For better or worse, social media has a huge impact on how we travel. And there’s no doubt that we develop our own expectations of a certain place based on how that destination is presented on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. u/Amphototoxic asked: “What?” travel destination Isn't that how it's presented on social media?” This is what people, including members of BuzzFeed Communitysaid in response.
1.
“Ibiza. It’s described as a party island, but in reality it’s a beautiful, peaceful place with plenty of quieter towns to explore. It offers so much more than just the DJ scene.”
2.
“The Arashiyama bamboo forest in Kyoto is much smaller and more crowded in real life than is often thought.”
3.
“Bali. The island is beautiful, don’t get me wrong. But it’s become a huge Instagram destination, which is sad. There’s a temple (Lempuyang, if I remember correctly) with a huge line for photos. On Instagram, it looks like a door with a “reflection”, you think there’s a fountain or a lake nearby. But in reality, there’s just staff holding a mirror under your phone so you can take the photo. I understand that many tourist sites offer this kind of photo opportunity, but this is a real place of worship for the locals. It was so weird to see a long line of tourists just for photos and not even paying homage to the place.”
4.
“Chicago. You would think it was a war zone, the way people talk about it. I really loved it and I can’t wait to go back. It was a really cool city.”
5.
“The Leaning Tower of Pisa. This is the most disappointing place I have ever visited. You get off the train and walk down a street full of tourist shops. Eventually you get to the tower, which is quite beautiful, but it is absolutely packed with people doing the iconic “holding the tower” photo. It looked way too much like Disneyland for me. What a wasted day.”
6.
“Iguazu Falls is an assault on the senses. It’s a place you have to feel. Photos and videos can’t even compete with it. It’s so powerful.”
7.
“Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. This is hands down one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, and the pictures don’t do it justice. I knew it would be nice, but oh my. The way the water flows from one lake to the next, often in very small streams surrounded by beautiful green moss. I would love to go back.”
8.
“Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. It was way better than what you see on social media. It was beautiful and the wildlife was mind-blowing.”
9.
“Tulum, definitely. The beach has been completely built up to the point where there are no natural stretches left. Most of the year, the remaining beach is infested with seaweed. Plus, everything is extremely expensive. Tulum is the only place I have traveled to that I swore I would never visit again.”
ten.
“Cappadocia is beautiful and it’s even more beautiful in real life than it is on social media. However, the typical social media influencer photo of someone enjoying an extravagant breakfast while admiring hot air balloons is completely fake. People take turns sitting in the same spot and having their picture taken.”
11.
“Lake Tahoe. Believe it or not, the lake is even bigger and more beautiful in real life.”
12.
“The Grand Canyon is even more magnificent. It's a view that we've seen so many times in the movies that, when we get close to it, we think we know more or less what we're going to see. And then, all of a sudden, the wind knocks us out.”
13.
“Amsterdam. I thought I would hate Amsterdam because it is often described as a seedy city that smells of weed everywhere, but wow, what a beautiful place.”
14.
“Lello Bookstore, the famous bookstore in Porto. It is described as a beautiful place, but I went there and found it to be crowded. It is actually just an attraction you walk around in.”
15.
“Iceland. Although this country is spectacular when the weather is good, days of good weather are rare.”
16.
“Times Square, New York. It’s much less impressive in real life than it is in the movies or in pictures. It’s just a few blocks of giant screens and advertisements. The novelty stores are nothing special. A giant subway with a glittering sign still sells the same mediocre sandwiches you’d find on any street corner, and the M&M’s department store still sells the same candy you can buy in any vending machine. The people in suits I met also made me feel uncomfortable.”
17.
“Venice. This Italian city was so crowded and overrun with tourists that I couldn’t even stop to enjoy the sights and experiences around me.”
18.
“Santorini. You see the pictures and you think it’s impossible that an island could look like that… but it really does.”
19.
“The Amalfi Coast. Sure, the towns of Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi have charm. But honestly, the views from the road along the coast were much better than the towns themselves. They’re also tiny. It was nice to see for a day trip, but overall overrated.”
20.
“The Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It was so crowded, especially considering its small size. I had seen so many photos of the Alhambra, which looked so magnificent, that I imagined this serene palace. In reality, it was packed with groups of tourists. This is perhaps a good example of how social media can inaccurately represent popular tourist destinations.”
What destination have you visited that wasn’t at all what you expected based on how social media portrayed it? Tell us in the comments or drop it in this post anonymous form.
