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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Best and worst place you have been on holiday to?!

584 replies

Frosty66611 · 26/01/2019 14:53

My best was definitely Canada. Driving through the Rockies was an unforgettable experience and we got perfect weather and lots of lovely food and hotel stops along the way.

The worst has to be Dublin. I was really underwhelmed by it and found it crazy expensive.

OP posts:
Ladymargarethall · 27/01/2019 07:29

I mean I totally agree about Bondi.

antipodeansun · 27/01/2019 07:41

I honestly don't understand the point of spending thousands of $ to go to a terrible resort in Fiji (or Raro). Nothing against the countries, once we got out of the resort we had a good time, but the whole holiday idea as it was sold was terrible (and we had two preschool kids).
You reminded me of Melbourne, one of the nicest city holidays I have had.

DappledThings · 27/01/2019 07:44

Malta always gets a pasting on these threads but we loved it. Went when DS was 8 months. The whole island is really easily accessible by bus.

Loads to see. We went to two prehistoric temple sites, Mdina and Rabat and the catacombs are amazing to walk round. Loads of museums about the history are really well done and interactive. Nice squares for sitting in nice cafes with nice cakes! Had a hotel in Sliema with a balcony overlooking the harbour. Put DS to bed each night then spent a couple of hours drinking gin and watching the harbour lights. It was fab!

Really good for small children too as locals eat dinner early, around 6 so you can eat at toddler friendly times and not look weird.

LeonoraFlorence · 27/01/2019 07:52

Hard to choose the best but I can’t stand Paris. Have been a few times and I just can’t take to it at all. Love other parts of France though.

Downeyhouse · 27/01/2019 07:54

A camping trip with a guide around the US nationals parks in Arizona, Utah and Nevada.

Best day of which included having dinner at the home of native Americans and chatting away to them and camping in Monument Valley and getting up to watch the sunrise over the valley. Breathtaking.

famousfour · 27/01/2019 07:54

I stayed in a 5* resort in Tenerife and still didn’t like it... but we didn’t get out too much and probably you need to.

Love cities so loved HK, NYC and Paris (although I definitely avoid some areas). In particularly the vibrancy of HK and NYC. Could live in both.

Best holidays - smaller Greek islands (beautiful clean blue water, great simple food, just simple pleasures really), southern France, Argentina.

Worst - a really average villa near a tedious town in Southern France. Couldn’t see the point of being there. Was totally underwhelmed by Key West.

He11y · 27/01/2019 07:54

Best: Florida or Budapest, I can’t decide - so different but I love them both. Love Cornwall and Pembrokeshire in the Uk for the scenery.

Worst: Poland (Krakow specifically) and I also hated Gibraltar.

famousfour · 27/01/2019 07:56

I’ve been to Malta a fair bit. It’s pretty overbuilt nowadays and there are some really grubby tourist corners which are chips and beer type places (not my cup of tea). But there are some lovely places if you dig about enough.

HenweeArcher · 27/01/2019 08:57

@famousfour Totally agree re:Malta. It has a rich and fascinating history and there are some beautiful sights. Unfortunately it’s also way overpopulated and built up.

80sMum · 27/01/2019 09:52

@Frosty66611 we didn't enjoy St Lucia for various reasons.

It might have changed since we were there (Christmas and New Year 2000/2001). But this is what put us off.

Everywhere we went (except if it was isolated countryside with nobody about) as soon as we had parked the car we we hassled by someone trying to sell us something. Sometimes people would follow us, offering to be our guide etc. I know people have to make money somehow, but we found the persistent and constant hustling very wearing. We bought loads of necklaces and lots of things made of coconut shell and banana leaves - but you can't buy everything from everybody, so we had to say no.

We were staying in s/c in Rodney Bay. There were hotels in front of the beach, so if we wanted to go to the beach we had to go through the hotel and then pay to sit on a plastic lounger, crowded in tight rows on the small beach.

There was very little to do. We like to explore and go for walks. That was largely not possible. Very few places to walk where you wouldn't immediately be accosted by someone wanting to charge you 50 dollars each to be your guide.

We wanted to walk up the Petit Piton (smaller of the two iconic hills that you see in all the St Lucia brochures) but that was not possible without a guide. We did climb it, with someone we had met the previous day who offered to act as guide (and didn't charge a ridiculous fee).

My DS (then late teens) was conned into paying the equivalent of £20 for a few aloe vera leaves.

My DD (mid teens) was leered at and propositioned by dodgy looking men.

My DH was propositioned by a woman when buying street food one evening.

My DS was offered drugs.

Huge cruise ships arrived daily in the main port and disgorged thousands of people to the main tourist areas (which I recommend are best avoided).

Many of the beaches were dirty. One, that we spent 2 hours walking to get to, was literally covered in litter about 3 inches deep.

Many of the men carry huge machetes around with them (for innocent purposes, such as breaking open coconuts). We were never threatened by anyone in that regard to be fair, but it was unnerving nonetheless to be approached, stopped or flagged down by someone carrying what could be a dangerous weapon.

On the plus side:
There was just one place that I loved, Grand Anse beach. We went there on our own and it was completely empty. Beautiful waves breaking onto a pristine white sand beach, with coconut palms fringing the beach. It was completely undeveloped (thank god) because you can't swim there.

