Worst 'tourist' places you've visited

[ThunderOnlyHappens]

A little inspired by the school trips thread but I have been thinking about the worst places I've visited in pursuit of leisure. Disclaimer-sorry if you live there/love it. These are not anything other than my experience on that day/time.

There was the time I took a group of patients for a nice country stroll, which turned out to be a lay-by off an A-Road.

Or going on holiday to a small town near Gainsborough and realising that there was nothing to do, at all. We were there for a week!

A small town near Gainsborough? Gainsborough is a small town! (The town is ok, the people are weird)

I was kinda disappointed by the Lake District, pretty for half a day, but I was bored of looking at lakes and hills after three days, Wales is prettier in my opinion. But each to his/her own.

I hated Amsterdam too. Tacky, seedy, smelly. I just didn't feel comfortable all weekend.

Dublin. Boring, had air of being a theme park, food dire, nothing to do but drink.

Erm, when dd and I visited we went to Kilmainham Gaol, the Art Gallery, the Natural History Museum, (self-guided) walking tour of literary haunts and mooched around some very nice shops. Oh, and walked along the Liffey.

We had some great tapas, tea at that posh store (can't remember name) and an excellent burger in a gastropub-type place. Dd is 14 so we weren't exactly getting in the bevvies.

Did you not look in a guide book?!

@MissesBloom oh yes to the trickster tattoo ladies! They were everywhere in Morocco. And the cafe / lounge lock ins, followed by payments to the owner. The coach trips along mountains which made me thankful for every prayer ever taught to me at Sunday school.

Benidorm ugh.
I second the Dominican Republic, hurricane and severe food poisoning, rifles and crap AI food.

Ibiza, hated it. Had my card copied too.

I can't stand people who say places (or anything, really) are "boring". Saying that somewhere is threatening, seedy, dirty, too touristy... all good reasons not to like somewhere. But boring? What exactly are you after? I saw a post on a similar thread a while ago complaining that New York was boring. New Bloody York !!!!!

I wonder if one of you Lake Garda haters was traumatised as a 14-year-old in 1990, being the only teenager (or so it seemed) in a large hotel, who somehow attracted a 10-year-old child who glued herself to her for the entire holiday and stalked and followed her everywhere... If so, Laura, I'm sorry!

Otherwise Lake Garda was nice for a 10-year-old. Nice weather, pretty lakes, nice pools, excellent ice cream, interesting teenagers...

I want the OP to come back and tell us which small town near Gainsborough she went to.

I live close to Gainsborough and can only think she means Retford, or maybe Scunthorpe at a push... although Scunthorpe is bigger than Gainsborough.

Agree with lots of the above but these stand out

Ha long bay- Vietnam, seediest place ever
Sorrento- urgh. Would never go back
Ko Samui- anything but the paradise island promised. Our hotel was full of very loud and monied Russians and the water was not inviting at all. On the other hand Ko Tao was lovely.

Genuinely don't get the hate for Hong Kong, other than possibly London there are very few cities with such a distinctive "vibe". And the weather in winter is glorious.

Blackpool - was taken with our kids on a 'treat' to the lights by in laws - tacky, loud dive of a place, and it felt unsafe.
Scarborough - the stench of seagull was eye watering (positively acidic)

With you on Blackpool. It was grimy, overpriced and downright scary.

Well I have no desire to ever go back to Blackpool (although my kids loved it).

Didn't enjoy Egypt much either (holiday resort). Not much to do except sit by a pool and bake to death. Would have much preferred to visit 'real' Egypt (pyramids etc) but only way to get there from resort was on a bus with no air conditioning for several hours. The resort was very protected and surrounded by armed guards and we were advised not to go out of the resort unless on an organised trip. The evenings were nice once it had cooled down and I tried kite surfing which was fun but after a few days I'd had enough.

India - the blatant inequality between rich and very very poor was difficult to handle, lack of basic hygiene (even in major cities) and resultant stench, corruption of law officers. It was still very evident there were 'untouchables' in their eyes, even though they say that is now outlawed.

Overwhelmingly the Indian people we met were lovely friendly people though - but the overall society needs bringing in to the 29th Century.

Not quite a tourist story, but a friend of mine was telling me about their exciting once a year summer office outing. It was to, wait for it - .......... ...............................................................................................
Croydon

Goa
Being chased around by locals yelling ‘Sam Fox Sam Fox’ at me whilst making boob squeezing gestures with their hands!

Israel - so many amazing places to visit and such a lot of history to digest - but the border with Gaza was horrendous - the attitude to the Palestinians was inhumane and the way Muslims were treated in Jerusalem quite shamelessly in front of tourist was shocking. Very glad we went - it needs witnesses.

@derxa
"People saying Naples is threatening etc. For me that is part of its appeal."

Are you part of the mob or something?

Bodrum, Turkey. Went as two single young women and harassed at every turn. Felt very unsafe and it was relentless.

Brussels - felt very unsafe at night and this was compounded by the fact there was a full on riot while we were there. Gas, water canons, guns - the works. Very divided place.

Paris - overrated. People are rude and it's not as good as London.

Loved Amsterdam but it was tacky in places, but then isn't very city?

Blackpool

Are you part of the mob or something?
No but I loved Gomorrah. Best pizzas ever

Another vote for Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. Granted, we went more than ten years ago but it was a fucking shit hole. There were buildings without roofs (that families were living in!), groups of children begging and pawing at you when you walked anywhere and the food was awful.

It was the first time my parents had ever taken us away for a fortnight and my mum was sobbing into her breakfast the day after we arrived, trying to price flights home.

i really like Blackpool and Amsterdam. Amsterdam has some really great galleries and museums. I know Blackpool is beyond tacky, but it has no pretensions to be otherwise, and the beach is fab.

I was distinctly underwhelmed by the Cinque Terre over the summer. Very beautiful on approach from the sea, but absolutely nothing to do other than eat in very, very overpriced restaurants. Would have been better if we'd have just stayed on the ferry with a packed lunch TBH.

Surprised at all the Lanzarote hatred! I remember a thread about holiday destinations that people weren’t expecting to like but did and Lanzarote was probably the most mentioned place! I love the place, cheap, safe, unusual landscape, art, low rise buildings.
I’m in agreement about Paris, nowhere nearly as well maintained as London - dog shit, uneven paving, graffiti on almost everything, shady people. Love Amsterdam though and felt very safe there at all times.
I love the theme parks but Orlando itself is like hell in the 1960s. If I ever go again I’d only stay at a Disney hotel and not stray outside other than to go to the airport.

Not a place so much as an experience. DH and I did an excursion which took us by coach from Colon to Panama City, in order to get the transcontinental train back, thereby visiting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in one day.

It was very boring. The Panama Canal, though no doubt fascinating to traverse and undoubtedly a feat of engineering, is a bit meh when seen from a train.