Travel expert Tony Wheeler has an impressive tally of over 170 countries, but has identified four locations that he hasn't intended to revisit. Tony, co-founder of the famous guidebook series Lonely Planet, has devoted over 50 years to glove trotting, but has ruled out returning to several spots.
Along with his wife Maureen, the travel experts began their travel empire in 1973 by publishing cheaply across Asia and eventually selling Lonely Planet to the BBC in 2007.
On his blog Tony Wheeler's trip, he recounts the war, unreliable local transport and political turmoil discouraged him from planning future visits to four places he has visited in the past.
Russia
For Russia, which has been engaged in conflict with Ukraine since the 2022 invasion, he said he would continue to leave, saying, “as long as we are attacking Ukraine together with North Korea and the US,” and “as long as Vladimir Putin continues to kill innocent people.”
The UK Foreign Office warns against all journeys to Russia due to continued military action and the possibility of drone attacks and terrorist attacks.
Saudi Arabia
Regarding Saudi Arabia, veteran travelers cited “many reasons” to exclude them from their future plans. The number of tourists reached 30 million last year, but despite this, the state is facing serious scrutiny on its human rights track record, Mirror reports.
Tony announced the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul in 2018, and released reports that Saudi Arabians had murdered East African domestic workers as part of their reasons for blacklisting certain destinations.
He said: “On my own trip to Somaliland in 2022, I ran into a cheetah who was saved from being shipped to Saudi Arabia to be kept as a pet and was killed when they grew too big.”
Bali
Despite his status as a gap year and an idyllic escape for the British on a gorgeous holiday, Tony argues that his struggle with Indonesian island infrastructure is less appealing.
He said: “There are so many good things on Bali, that Indonesian island, and I've just had a great travel writer reunion there, but I never want to go back until they sort out the ridiculous traffic.”
united states of america
Though a favorite among European travelers, Tony was surprisingly critical and on his list of places to avoid. Despite exploring almost every state, he refuses to step into the country again during Donald Trump's presidency.
He added:
“Even though I spent nearly a decade of my life living in America (Midwest, East Coast, West Coast), and I had many American friends, I am happy to be able to leave America at the bottom of my dance cards now.”
