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Most disappointing tourist spots

Times Square, well, it's a square, so what?

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THE Eiffel Tower is 'frustratingly overcrowded and overpriced'. And Stonehenge is 'just a load of old rocks'.

So says a recent report, which has named the Top 10 most disappointing tourist spots in the UK and around the world, reported The Telegraph.

The Louvre's Mona Lisa and New York's Times Square also have difficulty enticing tourists to rush back, the UK survey reveals.

Even Egypt's great pyramids, one of the seven wonders of the world, made the list of underwhelming and overrated attractions, no thanks to the oppressive heat and the persistent hawkers.

But top of the 'world' list was Paris's famous tower, which almost a quarter of the 1,000 plus British tourists questioned dubbed a flop.

Ms Felice Hardy of Virgin Travel Insurance, which commissioned the survey, said holiday-makers looking for unexpected delights should opt for less mainstream destinations.

Famous sites in the UK were not spared. Other than Stonehenge, which was No 1 on the UK disappointing list, The London Eye, Buckingham Palace and Big Ben were also mentioned.

Instead, attractions like Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, and the Isle of Skye in Scotland were listed as places in the UK promising not to disappoint.

On the global list, those looking to avoid the crowds but wish to witness something spectacular could seek out the recently unearthed fortress of Kuelap in northern Peru, a just rival to crowded Machu Picchu in the south.

The far-flung, jungle-clad temples of Cambodia are another option waiting to be discovered, as is the Javan temple of Borobudur.

The tourist sights voted most disappointing around the world were:

1. The Eiffel Tower

2. The Louvre (Mona Lisa)

3. Times Square

4. Las Ramblas, Spain

5. Statue of Liberty

6. Spanish Steps, Rome

7. The White House

8. The Pyramids, Egypt

9. The Brandenburg Gate, Germany

10. The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Do you agree/disagree? Do you have a place you would like to add to the list? Leave a comment.

Oh, and if you would like to suggest a really amasing tourist spot, which made you go 'wow', join our Facebook discussion on Your top 10 tourist spots

11 February 2009

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Comments

Saimi Bergmann, Ohio

Add the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen to the list.

20 May, 2009

Jennine Lewitzke, USA

I have been to a handful of the "most disappointing" tourist attractions, and I didn't think they were all that disappointing. I thought Stone Henge (which wasn't highlighted on the top 10 list, but in the post) was fascinating and definitely worth seeing. I do admit that the Mona Lisa was not what I expected, but also cool to see in "real life." The Eiffel Tower definitely shouldn't have been the most disappointing tourist spot in my opinion. It is much bigger than I expected it to be, and when it twinkles at night it is absolutely beautiful. I like to see the off the beaten path things in places I travel to, but I also can't pass up your stereo typical tourist spots. To me, there's a reason they're popular and crowed.

26 March, 2009

Vanessa M, Central London

When I visited the Louvre and saw how small the Mona Lisa was, I must admit, I did feel disappointed.

11 February, 2009

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