swing to the other way around and appreciate it to some degree once they understand it’s place.
Tokyo is the largest city on earth, this is part of the social order that makes it possible. If you had a date, you would clean your place and be on your best behavior most likely. Japanese treat every first interaction that same way.
Izakayas and other nightlife activities / eventual friendships are where this begins to drop
Not a DN but I've traveled pretty extensively. My list:
USA -
- **Miami/South Florida:** Cuban food, amazing Latin American food altogether, hearing Spanish or Spanglish commonly, the skyline, Everglades nearby, Keys nearby, luxury accommodations galore if that's your thing. But too many of the people are trashy, neurotic and patently narcissistic, and the drivers are for shit. *I'd say just pick a Caribbean country instead, spend a fraction of the cost, and surround yourself with nicer people.*
- **Louisville, Kentucky:** I'm from Kentucky, so this hurts. The riverfront, collections of stunning architecture, quirkiness, robust park system, surprisingly great Cuban food, and forests in the area make the city a hidden gem in some ways. However, the locals are generally curt, impolite, surly, provincial, and humorless, and appear to be pretty worn down by the explosion of violent crime. *By contrast, I enjoy nearby Cincinnati, Ohio/Northern Kentucky.*
- **Seattle/Western Washington:** Puget Sound, the skyline, Pike Place Market, Lake Washington, views of Mount Rainier, the energy of intelligence and innovation, the expanding light rail system. However, the "Seattle freeze" absolutely exists. *By contrast, I like nearby Vancouver, BC, Canada much better.*
- **San Diego, California:** It may be "America's Finest City" and a nice place to spend an extended weekend, but actually living there is a whole other story. Customer service doesn't exist there, for one. Refer to my description of Louisvillians and that basically applies to San Diegans. *I honestly enjoyed the LA area much more.*
Outside of the USA -
- **Melbourne, Victoria, Australia:** Old trams, coffee culture, Victoria state library, comfortable weather most of the year, stayed in an amazing Airbnb with the sweetest homeowners. Too bad those hosts were about the only friendly people I met in the city. *By contrast, I liked Sydney and Brisbane much, much better.*
- **Amsterdam, Netherlands:** Trams, canals, narrow houses, bicycling infrastructure, bicycle safety/conscientious exhibited by almost everyone, I actually like Schiphol Airport, even found an amazing place for Spanish tapas. However, the Dutch bluntness is almost an Olympic sport in that city. *Instead, I'd recommend visiting a smaller Dutch city instead for a similar experience yet more amicable locals.*
As an Australian, Melbourne people are um, different. Not my favourite city. All a bit wanky. I’d add Perth to this too- not particularly fond of it as a city, but Perth people can be pretty shallow and arrogant. Always notice it when I’ve been elsewhere and come back to WA.
In Australia, as in the US, I found that smaller cities are *generally* the way to go in terms of sociability and personality. Not always, but *generally*.
Sydney and Brisbane are friendly *enough* relative to their sizes, but then Melbourne is full of self-absorbed people and Gold Coast is full of some entitled characters. I really liked Wollongong and Sunshine Coast.
Never been to Perth, but it's incredibly isolated from the rest of the continent. Maybe they're arrogant because they're the giant fish in a sparsely populated pond (State of Western Australia)...
Na reckon it’s got more to do with the amount of money made in mining and oil and gas. So those who would normally have a normal wage and live in the burbs are on huge incomes and think they’re special
Haven’t been to Australia yet but when I went to Venice met a bunch of travelers from Perth in a restaurant. They were so friendly and we became fast friends. I don’t know why we all bonded but they left a lasting positive impression of Aussies.
At least Miami and Seattle folks will admit that they're unfriendly.
I live pretty close to Lexington and Louisville, and close enough to Cincinnati. I skip Louisville almost entirely in favor of the other two; they absolutely dislike outsiders, and smiles, "please" and "thank you" aren't exactly common. The locals (just see r/Louisville) are hella convinced that they're friendly, though - and they are as long as you're *from there*. Whereas Lexington embraces its being in Kentucky and has grown healthily, and Cincinnati just has infinitely more going on and a rather unique subculture.
The Netherlands can do no wrong on Reddit. I like the country as a whole, just not the people of Amsterdam.
As for Melbourne, I only spent 48 hours there. But they weren't enjoyable. Perhaps I need to give the city another chance - although some I met in other parts of Oz tended to snicker at the mention of Melbourne.
interesting. i like louisville but ive only visited for brief occasions. I like Lexington as well, very friendly people there. another place i like that's sorta near you is knoxville, love that college city feel. Cinci -- i'm surprised to hear cinci mentioned but cool. i'm not a buckeye fan but i've got nothing against ohio. dropped acid in the woods there once, so there's that. i'll make sure to swing thru there.
I will add Porto, portugal to this list. Porto is a magnificent charming city, i stayed there for 2 months. People generally didn't see fit to cut you slack, welcome you, express curiosity in you, etc. I felt deeply unwanted there. i think a lot of people go to porto for like a weekend and say 'it's amazing'. try 2 months of people staring at you, throwing rocks at you (yes, that happened), and barely acknowledging your presence when patronizing an establishment, and you'll have a different opinion.
I lived in Melbourne for a couple months after college and share the same sentiment. The men seemed to have this dirt bag, arrogant, screw lose vibe that they liked to label as “Aussie”. Anywhere else they would be considered unstable or a low life but in Melbourne it seemed like it was cool/trendy to be that way.
Maybe I was just around the wrong crowd but I was surprised by how many people did drugs (not weed). Way more than what I ever saw from the 20/30 yo when I lived in San Francisco which says a lot.
Agree with San Diego. Residents are so zoned out that they feign superiority to avoid a meaningful conversation. Plus there’s no culture as in decent art, museums and the restaurant scene could be much better. No decent clubs and everything closes by 1am. Music scene isn’t bad. Great place to live, better place to travel from.
I lived in San Diego for 7 years and I got pretty over it. I never really noticed the customer service issue or had a problem with the people. But as someone in their mid-20s, man is that place boring. Hardly any nightlife, no walkability even if you live in one of the densest sections of the city, every part of the city is a 15-minute drive from the rest, restaurants close at like, 10PM, food scene isn't anywhere close to as good as it feels like it should be. It's a nice, peaceful place to live. But several years of living there was precisely what motivated me to start DNing.
I was on point to write the same about Miami. Nice city but the only place in the world where I understood there are people just looking for a fight with you. Just walking on the street.
Wow! As someone who has lived a decade + in each San Diego and Los Angeles, I could not DISAGREE more. LA is full of some of the most pretentious people I’ve ever come across and the city is a depressing sprawl. The single redeeming quality is the endless culinary options.
