We've visited 47 countries. These are the 5 we don't plan to revisit.

Nathan: There's a lot of uncertainty when traveling.

Your environment is constantly changing, and when you're in that situation, you're just more prone to little mistakes — ones that can turn into huge problems, depending on when and where they happen.

Traveling on a budget can be difficult, too. Budget flights are not always on time or give you a proper heads-up when there's a delay. We've missed flights, had them canceled, or even boarded trains only to find a strike.

Alicia: We've also had our fair share of Airbnbs that looked glamorous in the photos, but when we arrived, they were nothing like what we expected.

Nathan: When we travel, we take the good with the bad, and honestly, we would return to almost every place we've visited. Still, there are some destinations where, we pause to think — Is it worth the challenges for just one vacation?

Alicia: We visited Egypt at the end of 2021, flying in from Europe with plans to return there afterward.

When we arrived, we ran into a confusing visa situation — we're still not entirely sure what happened. Thankfully, a family friend was able to help us navigate it.

We spent about two weeks in Egypt, mostly in Cairo and Luxor. We visited some main tourist spots like the pyramids, did some sightseeing, went on a food tour, and even rode horses through the desert.

We were also staying with a family friend, so we got to experience some local activities, like attending polo matches.

We usually do a lot of DIY travel without guides or tours unless it's for something specific. But in Egypt, we had guides the whole time because it was hard to know where we were allowed to go and whether taking photos or walking in certain areas was OK.

Nathan: It's hard to say we wouldn't return to Egypt — it's such a beautiful country, and we had an incredible time with our host family. However, for us, it was one of the most difficult countries to get around.

Mexico

Nathan: Mexico's weather is great, the food is incredible, and it's such a beautiful place. The culture is wonderful, and we've experienced some incredible things like visiting World Wonders.

Alicia: While we love Mexico, we've had things stolen from us both times we've visited.

In 2020, our Airbnb was broken into, and they stole our computers, cameras — basically everything. We had to file insurance claims and cancel the rest of our trip. It turned into a huge ordeal.

When we visited in 2023, our phone was pickpocketed while we were out in Playa del Carmen. We had Find My iPhone on, so we could see exactly where it was, but there wasn't much we could do about it.

The theft happened roughly halfway through our monthlong trip, which we eventually had to cancel.

Nathan: Every time we've had a bad experience — whether in Mexico or anywhere else — we've always been met with equal or even greater kindness.

When we were pickpocketed in Mexico, we didn't even tell our hotel what had happened — we just asked how to file a police report. Still, about 30 minutes later, they came up to us with a care package. They even sent a bottle of wine to our room and gave us both complimentary massages the next day.

Alicia: We've been to China twice now. Even though about a billion people live there, it's one of the quietest countries we've visited. The locals are incredibly welcoming and helpful —everyone wanted to make sure we weren't lost.

Still, it can be tough to get around or find information. We couldn't access Gmail or any Google services, even with a VPN or a SIM card from outside the country.

Nathan: Apple Maps works, but only when you're in the country. We ended up buying a Lonely Planet guide, which was pretty outdated. We'd take the coordinates from the book and plug them into Apple Maps, but sometimes, it didn't work.

It's also difficult to find recent or accurate information about restaurants, transportation, or even visa requirements in the country — things are constantly changing.

Multiple times, we tried to go to a restaurant that either wasn't where it was listed, wasn't open during the posted hours, or had permanently closed.

Alicia: On one of our trips, we got "stuck" in the country for about 24 hours because of a visa issue. We had to cancel our original flights and take a new route home. We estimate it cost us around $3,000, not including the money we lost on our original flights.

Nathan: It took us about 54 hours on six separate flights to leave the country. We were just trying to find the most affordable — though definitely the most inconvenient — way home.

Alicia: We've traveled extensively throughout Colombia and have been there several times. It's such a beautiful country, and I always feel really welcome there.

Nathan: We've been on a road trip through the country, which was great. We always love it when a country is drivable.

Alicia: When we visited Colombia, we stayed in a mix of Airbnb and apartments. Some of them were great, but we had to move a couple of times because the Airbnb wasn't what we expected.

Like many countries, Colombia has its share of political unrest. Sometimes, we'd be walking to a restaurant, and suddenly, a protest would come down the street — 100 or 200 people waving flags and chanting.

There were also strikes. We couldn't get a taxi a few times because the drivers weren't working because they demanded fair pay or better benefits, or the grocery stores didn't have eggs because farmers were striking.

While we sympathize with the locals and want them to have better wages and a better quality of life, it can — at times — make traveling there difficult.

Alicia: Now that we've traveled all over the world, traveling in the US just isn't that enjoyable — mainly because of how expensive it is.

You could easily spend $500 in a single day between a hotel room, transportation, food, and sightseeing. Meanwhile, that same $500 could last you a week in Thailand.

Nathan: Something else we've heard from our friends from other countries is that healthcare is one of the biggest concerns about traveling in the US. Medical care here is insanely expensive, so if anything happens to you, it can be financially crippling.

Alicia: Transportation in the US also isn't easy. You almost always need to rent a car, and then on top of that, you have to pay for parking and gas — it adds up quickly.

Nathan: In some countries, public transportation is so good that it makes getting around incredibly easy. However, in the US, reliable or convenient public transit can vary wildly depending on your location.

For example, when we were in Japan, it was so easy—you could go anywhere without needing a car.