By this I mean the overstimulation of the senses that happens while you are there.
My answer is probably Old Delhi. From the sheer population density, the near-constant honking, the utter chaos on the streets, the panoply of religions and ethnicities, the myriad scents and colours that pass you by as you travel down the narrow lanes, and not least the choking air pollution, it is certain to keep you on edge, not necessarily in a bad way.
Are there other cities that come close to, or even surpass, this?
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big jeet cities. something about the jeets
Off the top of my head: Delhi Istanbul Hanoi
I wouldn’t say Istanbul rates compared to Delhi and Hanoi (or much more, Saigon). It’s downright orderly and calm in contrast.
Hanoi is fine
Also thought hanoi was fine
I think the sheer volume of motorcycles and the difficulty of crossing the street can be very overwhelming for people.
The scooter traffic is mad, but it’s a lovely city.
Was going to say Hanoi. I don’t know why people characterise it as this tranquil quaint little place - it was madness when I visited.
Hanoi is chill comparing to HCMC .
Cairo
Came here to post this. Surely tops the list on overwhelmingness. Even the crazy cities in India are gentler.
The traffic is insane, like streams in a river mixed with crashing waves. The tourist traps are unrelenting and the food was not great. I was also there a couple of weeks before Morsi was overthrown so there was tear gas etc down the way
Yep, came here to nominate my beloved Cairo <3 It is a lot … and has everything from the beginning of time until yesterday, fascinating, maddening, overwhelming …
I hear egypt gets pretty spectacular once you get out into the wilderness.
Second Cairo
I was just there and my stress level floor was far higher than usual. Just constant sensory overload.
Glastonbury festival
I went to my first glastonbury this past summer and loved it, so I’m going again in 24. However, I don’t get why you have all these down votes. The farm is turned into a massive city for 5 days, and can definitely be too overwhelming for some people
Thanks. I felt like I had been to war the year I went. It was a muddy year when I went but the sheer size of and number of people it was overwhelming for me. It made me realise I prefer smaller festivals.
I went to CDMX and it was pretty overstimulating. On the way back I stayed with my friend in Brooklyn and I was like “ahhh so peaceful”
I’m going to Delhi in a couple months, and I’ll be with a group, but I am coming in after a long redeye and I am ready to be overstimulated!
What is CDMX?
Ciudad de México - México City
Have been to bothCDMX and Delhi, Delhi is way way more overstimulating than CDMX! Be prepared :)
Saigon and Hanoi = overwhelming noise and air pollution and inability to cross the streets or even use a sidewalk (motos drive on them too).
Saigon/Hanoi I found pretty relaxed compared to Thailand, Indonesia. South East Asia was much easier than North India. South India is a bit easier in the senses.
Delhi! That city is madness. But I kinda like for a little bit, I’m sure it’s too much for a lot of people and even for locals. I am from Bangkok and lived in Singapore and US. I think Bangkok is a lot. But Delhi is another level. Coming back to Bangkok felt like “normal”.
Bangkok public transport is easy, clean and simple. Delhi public transport is an experience, and if you’re not Indian ethnicity you’ll be a spectacle.
I think the Delhi metro is the most normal/straightforward part of traveling to the city. It just seems like the same kind of metro that other cities and countries have. Taking the autorickshaws is a whole other can of worms but that’s not really public transport.
Totally agree on Bangkok being cleaner and more organized though. I know a lot of Indian-Thais, and they’re always like “it’s SO MUCH CLEANER HERE”.
Damn, that metro sticks in my mind. Mostly for one reason.
You know that “protocol” where people boarding should let people off first?
Well, on a scale of 1 (impatient ) to 10 (Japan level politeness) NYC scores about 6 and Delhi scores -100 (minus 100).
To exit at a busy station, I had to really put my shoulder into it and channel “the refrigerator” William Perry.
What about Singapore?
Tokyo
New York City and Las Vegas
I’m from NYC, and I found Bangkok pretty overwhelming at first.
Had a panic attack walking along the street after just arriving, never had one before but fuck it was random haha.
Love Bangkok and Thailand in general though!
I love Thailand too, but I got into Bangkok late, I was hungry and just looking for food to fill my belly I was overwhelmed by all the options, smells, sounds, etc.
Bangkok is terrible when you‘re hungry & a little on edge.
Same Bangkok was a lot for me
Bangkok is tame compared to HCMC
Hanoi is also pretty wild.
Bangkok is downright pleasant if you stay next to a BTS stop.
HCMC
What is that?
Ho Chi Minh City.
Yeah it reminded me of Blade Runner, and not in a good way
I adore Bangkok, and I don’t think it was that bad at all.
Sure some streets were busy, but I feel like that’s the same everywhere where you have 5m+ people.
And all the little roads apart from the main roads to me felt pretty chill. Not even the skytrain was that busy.
Havent been to Old Delhi but I found Hanoi to be quite overwhelming
Kampala, Uganda. Can be extremely chaotic.
Was born in NYC and what shocked me was tokyo. It just felt like a much much much better new York. I was shocked how clean it was and how safe for being so dense.
I have had a million culture shocks but for cities tokyo got me.
Chicago easily or New York
Delhi can feel overwhelming for the bustle: escape by train to Agra and the Taj to breathe. Tokyo for its foreigness, utterly safe though even ordering food or a drink can be mind-boggling and culturally glorious: just absorb it and let people help — arigato! São Paulo for its size: get to know a local. Rio for its speed: stay long enough to catch up. Cairo for crossing the road: learn to walk like an Egyptian. New York for being New York: look for those spontaneous moments of sincerity that reveal humanity behind the sense of isolation.