Top 10 Places to Avoid in 2018

During President Obama’s administration, the rules for Americans travelling to Cuba were relaxed, making it possible for US citizens to visit the Caribbean nation. Under President Trump however, some new rules were introduced which made it difficult again. While it is still legal, all of the rules and restrictions you’d have to follow mean that your vacation won’t exactly be relaxing. On top of that, a mysterious illness that plagued the US embassy in Cuba made many wonder if it was an intentional attack. There are plenty of other places to have fun in the sun - so maybe you should just skip this one this year.

The Great Wall of China is unquestionably one of the most incredible man made feats in humanity’s history, but if you’re hoping to visit, 2018 is not your year. Like many of the world’s other wondrous feats of construction, The Great Wall is now at risk due to a variety of factors, one of which is tourism. Many sections of the wall are in need of repair, and attention is being brought to the issue of preservation. Many people who visit the wall do so through the nearby city of Beijing, but due to extreme pollution and smog conditions, we’d recommend skipping your visit there all together.

Many of the locations on Fodor’s No List for 2018 were placed there out of consideration for the citizens of the cities and countries in question, but in this case, they’re just looking out for your safety. This Central American nation is located just beside tourist hotspots like Belize, but in recent years it has gained a reputation for being one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Murder rates are through the roof, meaning that it would be unwise for anyone to visit without good reason. What’s more frightening is that the violence often comes at the hands of the country’s own police officers. Worse still, members of the LGBTQ+ community are often victims of these crimes.

You wouldn’t expect to see a place in the United States labeled too dangerous to travel to, but that’s where we find ourselves in 2018. The state of Missouri has been in the news for the last few years because of police violence, with the shooting death of Michael Brown and the ensuing Ferguson protests fresh in people’s minds. Nimrod Chapel, Jr., who is the head of the state’s chapter of the NAACP, recommends travellers not visit because of the threat of violence to a variety of minority communities. On top of that, the state recently passed SB 43, which was a serious hit for workers’ rights.

Adventurers from around the world have long flocked to Mount Everest, hoping to conquer the world’s tallest mountain. What many may not realize before they dive into their research, however, is that not only is attempting to climb Everest dangerous, it’s also incredibly expensive. All things considered, travellers often spent between $25 and $50 thousand dollars completing the trip, and many don’t even make it out alive. Some blame climate change, but it seems that the trek has become even more treacherous in recent years.

Fodor’s admits that as recently as 2013, they had been recommending Myanmar (or the nation formerly known as Burma) as an alternative to some of the more popular and therefore crowded locations in Southeast Asia. It even made it on their Go List that year! For 2018 though, it has switched over to the No List due to extreme human rights violations that many have deemed a genocide. The Rohingya people, who are a minority Muslim community in the country, have been persecuted and driven away, causing a state of unrest that no traveler wants to be a part of.

Travelling to beautiful Thailand is at the top of many tourists’ bucket lists, but there’s at least one spot in the country that travellers should avoid for the foreseeable future. Ao Phang Nga National Park is one of the most recognizable and most photographed destinations in the Southeast Asian nation, but the Thai government recently announced that it was far from thriving. Due to tourist overload, the area suffers from pollution and negative interactions between visitors and the local wildlife. In order for this area to recover, it will need some quiet time for the next few years.

Built in the 17th century, the Taj Mahal is undoubtedly one of the most iconic buildings in the world. Who hasn’t dreamed of visiting this unreal spot? Because it’s hundreds of years old however, it understandably needs a little upkeep every now and then. The Archeological Survey of India recently decided that the building would need mud treatments to eliminate the yellow hue from its walls. It looks like the procedure will get under way in March of 2018, so unless you want your Insta pics to feature a bunch of mud and construction materials, we’re advising you to save this dream trip for another year.

Sadly, some of the top locations on the No List this year are the ones that have become quite popular with tourists recently. And that’s exactly why they’re suffering. Tourism should, in theory, be a positive for local economies, but sometimes the harm that travellers do outweighs the good. Koh Tachai in Thailand is closed to tourists because of the damage they’ve caused, and cruise ships are now banned from docking in Venice, after many protests and unrest. There are also now regulations in place for how long you can stay at Machu Picchu, and Amsterdam is trying to figure out how to stop visitors from coming.

This archipelago has long been known for its natural beauty and wealth of unique animal species, as well as for being the place that Charles Darwin used as inspiration for his theory of evolution. The pristine nature of the Galápagos Islands is what draws visitors there, but sadly travellers can’t seem to follow the rules when it comes to the conservation of this location. In order to preserve the flora and fauna native to the area, tourists are already under strict rules, but any interaction with the outside world can disturb the fragile balance of the ecosystem there. Let’s try to save this spot for generations to come.