Travel Disappointments

My favorite type of travel blogger is an honest travel blogger. As great as it is to read about 101 ways in which a particular city, country, attraction or adventure blew your mind, it is so refreshing to hear from fellow bloggers about why a travel experience fell short. I think too often travelers shy away from criticism, even constructive criticism of their travels because they either are trying to avoid offending a local who may be reading, or they don’t want to admit to themselves that the trip they planned meticulously for many months was anything but perfect.

The reason I cancelled my subscription to a popular travel magazine was due to this “everything is always A+” mentality. The final straw with said magazine was when they featured an article praising a new Paris hotel as the epitome of chic luxury and a ‘game changer in the city’… only to discover that reviews on TripAdvisor (i.e. the closest you are going to get to impartialism) said the hotel was overpriced and underwhelming.

With that in mind, I would like to present my ‘Top 5 Travel Disappointments’ (in no particular order):

Disclaimer: These are mostly locations that I have visited only once. It’s quite possible that any number of variables such as time of year, weather, travel mates, my own mental state at the time of the visit or just poor luck could have cast a negative light on my experience. Thus it should be considered that if I visited these locations again the result may very well be different.

Olympiapark in Munich, Germany

I will preface by saying I loved Munich, the beautiful architecture, the Bavarian culture and of course the world famous beer. The Olympiapark, however, was a letdown. What may have been a world class facility built for the 1972 Summer Olympics now just looks dull and dated over 40 years later. I’m sure there would have been more activities going on if we had visited during the warmer months (we were there in February) but even so, we found it offered little to justify the train trip to get there. It was a lot of walking around uninspiring buildings and average landscaping. Walking time that would have been much better allocated to the city’s beautiful old streets. The only thing we found moderately interesting were the views of the city and the distant German Alps from the top of the Olympic Tower, but when you factor in the cost of this it is still a part of Munich worth skipping.

The Alpine view was the highlight of this day trip

Los Haitises National Park, Dominican Republic

This was a somewhat expensive day tour offered through our vacation provider while we were staying in the Samana region of DR. While the boat ride through Samana Bay to the park was enjoyable and there were some impressive views of islands and cliffs upon entering the park, the caves they took us to were not overly exciting. The history here is interesting and we were told the area was used as a filming location for some major Hollywood productions, but we didn’t really see what the big deal was. The caves were littered with graffiti from past visitors which pulls you right out of the natural environment the guide is trying to convey. The caves were also relatively small and packed way too tightly with several tour groups at once. Maybe if you arrived via private boat and cruised around the islands and cliffs while enjoying a rum cocktail this would be a fun experience, but I wouldn’t recommend booking the group tour offered through your vacation provider.

Impressive islands, caves not so much

The Food of Venice, Italy

Venice is a magical and unique city and something every traveler needs to experience at least once. The food however, I cannot recommend. Like many major European cities (especially in Italy) it is overrun with expensive, low-quality tourist trap restaurants that prey on travelers that just don’t know any better. After finding this out the hard way the first night, we did some serious TripAdvisor research and looked for dinner spots a little off the beaten track that were well reviewed. While these places were definitely much better quality, the Venetian cuisine was just not to our tastes. Instead of the classic Italian we all know and love, it was something different with influences of its trading partners over the centuries like Turkey. Sounds exotic and exciting I know, but I’ll take a classic Napoletana pizza any day while in Italy. Even the quick-service food was disappointing. Sandwiches that looked like they had been sitting under a heat lamp all day were selling for 12 Euro, go figure! Our best culinary experience in Venice came from the great selection of meats and cheeses we bought from a local deli and ate in our hotel room.  

If only we had a kitchen to cook our own meals in Venice, then we would be set!

Tampa, Florida

I have been to Tampa a couple of times, either to see a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game or as a base to explore the nearby gulf coast beaches. Lightning games are a blast, but if you are going for the beach do yourself a favor and stay on the beach. Driving from Tampa to Clearwater Beach or St. Pete’s Beach is not as close as you might think, and if you encounter any traffic along the way you are in for a frustrating drive/parking search. I found the city itself lacked offerings for the intrepid traveler. The historic Ybor City area with its cigar-making past is kinda cool, but other than the highly recommended Tampa Bay Brewing Company, we were hard pressed to find anything in the area that interested us. After the Lightning game we wandered around downtown looking for a good bar, but everything was closing up. I love the state of Florida, mostly because of it's world class beaches. If you are looking for a city trip with sightseeing, dining options, bars etc. there are many more better suited cities in America.

Good old fashioned traffic trying to get from Tampa to Clearwater Beach

Valletta, Malta

First and foremost, Malta is one of my favorite European countries that I have had the chance to visit. We stayed on the rugged northwestern coast which was absolutely beautiful. The problem was we were only there for 3 days and thus could allot one of those days to exploring another part of the island. We chose the capital Valletta, instead of the more recommended ancient city of Mdina. Our entrance to Valletta was grand. It had a very North African feel like we were entering Casablanca or something. From there we found it offered quite little, just a lot of shopping and crowds. The views of the sea were nice, but we didn’t need to travel from the coast we were staying at for that. There did not seem to be many major sites of interest, and the one we did try and visit (Shipwreck of St. Paul) was closed without any info on when it would be open. We found we were quickly bored and wanting to head back to Golden Bay. We were also quite upset we had missed out on our chance to see Mdina. Oh well, next time! 

