I'm a travel writer who's visited nearly 20 countries. These 6 'tourist traps' are actually worth visiting — from the Statue of Liberty to the Eiffel Tower.

Insider's reporter shares her favorite "tourist traps" to visit around the world.Jordan Parker Erb/Insider

• I'm a travel writer and try to travel to new destinations each year. So far, I've been to 19 countries.
• Each place has its share of "tourist traps," and it's hard to tell which ones are worth visiting.

Much has been said about avoiding tourist traps, both domestically and abroad, while traveling. They're bemoaned as too crowded, too tacky, too expensive, and often don't give you the full picture of a place's culture.

Some, however, succeed at ensnaring thousands of visitors for a reason: because they're truly extraordinary.

In my travels, which have taken me to nearly 20 countries, I've been able to see both sides — the places I can't wait to get out of and the places that I actually enjoyed and would visit again.