Lonely Planet founder reveals the travel destinations he'll NEVER visit again
As one of the most respected voices in travel writing, Tony Wheeler has been helping tourists experience the world's most majestic sights since the early Seventies when he first founded Lonely Planet.
The holiday sage, now 78, regularly discusses his favourite places, and the destinations he's got no desire to visit - and his latest list is out.
While some might not surprise many, given global politics, the other two that have made Wheeler's no-go list are hugely popular tourist destinations.
In a blog post on his website, the Lonely Planet co-founder - he set the company up with his wife Maureen in 1973 but later sold it to BBC Worldwide, posted explaining exactly what's behind his decisions.
The post, entitled, I'm Not Going There Anymore, reveals that travelling at all by plane feels difficult as the threat of global warming increases, but admits he 'continues travelling and continues to feel guilty about it'.
The first two destinations on the list are Russia and Saudia Arabia. While the latter is investing heavily in wooing tourists with luxury hotels and high-end developments, it doesn't float Wheeler's boat - and he's frank about it.
He says while he had an interesting time when visiting in 2002, he has no wish to go back, and it's a similar story with Russia, with the Lonely Planet founder citing political stories about both countries that have left him voting with his feet.
The place those who read his books might be more surprised about? Indonesian island Bali.
'Sorry Bali,' he explains. 'There are so many good things about that Indonesian island and I've just had a great travel writers reunion trip there, but until they sort out the ridiculous traffic I never want to go back, unless there's a very good reason to drag me there.'
While he maintains he loves the art, food, shopping and cultural attractions on Bali, the jam between Kuta beach and Ubud has put him off for the forseeable.
And a place that he's visited dozens of times also gets short shrift, meaning he may not complete his quest to visit all 50 states.
Yes, the USA is off radar for the travel guru, with his visits to Missouri and Carolina likely to be his last for a while - well, at least the next four years.
He explained: 'Despite having spent nearly 10 years of my life living in the USA and despite having many American friends, I'm currently happy to leave the USA at the bottom of my dance card.'
He reveals it's the current president that's putting him off: 'Right now with the orange one (or even Donald Trump to some people) and his associated scoundrels running the place I really don't want to go there anymore.'
Wheeler and his wife Maureen sold Lonely Planet in 2007 to the BBC Worldwide in a deal worth £130million in 2007.
However, the commercial arm of the BBC later sold it to US company NC2 Media at a loss of nearly £80million. In 2020, the brand was acquired by Red Ventures.
Last year, the current batch of travel experts at Lonely Planet unveiled a wanderlust-inducing list of the 30 best places to visit in 2025 - and the US did make the cut.
Lonely Planet's Best In Travel 2025 book crowns the top ten countries, regions and cities to visit this year.
The rankings were curated by 'Lonely Planet experts, contributors from around the world and publishing partners', with the guide adding that the destinations have been chosen 'for their topicality, unique experiences, wow factor and ongoing commitment to sustainability, community and diversity'.
Cameroon topped the country ranking, with Lithuania in second place and Fiji snatching the bronze medal.
Pittsburgh came sixth in the city ranking, which was topped by Toulouse in France. East Anglia was declared the eighth-best region in the world.
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