The entrance to Valletta was sadly the highlight of the day trip to the Maltese capital

Mike @ Palms & Pints

@palmsandpints

Bavaria and Bohemia

After a happily uneventful flight across the pond, we exited the Munich airport and headed towards the S-Bahn station. We were greeted by a beautiful modern outdoor terrace, featuring no less then it's very own brewery... AirBrau! I had come to Munich for the beer culture, and though Oktoberfest was not in the recent past nor approaching future, I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed.

German beer culture starts at the airport.

First stop was Marienplatz, the historic centre of Munich. You are instantly taken in by an "awe moment" as you raise up the subway escalator and into the square. The towering Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall) is the focal point of a magnificent collection of architecture.

There is nothing "new" about the New Town Hall (by North American standards)

German beer and cuisine were an integral part of the stop. We visited two historic beer halls, Hofbrauhaus and Augustiner. Both of which had the expected excellent beer and great authentic eats. From what I had researched, Hofbrauhaus was more famous yet considerably more touristy (probably because of it's location a stone's throw from the square). This turned out to be quite accurate, however I would advise any beer lover, or really anyone interested in Bavarian culture to definitely make both of these spots high priority when in Munich.

PS - Try the pork knuckle!

One delicious litre of Munich's finest.

Our time in Munich wasn't long, so other than wandering the Marienplatz area, the only other outing of note was to Olympic Park. This massive area of the city was designed for the 1972 Summer Olympics, however it was tough to get excited about it in 2014. A sprawling series of facilities that were no longer state-of-the-art, nor even really in use (granted, it was February). We paid about 5 Euro to head up to the top of the Olympic tower. The views of the distant Alps made the admission almost bearable, but all-in-all I would leave Olympic Park off your Munich itinerary.

The next stop on our journey took us to Prague, the historic capital of Bohemia. Prague had been on my bucket list for quite some and it was almost surreal to think I was finally getting there. As we stepped off the bus and began walking down the cobbled streets towards our hotel, I couldn't help but feel more out of place than I had ever felt before. The city felt very eastern to me, sort of how I would imagine Moscow or Belgrade. The streets were constantly intersecting and the names nearly impossible to pronounce. When we finally came into the Old Town Square, we were relieved, but at the same time excited to explore this fascinating city.

The unique language certainly adds to the allure.

The "City of a Hundred Spires" is home to the most beautiful section of urban land I have ever seen. Staroměstské Náměstí (Old Town Square) is a marvel of architecture, a functioning work of art. Each of our three days in the city started and ended with a stroll-about/photo session with the historic centre of Old Town.

Tyn Church & Old Town Square - at it's best at night. 

Coming in an admirable 2nd place on my Prague attractions list is Charles Bridge. The beautiful old gothic bridge connecting Old Town with Lesser Quarter. Hopefully the crowds aren't too thick and you can casually walk across while taking in the immense history and breathtaking views. 

Charles Bridge - Beautiful sites galore in Praha.

Other highlights of Prague included the mammoth Prague Castle complex and the historically important/modern shopping destination Wenceslas Square.

I wouldn't consider Prague a premier destination for foodies, but a great traditional restaurant to sample Czech cuisine was Kotleta, right in Old Town Square. The Czechs do know their beer though, Pilsner Urquell, the original Pilsner is the nectar of the gods! 

While my next venture to Germany will likely see me head north to explore Berlin, I can easily see myself returning to Prague soon, as three days was not enough to uncover it's vast beauty and intricate history. 

Thanks for reading. I'm currently continuing my European adventure in Northern Italy, and looking forward to posting again on Monday, ciao!

Hotel Reviews:
Hotel Stadt Rosenheim - Munich
The Emblem Hotel - Prague

Mike @ Palms & Pints 

Munich - Hotel Stadt Rosenheim

Booking a hotel in Munich was difficult. My wife and I were looking for something above average, but at the same time not grossly overpriced. Within Marienplatz (Munich’s “Old Town Square”, and also the main tourist drag), well-reviewed hotels easily exceed $300 CAD per night. If you take a flyer on a poorly reviewed property you might be able to snag a deal, but that just wasn’t a risk we wanted to take for our 1^st wedding anniversary trip. We eventually compromised and decided to go with Hotel Stadt Rosenheim, which was well outside of Marienplatz, but close to Ostbahnhof, a major transit hub in the city. This turned out to be a fantastic decision.

With its location at the doorstep of Ostbahnhof Station, within Munich’s incredibly efficient S-Bahn system, Marienplatz was always only minutes away. Transit to and from both the airport and main bus station were also painless. 

Prime location literally right in front of the Ostbahnhof S-Bahn station!

The building itself is of historical significance. It was built in the late 19^th century, held by allied forced during WWII and only recently renovated back into a hotel property. 

The lobby, hallways and rooms are of a creative yet minimalist design (think IKEA), and are in immaculate condition.

Interior felt modern yet 50's all at once.

Breakfast is outstanding. Light and fresh, perfect for kicking off a day of walking and sightseeing. 

The perfect hotel breakfast (just don't expect "American Style")

Staff are extremely friendly and helpful and room cleaning is thorough. Traveller perks like wifi, in-room safe and bottled water are included.  I would not hesitate to stay at this hotel again when back in the beautiful city of Munich and would give it my full recommendation. 

Price – 129€ ($195 CAD) per night + 10€ ($15 CAD) pp for breakfast 
Location – Orleansplatz 6a, Munich, Germany (Ostbahnhof Station)
Website - http://www.hotel-stadt-rosenheim.de

Mike @ Palms & Pints