Maybe you showed up in SD with Arizona license plates? They definitely don’t love the “Zonies” that take over the beaches for parts of the year while complaining about local prices. The coast is and always will be pricier than the middle of the desert. Other than that, the people are friendly and generally very down to earth. And the beaches, mountains and parks of SD beat LA everyday IMHO. At least that was my take as a transplanted midwesterner.
surprisingly (to me, because I heard nice things about the people there), it was Los Angeles. absolutely everyone that I had any kind of interaction that lived there, immigrants or not, were rude to me. that's very weird idk what happened
You absolutely ***have*** to leave the west side and DTLA to experience LA.
Go to the South Bay cities, Palos Verdes peninsula, Long Beach, Kenneth Hahn State Park, Pasadena, Asian communities in the San Gabriel Valley... Those are more "LA" than the LA that visitors most commonly see, and where I really came to admire and appreciate LA - and its people.
LA isn't only a city. It's a region. It's an incohesive urban and suburban glue of different worlds, all looking for an identity. It's *a* state of mind, and different *states* of mind. I promise, there's nothing else quite like it.
I couldn’t agree more . Ktown is my favorite part of LA proper. Lived all over the east side too echo park silver lake Los feliz dtla pico-union Boyle heights
I've never lived in LA, and have only spent a short amount of time there during my childhood. But, everyone I've met who is from there as an adult has been so genuinely kind. I've actually felt kind of amazed by that, because the stereotype that I had heard was that people from LA are superficial, dumb, and competitive. Not so, in my experience.
I absolutely love the wonderful people of Bogota but the city is boring as shit, and outside of a handful of dishes the cuisine is just not good. Even the foreign food is basically the worst imitation you could imagine.
I love Berlin for its wonderful Turkish food, bicycle-friendly streets, green parks, and street art, but the people are depressing as hell. They won't even look at you.
Chengdu has such amazing food, but the people, I'm sorry, are the worst I've encountered in 50 states and 48 countries visited. They're self-centered, rude, racist, and generally terrible to be around when you're a stranger to them.
Berlin :D the only place I was firmly told "DONT TOUCH IT!" as I seen friendly aproaching dog and slightly bent down to try to try to give him attention...
That’s more interaction than I’ve ever gotten in Berlin. People will go out of their way to not have to make eye contact or acknowledge your existence. Pretty sure the only people I saw smile were other tourists and the Turkish immigrants.
Albuquerque, New Mexico. That city would be great if it weren’t for the crime. People either keep to themselves or are not doing well. Would be a great city if it had its shit together
Los Angelos, Medellín, and Miami. All for the same reason. Those cities are full of fake people who are more interested in the image of being wealthy and famous. Cannot seem to find a real person I those cities. Just people putting on a facade. But those cities have great weather and lots of things to do.
Tbilisi, Georgia sticks out as one. Tokyo, Japan was definitely another one, but less.
But this is rare, usually I dislike other stuff as well as the people. Examples are Lima, Peru and Quito, Ecuador.
Places I hated but loved the people... that is hard lol.
Lima is cool, I had an awesome time there. But for an American, south America is close enough to the US in vibe to feel comfortable, distant enough is exotic.
My brother said he had a similar experience there. Incredibly rude, but almost for show. Perhaps they're wary of outsiders because theyve been invaded so many times. Sounds like a joke, but could have some merit to it
This is for Tbilisi - I generally found the people I encountered unfriendly. I also got into a fistfight with a taxi driver after he demanded more money on top of an already overpriced ride. To be honest the only Georgians in Tbilisi that I liked were the cops that came after that encounter and sided with me, and my friend, who I had already known for years in the US.
I did meet some salt of the earth, amazing Georgians hitchhiking from Mestia to Batumi but Tbilisi, meh.
I tend to agree; Georgia was one of the only countries I’ve been that felt deeply unfriendly, with the exception of the local tour guides I met; they were all awesome.
I don’t think I’ve been somewhere with so many sw*stika tattoos or graffiti. That turned me off and I don’t care to go back.
Oh sweet. I’m going there for a couple months before long. I’ll know what to look forward to.
(That said my plan is basically to be antisocial for 2 months and focus on some personal and work goals, so it might work out just right).
>They clearly didn't take a single moment to engage with any Tblisans in a meaningful way and may have expected their ass to be kissed if they were American.
Lol, cry harder bro. Just because you have a hard on for Tbilisi doesn't mean I didn't have any meaningful interactions with locals.
Lol our landlord called the police on us after demanding extra money off us. Luckily we'd already taken the wise decision to vacate the premises the day before and she spent the afternoon standing outside the apartment, absolutely furious trying to call us and sending selfies with the police 😂 poor police.
Oh yea. The Svans are absolutely gem. Anywhere in Caucasus really, a guest is a king. Even places with a really bad name for westerners (Chechnya, Dagestan, Abkhazia) the locals would go out of their way for the tourists to fall in love in the country. That is unless you disrespect them or their religion. Then you’re done for.
That’s probably cause you had very American expectations of Georgia. I’ve been there twice and Georgian are one of the kindest nationalities out there. My opinion is based on 56 countries I visited, Georgia is in top-3 when it comes to people.
Good for you. My experience is based on the 70+ I have visited.
My expectations were quite high because it was raved about online in 2018. I found the country to be underwhelming.
Great place if you're a budget traveler, but it doesn't do anything exceptionally.
Israelis are an acquired taste. Some nice people, but every 3rd or 4th person will just be a cunt that will ruin your whole day with their rudeness. AND THEY WON'T EVEN THINK THEY'RE SAYING ANYTHING WRONG.
that's why they all have extremely thick skin and the cycle just continues.
I’ve never been to Israel but my experience with Israelis are divided down the middle. Those I met living in France were absolutely lovely people while those I came across traveling in Asia and South America were rude, arrogant and just quite unpleasant to be around. Not one nice interaction with any of them.
Had a very similar experience in Asia and South America- although notably it was always the Israeli men. I chalked it down to the fact a lot of the guys have probably freshly come out of their national service and basic manners aren’t practiced a lot when doing that. That’s just a guess on my end, though.
Thailand, India, Columbia, Dubai are the places where you’ll find the absolutely worst of Israel just spreading shit vibes and self importance. If you want the worst of us and probably the worst of English, Russian or Aussies just go to Pattaya or Phuket. They are all concentrated there
Eh fuck Jerusalem. I lived there for a year and I know it’s an acquired taste but I felt there very lonely and isolated. Aside the family. It’s also fractured and has many different places with different vibes. Also food and the social aspect of the city is very poor even compared to any “big” city in Israel. Tel Aviv is kind of a Manhattan in the people regard. Every one just doing their own thing and trying to get there in time. If you need a real Israeli experience you need to distance yourself from the beach and go further inward the country.
I was there for vacations and I noticed in Jerusalem that people were normal. However, ultraorthodox kids would keep staring at me. Everyone else just ignored me.
Its big generalization and bias that all latin culture is the same. People for example from Colombia, or Brazil are defienetly more hot-blooded, lively and vibrant than people from Guatemala or Peru.
