The conversation started with user “Lakuriqidites” posting on the “Travel” forum asking, “In what city or country did you have the ‘worst experience’ as a pedestrian?” Many users responded, highlighting the cities where they found walking most challenging.
Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, was the third destination mentioned, following Cairo in Egypt and Houston in the U.S.
While Hanoi is often praised as “a wonderful city,” it was also criticized for offering “the worst walking experience.”
Reddit user “Aceholio404” shared, “Hanoi is by far the worst walking experience I ever could have imagined. Sidewalks are literally covered with motorbikes or pop-up restaurant seating, which they quickly hide when the police come since it’s not allowed. You can’t walk a single block without having to step into the extremely busy streets.”
The user said Hanoi is a “good city” in a “great country” but described its walking conditions as particularly poor.
Other Southeast Asian destinations included in the discussion were Bali and Manila.
User nicknamed “A_panda_named_ewok” commented, “Manila was my knee-jerk response. The Philippines is beautiful, and the people are incredibly friendly, but crossing massive roads with no crosswalks feels like you’re risking your life.”
Another user, “sudoku602”, added, “I once had to take a taxi just to cross the road because there was no other way for pedestrians.”
Bali, known for its stunning beaches and religious temples, was criticized for being difficult to navigate on foot.
User “Legitimate_Map963” wrote “Bali is barely walkable in tourist areas—there are no sidewalks in 90% of places, and the traffic is heavy.”
“bb79” commented, “Bali gets my vote too. In Ubud, I was constantly wondering, ‘Where’s the footpath?’ Every building and shop seems to have a makeshift strip of narrow, disjointed tiles, concrete, or dirt, but most of the time, it’s easier to walk on the road.”
In April, Hanoi, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City were listed among the world’s top 100 best cities for walking, according to British tour operator GuruWalk.
The rankings were based on booking and search data from the GuruWalk website for 800 cities across 120 countries between April 2023 and April 2024. The company, which offers free walking tours worldwide, compiled the list by comparing bookings and page visits per destination.
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