Comfortable holiday destinations for black people

[Sparklebaby111]

Hi I feel like I'm hitting a wall.

I was considering a nice hotel in Turkey for a last minute holiday, but I really really can't take the 'lets stare at the black people' routine. Anyone willing to share their experience of holidaying in Turkey - more specifically Antalya/Belek. Where else would you recommend where you weren't stared at constantly? In Portugal we found the other hotel guests - mainly Russians and Germans -to be constantly staring. Now we have our 8 year old, I don't want him to experience this. We went to Mexico last year and loved it - our son is keen to travel the world - bless him! Thanks!

Actually Portugal was over 10 years ago, and I have to say when we left the hotel, we felt the most comfortable - the Portuguese were lovely - we regularly ate grilled sardines and peri peri chicken at a local restaurant and they were so accommodating. It was in the hotel with (sorry to say, but just being honest) the Russian and German guests that was the problem - but this was a long time ago.

I'm going to check this out!

I’m black and currently in Spain (on the coast near Girona) and no one’s staring. We went to the Costa Dorada in Spain last October, no one stared. Before that we did many years of travel to Southern France, no one stared. I’ve also been to Italy, Egypt, Mauritius, Belgium, Switzerland, USA and have not been stared at. Mind you we mainly go to eurocamp or similar so there are not huge crowds of oligarchs looking at us!

I can understand where you are coming from. The first response I got on here was 'Really? Maybe it's because you are a gorgeous looking family' (I'm paraphrasing). If you know, you know, if you don't know - I am genuinely happy that you and your children have never had to experience this.

I was also going to say Mauritius, as has already been suggested.

This came up in active so just wanted to say I was in Antalya last year and met quite a lot of Black families and groups of teen girls from London there. I specifically asked them if they had any issues and they said no. We were in the old town (Kaleici) area, it's not very 'resorty' and although the tourists were predominantly white, there was a good mix and I would describe them as 'travellers' who want to go around and explore rather than the 'Brits abroad' type, who IME are the ones that are likely to give abuse.
Hope your son is recovering well and you have a great holiday

Half my family is black the rest mixed race and erm nope never had any problems any country we've been to, now interestingly the only ones I notice get stared at are usually the ones who have a slight attitude themselves about colour and it being a problem. We have no colour problems and no problems with anyone looking or us looking at them

Well according to this thread, you are clearly in the minority. However I am really happy for you - aren't you a ray of sunshine!

God, OP. It's so depressing that you even have to think about this.

I don't have time to RTWT, but just in case someone hasn't mentioned it already, avoid Italy.

Agree re America and the Caribbean.

We’ve been to Side, Antalya and Belek several times OP and can hand on heart say we’ve not experienced any such issues. DH is North African snd dark skinned and I’m brown, kids take after their dad in colouring. I didn’t notice any hostile stares, Quite the contrary actually. Found people to be genuinely friendly and welcomining. The hassling to buy stuff and hard sell gets annoying but they’re just trying to make a living. The last hotel we were at in Side this Easter, not only were we the only people of colour there, but also the only English speaking. We loved it!

I think as I’ve got older and more seasoned, I just don’t give a fuck and will happily give rude people a hard state down if they dare. The only place I’m not keen to rush back to is Italy and Madrid, were made to feel very unwelcome but this several years ago pre kids.

Thank you, such a helpful post. Can I ask what hotels you stay at in Turkey?

If you want a beach destination, most of the Caribbean would perhaps be fine as well, this can also be the island that are not in the Commonwealth, such as former Dutch Antilles. We are a mixed race family and received most stares in The Netherlands, although we are Dutch. Lots of stares when walking gepind with our son, but most of them are curious stares as mixed race children are still uncommon in large parts there. For us, Lille in France, Paris and the Caribbean as well as Belgium and Germany were the places/countries were we did not receive stares as a family and were we feel very comfortable walking around. In parts of Colombia (medellin and bogoto) not a lot of stares, at the beach destinations there more stares.

I'm in the same boat but planning for next August. I would love to go to the Caribbean but it's not a great time for it

Morocco? Marrakech, one of the things I loved about our hotel was that had lots of people not just brits abroad but multicultural Brits but also tourists from across Europe and across Africa.

@Sparklebaby111 The fact that people keep telling you where they saw black people. Just saw them there so obviously that must mean all is well.

Imagine a woman asking in which destinations she will not be leered at and men coming on to tell her it will be because she’s beautiful. That he’s seen women in X location and he has a wife and she was fine there.

If a poster asked where feels safe for the LGBT community I would just think ‘no idea’ because I’m straight and this is not a concern for me when I travel.

“Im not gay (so have never/will never worry about this) but I saw a gay couple in Santorini and they looked fine!”… just read and learn. Absolutely no need to say a single thing.

Miami is great OP.

Yes sad that in this day and age it's something you have to consider - but just as others have said it's not always hostile staring.

About 10 years ago I went to China with an American friend on an organised tour (US company) and our group were a mixed bunch, mainly middle-aged Americans and one family with 2 very blonde teenage daughters. We were all stared at wherever we went and people would come up and stand next to you and take photographs - the two teenagers would have people coming up admiring and touching their hair!

Quite concerned at the number of people saying go to the Caribbean or various parts of Africa. As if Black holidaymakers should only consider travelling to areas with a predominantly Black populace. (Not that you shouldn’t holiday in those places, of course.)

I’ve found the South of France generally unproblematic (bar the odd incident where I felt a hotel manager for instance might have been more helpful if I had not been Black). No issues at all when wandering around or in shops, restaurants, theatres, etc.

Italy was depressing. And I’ve always understood that Eastern Europe is essentially off limits.

The US? Such different attitudes … And I wouldn’t wander too far off grid in, say, Wyoming on my own. It’d definitely not somewhere we would encourage the young men in our family to settle on for study or career purposes.

Quite concerned at the number of people saying go to the Caribbean or various parts of Africa. As if Black holidaymakers should only consider travelling to areas with a predominantly Black populace. (Not that you shouldn’t holiday in those places, of course.)

I personally think that black people should be more mindful to visit black majority Countries. Why constantly go to Europe, and other destinations to run the gauntlet of racism? I for one do not wish to spend my money where I am likely to be treated as less than, because of the colour of my skin.

I'm white but just coming on to say avoid Morocco. As a woman it felt so uncomfortable to be literally leered at in the street (and I was dressed modestly). Plus very few women and children out and about so I felt I really stuck out as a woman there.

Thank you, I really do take your point, but I'm referring to hostile staring, comments, racist slurs in other languages. I really don't take offence to intrigue (annoying as it can be sometimes), I have natural hair, for some reason it attracts attention and comments - I'm used to that, but I know the difference between genuine intrigue and obvious hostility.

If you go to the islands closer to south America, you will not notice much of the hurricane season. It is only a bit less windy here then

Yes France is great and we go there every year so fancied a change. There can sometimes be rudeness but it's just a French thing

Found Cuba fascinating in terms of those dynamics - we had a guided tour from a chap who appeared mixed race to me who was at pains discuss what a racial utopia Cuba was but almost physically recoiled when I asked if he was black. So much so even my husband (white) picked up on it.

(or, if we build up the confidence, everyone on this thread should go there en masse together to shake things up!)

🤣 let’s do it !

Aruba - it’s southern Caribbean so outside the hurricane belt and weather is consistent all year round. Lots of African American tourists when we were there