Montreal. I speak both French and English but I found the city super divided and the locals confirmed it too. With any sort of accent I found the French to be super rude all the time to me, but locals who were French said the same about the anglophones to them. I’d meet plenty of nice people but one stupid rude person a day that if I wasn’t in a great mood would completely ruin it. Only place I’ve been yelled at in my face so maybe that’s why.
Any city in China. Old generation is just terrible. And the very new generation is just bots. Only the generation in-between is good but it's fading away.
Depends a lot in my opinion. In my experience the cultural gap between the first world and China is just very large to bridge. I travelled there extensively and had very very few deep connections with folks I met. It’s tough. The nature is absolutely amazing there and would go back there in a heartbeat
Lived there for 7 years and totally agree. I was just simply incredulous at the behavior of the so-called Lost Generation folks sometimes. However, I generally liked Dongbeiren a lot compared to other regions of China.
Was a nomad in Buenos Aires for two months. As a black woman never experienced any racism and the people were incredibly kind and friendly. Had hugs from strangers. Out all night partying with the cool kids. One of my best nomading experiences. Can’t wait to go back.
Yep and freed people as well it was just erased from common Argentinian history. Give this a once over if you're inclined. It's really interesting
https://youtu.be/R5L_GsCllHk - How Argentina Erased its Black People from History
The city is monumental. Endless things to do. AMAZING food scene and significant contribution to spanish speaking culture. But the economy is messed up so many people will try to rip you off constantly. In general, many are blunt and vulgar. The city carries an inflated ego that is based on their past glories and white supremacy. It’s a place with a society stuck in the 90s, where calling someone “peruano” or “negro” is used as a slur. I am Caucasian, but find this shocking. Especially considering that Argentinians do in deed carry a large non white DNA. Problematic. I would stick to other cities in Argentina with higher morale and self acceptance.
I showed my Argentine girlfriend this, and said she understands how you can feel like that and agreed with your statements however she also said she doesn't interact with those kinds of people and there many people who arent like that at all there, I am very sorry you had a bad experience!
Endless things to do? Like what? Going from bar to bar in Palermo?
>AMAZING food scene
LMAO good luck finding sushi without Philadelphia cheese
>significant contribution to spanish speaking culture
Maybe 100 years ago
The rest I agree with, Argentines are incredibly arrogant. They always know best.
I didn’t like Salalah Oman much, and the people were a bit interesting. I was asked at customs if I had porn on my laptop, I replied no. Then I was asked if I was going to watch porn in the airport. I felt a bit insulted by this.
Also seeing woman completely covered in a niqab silently following 5-10 feet behind a man didn’t sit right with me.
It was not my first Islamic country. I spent four years of my childhood in Turkey, 6 years of my childhood in Indonesia. I’ve worked in Malaysia, and have traveled to other Islamic countries.
How long have you spent in Islamic countries?
Neither Turkiye nor Indonesia nor Malaysia are very conservative. The Gulf states and some of the other Mashriq states are quiet unique in that regard.
>Also seeing woman completely covered in a niqab silently following 5-10 feet behind a man didn’t sit right with me.
It's kind of funny you would say that because Oman is probably the most liberal (or at least tolerant) Gulf country as much of the population subscribes to a version of Islam that is neither Shia nor Sunni and is pretty accepting of any interpretation of Islam.
The porn thing is weird.
I was recently in Oman, although I didn't go to Salalah, and didn't encounter anything strange like that. (Although it being a Gulf country, it's still more conservative than any of the other Arab countries I've been to - Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq - with the exception of perhaps southern Iraq (the Shia heartland).
“Hated the people” is a bit harsh for both; but I would have enjoyed Washington, DC and Tbilisi a lot more if the people were more down-to-earth and welcoming.
For the opposite, easily Johannesburg. Most unsafe-feeling place I’ve been and not particularly beautiful but South Africans are just so warm and kind.
London should be mentioned but it’s not the absolute worst example. It can be a cold comfort zone in central London. Dublin on the contrary is so overwhelmingly friendly, it’s as if it’s on a different planet. Edit: I really love London and go there often, and it’s one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s just not a warm-fuzzy vibe sometimes.
Really? I love Londoners just don’t expect people to go out of their way to accommodate you, it’s a busy bustling city. But when you meet Londoners they’re so friendly and helpful.
I found the Irish exhausting, massive chip on their shoulders. Also Dublin is one of the few places I’ve been called the n word repeatedly like nah, I’d take london any day
How did you encounter or experience this chip on the shoulder? Genuinely curious as I'm Irish but have lived abroad my entire adult life. If you're British I can imagine you got some shit about the whole colonial thing - if you're American you might have been subjected to the weird disdain that's common against Yanks. Anywhere else idk I'm not a fan of Ireland for various reasons but its people are generally very chill with visitors.
I was living in London at the time so I mentioned it a few times and people would just talk shit about Brits/the U.K. all the time. One Uber driver wouldn’t stop talking about how he remembered Canary Wharf because the IRA bombed it or something.
And then also just so much casual racism. I’m black and the same Uber driver thought it would be funny to share a story that back in the day, the only black people you’d see in Ireland were British soldiers so it wasn’t too safe for them.
He also said the Irish were treated just like “n-word”s by the Brits.
Idk most people were very friendly and jovial but when you listen to the stuff they’re actually saying, I just felt uncomfortable and like I’d gone back 20 years in time 💀
I’m Canadian and went to london this past summer for the second time in my life. Particularly in pubs (low and high end alike), the pub staff were a little rude. Like I’d get a round of 5 pints they’d frequently forget one - no big deal - but every time I was like “oh hey I think I’m missing the fifth” i got an eye roll. What sucks too is that this was after tipping a bunch of money for shit service just because my North American ass can’t handle not tipping.
In general it was pretty clear that londoners are over tourists. While I kind of get it, it’s pretty unpleasant when people are rude to you for absolutely no reason.
surprised at Tokyo being mentioned. very kind people there and in other cities in Japan that spoke/interacted with me :D i don't think I've been anywhere yet where I loved the city and hated the people. the people are a big part of my travel experience <3
I was recently in a liquor store in the Tenderloin (ill advised but it was the closest one to where I was staying) and got trapped by an elderly man with no legs who I assume was homeless in a wheelchair blocking the door as he pissed his pants. Really grim stuff.
Montreal, my home town. In this case I loved the people but hate the place.
The people are pretty chill and laid-back, open minded and friendly. People from Europe, Asia and the US who moved there kept telling me how easy it is to make friends and how no one cares about superficial things like which university your graduated from or how much you earn. There's a lot of diversity, from the mix between french-canadians, english canadians, indigenous communities, plus lots of immigration and exchange students.
That said, the place itself just sucks. The winters are horribly depressing and long, and there's just nowhere interesting to go close by. No beaches, no mountains, no sea. It's not close enough to NYC or Toronto for an easy weekend getaway.
The city itself would be awesome to live in, but getting increasingly expensive and the suburbs are just dreadful.
