To ask which country you would not visit again and why?

[travelcat]

I love hearing about travel experiences and am interested in knowing about places you have visited that you wouldn't go back to.

AIBU to ask which country you'd avoid in the future and what specifically made your experience less enjoyable? Was it due to culture, safety, or something else?

Anywhere in Turkey, ALL the men I came across were just dreadful, groping and pawing at me and my children UGH, and frightening, several times I thought my very blonde haired blue eyed daughters would be kidnapped, awful hotel food.

Morrocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Nigeria, Laos, ditto Turkey.

Anywhere in India, dirty, awful men, appalling animal cruelty including men having sex with animals in the street. The constant trying to scam tourists was just a terrible way to treat people spending lots of money there.

Is it just me? What do you mean cheese slice?

I completely agree with this. I loved so much about India for example, but I went when I was very young. I think now that I'm older I'd 'see' more and understand the consequences and full weight of what I was seeing with the poverty, mutilations etc. I'm not sure I could handle it in the same way I did as a teenager when I was a lot less aware and observant.

There are also several countries I've yet to visit, which I wouldn't now due to their politics/laws. For example I don't want to give my money to countries which treat females or non heterosexual people as second class citizens or worse.

A good way to visit a country is to have a guide. Much less likely to be hassled.
Friends of mine just had 3 weeks in India and never had any problems but they went with a couple who planned a guided itinerary.

In addition to my pp I will say that it's so sad that about 90% of the genuine complaints on here are around the mistreatment of women and some of your stories sound horrific. What a shame that we have to avoid some of the most interesting and beautiful parts of the world because we don't have what should be automatic rights to basic safety and bodily autonomy. The world needs to do better.

Men take priority over women.

Women are very much second class citizens. There were endless examples of it during our visit and that was the absolute final straw for me.

@Drinkdrinkduuurink @coolmum123 nope I am also lost...

Wow that's the first time I've heard that about Japan, just proves it happens everywhere
The recurring theme on this thread is pervy scary men, how depressing.

We had a guide for most of it, however didn't prevent seeing mutilated children begging on the streets. We were also there for the Holi festival, where people have huge paint fights on the street and spread powder paint on each other by way of a greeting. I was held by about 4 men whilst they rubbed powder paint on my face, breasts, thighs etc saying 'happy holi'. My mum and stepdad were actually there smiling having their own faces painted (only their faces) so I just thought it was something to smile and be polite about. I was 17. Has only registered in much later life that nothing about that was okay.

The ‘locals are frosty’ reasons are a bit precious…they don’t live their lives for tourists. If they are outright rude, racist, misogynistic, that’s one thing, but frosty? Maybe we should tell them to smile!

We are off to Australia in a few weeks. We decided to go via Singapore as we wanted to break up the journey on the way back and didn't fancy stopping in Dubai for a couple of days. Also if you are looking at Qatar Airways sometimes the flight is BA all the way as they codeshare. Personally I won't fly BA long haul. There are better airlines for similar or slightly higher prices.

I wouldn't go back to Marrakech; I found it REALLY sleazy, aggressive men and boys, constant hassling to buy things/give money/go to a restaurant. Also found customer service in riads (so, places that you'd think were geared to tourism) to be very poor and people rude; openly sighed and rolled their eyes at any innocuous polite request, said the cook could make us dinner with two nights notice but then she was never able to because of a series of threadbare excuses.
Morocco as a whole is not on my blacklist though; Essaouira is much more pleasant, relaxed, safe-feeling – and IMO much more beautiful than Marrakech. And I'm sure things are different in small towns/the countryside too.

‘Turkey because it’s got an awful authoritarian government. They don’t allow fair trials or freedom of expression. The government doesn’t tolerate dissent. Anyone who speaks up is persecuted and harassed and imprisoned by the state or worse. ‘

yes, you go on holiday for a change, not just to have the same problems as in the UK.

Tunisia - absolutely horrendous. I wouldn't go back for a free holiday!

India

I went in 1998 when I was too young to have a say where family holidays were taken. Didn't love it but didn't hate it at the time. However I wouldn't go back to somewhere where I would not feel safe. I understand India is a hugely deprived country (with some massive wealth in and among!) but that's not somewhere I would choose to spend my holiday.

Also wouldn't go back to South Africa if that were an option but unfortunately as my husband is from there originally I don't have much choice.

I wouldn't go back to China, I visited though in 1988 and it was very different to it is now - but no desire to return. It was hard going back then and I lost considerable weight in the 3 weeks I was travelling there.

I wouldn't go back to Cuba, I really enjoyed my holiday in this country but having cycled up & down the length of the country I don't feel it is somewhere I would return and the food was bland.

I do keep returning to France, I'd like to return to northern Spain, I also would return to beluga, Germans, Netherlands, Italy, Austria - really enjoyed Vienna and want to see more of Austria

I went via US to another country years ago and that was the only time I have visited the US. The airport staff were horrible and totally put me off going near the country for a holiday. It's a shame because its so vast with some beautiful areas to visit, but I can't get past the way they treated people at the airport.

Only place i was groped in the street was ulan bataar in Mongolia (by an 11 year old). The rest of Mongolia was amazing.

Only place i didn't feel safe at all was Sicily. People were lovely but I felt like the mafia were an overwhelming presence.

Most unfriendly people , where I didn't feel welcome at all, was France.

Places with the best, friendliest people was Slovakia, Croatia and Czech Republic

Essaouira was beautiful and yes far more friendly than Marrakech! I did get followed and threatened, but the man was very blatantly mentally ill so I guess that could have happened anywhere. Another local actually accompanied me to get what I needed (was searching for stuff as the rest of my party were ill) and took me back to the place I was staying.

Fes was the worst though. So many bodies of dead animals and other just awful things.

Paris. Last went as a girls school group at 16 and the constant leering, catcalling, groping, trying to single out one or two girls and separate from the group - it was grim.

Never experienced anything like it on other school trips to London, Barcelona etc.

china

was grey and polluted

@YellowComb
agree about Brussel and Belgium I found really lovely - particularly liked Antwerp . I think Belgium is very underrated

When did you travel to China?

That's interesting! I found that many years ago but have more recently travelled with my children and also to go to a funeral and found everyone to be very friendly and sympathetic. Guess it's luck of the draw.

Threads like this make me feel lucky to live here even though the way men behave here is shit a lot of the time. But compared to the rest of the world..
They're like animals