As a traveler, I admit to having a bias towards tropical destinations - there’s something about the lush vegetation, diverse wildlife, exotic butterflies and colorful landscapes of the tropics that captivates me. Some of my favorite tropical destinations include Costa Rica, Ghana, Thailand, Mexico and Ecuador to name a few. Here’s a chance to vote for your favorite tropical vacation destination.[poll id=7]

LISTMANIA - One of the most popular crazes in our culture is compiling lists. People publish lists of many different things, ranging from the worst Beatle songs of all times to the top 10 reasons why George Bush will be remembered as the worst President in US history. There is even a list circulating on the internet on the top ten positions of having sexual intercourse. Of course, there are have been numerous lists compiled in the Travel Genre, and because I am a traveler and have been in the travel business a good portion of my life, I have decided to create some of my own unique travel lists. Are you ready for my first list?

…….. My 10 least favorite beach resorts of all time…………………….

#1 Pattaya (Thailand) - Sleazy, ugly and noisy beach resort; beaches are dirty and polluted. Way too many beer bars, strips clubs, Thai girls selling their body and drunken pot bellied farangs looking for cheap sex.

#2 Puerto Vallarta (Mexico) – Once a quaint beach town (way back when), development has gotten out of hand. The resort area spreads for miles and miles

#3 Jaco (Costa Rica) - beaches are polluted and not very appealing. Too many bars, loud American tourists, spring breakers and lousy restaurants

#4 Ocho Rios (Jamaica) – Fort Lauderdale, Jamaican style. Devoid of any real personality and a little bit too manicured for my tastes. Main beach is manmade and very antiseptic.

#5 Cancun(Mexico) – beautiful white sand beaches and turquoise waters, but the whole scene is very artificial and plastic - too many juvenile bars and clubs, too much traffic and far too many spring breakers and girls gone wild crowd

#6 Rosarito Beach (Baja California, Mexico) located about 1/2 hour from Tijuana – mediocre beach, nothing really special about this place

#7 San Jose del Cabo (Baja California, Mexico) The dirty gray sand beaches are very unappealing and the most of the resort hotels in this are nothing to write home about

#8 Ixtapa(Mexico) – Lovely beach, fairly quiet scene but the tourism development here is even more plastic and sterile than Cancun.

#9 Paradise Island, Nassau (Bahamas) - beautiful beach with many luxury resorts but too many plastic and phony people who think they are big shots congregate here

#10 Patong/Karon Beach (Phuket, Thailand) - Phuket is Thailand’s answer to Cancun and Patong/Karon are the two most popular resort areas. A tamer and more sanitized version of Pattaya. Nice beaches but way too many shops, shops and more shops.

Keep in mind, that my tastes and preferences may be different than yours as this is a very subjective thing. My choices probably are more of a reflection of my personality and are limited to the places I have actually visited. As a wise monkey by the name of Papa Mono once said – “One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure.”

What are your 10 least favorite beach resorts of all time?

I consider myself a seasoned traveler – however the total number of countries that I have visited in my short life is only 25. Now that is considerably more than a lot of people that I know, but really falls short compared to some seasoned travelers that I have met on the road. See Resume of a Traveler.

I attribute my rather low total due to the fact that unlike other travelers, I have never been to Europe, where there are so many countries packed into a small geographical area – Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Denmark, Belgium, Andorra, Poland, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Andorra, Austria etc - and I have been a repeat traveler to many of the countries that I have visited – that includes Jamaica (over 30 times), Mexico (about 20 times), Thailand (8 times) and Costa Rica and Barbados (7 times each) rather than visiting a new destination from trip to trip. Another way of looking at this is that I favor quality over quantity.

Now I was really blown away by the travel resume of Dean Oman – this young fellow has visited over 100 countries. Now Dean, who chronologically is a little younger than yours truly, looks to be the measuring stick of a seasoned traveler. For really interesting reading check out his World according to Dean - travel summaries and maps to over 100 different countries. Some very interesting reading; I have bookmarked his site.