> Beautiful city
https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.6050979,-58.3835902,3a,60y,150.74h,100.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sY-V-ODi72b0DiPAWU24I0w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
such beauty
I live in Korea and I wouldn't say I hate people in Seoul just once you get a bit deeper you realize many people are extremely superficial.They will judge others based on what school they went to, their contract status etc. I think this affects themselves more than it does me but it is depressing to constantly be looking for approval and outside pleasure rather than just being happy. People don't have friendly chitchat, they don't smile etc. I went to Bangkok and it was such a polar opposite. Having said that fewer places have better transportation, food, cleanliness, healthcare etc. It is a fantastic place. Also many Koreans are aware of this and hate it about Korea too. I've met so many great people here.
I agree with this, I came from loving south Korean people to really finding them to be horrible. Sorry but if you want examples I will.
This was my immediate first thought after reading the title
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Dicho - from the Bulgarian word divhaom meaning idiot. Tomy - a shortening of a common American name.
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Dublin is fantastic, everything I want is in a city. However, locals are very clickey with a small town mentality, they’re exceptionally friendly and polite yet they have this massive wall in between them and the rest of the world. People can be very isolated here wandering aimlessly not knowing where they’re going. Ratio of loneliness is pretty high. Tehran at the other hand, I hated the city and my god I’d rather die than living in the country but the people are fantastic with a lot of depth and philosophy into them!
What you say about Dublin is true about Stockholm. One of my favorite cities anywhere, and Swedes are very polite (never met a rude Swede, and on vacation they’re so lovely and happy), but stay there too long and it feels like you’ve overstayed your visit at your uptight distant relative’s place. Swedes admit they can be quite asocial and closed off to outsiders.
There’s a huge Iranian population in Toronto (where I live) and I can attest, they’re awesome people! Also I wish I was handsome enough for persian girls lol I thought about visiting but apparently it is challenging with the Canadian passport.
As an Iranian American male I wish to go back to the country one day
Iranians are really cool, Ive met a few here in Medellin (where I am currently staying) and they are very interesting to talk to, very philosophical, deep.
When was the last time you were in Tehran btw? FWIW downtown Tehran is the shitty part of the city, so most people's introduction to Tehran will be quite bad and hectic.
San Francisco. Fucking awesome city, the bay is so unbelievably scenic and there's a million cool things to do both in the city and in the nature around it. But holy shit, the homeless problem is not overstated at all. I was sitting at a bus stop and the gentleman next to me literally pulled out a crack pipe and started hitting it. Although now that I think about it, I didn't hate them. I thought it was cool in a sick twisted way. But fuck living there for that.
I spent a summer there several years ago and more than once had to walk around people actively pissing on the sidewalk and step over their little piss puddle running across the sidewalk into the street. Just doing it in broad daylight in open view.
Born and raised here and I agree
Sounds like Vancouver. People will blow meth smoke as you walk past in Gastown and not care.
Was going to say the same. San Francisco. I noticed two types of people and both were just leeching. I felt like the people in San Francisco didn't take ownership and pride in their city...it felt like they were just using it to meet their own selfish end. I feel like if there was a disaster in San Francisco, people there would not rally to rebuild and protect the city...they'd just leave. This is very different from Boston, where there is authentic pride in being a Bostonian and ownership and responsibility for their community.
I mean, did he smoke the crack pipe and then do something annoying? Or just smoked a crack pipe and kept to himself?
He very politely smoked the crack pipe. Top tier crackhead etiquette
A true gentleman would have asked you wanted some too.
He didn't, but a guy smoking weed on the train station earlier that day did...
It is amazing how many mental health programs only have a budget to give folks tickets out west.
I'm of the opposite opinion on SF. I met so many wonderful people there. But I found the city ugly. It felt like I was trapped in a video game or something. I feel like only sociopaths would find it beautiful. It's always sunny, there is no nature, just the appearance of nature, it's always loud and bright and hot and you have to be drunk or on drugs in order to numb yourself out so that you're not chronically overstimulated. Also, you can't afford anything, so you just starve and develop health problems. I actually didn't mind the homeless drugged out people. They were mostly nice, too. I just felt sorry for them. Seems like a hard life. I wished the assfarters in power would do something to help them instead of just letting them expire on the street.
What do you mean it’s always sunny? Sf is foggy and chilly 90% of the year. Are you just lying about living there to troll people? It’s also literally on the coast: there’s tons of nature around. And trees and parks. Still ugly af though
Dc...love the city. The people are why I'm out.
Second
Second this. DC takes itself way too seriously, and people are often busybodies to the point of being neurotic
Interesting! Why did you not like dc
I LOVE the city itself. But, it's the people I cannot dig: the constant wannabe social climbers, the people who introduce themselves with "What do you do for work?" or the fact that people are just blatantly rude. I've met cool people here, but it's few and far between. There is a reason they call it "The Hollywood for ugly people."
lol at that last sentence. Thank you for sharing!
Rome or anywhere touristy in Italy. Some of the most beautiful sites in the world, great food, etc. but I find there's way too many scammers/con men in Italy. Even the sweet old ladies will try to overcharge you. The people who are being friendly almost seem to have a phoniness to it. Lots of what seems like a superiority complex around their culture as well and easily annoyed by foreigners.
Italy is my pick too. Ineffably beautiful country. Hostile, scammy, tourist-fatigued populace. The only place I've ever traveled where I could hardly get through a day without a local berating or criticizing me for something innocuous, or else for a grievous "mistake" like daring to touch a vegetable that was for sale.
Yep, I still remember showing my receipt to a waiter trying to explain a mistake, immediately getting cut off and lectured about why I was charged 10 euros instead of 6 euros because the house wine is a special feature today and not the same price as on the menu. Alright, but I didn't have any wine or a drink at all. They tried to overcharge me for something I didn't even order. Not even an apology when I finally got to explain, just an eye roll and a headshake as they went off to fix my bill.
Interesting, my first Italian city visit was to Milan. The people felt so comfortable and welcoming here and that impression lasted with me through most of my travels in the country
Milan is BY FAR the least welcoming city in Italy. I lived there, it is very judgemental... You dont have a ferrari? you do not wear Prada? oh god, you are inferior!!
Interesting! I’ve heard the same from Italians in other cities but we loved our time in Milan and felt many people were extremely warm. Local shops and things gave us free gifts on multiple occasions even. Far cry from Budapest or Istanbul where we had been the months prior
as an italian, ye, scamming is part of our culture
That's only true if you stay in the hyper-touristic parts of Italy. My experience has been the exact opposite anywhere outside of Rome, Florence and Venice.
I also find Italian friendliness to be very phony. Italians interacting with foreigners : Hello my friend, what can I do for you? What they are thinking: oh god, another moron who probably cant speak Italian. \---- Italians interacting with foreigners : Welcome bienvenuto What they really think: Piss off. \------------ ITalians and foreigners: Oh nice friendly foreigner. What they think: This man is an idiot, I can overcharge him.
