Where would you have once liked to visit but now wouldn’t go?

[buddhasbelly]

For me San Francisco. Would have loved to visit Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge etc but seeing the reports of the drug epidemic /fentanyl use just makes it seem like it would no longer be a place to feel safe whilst sightseeing.

Where would you no longer wish to visit?

Fantastic time*, but it was fancy as well!

SA has always been fairly dangerous, you just have to know where to avoid but even then there’s a risk of carjacking. My ex was South African and he was car jacked three times as a child with a gun held to his head twice hence him moving to the UK. He lived in a nice area, it was just a risk to ever stop at traffic lights and that was the 90s so it’s nothing new and it hasn’t improved.

Russia

@RJ57 what did you learn?

America
Libya
Yemen
Syria

Admittedly I'm not 80 but I did an overland tour of Central Asia and loved it. Not a stroke of trouble at all.

Russia. Always wanted to go

What's wrong with Costa Rica - apart from the roads? We've visited and a friend went recently with no issues at all. It's beautiful.

in South Africa there are roads local avoid when traffic is slow moving, you always keep your car windows up and the car doors lock automatically. I wouldnt stay in Johannesburg.

Syria. My OH went with a friend in the early 2000's and said it was fabulous, and has some stunning Roman ruins. Sadly I'm sure it's much changed now, not sure how much of what he saw is left and doubt it will be safe any time soon.

I've travelled a lot but never been to New York and always fancied it.

Live in London now and the thought of going to a huge city like NY doesn't do anything for me anymore. Much prefer smaller, more manageable towns or the countryside and villages.

The Holy Land

I was there last month, and the temperature was lovely, and unless your idea of a good time is trying to get a solo selfie in front of the Trevi Fountain, it wasn’t crowded. I walked into several of the big museums without any queueing, and we had drinks outdoors overlooking the Circus Maximus, and we ate really well. It’s a lovely city to stroll around in.

Egypt. Was a childhood dream of mine.

Iran
Russia
Ethiopia

St Petersburg and Moscow

Not quite what you're asking, but I live quite near London and used to LOVE going into town. Now I hate it and avoid it at all costs. It is a mix of things. I do think London has changed a bit and it isn't quite as much fun as it used to be. But mainly, it's the people I share a train with on the way in and out of London - the non-Londoners off on a Big Night Out. My town is generally nice but there are few stops on the way to London where I gird my loins for the inevitable influx of hair extension, the aroma of fake tan, men in skin tight jeans, booze breath and shitty behaviour. That's before they're properly tanked up... which I get to enjoy on the way home 🤢. Nope.

Yes, I am an old grump before my time and probably tired of life yada yada

Does anyone else think this is quite an odd thread? So far on the no go list weve got Canada. US, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, China, every neighbour of Russia including Finland, India. That's quite a large chunk of the world

I went to SF 20 years ago and we were shocked at the homelessness.

Got off the red eye from Hawaii and there was a guy literally having a shit in the pavement outside the airport and once we got downtown we were literally walking around piles of human shit. I can only imagine it's got worse.

A friend of mine used to work for one of those big travel agents who organise honeymoons and the like. He said that the number one place they got complaints about was Hawaii! Not because it is a horrible place or anything, but just because it is a very long journey from the UK and then doesn't quite live up to the hype.

I wouldn't go to Dubai I don't think, but it's never really appealed to me.

On a more positive note, I never used to be interested in going to Australia, but the older I get the more it appeals to me as somewhere I'd really love to see. It's the wildlife I'd love to see especially. When I was 18 I wasn't arsed about that and just wanted to go to South America (which I did - no regrets). I think I saw Australia as culturally too similar to the UK maybe. But now I'd love to go

Hawaii was incredible. Honolulu was my least favourite place but there are some really special places.

I'd love to visit Iran, Syria too I've met people from there watched many documentaries and think the people are lovely.. and the food!

And Ethiopia too as well as many African countries.

I will go one day but kids 😬

Hong Kong

Was always obsessed with it from watching Hong Kong films. Seemed like such an interesting mix of East meets West

Iran is a beautiful country - we travelled there about 25 years ago and found it incredibly friendly and hospitable. We were very well looked after wherever we went.
We also travelled in China and Tibet 20 years ago - I would love to go back to see Xinjiang but don't feel I can because of the treatment of the Uighurs.
DH and I are planning to retire in the net couple of years and have started planning our trip to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
There are parts of Africa I would like to see but probably never will as I can't take antimalarials.

USA