Who doesn't love a good travel experience?
While difficult right now, what with the seemingly never-ending worldwide pandemic, there still lingers in many people's hearts the desire to see the world.
But where to go? Don't want to go any place too touristy, too on the grid, right? Certainly there must be some spots that you've heard of but never given a second thought to see.
Reddit user, justarndmacc, wanted to give some space to the underrated locales of the world when they asked:
"What city is massively underrated?"
Having fun is key to any bit of travel. After all, experiencing the day-to-day life of local eateries and shopping is fun, but what you really want is to see how the people live there celebrate and enjoy themselves.
Knowing How To Party
"I was not expecting Krakow to be one of the highlights on my trip to europe"
Mallonhead
"I loved Krakow! Wouldn’t have thought to go there but my friend married someone from Katowice so checked it out on the way. Great place and Polish people certainly know how to have a good time at a wedding"
VegetableVindaloo
Beer On The Streets? Hello!
"Savannah, Georgia."
"Absolutely stunning architecture, not overcrowded, rich history, and you can drink beer on the streets."
americanslang59
"I've been there multiple times. The city is so gorgeous and the history is mind-blowing. It's main streets are so welcoming and full of cafes, with multiple parks and large trees. There are fountains literally everywhere, and the dock is very relaxing. There's a market too, full of southern culture and food. Honestly the prettiest city in the south."
marksman12O
It's Australia. Everything Might Try To Get Ya.
"Underrated by other Australians, but my city of Adelaide."
"Beautiful wine regions, nice beaches, great nature walking trails in the hills and boutique eateries, great nature reserves, all within about an hour drive."
"Come during festival season and the arts scene is insane."
"Stay more than a week or so you might start to struggle, but a lovely stop on an Australian trip."
"People just focus on the murders..."
eroticdiagram
You might have heard of the city before this, but it wasn't for what people want you to know it for. There seems to be more lying under the surface than we might think when we imagine these cities.
When The Belfast Child Sings
"Belfast, Northern Ireland."
"People still think it's the 1980s with Gerry Adams, masked bandits doing street patrols, uniformed police beating up Catholics, murals everywhere and a car bomb parked on every street corner. That is basically all gone now, apart from the usual marching season and a few dodgy suburbs you'd best keep away from. Most normal people aren't that bothered and the city centre is really good."
"Seriously good friendly people, clean and beautiful city, great vibe, stellar entertainment and nightlife, awash with culture and history. Houses and property are also dirt cheap."
_spookyvision_
Can't Beat History
"Plovdiv, Bulgaria"
"Not a small city, actually a big one, but it has so much in it and also it has 8000years old history"
ShortResearcher4173
"I LOVED Plovdiv. Very beautiful city center, seems to have a rich artist and cafe culture. Food was also A++"
halbesbrot
Catch All The Sports
"Madison, Wisconsin. I was only there for a day but everyone was super nice, the city was incredibly clean, there was plenty to do, and the scenery was amazing."
gil_beard
"Wisconsin is super underrated as a state; and Madison is the best the state has to offer."
"Madison has so much more than college sports, but either way I'd like to add: That place is something else during game day. From Women's volleyball to football. Sure it's not Alabama or Duke, but we have relevant sports on both men and women's side all year round."
TimmyRL28
Come In For A Good Drink
"Da Nang. It’s changed a lot from what it looks like in all those Vietnam War movies"
throwaway4127620
"Hello from Paddys Irish Pub in Da Nang as I write this"
"I lived in and visited many many cities and this place is by far the most liveable place I've been to."
its-not-me_its-you_
Sometimes a country is lucky enough to have more than one city worth visiting. Would such a country exist?
A Dream Country
"Kanazawa, Japan. It has the charms of Kyoto without the overcrowdedness that Kyoto suffers from during peak tourist seasons."
PumpkinSpiceBiscotti
"Japan is cheating."
"Japan has so many cities outside of the usual (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto) that are skipped by tourists but are fantastic."
"Nara, Hiroshima, Nagasaki/Kagoshima, Kobe, Nikko, Kamakura are all worth a visit if you’re willing to spend a few weeks in Japan."
