The World's Least Welcoming Destinations
This is a list of all of those places that you just hate to visit, places
where the locals are so downright rude & offensive it ruins your entire
trip. We've all been there, that one destination that would be more than okay if not
for the natives & their attitudes. I've taken the liberty of compiling the
world's all time most unfriendly localities.
(In alphabetical order)
Algeria,
North Africa
I'm not even sure what can be said about Algeria, except that
kidnapping definitely doesn't qualify as welcoming. Algerians aren't known as the
friendliest people in France, imagine what their homeland is like, think Sahara,
rebels, civil wars, & ransom. Enough said.
Basque Region of Spain,
Western
Europe
Have ever been a people like the Basques? Caught up in their
eternal struggle for "freedom" from Spain, seeing as Spain of
course is the most tyrannical of nations. Oh that's right they're not, in fact
they're a member of the European Union, what do the Basques need their freedom
from again? The entirety of Northern Spain is an unwelcoming destination, do not
make the mistake of trying to ask a question to one of the locals in Spanish,
even though they all understand it, they will not communicate with you in that
tongue, & will take great offence, even so much as to chase you out of their
stores for having committed the grievance of asking "cuánto es él".
Czech
Republic, Eastern
Europe
The Czech Republic is unwelcoming in that non-threatening cheat
you out of all your money way. From bottled water vendors charging four Dollars
worth of currency to unsuspecting travelers, to taxi drivers demanding by way of
intimidation that you
give them more than double the agreed fare before exiting their cab, this
country is more popular than it merits. The Prime Minister of the nation
hearing about the problems the city of Prague was having with taxis overcharging,
took a taxi to the airport & the Prime Minister, was overcharged by twenty
Dollars, if that doesn't tell you everything you need to know about this country
nothing will.
Greece,
Eastern
Europe
Greece is by far the rudest of popular European tourist
destinations. Everyone has the utmost in attitudes, &
not in a good way either. Taxi's will refuse to take you to your
destination, or try to charge you outrageous fares such as 20 Euros (as if you
don't know the value) to go five blocks. If that weren't bad enough, they stop
to pick up other fares along the way, all the while never giving you a discount.
Traveling on the Greek mainland is the largest headache known to man. Their
trains have a tendency to break down for hours at a time, even further slowing
their already ridiculously tentative pace. And as I always say if a country
can't be friendly it can at least be cheap, & Greece is neither. The islands
however are worth a visit but that's only because tourists outnumber Greeks any
day of the season, & that IS a good thing.
Iraq,
Middle
East
It's bad enough that the entire citizenry of the nation wants to
blow you up, but then you have to worry about the American military shooting you
as well. All in all, a place to avoid for the next century or so. What a great
job at "nation building" that was!
Israel,
Middle
East
Israel is sometimes considered a welcoming destination, I know
that their tourism bureau would like to portray that image, & while on a
scale being relatively safe when compared to major nations such as the United
States, nothing changes the fact that for members of the world's second largest
religion, Islam, Israel could not be a more unfriendly destination. The airport
screening alone would be enough to deter most Muslim travelers.
North Korea,
East Asia
Cuba may still
be a communist regime, but with its fine weather, great cigars, friendly people, and even
better rum, I would gladly tattoo the hammer and sickle to my body any day. North
Korea on the other hand is also under communist rule, but unlike Cuba, no one in their right mind would
visit North Korea. With nearly 57% of their population in a technical state of
malnourishment, the added fact that over 1% of their population is currently doing hard
time in labour camps for political dissent doesn't bode too well for the travel
friendliness of this destination.
Saudi
Arabia, Middle
East
Saudi Arabia makes the list (well besides the mere obvious reason
of their complete & total insanity) because for more than half the world's
population (I often refer to them as women) Saudi Arabia could not be a more
unwelcoming destination. Not only can you not drive, but you can't be seen in
public with a male other than your relative, punishable by I'm not sure what, but I
wouldn't want to find out, & if the prejudice weren't enough you have to
deal with well terrorism.
Serbia,
Eastern
Europe
Serbia the land of...Serbs. On a scale Serbia committed more
atrocities in the 1990's than Nazi Germany did in the 1940's, that's never a good
sign. Serbia is the most dangerous nation I've ever been to, it's not that they
just hate Americans or Muslims, they absolutely hate everyone, they believe
everyone else was wrong somehow missing the realization that if everyone in the
world says you were wrong, & you're the only country that says you were
right, well you were probably wrong. My time in Serbia was limited I'll admit,
but it was limited by choice, never has a country had a more dangerous feeling.
I was driving through a small town in south Serbia near the Kosovoan border, &
I was in a car with Croatian plates. Now Serbia hates Croatia as they fought
against eachother in the war. As the car pulled up to a stop sign a group of men
who were standing out in front of the store yelled Hrvatska (their word for Croatia) as if to incite a riot. I thought to myself, ahh this is it, death by
lynch mob. And it's not as if you can tell the angry crowd, oh don't worry I'm not
Croatian I'm American, that would only seal your fate. My advice to the
world travelers, stay away from Serbia, & my advice to Serbians...move.
South
Dakota, USA
The heart of America, well if this is the heart than I feel sorry
for the body. South Dakota is a state where local country governments post billboards
saying that "Animal Rights Activists Aren't Welcome!".
Other popular signs include "Wear Fur" brought to you by the local sheriff
of course. And god forbid you make a stop in any of the South Dakotan towns, the
locals don't like foreigners too much, & what do they call foreigners, well
anyone not from South Dakota. Also I wouldn't recommend going five miles over
the speed limit near Mount Rushmore as you will get stopped, & they will
make you pay over one hundred dollars on the spot. In fact I don't recommend you
drive through South Dakota at all, because the police are on manhunts for
out-of-state plates & will seize any chance to harass you.
*Article written in whole by Dakota Smith.
