Lonely Planet Co-Founder Bans These Four Travel Destinations Forever

For numerous people, the initial action we take when
planning a trip abroad
is to check out the location on Lonely Planet – or purchase one of the firm’s travel guides.

The publishing company has been operational since 1973 and was jointly established by Tony and Maureen Wheeler, individuals known for their sense of adventure.
travellers
.

One could say that both of them have traveled extensively around the globe, with Tony frequently being sought out for vacation suggestions due to his expertise. Recently, he suggested visiting Uluru.
Australian
outback, saying it’s ‘impressive’ and ‘magic’, as well as Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

However, there are also several places he claims he won’t be ‘going anymore’ and two of the countries on his list are incredibly popular with tourists.

Composing in a blog entry entitled,
‘I won’t be heading there again,’
Tony admitted feeling ‘guilty’ about traveling lately because his friends have chosen to ‘take care of the planet and avoid flying.’

At present, he has chosen to ‘keep traveling and keep feeling guilty about it,’ however, there are four locations that the 78-year-old has vowed never to visit again, including

Bali.

The
An Indonesian island is a favored destination for vacations.
Thanks to its stunning natural scenery featuring vivid azure waters and a rich variety of plants and animals. It’s typically seen as quite budget-friendly for travelers, yet for Tony, it has one significant drawback.

“I apologize, Bali,” he writes. “Despite all the wonderful aspects of that Indonesian island and my recent enjoyable experience at a travel writers’ reunion there, I have no desire to return until they address the absurd traffic situation. Unless a compelling enough reason comes up, I won’t be heading back.”

He goes on to enumerate all the ‘marvelous’ aspects of Bali such as its art, cuisine, shopping opportunities, and accommodation options. However, he also mentions that there’s absolutely no chance he would endure another two hours traveling from the Kuta beach area to Ubud.

Another location he won’t be returning to is the

USA

, even after dedicating several years to attempting visits across all 50 states — with trips to Missouri and South Carolina occurring last year.

Tony still needs to visit three more states before he completes his list of travels across the entire country (those being Alabama, Kansas, and Mississippi). However, making these final visits isn’t at the top of his current agenda.

“Even though I have spent almost a decade of my life in the USA and count many Americans as friends, I am presently content to keep the USA at the end of my list,” he explains, adding that this decision stems from
Trump
And his ‘accomplices’ who were in charge of the operation.

His other two big no-nos for travel right now probably won’t surprise many people:

Russia
and
Saudi Arabia
.

Tony mentions that he has visited Russia multiple times throughout the years, yet declares he will not go back “until Putin stops killing innocent individuals.”

And as for Saudia Arabia, he writes that there are ‘so many reasons’ he never wants to go there, from the ‘murdering of journalists’ to ‘cheetahs being shipped to Saudi Arabia to be kept as pets’.

This comes after

iNDONEWSIAN.COM

travel writer
Alice Murphy
, revealed the
One nation she would never return to
— and intriguingly, this was one that did not appear on Tony’s list.

Alice, who has traveled to 50 distinct countries, mentioned that Qatar is the sole destination from which she has no wish to revisit, finding it too ‘sterile’ and somewhat ‘dreary’.

She stated: ‘The initial indication was the quietness.’
Doha
It wasn’t really my type of city. More precisely, the specific sort of quiet that lingers in the atmosphere of deserted streets. The wide avenues of the capital city in this Gulf state are lined with rows of expensive automobiles, customized ones included.
Rolls Royces
And cherry-red Maseratis shining beneath the Arabian sun. Yet next to them, the sidewalks stand deserted, for people do not walk the streets of Qatar.

‘I found myself thinking that this car-focused environment transforms a visually stunning metropolis into something coldly impersonal—a vast expanse of glass towers devoid of much street-level vitality. The only individuals you see outdoors are construction workers, their heads wrapped in fabric to shield themselves from the relentless sunlight.’

‘The atmosphere at the Souk Waqif, a historic marketplace ranked among Doha’s premier attractions which I had eagerly anticipated visiting, was equally bleak. Although it reportedly dates back to the 19th century, its sandstone passageways have undergone such extensive modernization that they now resemble an overly sanitized version of Disneyland. Unlike the lively bazaars found in Jerusalem and Marrakech, this place seems somewhat lacking in character.’

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