Looks like I have a little bit of catching up to do in the 2nd half of my life, if i want to reach my goal of 100 countries. Oh well…

It’s been over a year since I returned from my epic 2½ week adventure to South America, where I visited both Peru and Ecuador. The memories will always be with me, as I have already produced two travel videos on PERU, and I have just completed a very artistic travel piece on ECUADOR. The new video features the older section of Quito - a UNESCO World Heritage site; Otavalo - two hours away from Quito and site of the most popular Indian artisan market in Ecuador (with the magnificent Mount Imbabura looming over the town), and Mindo- a popular mountain resort, and a longtime favorite with birdwatching enthusiasts. I am hoping to return to South America sometime next year (funds willing) – Brazil is next on my list.

Please note: The travel video on Ecuador is a wee bit long at 11 minutes but I suggest you watch it in its entirety. It is that good!

Actually the title of this post should be the most distasteful beach resorts that I have visited. Of course, my opinion is subjective and you may disagree with my choices. After all beauty is in the eye of the beholder and one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure. Please note: I have never been to Honolulu, so that’s why it didn’t make my list.
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1. Cancun (Mexico)
   The only redeeming things about this mega resort are the magnificent white sand beaches and turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. The sand really looks like freshly fallen snow. The resort area is very synthetic and plastic - one tacky high-rise hotel after another, many built to resemble a Mayan pyramid, march up and down the strip like ants. The resort area is saturated with noisy, juvenile bars, discothèques and nightclubs, and sprawling shopping complexes clutter the landscape.
2. Pattaya (Thailand)
   A favorite haven of sex tourists and budget European package tourists, Pattaya has to be one of the sleaziest beach resorts in the world. The beaches are polluted, traffic is horrendous and the landscape has been stripped of its natural vegetation to accommodate an overwhelming number of noisy beer bars, strip clubs, Gogo bars, nightclubs and cheap hotels and shops. One encounters way too many loud and obnoxious Tigers selling their bodies. The only redeeming thing about Pattaya is your monies will go a long way there.
3. Puerto Vallarta (Mexico)
   At one time this used to be a very picturesque and charming resort town. Not any more. Due to overdevelopment, it has become one big sprawling amorphous blob spreading up and down the coast. Like Cancun, there are far too many shopping centers, noisy bars and discothèques. One redeeming thing about PV - at least you have the feeling of being in Mexico and not some plastic, fabricated resort.
4. Patong-Karon, Phuket (Thailand)
   Phuket is Thailand’s internationally acclaimed playground; outside of Bangkok, more tourists travel here than anywhere else in the Land of Smiles. Patong-Karon, the most popular resort areas, are cluttered with shops, shops and more shops. Patong is a more sanitized (and tamer) version of Pattaya with a good selection of beer bars, discothèques and strip clubs and lots of Thai gals selling sex. Can be a fun place for a couple of days and at least, the beaches are halfway decent.
5. Jaco Beach (Costa Rica)
   Costa Rica’s tackiest beach resort. The beaches are polluted, and the hotels are mostly budget affairs of fairly low quality. Popular with the spring break crowd, party animals and Tico families, there is an assortment of noisy watering holes and bars on the strip. One redeeming factor about Jaco - it is the least expensive beach resort in Costa Rica
6. Ocho Rios (Jamaica)
   Popular with the mainstream tourist and package tourist crowd, Ocho Rios is your quintessential middle of the road resort. It is by far, the least Jamaican of “The Big 3 Resorts” on Jamaica’s North Coast - seems more a like a mini Ft. Lauderdale transplanted to a more tropical setting. In addition, the main beach is one of the most antiseptic and sterile beaches on the island. One redeeming factor - the Hibiscus Lodge and the Jamaica Inn are two of the classiest hotels in Jamaica.