To ask for your hints and tips re: Belfast

[HildaZelda]

So, DH has holidays which he's now been told he has to take before Xmas or lose them. I work part time so can juggle days a bit.

Anyway, DH was talking about going away somewhere for 3 or 4 days, Because it's only a few days, it can't be that far so we looked at short flights and can do Belfast pretty cheaply for a few days next month.
Neither of us have ever been there before, so before we book anything can I ask if anyone has been, what's it like, is it worth going, hints/tips for what to see and do please?

Ive only been to Belfast once on a day trip and I thought it was a nice place but I must have been unlucky because I found some of the people very rude.

A taxi driver was very passive aggressive and took us through areas I’m guessing he thought we’d be uncomfortable with based on our accents, pointing out specific sites to try to get a reaction. A bus driver was incredibly rude to my lovely, elderly grandmother and staff at a restaurant were also really rude! I was so disappointed as I had heard great things about Belfast.

I’m guessing we were just unfortunate to have encountered some bigots but it was a really uncomfortable experience and I swore I’d never go back. It was a shame but given the history it was inevitable I guess.

Some stunning countryside just outside Belfast as well! If you fancy a day trip go to Newcastle and have a wonder on the beach! Murlough bay is stunningly beautiful.

Why would you jump to 'bigotry' when someone is rude to you? People are rude all over the world and people are lovely all over the world. I've had plenty of rudeness in England when I've visited but it doesn't mean that England is a rude place, if you know what I mean.

@reforder What kind of bigotry are you referring to? Anti-English? I'm English and besides some gentle ribbing from my in-laws about me being posh, I've never encountered any anti-English sentiment from either side of the community.

I love the NI accent. I could listen to people talking with it all day.

My DS was at Queens for a year. He loved the city but sadly hated the course and dropped out so I only got to visit Belfast once - but loved it.

Just been to Belfast and I absolutely loved it. Will definitely be returning. Had young kids with so didn’t do so much of the history but there is still masses to do.

Have breakfast at Avoca. It was so good. Blueberry and macadamia pancakes. Bliss.

We walked all over: botanical gardens, tropical ravine, ulster museum, titanic quarter, cathedral quarter.

Hire a car and go to the giants causeway, Bally castle (ice cream from morellis - wow) and dark back via the amazing dark hedges.

The people were so friendly too. I’ve often not really understood when people say the locals are friendly but in Belfast people, inc teenagers, are so fast to help and have a little chat.

Torino cafe has fab coffee and an amazing photo display of kids and life during the 80s and 90s really hits you how recent the troubles are and how we must do everything we can to protect peace there.

Be warned OP, people can't help but talk to you so just go with it! I brought a couple of English friends over and they were a bit taken aback by the 'nosey' locals blabbing away to them and asking where they were from and giving them tourist tips, all in the 5 minutes it took me to get the drinks in from the bar...
oh and people get the word 'wee' into a sentence more than you would think humanly possible... 'pop your wee card in the wee machine. Put your wee pin in. Do you need your wee receipt? Take a wee seat and I'll bring your drinks over in a wee minute when they're ready.' was a recent Guinness buying exchange I had.

I can't believe the prolific use of "wee", I like vet it almost as much as the wonderful accent. For the record, nobody has ever been rude to me in the numerous times I've visited Belfast in the last 20 years.

I’m guessing we were just unfortunate to have encountered some bigots but it was a really uncomfortable experience and I swore I’d never go back. It was a shame but given the history it was inevitable I guess.

Really... Given the history it was inevitable you guess??!!!!

Your one day trip to a city where you encounter a small handful of rude people (which you could get anywhere in the world) and you've decided it's bigotry towards you and "inevitable".

That's quite a depressing conclusion. And pretty unpleasant and unnecessary sweeping generalisation.

But it wasn’t just regular rudeness freckle believe me it was definitely bigotry! Encountering one bigot during a day trip I would brush off - but three in one day? We felt like pariahs, it was a really unpleasant experience and not one I wish to repeat.

When I said it was “inevitable given the history” I actually meant that genuinely - I do understand why people would behave that way when brought up in those conditions. I can actually understand it, I just don’t want to bear the brunt of it personally.

Like I said it was a shame as I heard great things about Belfast, but it’s just not somewhere I’ll be visiting again.

@Prefer Again - I'm English in NI and I've never experienced any anti-English sentiment. So you must have been particularly unlucky. I highly doubt it would happen again.

Do wee toastys tours, a cycling pub, it’s great craic

To be fair I have experienced various anti Irish sentiments when I’ve been in England - I don’t tar a whole country with the same brush

Bus tour is brilliant.
The Crown bar - it's a National Trust pub