12 Cliché Vacation Spots That Deserve Another Chance

This ancient city is the top spot in Italy to go to, and even on my first trip there, I wasn't very keen on it. There are stories of it being dirty, dangerous, and underwhelming, but these claims are highly unjustified. Upon my second trip there, I finally understood its charm. To walk streets that are historic and nostalgic is incredibly romantic — and there's no better golden hour than one in Rome. When the sun comes up over the Forum and hits the stone just right, it makes the entire trip worth it. St. Peter's Basilica is absolutely worth the wait in the long line to get in.

With over 21 million visitors in 2016, Bangkok was officially the most visited city in the world. With that factor alone, many might swear off this Southeast Asian location as too populous and overwhelming. To miss Bangkok would be a mistake. It's been said to be one of the best examples of the old and the new, and the incredible culture of Bangkok deserves to be experienced. You can spend your afternoon exploring the many temples and then party the night away at Khao San Road. You can taste the delights of street food for as little as 24 cents or splurge at a high-rise like Sky Bar. Rushing through the streets on a colorful tuk-tuk is an experience you can't find in many places but Bangkok.

Costa Rica may be seen as one of the easiest Central American countries to go to because it's the most commercialized for tourists. While that may be true, it makes life a bit easier when trying to get a taste of Latin America if you're not well-versed in Spanish or prepared to get too out of your comfort zone. As Costa Rica is an entire country and not just a single city, going to multiple locations on your tour will give you a sense of the landmass. Manuel Antonio on the coast is where you'll get your beach vacation while Monteverde in the forest can be where you can soar through the trees on a zip-line.

London was the second most visited city in the world in 2016, so clearly it is insanely popular. For Harry Potter-lovers, Anglophiles, and just the average English-speaking traveler who wants to go somewhere with the same language, it's heaven. Although there are some that scoff at what they consider to be an overhyped city, they couldn't be more wrong. There is brilliance even in the most obvious of tourist destinations like Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. But then London holds many secrets inside it as well. As Samuel Johnson said in 1777, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." And 240 years later, that still stands. Whether it's exploring a quirky neighborhood like Shoreditch or grabbing lunch at Maltby Street Market on a Sunday, you can never run out of things to do.

Another Thailand location that gets a bad rap for the amount of tourists that flock to it every year is Ko Phi Phi Don. This island cluster is a two-hour boat ride off the coast of Phuket and one of the more popular of the Thai islands. Many hardcore travelers would tell you to go to one of the other areas of South Thailand such as Ko Samui or Ko Lanta, but there's an argument to be made for Phi Phi. Because of its popularity, it has a few more amenities than many of the other islands and it's a good place to station yourself if you do perhaps want to go island hopping. It's a bright, vivid town with plenty of options for excursions. And the famous Maya Bay (used in the Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach) is nearby for those who need an epic background for their trip photos.

The city of love and light may be the first one people roll their eyes over when they think of a cliché place to go. I thought that too before I went for the first time. Upon leaving the train station and walking into the city, all those feelings disappeared. Paris is perfect. The Haussmann architecture from the late 1800s reinvented the entire city and it gives it a very regal vibe. A ride up the Eiffel Tower is definitely worth it on a sunny day. You can spend hours in the Louvre and only cover a small portion of it. But the real magic comes from walking down back streets and discovering something unexpected and beautiful.