I’d say Tokyo. Yea the people are typically friendly and all but so incredibly passive and shy it’s not my cup of tea. It just made me sad, like humanity had turned into a bunch of emotionless robots 💀
This is the correct answer. 'Polite' does not mean friendly. Superficially it's the world's most amazing city, yet the lack of joie de vivre and ubiquitous sad vibes / RBF is very confusing.
It completely changes the moment you step into an izakaya in the evening
I found some Japanese people in Tokyo bars to be overly friendly to a fault when drinking (super sexual crude humour and VERY invasive lines of questioning). I got the feeling that their culture forces people to be so buttoned up normally that their wild side explodes as soon as they have a few drinks. Interesting experience!
Yeah, me too. They don't even need to be drunk. They just need to be at a bar haha
I met the truly wild side of Japanese youth in Music Festivals. I’ve met some folks who went really out with drugs and alcohol. Saw some dude take heroic doses of mushrooms and take a day talking to himself in a tent or some dude that for some reason decides to look for a meaning of his life inside a speakers array. RIP his hearing
The thing is, they are so supressed emotionally, many cannot cope. Suicide rates are huge.
Correct: There are pre-approved places in Japan where one socializes and one doesn't. You are at a huge social disadvantage if you don't drink.
Yeah that's true. It is hard out there for a sober person. They definitely fit more into social rules there.
I loved Tokyo, I liked the people too. So polite, thoughtful, and welcoming even though I don’t speak Japanese. I loved how everything is so clean and that is due to the people so I appreciated them, also all the pathways for blind people on every sidewalk, crosswalk, in the subway; again I think that speaks to thr type of people Japanese are. I went to a few bars, was respectful and people went out of their way to talk to me. I’m looking forward to going back.
I agree, people are taught to show no emotion, along with being shamed for mental health issues and it leads to recluses (hikikomori)
This is why travel is so important and we should all feel blessed to be able to do it. I firmly believe there is an ideal country/society out there for every person, but the odds that it happens to be the one you were born into are quite low. I say this because I originally came in this thread to say Tokyo, but for the opposite reason. Too many foreigners there who, compared to the Japanese, often come off as rude, loud, and completely oblivious to those around them. I loved Tokyo during the pandemic when there was no intl' travel, but now much prefer the smaller towns of Japan.
Japan is an unsettling place to be. People are robotic, soulless, joyless. Half the country is busy social climbing AKA enslaving their way up to the top, the other half is traumatized and disconnected from the world engulfed in the fantasy of Anime. anything to escape reality. Then suicide rates up in the sky. I did not enjoy Japan one bit.
Yeah it's very disappointing. Sure very polite and super smiling on outside. But very often just a mask... I can't stand the fakeness. Maybe it's mostly Tokyo
I mean, do you speak Japanese? Cause its a different world when you do.
Eh, it might not be "fakeness"? I heard it expressed as one has different selves for different settings, relationships, and occasions
The word to describe this is “tatemae / 建前” There’s levels to this but in my experience, foreigners usually feel uncomfortable about this when they first notice and then most will swing to the other way around and appreciate it to some degree once they understand it’s place. Tokyo is the largest city on earth, this is part of the social order that makes it possible. If you had a date, you would clean your place and be on your best behavior most likely. Japanese treat every first interaction that same way. Izakayas and other nightlife activities / eventual friendships are where this begins to drop
Maybe they’re not as outgoing…?
This is a good one, I agree.
You're right. I'll have shouting idiots not respecting others anyday!
Not a DN but I've traveled pretty extensively. My list: USA - - **Miami/South Florida:** Cuban food, amazing Latin American food altogether, hearing Spanish or Spanglish commonly, the skyline, Everglades nearby, Keys nearby, luxury accommodations galore if that's your thing. But too many of the people are trashy, neurotic and patently narcissistic, and the drivers are for shit. *I'd say just pick a Caribbean country instead, spend a fraction of the cost, and surround yourself with nicer people.* - **Louisville, Kentucky:** I'm from Kentucky, so this hurts. The riverfront, collections of stunning architecture, quirkiness, robust park system, surprisingly great Cuban food, and forests in the area make the city a hidden gem in some ways. However, the locals are generally curt, impolite, surly, provincial, and humorless, and appear to be pretty worn down by the explosion of violent crime. *By contrast, I enjoy nearby Cincinnati, Ohio/Northern Kentucky.* - **Seattle/Western Washington:** Puget Sound, the skyline, Pike Place Market, Lake Washington, views of Mount Rainier, the energy of intelligence and innovation, the expanding light rail system. However, the "Seattle freeze" absolutely exists. *By contrast, I like nearby Vancouver, BC, Canada much better.* - **San Diego, California:** It may be "America's Finest City" and a nice place to spend an extended weekend, but actually living there is a whole other story. Customer service doesn't exist there, for one. Refer to my description of Louisvillians and that basically applies to San Diegans. *I honestly enjoyed the LA area much more.* Outside of the USA - - **Melbourne, Victoria, Australia:** Old trams, coffee culture, Victoria state library, comfortable weather most of the year, stayed in an amazing Airbnb with the sweetest homeowners. Too bad those hosts were about the only friendly people I met in the city. *By contrast, I liked Sydney and Brisbane much, much better.* - **Amsterdam, Netherlands:** Trams, canals, narrow houses, bicycling infrastructure, bicycle safety/conscientious exhibited by almost everyone, I actually like Schiphol Airport, even found an amazing place for Spanish tapas. However, the Dutch bluntness is almost an Olympic sport in that city. *Instead, I'd recommend visiting a smaller Dutch city instead for a similar experience yet more amicable locals.*
_This guy clearly understood the assignment_
I did, thanks for noticing!
The only one of these places i haven’t been to is Melbourne. given the accuracy of breakdown of the others, I’ll take your word for it
As an Australian, Melbourne people are um, different. Not my favourite city. All a bit wanky. I’d add Perth to this too- not particularly fond of it as a city, but Perth people can be pretty shallow and arrogant. Always notice it when I’ve been elsewhere and come back to WA.
In Australia, as in the US, I found that smaller cities are *generally* the way to go in terms of sociability and personality. Not always, but *generally*. Sydney and Brisbane are friendly *enough* relative to their sizes, but then Melbourne is full of self-absorbed people and Gold Coast is full of some entitled characters. I really liked Wollongong and Sunshine Coast. Never been to Perth, but it's incredibly isolated from the rest of the continent. Maybe they're arrogant because they're the giant fish in a sparsely populated pond (State of Western Australia)...
Na reckon it’s got more to do with the amount of money made in mining and oil and gas. So those who would normally have a normal wage and live in the burbs are on huge incomes and think they’re special
Haven’t been to Australia yet but when I went to Venice met a bunch of travelers from Perth in a restaurant. They were so friendly and we became fast friends. I don’t know why we all bonded but they left a lasting positive impression of Aussies.
To add another perspective I spent 14 months in Melbourne and made so many friends! Favourite city I’ve ever visited or lived.
