ANNOYED TripAdvisor users have slammed some of the most famous tourist attractions for the most ridiculous reasons.
From the Great Wall of China being “just a wall” to “no zebras” at the Abbey Road zebra crossing, here are some of the craziest complaints.
Sydney Opera House, Australia – brown concrete and dim lighting
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In 2016, user Pavloszante was bitterly disappointed by the architectural icon that is the Sydney Opera House.
In his no-nonsense appraisal, he wrote: “If you like brown concrete with Dim lighting you’re in for a treat. Life is too short – do something else.”
Arthur’s Seat, Scotland – no chairs
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One tourist got the wrong end of the stick when visiting Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat.
They complained: “Not a chair in sight – had to sit on the grass and was left with an unsightly wet patch which made it look like I soiled myself.”
Great Wall of China, China – just a wall
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Irish Tripadvisor user Woodywoodpecker51 was seriously underwhelmed by the Great Wall of China.
His review titled “Too long, I didn’t even bother” reads: “OK, I built a just wall… SO? Why should I be impressed.
“Back in my days the walls were more beautiful and they didn’t have to be so tall. Come on?
“I didn’t feel good with my leg that day, and my wife really wanted to visit all the Chinese Wall and I said ‘Ok, let’s do it!’, but I soon understood that it was definitely too long for me and I got tired.
“I failed in front of my wife because of this wall, so I’m not gonna be back there.”
Abbey Road, London – no zebras
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In 2015 when this person visited the iconic Abbey Road in London, they were joked about the lack of animals.
“I was told to check out the zebras crossing Abbey Road whilst in London, but didn’t see any,” they wrote.
“Perhaps you have to come at night to see them. There were lots of people there looking for them but didn’t see a single one!
“I’d recommend London Zoo at Regent’s Park over Abbey Road for zebras”.
Grand Canyon, US – overblown sandy ditch
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Imagine being this unimpressed with the The Grand Canyon – in a 2008 review subtly titled “Nature is crap”, David H wrote: “I’ve been to a number of so called landmarks in my time – but what the hell was this?
“Just an overblown sandy ditch. Really don’t get the fascination! Took two hours to get there – should’ve stayed in my hotel and watched a DVD instead.”
Anne Frank House, Netherlands – very claustrophobic
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In 2014, a resident of Amsterdam was highly critical of one of her city’s tourist attractions.
Her review read: “I live in Amsterdam but I never really got the opportunity to visit Anne Frank House because there are always too many tourists.
“I visited it once, had to wait for two hours to get in. When we where inside, we had to walk in a straight line. It was very claustrophobic”.
Ben Nevis, Scotland – no pubs and too cloudy
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Of Ben Nevis in Scotland, one reviewer wrote: “This was almost a FULL day’s climbing and my girlfriend was crying at one point.
“When we did get to the top there was nothing there (Mount Snowdon has a pub, restaurant and toilets at its top). Luckily we had brought some sandwiches and drinks, so anyone else climbing this one – BE WARNED- there are NO facilities at the top.
“The climb basically went on for far too long and the last part was particularly steep and difficult.
“It was also cloudy at the top so the view was non-existent. The long walk back down was boring and again took too long.”
Central Park, New York – just grass
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In 2013, user milo123456 did not have a great time at New York’s Central Park.
In his missive titled “just some grass and trees” he complained: “Just grass, trees, overpriced cafes.
“Surrounded by buildings in a square. Filmed from a helicopter it might be interesting, but you will not be able unless you have military permission. Booring.”
Stonehenge, UK – knock it down for an arcade
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Of Stonehenge in the UK, user HonestLocal2012 wrote: “I was disgusted to find this was just a few rocks to look at and nothing to do.
“They should knock it down and build an arcade or funfair. Don’t waste your time what a silly place.”
Big Ben, UK – just a clock
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One person joked about the iconic London landmark: “I don’t understand all the hype with this clock. It is literally just a clock.
“It’s going to be a digital one in 30 years anyway.”
Another excellent review of Big Ben read: “I’ve got a grandfather clock at home that is just as thrilling to look at” and another said: “I’m glad they blew it up in ‘V for Vendetta’.”
Eiffel Tower, France – French speaking staff
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Reviews panning the Eiffel Tower are almost their own genre.
A one-star review from a user named buryyourcup reads: “Stepped on some chewing gum … disappointment! Not as good as the Statue of Liberty at least. What do you expect”.
Another described it as “just a big hunk of rusty steel” and another was irate that the staff tried to speak to him in French, “but I don’t speak French BECAUSE I’M A TOURIST!”
Other scathing reviews include Buckingham Palace – “knackered old council house” – to the Colosseum – “watch Gladiator instead”.
Some of the strangest places in the UK have been voted the top tourist attractions, thanks to an influx of praise and joke reviews.
A hole in the wall, a Sainsbury’s car park tunnel and a roundabout in Cambridge were all some of the highest rated in the area.
A version of this was originally published by escape.com.au and has been reproduced with permission.
