Anti-Bucket List: Travel Destinations I Could Do Without

I’ve mulled the idea of this article around for a while. To tell the truth, there really isn’t anywhere in this world that I would absolutely not visit. I want to go everywhere but, of course, there are places high on the list and there are places quite low on the list.

I’m often filled with wonder when, at the mention of a travel destination, people I’ve talked to can have not just a dislike but an absolute resistance, bordering on hatred for that location. Keep in mind, these are bucket list potential locations which means the person has not visited here previously. What makes them feel so strongly about a place they’ve never visited? Is it based on any kind of real information? Is it simply the place your ex went for their honeymoon with their new spouse? Is it based on something someone you don’t even know said on Facebook? Was it something that was said when you were a just a little kid decades ago?

I started to think, “Where would I least like to visit?”

I came up with five locations. I’m sure I’m going to stir some strong feelings with some readers. I’m sure some people might even hate me. That’s cool. Just know, it’s not that I don’t want to ever visit – these are just what I feel are the five at the bottom of my list. Right now. In August, 2014. Subject to change by August, 2015. Please, prove to me I’m wrong in the comments section.

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Brazil’s a big, beautiful and diverse country. I’m going to Manaus and the Amazon, Iguacu Falls or Salvador da Bahia long before I celebrate crime and poverty in Rio. Besides, it’s overdone and easily explored from your comfy chair through myriad movies and documentaries.

Salvador, you say? Located north of Rio de Janeiro and southeast of the mouths of the Amazon. Salvador Da Bahia De Todos Os Santos is a city with all the culture and history of Rio but with a fraction of the crime. Located on All Saints Bay, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, Salvador’s historic centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Not a small town by any means, Salvador has a metro population closing in on four million.

This was the capital of Brazil until it moved south to Rio in 1763. You will not need to pack a jacket. The record low temperature for Salvador is a balmy 16.2 Celcius or 61.2 of the F scale.

Varadero, Cuba

This place is a lesson in how not to experience the culture of a country. When anyone mentions Varadero to me, my reply is always that you might as well just go to Daytona Beach.

Located on a 20km long sand spit called the Hicacos Peninsula, Veradero is one of the oldest tourist destinations on the island of Cuba. However, much of the history and culture has been sacrificed for big all-inclusive resort complexes. The peninsula is at most 1.2 km wide and ends at Punta Hicacos – the furtherst point north in Cuba and the closest point to the United States.

Alternatives? Many. Havana. Cienfuegos. Trinidad. Santiago De Cuba. All cities that have retained their history from before the Cuban Revolution.

Boston, Massechusetts

Here’s where I make the enemies. Everyone loves Boston. I think it’s been overdone and overpublicized through a constant barrage of footage on the big screen and television. If I want overpriced and crowded in the U.S., the choice is always going to be Manhattan.

I’m sure the one thing that would get me to go to Boston would be Fenway Park. Home of the Boston Red Sox, Fenway is a step back into baseball’s history.

Iran

This one hurts. I’ve worked with people who fled Iran. They are all wonderful, kind and friendly people who want war even less than we do. The country is not the desolate wasteland that is often depicted in the mainstream media of the western world. It is a beautiful and amazingly diverse landscape with everything from snow-topped mountains to jungles, to deserts to ocean fronts.

Iran borders the Caspian Sea to the north and the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman to the south. Their neighbours are an interesting collection of countries, including Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

So, why is it on the anti-bucket list? I will not visit a country that does not allow my wife the same freedoms as me. Women visiting Iran must be covered literally from head to toe in the name of religion and must be submissive in the name of culture. My wife is not my slave or my pet, she is my best friend and I would never treat my enemy like that, let alone my best friend. I am tolerant and respectful of cultures other than my own but there are lines I will not cross.

As it stands, Canadians are not encouraged to visit anyway. Canada closed its embassy down a few years ago, leaving visitors to deal with this strange world at their own risk. Iran no longer allows independent travel by citizens of Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Rome, Italy

Much for the same reasons as Rio, I have not much interest in visiting Rome, beyond a quick one day fly-by. With being one of the world’s major tourist centres for centuries, the art of crime and scams has been honed to levels that North Americans may never understand. Also, this city can be visited from the comfort of my living room through unlimited media resources.

Make it very clear, Rome is on the list but Italy is not. In fact, Italy is probably top three in European countries I want to visit or revisit. Therefore, the alternatives are many. When visiting, Rome most likely will be the arrival airport. From there, the boot goes south, north and east.

Probably surprising to most, I would head south to Sicily or east to the Slovenia border first just for the sake of exploration. Venice is a sure shot for me but it’s already been checked off the bucket list so it has no place in this conversation. Settling in for an extended stay would probably be in the Tuscany Region around Florence and Bologna.

Have your say…

Let the IAT community know what you think. What places or experiences are on your anti-bucket list and why? Why do you think I’m wrong about my choices? How can you convince me that these places should be visited? Add your two cents worth in the comments section.

To steal from the Great Tim Ferriss:

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