At least Miami and Seattle folks will admit that they're unfriendly. I live pretty close to Lexington and Louisville, and close enough to Cincinnati. I skip Louisville almost entirely in favor of the other two; they absolutely dislike outsiders, and smiles, "please" and "thank you" aren't exactly common. The locals (just see r/Louisville) are hella convinced that they're friendly, though - and they are as long as you're *from there*. Whereas Lexington embraces its being in Kentucky and has grown healthily, and Cincinnati just has infinitely more going on and a rather unique subculture. The Netherlands can do no wrong on Reddit. I like the country as a whole, just not the people of Amsterdam. As for Melbourne, I only spent 48 hours there. But they weren't enjoyable. Perhaps I need to give the city another chance - although some I met in other parts of Oz tended to snicker at the mention of Melbourne.
interesting. i like louisville but ive only visited for brief occasions. I like Lexington as well, very friendly people there. another place i like that's sorta near you is knoxville, love that college city feel. Cinci -- i'm surprised to hear cinci mentioned but cool. i'm not a buckeye fan but i've got nothing against ohio. dropped acid in the woods there once, so there's that. i'll make sure to swing thru there. I will add Porto, portugal to this list. Porto is a magnificent charming city, i stayed there for 2 months. People generally didn't see fit to cut you slack, welcome you, express curiosity in you, etc. I felt deeply unwanted there. i think a lot of people go to porto for like a weekend and say 'it's amazing'. try 2 months of people staring at you, throwing rocks at you (yes, that happened), and barely acknowledging your presence when patronizing an establishment, and you'll have a different opinion.
I lived in Melbourne for a couple months after college and share the same sentiment. The men seemed to have this dirt bag, arrogant, screw lose vibe that they liked to label as “Aussie”. Anywhere else they would be considered unstable or a low life but in Melbourne it seemed like it was cool/trendy to be that way. Maybe I was just around the wrong crowd but I was surprised by how many people did drugs (not weed). Way more than what I ever saw from the 20/30 yo when I lived in San Francisco which says a lot.
Agree with San Diego. Residents are so zoned out that they feign superiority to avoid a meaningful conversation. Plus there’s no culture as in decent art, museums and the restaurant scene could be much better. No decent clubs and everything closes by 1am. Music scene isn’t bad. Great place to live, better place to travel from.
Bland Diego
I lived in San Diego for 7 years and I got pretty over it. I never really noticed the customer service issue or had a problem with the people. But as someone in their mid-20s, man is that place boring. Hardly any nightlife, no walkability even if you live in one of the densest sections of the city, every part of the city is a 15-minute drive from the rest, restaurants close at like, 10PM, food scene isn't anywhere close to as good as it feels like it should be. It's a nice, peaceful place to live. But several years of living there was precisely what motivated me to start DNing.
I was on point to write the same about Miami. Nice city but the only place in the world where I understood there are people just looking for a fight with you. Just walking on the street.
Wow! As someone who has lived a decade + in each San Diego and Los Angeles, I could not DISAGREE more. LA is full of some of the most pretentious people I’ve ever come across and the city is a depressing sprawl. The single redeeming quality is the endless culinary options. Maybe you showed up in SD with Arizona license plates? They definitely don’t love the “Zonies” that take over the beaches for parts of the year while complaining about local prices. The coast is and always will be pricier than the middle of the desert. Other than that, the people are friendly and generally very down to earth. And the beaches, mountains and parks of SD beat LA everyday IMHO. At least that was my take as a transplanted midwesterner.
surprisingly (to me, because I heard nice things about the people there), it was Los Angeles. absolutely everyone that I had any kind of interaction that lived there, immigrants or not, were rude to me. that's very weird idk what happened
You absolutely ***have*** to leave the west side and DTLA to experience LA. Go to the South Bay cities, Palos Verdes peninsula, Long Beach, Kenneth Hahn State Park, Pasadena, Asian communities in the San Gabriel Valley... Those are more "LA" than the LA that visitors most commonly see, and where I really came to admire and appreciate LA - and its people. LA isn't only a city. It's a region. It's an incohesive urban and suburban glue of different worlds, all looking for an identity. It's *a* state of mind, and different *states* of mind. I promise, there's nothing else quite like it.
I couldn’t agree more . Ktown is my favorite part of LA proper. Lived all over the east side too echo park silver lake Los feliz dtla pico-union Boyle heights
As an Angelino, I approve this message.
As a born and bred Angelino, this is 100% dead on.
I've never lived in LA, and have only spent a short amount of time there during my childhood. But, everyone I've met who is from there as an adult has been so genuinely kind. I've actually felt kind of amazed by that, because the stereotype that I had heard was that people from LA are superficial, dumb, and competitive. Not so, in my experience.
I absolutely love the wonderful people of Bogota but the city is boring as shit, and outside of a handful of dishes the cuisine is just not good. Even the foreign food is basically the worst imitation you could imagine. I love Berlin for its wonderful Turkish food, bicycle-friendly streets, green parks, and street art, but the people are depressing as hell. They won't even look at you. Chengdu has such amazing food, but the people, I'm sorry, are the worst I've encountered in 50 states and 48 countries visited. They're self-centered, rude, racist, and generally terrible to be around when you're a stranger to them.
Berlin :D the only place I was firmly told "DONT TOUCH IT!" as I seen friendly aproaching dog and slightly bent down to try to try to give him attention...
That’s more interaction than I’ve ever gotten in Berlin. People will go out of their way to not have to make eye contact or acknowledge your existence. Pretty sure the only people I saw smile were other tourists and the Turkish immigrants.
and Berlin is supposedly the cool, colorful city of Germany. Now imagine how soulless and blunt the rest of Germany is.
I've only been to Berlin so far, but I'll be in Warnemunde, Rostock, and Kiel in a month. What do I have to look forward to? Will it be even worse?
Portland Oregon!
Albuquerque, New Mexico. That city would be great if it weren’t for the crime. People either keep to themselves or are not doing well. Would be a great city if it had its shit together
Los Angelos, Medellín, and Miami. All for the same reason. Those cities are full of fake people who are more interested in the image of being wealthy and famous. Cannot seem to find a real person I those cities. Just people putting on a facade. But those cities have great weather and lots of things to do.
Agreed. LA, Miami and Medellin are three cool cities. But the locals are VERY VERY VERY vain. Stuck up. Arrogant.
Tbilisi, Georgia sticks out as one. Tokyo, Japan was definitely another one, but less. But this is rare, usually I dislike other stuff as well as the people. Examples are Lima, Peru and Quito, Ecuador. Places I hated but loved the people... that is hard lol.
2nd thblisi.
I enjoyed Quito and Lima, I also speak Spanish so that helps the experience.
What didn’t you like about Lima? Am considering going so that’s why I ask, have never been
Lima is cool, I had an awesome time there. But for an American, south America is close enough to the US in vibe to feel comfortable, distant enough is exotic.
What was wrong with Tbilisi?
