4 Travel Destinations You Should Avoid in Southeast Asia
I rarely dislike places I visit.
However, there are some places I hated.
Most travel writers — through fear, fakeness, and financial conflicts — aren’t honest about the destinations they hated. But surely, unless you’re the embodiment of hippy, you can’t enjoy every destination you visit.
Here are the destinations I didn’t enjoy on my travels:
1. Pattaya, Thailand
Pattaya is a bizarre destination. Truthfully, bizarre might be an understatement. Thailand’s party capital, although the nation has many places they call the party capital, is a mixture of hookers, seediness, and corruption.
It’s the only place I’ve visited where I’ve felt a weird vibe. Of course, I made the mistake of staying close to the main walking street. There are places around Pattaya that are apparently different, but I haven’t stayed there.
Pattaya was a mixture of the Russian mafia, Chinese mafia, annoying Western tourists on a boozy holiday, and disgusting old white men searching for local Thai hookers. For many young Thai women, the country offers barely any opportunities. Prostitution, however, pays well — sometimes very well.
The COVID-19 pandemic has destroyed Thailand’s party towns. Pattaya has lost many clubs and bars. As a result, I hope some of Thailand’s problems that over-tourism caused, such as the vast prostitution scene, pollution, and incessant scamming have subsided.
Thailand drastically needed to rethink its tourism sector. Pattaya was the embodiment of everything wrong with Thailand’s tourism sector.
I doubt anything will change, though.
2. Jakarta, Indonesia
The world is full of crap cities. One that stands out above the rest is Jakarta. I only visited because I was traveling throughout Indonesia, and I was curious about the nation’s enormous capital city.
Very few tourists visit Jakarta, and there’s a good reason for that.
There’s simply nothing to do there. The city is a mixture of smog, extreme heat, ridiculous driving, pollution, and scams. Although the locals are friendly, almost none of them speak English. It was perhaps the poorest English outside of China and South Korea.
I was there for three days, which was more than long enough. I visited a cool sky bar, met local girls on Tinder, visited some local markets, and explored historical attractions. Some tropical islands off the coast are apparently worth a visit. I didn’t bother.
Honestly, Jakarta is Asia’s worst capital city. If you’re heading to Indonesia, avoid it at all costs. It’s leagues — and I mean leagues — below other Southeast Asia cities, such as Bangkok, Saigon, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, and even Manila (okay, Manila is pushing it a bit.)
3. Koh Phi Phi, Thailand
Koh Phi Phi was heaven on earth.
Unfortunately, the invasion of Western tourism ruined it. It’s still naturally sensational. Once you leave Koh Phi Phi Don, the area is utterly, remarkably beautiful.
Koh Phi Phi Don, however, is the epitome of Thailand’s insane over-tourism problem. I find it relatively amusing that until the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand had zero tourism regulation. Yet, in contrast, the nation stifles any free speech with intense regulation.
Once you arrive at Koh Phi Phi Don, you’ll see a giant McDonald's restaurant, nightclubs full of drunken tourists disrespecting local culture, and aggressive travel agencies trying to flog you an overpriced boat tour. Koh Phi Phi Don — other than its tropical weather — isn’t even remotely Asian. It feels more like Malia, Greece, and that’s not a compliment.
Tourists have battered the coral surrounding the island. Swathes of empty cans and beer bottles surround the beaches. Nightclubs blast music long into the night as drunken backpackers spew their pad thai over the narrow alleyways.
Thailand is one of my favorite destinations worldwide. It’s a wonderful nation. But it’s made many mistakes during its tourism expansion, and Koh Phi Phi Don proves that. It’s still worth a visit to see the scenery, though.
4. Manila, Philippines
The Philippines is an excellent travel destination, albeit a severely underrated destination. Somehow, the Philippines (pre-pandemic) received fewer visitors than Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia. The Filipino government does an atrocious job of promoting tourism.
Manila, however, is difficult to promote. It has a terrible reputation worldwide I have to admit, I never felt safe in the city. I stayed in Makati, which is the main tourist area. Although I didn’t have any issues, I was wary of my surroundings. There was a strange vibe about the place.
The real problem with Manila is the lack of things to do.
If you’re not interested in gigantic malls and churches, you’re struggling to find attractions. Also, the city has no worthwhile beaches, terrible traffic, and enormous pollution. The locals are friendly. They speak fluent English and are extremely hospitable.
I highly recommend visiting the Philippines but staying out of the cities. It’s cheap, fun, beautiful, and extremely welcoming.
Travel isn’t all a bed of smelly roses. I enjoy most places I visit, but if I believe you’re better off skipping somewhere — I won’t hedge my opinions.
Safe travels to you all in 2022.