ExoticCommunication
"Asahikawa, Japan. Has a much less crowded snow festival than Sapporo and the snow is so beautiful. Plus, a really cool zoo."
semispooked
"I went to the zoo when it was snowing and it was amazing, gave the whole experience a completely different dynamic. Wolves howling in the snowfall, Amur leopards in the snow - not a typical zoo experience. The penguin walk was cool too."
tintinfailok
Wherever you do get to travel, make sure you take in as much as you can. Barring world events shaping our daily lives, you might not get another chance for a long while.
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Have you ever traveled to a city you've always heard good things about, only to be totally let down upon arrival?
When a friend insists we travel to certain cities because we would "just love it," they're setting the bar pretty high.
And a city can also boast a rich history or an attraction that makes us curious enough to find out what makes it so appealing.
But, alas, when we finally reach the destination, it's never exactly what we thought it would be.
Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor tshirtguy2000 asked:
"What city is overrated?"

These are not officially real cities but they do have a rotating population.
It's Always A Party There
"Party city."
"As a former slave associate at party city. I 100% agree."
Lotsa Crime
"Cabot Cove, the murder capital of the world."
"Sure, the murders are all solved, but would you really want to live in a city with that much, easily solved, crime?"
– Andvare
Neighbor To Springfield
Shelbyville. Those f'kers steal trees from neighboring cities.
These were once considered destination cities but their popularity eventually took a nose dive.
Not Pair-A-Dice
"Atlantic City. Venture a few blocks off the boardwalk and it's incredibly depressing. Very clearly an area exploited by the big casinos while the locals have been driven to absolute poverty, while they still force a smile to work the shops that are required for the tourist traffic."
– juanzy
Lots Of Water
"Niagara Falls, Canada. I grew up there. Mayor pumps most of tax $ to casinos and tourism with flashy vegas-esque attractions."
Meh Beach
"Myrtle Beach. I'm not even saying that it has a good reputation, I'm just saying that any shred of positive thinking about it makes it overrated."
Where A Creek Is An Exciting Attraction
"Lamb's Grove, Iowa. It's not the paradise on earth that people always say it is. Don't get me wrong, it's got great Chinese food but the motel 6 is meh at best."
– shah357
Impressions for these cities fell far below expectation.
Do-Bye
"Dubai. It's the clickbait of the world. 'We have the biggest/tallest/most expensive YOU WON'T BELIEVE when you see THIS...' It's hot as f*k, everything's a man-made tourist trap; labor exploitation and racism are rampant, and they try so hard to prove to the world how modern and Westernized they are. Really, it's just government propaganda."
Truth be told, many cities can be overrated.
It just depends on a person's experience, or a resident's perspective about what it is about the location they live in that is nothing worth writing home about.
If I had to choose, I would say Las Vegas is overrated, but that's because there is nothing in Sin City that is of personal interest to me.
I may be severely judged for my opinion, but that is a gamble I'm willing to take.
There's always something inherently charming about where we grew up. The memories, the family, the old haunts- visiting is just so special. But there's always that one thing that our hometowns are known for, for better or for worse. Here are a few examples from the kind people over at Reddit.
u/reva_r asked: Without naming it, what is your hometown known for?
Stereotypes suck.
Crime, unfortunately.
That's what it's known for on TV and movies and video games but it is so much more than that. It's amazing communities and small businesses and sh*tty roads and a lot of diversity ... I just love it so much and it makes me cringe every time I hear a flippant joke about my beloved home.
I guess if you're not from here you probably don't notice it, but we're the butt of a LOT of jokes.
Yikes.
Hitler was born there.
Sorta similar, but my town is known for the "Hitler Dad".
https://www.nj.com/news/2008/12/child_named_after_adolf_hitler.html
Atlanta?
Coca-Cola.
I think I had a layover there once.
I thought the joke was if you ever flew in the US you had a layover there.
Sounds delicious.
A plate of food that one would think was the hot item at a raccoon restaurant.
Long shot but Rochester? I'm thinking of the garbage plate.
Honestly, this could be a lot of places.
Chlamydia and Ice.
Sounds like most of rural Australia.
Australia's koalas have taken additional steps to cope with the bushfires.
How wholesome!
Jelly Belly Factory!
I got to go there in 2005! I was disappointed we didn't get to see the jellybeans actually being made, though. Just a tram tour around the perimeter of a warehouse.