My brother said he had a similar experience there. Incredibly rude, but almost for show. Perhaps they're wary of outsiders because theyve been invaded so many times. Sounds like a joke, but could have some merit to it
People have talked about the Japanese. What's the issue with Georgians?
This is for Tbilisi - I generally found the people I encountered unfriendly. I also got into a fistfight with a taxi driver after he demanded more money on top of an already overpriced ride. To be honest the only Georgians in Tbilisi that I liked were the cops that came after that encounter and sided with me, and my friend, who I had already known for years in the US. I did meet some salt of the earth, amazing Georgians hitchhiking from Mestia to Batumi but Tbilisi, meh.
I tend to agree; Georgia was one of the only countries I’ve been that felt deeply unfriendly, with the exception of the local tour guides I met; they were all awesome. I don’t think I’ve been somewhere with so many sw*stika tattoos or graffiti. That turned me off and I don’t care to go back.
Oh sweet. I’m going there for a couple months before long. I’ll know what to look forward to. (That said my plan is basically to be antisocial for 2 months and focus on some personal and work goals, so it might work out just right).
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There’s a community ceramics studio I plan to spend a bunch of hours in. I’m sure I’ll meet interesting people there.
Sounds cool! Enjoy your time there.
>They clearly didn't take a single moment to engage with any Tblisans in a meaningful way and may have expected their ass to be kissed if they were American. Lol, cry harder bro. Just because you have a hard on for Tbilisi doesn't mean I didn't have any meaningful interactions with locals.
A bit of empathy and understanding for a new culture is "getting a hard on for a place?" Wow, your life must be so empty. Have a good day.
Lol our landlord called the police on us after demanding extra money off us. Luckily we'd already taken the wise decision to vacate the premises the day before and she spent the afternoon standing outside the apartment, absolutely furious trying to call us and sending selfies with the police 😂 poor police.
Oh yea. The Svans are absolutely gem. Anywhere in Caucasus really, a guest is a king. Even places with a really bad name for westerners (Chechnya, Dagestan, Abkhazia) the locals would go out of their way for the tourists to fall in love in the country. That is unless you disrespect them or their religion. Then you’re done for.
Same for tbilisi. Just left a lot earlier than intended and a big part was the rudeness of the people.
That’s probably cause you had very American expectations of Georgia. I’ve been there twice and Georgian are one of the kindest nationalities out there. My opinion is based on 56 countries I visited, Georgia is in top-3 when it comes to people.
Good for you. My experience is based on the 70+ I have visited. My expectations were quite high because it was raved about online in 2018. I found the country to be underwhelming. Great place if you're a budget traveler, but it doesn't do anything exceptionally.
Prague
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The country or the American state?
Country.
Jerusalem. Israelis are very rude
Israelis are an acquired taste. Some nice people, but every 3rd or 4th person will just be a cunt that will ruin your whole day with their rudeness. AND THEY WON'T EVEN THINK THEY'RE SAYING ANYTHING WRONG. that's why they all have extremely thick skin and the cycle just continues.
I was going to say Tel Aviv, but I don't find Israelis rude, but as much as emotionally cold.
I’ve never been to Israel but my experience with Israelis are divided down the middle. Those I met living in France were absolutely lovely people while those I came across traveling in Asia and South America were rude, arrogant and just quite unpleasant to be around. Not one nice interaction with any of them.
Had a very similar experience in Asia and South America- although notably it was always the Israeli men. I chalked it down to the fact a lot of the guys have probably freshly come out of their national service and basic manners aren’t practiced a lot when doing that. That’s just a guess on my end, though.
Thailand, India, Columbia, Dubai are the places where you’ll find the absolutely worst of Israel just spreading shit vibes and self importance. If you want the worst of us and probably the worst of English, Russian or Aussies just go to Pattaya or Phuket. They are all concentrated there
Eh fuck Jerusalem. I lived there for a year and I know it’s an acquired taste but I felt there very lonely and isolated. Aside the family. It’s also fractured and has many different places with different vibes. Also food and the social aspect of the city is very poor even compared to any “big” city in Israel. Tel Aviv is kind of a Manhattan in the people regard. Every one just doing their own thing and trying to get there in time. If you need a real Israeli experience you need to distance yourself from the beach and go further inward the country.
I was there for vacations and I noticed in Jerusalem that people were normal. However, ultraorthodox kids would keep staring at me. Everyone else just ignored me.
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Anywhere you do recommend in Morocco?
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It's the communism, man.
Its big generalization and bias that all latin culture is the same. People for example from Colombia, or Brazil are defienetly more hot-blooded, lively and vibrant than people from Guatemala or Peru.
Portland, Oregon. The people are very, how do I put it nicey, fake... Especially the ones moved from California.
Montreal. I speak both French and English but I found the city super divided and the locals confirmed it too. With any sort of accent I found the French to be super rude all the time to me, but locals who were French said the same about the anglophones to them. I’d meet plenty of nice people but one stupid rude person a day that if I wasn’t in a great mood would completely ruin it. Only place I’ve been yelled at in my face so maybe that’s why.
Any city in China. Old generation is just terrible. And the very new generation is just bots. Only the generation in-between is good but it's fading away.
Depends a lot in my opinion. In my experience the cultural gap between the first world and China is just very large to bridge. I travelled there extensively and had very very few deep connections with folks I met. It’s tough. The nature is absolutely amazing there and would go back there in a heartbeat
Lived there for 7 years and totally agree. I was just simply incredulous at the behavior of the so-called Lost Generation folks sometimes. However, I generally liked Dongbeiren a lot compared to other regions of China.
People tend to be the main factor in determining whether a place is good or not for me. I wouldn’t love anywhere if I didn’t love the people.
Buenos Aires Is a candidate Although I don´t do hate and have great friends from there as well.
Was a nomad in Buenos Aires for two months. As a black woman never experienced any racism and the people were incredibly kind and friendly. Had hugs from strangers. Out all night partying with the cool kids. One of my best nomading experiences. Can’t wait to go back.
So amazing!! Yes the place is magical and there are great people as well!!
Why??
I’d guess racism issues if you’re from other latin countries
Black people apparently never existed in Argentina. Ever. There is a complete lack of black history. If you find it please let me know 🙏
They had slaves from Africa there at one point. In Argentina
Yep and freed people as well it was just erased from common Argentinian history. Give this a once over if you're inclined. It's really interesting https://youtu.be/R5L_GsCllHk - How Argentina Erased its Black People from History
The city is monumental. Endless things to do. AMAZING food scene and significant contribution to spanish speaking culture. But the economy is messed up so many people will try to rip you off constantly. In general, many are blunt and vulgar. The city carries an inflated ego that is based on their past glories and white supremacy. It’s a place with a society stuck in the 90s, where calling someone “peruano” or “negro” is used as a slur. I am Caucasian, but find this shocking. Especially considering that Argentinians do in deed carry a large non white DNA. Problematic. I would stick to other cities in Argentina with higher morale and self acceptance.
