Welcome to the TravelPod forums

[introducinlyric]

i posted this on my twitter over a week ago but i thought id post it here too
i could not stop laughing at Ben's opening paragraph (ive put in bold) about Canberra - its SO true
for that alone i had to post and share

10 capital cities that suck


As an Australian, I feel eminently qualified to comment on this - because we've got Canberra. And you'd have to agree, unless you're wildly passionate about roundabouts, satellite towns or funny buildings with grass on the roof, Canberra's not that great.
I mean sure, it has its charms (I'm being diplomatic here - I have no idea what they are). But if you were a tourist excited about visiting Australia's capital city, you'd feel pretty let down.

Canberra's not alone though. There are plenty of the world's capital cities that suck.

At its best, a capital can represent everything that's good about a country. Thousands of years of history and culture can be distilled into one thriving, buzzing metropolis. Go to Paris, or Delhi, or Buenos Aires, or Beijing, or Ouagadougou (sorry, I've just always wanted to type that), and you'll know exactly what their respective country is all about.

These, on the other hand ...


Pretoria, South Africa
South Africa's got a lot going for it: incredible game parks, beautiful coastlines and beaches, towering mountain ranges, the rich culture of the Zulus, Xhosa and hundreds more. None of which you'll find in Pretoria. It's close to Johannesburg, though, where you can ... ah, forget it.

Washington DC, USA
DC's OK. But when you've got the buzzing "centre of the universe" in New York just a short flight north, the cosmopolitan cool of Boston a bit further up, and even the rough charm of Philadelphia close by, you have to look at what you get in DC: the Smithsonian, fair enough, Capitol Hill, the Washington Monument ... that's one day filled up. Now what? Witness a mugging?

Suva, Fiji
Admittedly, something's gone amiss with your holiday planning if you're going to Fiji to spend time in the cities. But still, there's not much to recommend Suva. Unless fresh food markets and political instability are your thing.

Lima, Peru
Peru's an amazing place. Every traveller should see the beauty of the Andes (not to mention Machu Picchu), the mystery of the Nazca Lines, the floating villages of Lake Titicaca, and taste the beer of Arequipa. Unfortunately, most travellers will have to get through Lima to do it.

Ottawa, Canada
Ottawa suffers a serious case of Canberra Syndrome. Most people don't even know it's the capital. And what's in Ottawa? I dunno. Never been there. Has anyone?

Nairobi, Kenya
Anyone who's spent any serious time in Nairobi will have a mugging story to tell, whether it be them or their friends or workmates. And if it's not the petty crime that'll get you, it'll be a rusted old matatu rattling along the potholed roads. There's plenty of beauty in Kenya - none of it's in Nairobi.

Bern, Switzerland
Like DC, Bern's OK. If you just flew out of Australia and into Bern, and didn't see anything else, you'd think it was great. But if you realised what else Switzerland had to offer - Lucerne, Lake Thun, Interlaken, even Zurich - you'd wonder why you even bothered.

Brasilia, Brazil
From the air, Brasilia apparently looks like it's shaped like an aeroplane. And that, right there, is the one interesting fact about Brazil's capital city. Talk to any Brazilian - they'll tell you to avoid the place like a one-piece swimsuit.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Meh. It's all right. The shopping's good, if that's what you're into. The food's pretty good if you know where you're going. But after a day or two, you'll find yourself running out of things to do. And given what the rest of the country has to offer, there's not much point hanging around to dig deeper.

Zagreb, Croatia
Everyone raves about Croatia, and rightly so. They rave about its beaches, its seaside villages, its crystal-clear waters and its beautiful islands. But you don't often hear people mention Zagreb. There's a reason for that ...

What's your take? Which capital cities suck? What are your favourites/least favourites?


you can read more of Ben Groundwater's articles at The Backpacker

[kili-kelly]

I am sad to say that Dodoma, Tanzania should be on that list. Dar es Salaam is the center of everything in Tanzania except for where the government meets.

[kitkatgo]

I'm being a bit silly here. I know we're supposed to be talking about countries...but I just can't help myself:

Why, oh why, did they pick Sacramento as the capital of California? Why not Los Angeles or San Francisco? I mean, really!

p.s. I disagree about Washington, DC. While his point is well taken about muggings, you can spend more than one day at the Smithsonian alone.

[kathryn77]

I must say, I avoided Brasilia when in Brazil....Canberra in Australia....and was forced through Lima - all as described

I deliberately went to Kuala Lumpur though....for the reason I stipulated at the start of this blog (and for the subject title I could therefore give it as a result )

I don't know if it was my reason for going and the hilarity (to myself!).....or the fact it was Chinese New Year when I was there....but I had a good time there!

[semi-backpacker]

San Jose, Costa Rica is my least favorite capital city.

[barsie]

I've got to disagree with Kuala Lumpur, I love the place. Not even sure why but it's good and I really want to go back.

[greekcypriot]

I start to get scared after reading about Nairobi, because I am going there the end of June.
We shall be guests actually, but do you think it is that bad?!!!

When back I will let everybody know... if not

[whereshegoes]

Athens. Rudest people ever. And dead birds everywhere. Well, that was my experience anyway.

[skylab]

Vientiane, Laos. Just wasn't for me I suppose.

[purplebuggy]

Canberra - agree that it's totally boring but still, what other country can say their capital city was a) built on a sheep station and b) built purposely because two other cities couldn't agree which one should be the capital so they just started a new city between them. I like that logic, lol.
And I seem to chose my countries well, not only am I an Aussie but an expat to South Africa! (though I do skip through Pretoria and Jo'Burg in all honesty)