I just recently found an old jellybean container full of dried-out jelly husks, it was the most fascinating thing. I'd never seen a jellybean rot and leave this porous exoskeleton behind.
Houston!
We're the place you call in the cliche when you say "we have a problem".
I love calling my dad (ex Mission Control) every so often and saying this.
What a kind city.
Helping people who Come From Away when they're stranded.
Gander! The whole world owes you a debt of gratitude.
What's going on in Milwaukee?
Two girls stabbing a third girl because they wanted to meet Slenderman...
Greater Milwaukee area. Also home to the Making a Murderer guy and Gypsy Rose's boyfriend.
"How did I end up here?" you asked as you tried to avoid potholes. There are some really depressing places out there, so if you're ever in the area, leave. But get a t-shirt first.
Rmmm79 asked: What's the worst city you've ever visited, and why?
Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.
=
People Are Sharing Clever Ways To Say Where They Live Without Actually Saying The Name Of The City 😂
User Jordan Daley posed an interesting question on Twitter: how would you identify your city if you weren't allowed to say its name? What makes it unique and memorable?
Without naming Your City... What is Your City known for?— Jordan Daley (@Jordan Daley) 1546726303.0
Twitter had a great time with the question, breaking out their best references to local food, events, and pop culture!
Where you go when you can't afford to shoot in LA. https://t.co/fF9Aeqgp9J— ᴡʜʏ ɪs ASHLEY LYNCH ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴛʟ (@ᴡʜʏ ɪs ASHLEY LYNCH ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴛʟ) 1546760428.0
@JDaIey https://t.co/B01wi4AluJ— Sean G (@Sean G) 1546733993.0
If you can identify all of these cities, you get a gold star!
@JDaIey @__nca The Beatles— David (@David) 1546726783.0
@JDaIey https://t.co/uapYgDfdh6— James Johnson (@James Johnson) 1546736228.0
Some clues were definitely easier than others.
@JDaIey Dunder Mifflin Paper Company— Sugar Shane FALco (@Sugar Shane FALco) 1546744975.0
Gritty https://t.co/5GOCDyG32U— Austin Rochford (@Austin Rochford) 1546742949.0
IT WAS THE FIRST WORD SPOKEN FROM THE MOTHERFUCKING MOON, YOURS? https://t.co/xGfQ9QE3j8— Shirley Not Drew (@Shirley Not Drew) 1546751508.0
Some hints were more cryptic than revealing.
durian, hospitality, cleanliness & safeness https://t.co/HITnXlBJBB— 🌷 (@🌷) 1546761127.0
"no, the one in texas, not the one in virginia." https://t.co/8f2vqgmsLv— Elizabeth Bruenig (@Elizabeth Bruenig) 1546741495.0
@JDaIey Crabs—the Bay kind, not the human kind.— Pat Fowlkes (@Pat Fowlkes) 1546834007.0
It's strange to know what each city carries with them...
@JDaIey https://t.co/TmTM41AfLs— ☼Tanya Hartigan☼ (@☼Tanya Hartigan☼) 1546830858.0
@JDaIey JFK assassination— Tori Claudio (@Tori Claudio) 1546835704.0
@JDaIey California burritos/the best Mexican food north of the border— Lexy⚡️ (@Lexy⚡️) 1546827701.0
Some things are so simple, yet so revealing!
@JDaIey bagels— Conor McKenna (@Conor McKenna) 1546860909.0
@JDaIey @lander 1) Ryan Lochte 2) a YouTube clip of a Golden Corral worker leaving food outside in the hat, near a… https://t.co/UTo7PXhrXG— Thank you, Steve (@Thank you, Steve) 1546829123.0
Residents also took the opportunity to throw some low-key shade at their hometowns.
@JDaIey Thinking it's the best music city in the country but isn't really.— Ridley Kemp (@Ridley Kemp) 1546832556.0
@JDaIey The river that caught 🔥, great Craft beer, and every ethic foods you can think of eating.— linda m (@linda m) 1546842768.0
@JDaIey Losing in the playoffs— Thuggin 💥 (@Thuggin 💥) 1546832073.0
It just goes to show—people have to get out there and experience the world! Every city is different, and you won't regret checking out a new one.
There are other cities? https://t.co/55mD6gmluQ— 👾alex peysakhovich 👾 (@👾alex peysakhovich 👾) 1546743623.0