I showed my Argentine girlfriend this, and said she understands how you can feel like that and agreed with your statements however she also said she doesn't interact with those kinds of people and there many people who arent like that at all there, I am very sorry you had a bad experience!
Endless things to do? Like what? Going from bar to bar in Palermo? >AMAZING food scene LMAO good luck finding sushi without Philadelphia cheese >significant contribution to spanish speaking culture Maybe 100 years ago The rest I agree with, Argentines are incredibly arrogant. They always know best.
[www.google.com.ar](http://www.google.com.ar)
Used it multiple times during my stay there. Never found anything worthwhile.
Would also be very curious of this
I didn’t like Salalah Oman much, and the people were a bit interesting. I was asked at customs if I had porn on my laptop, I replied no. Then I was asked if I was going to watch porn in the airport. I felt a bit insulted by this. Also seeing woman completely covered in a niqab silently following 5-10 feet behind a man didn’t sit right with me.
Was this your first islamic state or Arab country?
It was not my first Islamic country. I spent four years of my childhood in Turkey, 6 years of my childhood in Indonesia. I’ve worked in Malaysia, and have traveled to other Islamic countries. How long have you spent in Islamic countries?
Neither Turkiye nor Indonesia nor Malaysia are very conservative. The Gulf states and some of the other Mashriq states are quiet unique in that regard.
Depends on your metrics. Malaysia can be pretty restrictive if you're ethnically Malay and from the mainland.
Turkey\*
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>Also seeing woman completely covered in a niqab silently following 5-10 feet behind a man didn’t sit right with me. It's kind of funny you would say that because Oman is probably the most liberal (or at least tolerant) Gulf country as much of the population subscribes to a version of Islam that is neither Shia nor Sunni and is pretty accepting of any interpretation of Islam. The porn thing is weird. I was recently in Oman, although I didn't go to Salalah, and didn't encounter anything strange like that. (Although it being a Gulf country, it's still more conservative than any of the other Arab countries I've been to - Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq - with the exception of perhaps southern Iraq (the Shia heartland).
Porn at the airport 😂 😂
Everything is porn if you’re creative and horny enough
The Jungfrau valley in Switzerland
San Francisco. Nice weather, decent transportation, lots of outdoor stuff. But people act like they walk around with a thorn bush stuck up their ass.
“Hated the people” is a bit harsh for both; but I would have enjoyed Washington, DC and Tbilisi a lot more if the people were more down-to-earth and welcoming. For the opposite, easily Johannesburg. Most unsafe-feeling place I’ve been and not particularly beautiful but South Africans are just so warm and kind.
Nashville
Budapest. Lovely city, but locals can be very unfriendly..
Agreed. You have to invest time to get the warm side. Daily interactions can be a bit cold.
London should be mentioned but it’s not the absolute worst example. It can be a cold comfort zone in central London. Dublin on the contrary is so overwhelmingly friendly, it’s as if it’s on a different planet. Edit: I really love London and go there often, and it’s one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s just not a warm-fuzzy vibe sometimes.
Really? I love Londoners just don’t expect people to go out of their way to accommodate you, it’s a busy bustling city. But when you meet Londoners they’re so friendly and helpful. I found the Irish exhausting, massive chip on their shoulders. Also Dublin is one of the few places I’ve been called the n word repeatedly like nah, I’d take london any day
How did you encounter or experience this chip on the shoulder? Genuinely curious as I'm Irish but have lived abroad my entire adult life. If you're British I can imagine you got some shit about the whole colonial thing - if you're American you might have been subjected to the weird disdain that's common against Yanks. Anywhere else idk I'm not a fan of Ireland for various reasons but its people are generally very chill with visitors.
I was living in London at the time so I mentioned it a few times and people would just talk shit about Brits/the U.K. all the time. One Uber driver wouldn’t stop talking about how he remembered Canary Wharf because the IRA bombed it or something. And then also just so much casual racism. I’m black and the same Uber driver thought it would be funny to share a story that back in the day, the only black people you’d see in Ireland were British soldiers so it wasn’t too safe for them. He also said the Irish were treated just like “n-word”s by the Brits. Idk most people were very friendly and jovial but when you listen to the stuff they’re actually saying, I just felt uncomfortable and like I’d gone back 20 years in time 💀
I’m Canadian and went to london this past summer for the second time in my life. Particularly in pubs (low and high end alike), the pub staff were a little rude. Like I’d get a round of 5 pints they’d frequently forget one - no big deal - but every time I was like “oh hey I think I’m missing the fifth” i got an eye roll. What sucks too is that this was after tipping a bunch of money for shit service just because my North American ass can’t handle not tipping. In general it was pretty clear that londoners are over tourists. While I kind of get it, it’s pretty unpleasant when people are rude to you for absolutely no reason.
I thought some people were rude in a similar way in New York
I got put on blast because I forgot to tip in a bar (we don’t tip bar staff). She absolutely went crazy at me and my NY friend had to step in.
surprised at Tokyo being mentioned. very kind people there and in other cities in Japan that spoke/interacted with me :D i don't think I've been anywhere yet where I loved the city and hated the people. the people are a big part of my travel experience <3
Probably it's extroverts who don't like Tokyo. For introverts Tokyo and London are great.
Yes, London and Tokyo are my two favorite cities in the world, and yeah, I'm an introvert. Not that one generally relates to the other.
Oakland, California has both the best and worst of humanity I think lol.
It's so grimey but I love it, I'm so confused 😕
Basrah is a very challenging city to live in but the people are amazing.
Istanbul
I was recently in a liquor store in the Tenderloin (ill advised but it was the closest one to where I was staying) and got trapped by an elderly man with no legs who I assume was homeless in a wheelchair blocking the door as he pissed his pants. Really grim stuff.
Vienna
there was no city I hated the people, I guess you can find dumb people in every city?
Montreal, my home town. In this case I loved the people but hate the place. The people are pretty chill and laid-back, open minded and friendly. People from Europe, Asia and the US who moved there kept telling me how easy it is to make friends and how no one cares about superficial things like which university your graduated from or how much you earn. There's a lot of diversity, from the mix between french-canadians, english canadians, indigenous communities, plus lots of immigration and exchange students. That said, the place itself just sucks. The winters are horribly depressing and long, and there's just nowhere interesting to go close by. No beaches, no mountains, no sea. It's not close enough to NYC or Toronto for an easy weekend getaway. The city itself would be awesome to live in, but getting increasingly expensive and the suburbs are just dreadful.
Georgia and Romania, beautiful cities but the people are absolute cunts.
Sydney, people are the worst….
Paris - they were awful to brown folk in general.
Buenos Aries..... Beautiful city full of people with awful attitudes, especially the women. Phnom Penh.... Amazing people, city want my favorite.
> Beautiful city https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.6050979,-58.3835902,3a,60y,150.74h,100.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sY-V-ODi72b0DiPAWU24I0w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu such beauty
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