The weather was good.

Most of the people we met were lovely and friendly. One family actually invited us in to share their lunch!

XiCi · 27/01/2019 09:53

Best, - Bali. Both me and DH absolutely adore it there. It has something for everyone. Kuta/Legian is very touristy, great for nightlife, shopping etc and outside of this there are wonderful temples, breathtaking terraced rice fields, spectacular coastlines, a volcano to hike. The people are wonderful and the culture so rich.
Also love Paris (have never encountered the rudeness and have been many times) and Venice.

Have to mention China. Such an amazing place. So much to see and do and of course the food is to die for.

Worst, Carlow, Ireland. Went to visit family. Really weird place. Let's just say they don't like outsiders. All of us received some sort of abuse culminating in DH drink being spiked in a bar. The bloke he was chatting to at the bar warned him that he'd been spiked (only after DH had drunk it all, apparently was too scared of the lads involved to warn him before he had drunk it!!) He had a really bad reaction to the drugs and was hospitalised. Apparently we found out afterwards it was a common occurrence there.

Brussels - a complete shithole, boring and felt quite threatened at night.

I can understand the comments about Dublin. It's just so unbelievably expensive and it just doesn't have enough to offer to justify the expense. All you are left with is the feeling you have been royally ripped off. Agree with pp that Galway is a much better weekend city break.

Pk37 · 27/01/2019 09:55

Best- Florida/ Luxor
Worst-Tunisia ..yuck

jitterbugintomybrain · 27/01/2019 10:01

Best - California
Worst - Tunisia

PeridotCricket · 27/01/2019 10:03

My best NWScotland and Skye - which is DH’s worse! He’s only been once and it rained for two weeks, not helped by me rhapsodising about the views we should have been seeing. I know it well and love it.

Turkey, fabulous, Istanbul and travelling to cappadoccia independently. Loved the food, the people anD stunning scenery.

Worst...Malta and Dublin.

PutYourShirtOnMartin · 27/01/2019 10:07

Gran Canaria

Teletext holiday second week of Easter hols

Basic hotel - no food provided so had to go to shops for food, no cooking facilities either so lived on pre made sandwiches
No pool and tbh too cold to swim
Back and beyond with little transport links
No beach just rocks
We sat on a bench by the side of the road a lot... named it the holiday bench

PutYourShirtOnMartin · 27/01/2019 10:08

Best holiday

1st holiday with DH and my grown up DD
Manorbier in a Ford KA with a four man tent in it plus all the gubbins
Cheap as chips and just lovely

LoniceraJaponica · 27/01/2019 10:12

@He11y why didn't you like Krakow? It is on my bucket list.

moomin4071 · 27/01/2019 10:14

Worst is a toss up between Egypt and The Gambia, but I think Gambia has to take 1st place. Not a very nice place, my mum's partner at the time got threatened with a knife. Not safe at all. Egypt I found the men to be a but creepy towards women.

Best by far is Goa, absolutely love it and would probably spend the rest of my life in India if I could.

XiCi · 27/01/2019 10:26

Lonicera fwiw I really enjoyed Krakow. Its not as pretty as say Prague or Budapest but there is lots to see and do, nightlife was good, found some lovely restaurants and everyone very friendly. That was 10yrs ago but my friend went for her 40th a couple of weeks ago and loved it and is already planning her next trip there.

LoniceraJaponica · 27/01/2019 10:41

I want to go for the history, and to visit Auschwitz. I'm not a "nightlife" sort of person. I would want to avoid hen/stag/40th birthday parties.

Polarbearflavour · 27/01/2019 10:42

Worst: Luxembourg. Rude people, boring, the one thing we wanted to see (underground caves) was closed! Expensive.

I flew to The Gambia when I was airline cabin crew and hated it. Hassled constantly.

Jordan - maybe it’s changed in a decade but I was hassled a lot by men and groped despite following local dress customs. It was very dusty, no pavements and you had to take taxis as no discernible public transport.

Best? Surprisingly liked Ibiza! Lovely beaches and a quiet resort.
Also loved Berlin, New York, Singapore, Prague, Vienna, Lisbon. South of France as we took lots of family holidays there.

Still unsure about China as I found it quite a strange place! I went nearly 20 years ago though so I imagine it has changed.

Frosty66611 · 27/01/2019 10:44

@polarbear
I really liked Ibiza too. If you stay away from the 18-30s resorts it’s the most beautiful island! My aunty does a meditation/yoga retreat up in the Ibizan hills and I’m so jealous

OP posts:
MorrisZapp · 27/01/2019 10:46

Best: Arran, York, Boston, Bruges.

Worst: Paris, Barcelona, Vilamoura, San Francisco

XiCi · 27/01/2019 10:51

Lonicera when I say nightlife was good I don't mean hordes of people staggering around drunk. When we went they did not allow stag/hen parties or any large groups in bars so no need to worry about that. They seemed to be trying very hard to keep krakow from being that type of destination.

Mummadeeze · 27/01/2019 10:51

One of my favourite holidays was Chicago. The architecture was stunning and there was loads to do and see. It was just a really cool city to explore. My least favourite was Cancun. Very very disappointing and horribly tacky.