Tourist traps to avoid in Canada, US, Hong Kong and Thailand

Posted on by Lifeoutsidetheinbox

We’ve all been there, we pay a hefty fee for admission only to be disappointed by mediocre exhibits in tourist traps. In my own opinion, here are some tourist traps to avoid in Canada, US, Hong Kong and Thailand that I would not recommend and maybe some alternatives to consider:

Toronto

  • Let’s start local. The CN Tower in no doubt 10645242_10152482746098391_3219195082362624852_noffers a great view of the city, but it costs at least $35 to get up to the first tier. Unless you’re there for the EdgeWalk, I’d suggest putting the $35 towards dinner with a view at The One Eighty located on the 51st floor of the Manulife Centre.
  • Ontario Science Center, as a child this used to be my favourite place but it’s become a bit run down. Many of the exhibits are either old or out of order. I would, however, recommend watching a movie in the IMAX dome. Family and couple friendly atmosphere.
  • Casa Loma is beautiful and if you enjoy looking at architecture, I would still recommend it. But walking around the castle comes with an entrance fee of $24 with only recorded audio self-guided tours. If you’re interested in a more realistic understanding of life in the 1800’s, visit the Spadina Museum right next door for $9 with intimate guided tours.

San Francisco

  • Aquarium of the Bay, unless you have a CityPass, I would not recommend paying full price here. There’s not too much to see with small exhibits. Instead, if you don’t mind the distance, go to the Exploratorium where you can see additional ecosystems.

Chicago

  • The SkyDeck of Willis Tower costs $19 for admission which I 20130727_123423_Richtone(HDR)think is a great deal compared to the CN Tower, but if you’re looking for a building to go up and just see the view of Chicago, why not try the John Hancock tower for $13 admission?

Hong Kong

  • Hong Kong Space Museum, single level museum and you walk in a circle. Same situation as above with one or two exhibits worth trying (like the moon walk). If you’d like, you can always visit on a Wednesday when admission is free!
  • Ladies Market on Tung Choi Street is described as the best place to score great deals. Unfortunately you only believe that because a little bargaining and they can “cut the price in half”. If you go a little further, you’ll find a similar street Fa Yuen Street, more suited for locals with better deals, though much shorter.

Thailand

  • Dream World in Thanyaburi district, Pathum IMG_1878Thani province. I really don’t know what we were thinking when we chose to go to Dream World considering we have Wonderland in Canada. Unless you’ve never been to any amusement parks before, this one is not worth going to. They offer typical rides you can find at any North American amusement parks.
  • Ayutthaya Floating Market, this particular floating market is not the authentic experience and it was designed for tourists…though I understand it works better for the locals to ensure you don’t get charged tourist prices. The only “floating” there is, is that there are minimal vendors in boats and the market is just built on top of water.
  • Please do not pay to take photos with animals. It’s just not natural to have a tiger or a monkey chained up for our entertainment and it should not be encouraged. Think of all the abuse they must’ve went through to instill fear in them.

Of course, these views are my own and some may not consider these to be tourist traps. I’d love to hear your experiences, both good and bad, in the comment section below!

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