Is there somewhere that you would not return to? And why?

[Mothership4two]

Just commented on a post asking for places you would go back to and why. Thought it would be interesting to find out places you would never go back and why not. Not trying to cause offence! I'm going to get flamed arent I?

Mine are:

Amsterdam. Just found it a big unfriendly city. Away from canals, the buildings are pretty ugly. Staff in shops/restaurants/etc had a couldnt care less attitude. Didn't help that it was a really cold few days and we werent interested in getting 'cake' from cafes or looking at the red light district. I find Dutch people usually lovely.

Dublin: found it drab and old-fashioned. People lovely though and good pubs

Florence: I love Italy but Florence is just a working city with islands of lovely buildings imo. We'd just come from Venice and it didn't compare.

North Wales: beautiful but unfriendly. Everywhere we went people switched from English to Welsh when they heard our English accents including a staff member in a tourist info office! We knew it happened but it just makes you feel meh. The fact if rained every single day didnt put it in a good light for us. Have visited many parts of the rest of Wales, all good. My lovely fil is from North Wales and my lovely sil and dn is also Welsh.

I just remembered Vatican City. Really touristy and soulless. Pushy security people. Nuns running the Vatican tourist shop.

I didn't like Vatican City either. All that wealth ( artworks etc) on display. It didn't sit well with the message of Christianity and the teachings in the Bible.

This thread just shows that some people's heaven is another's hell

And the same places will probably be named on both this thread and the 'would return to' thread.

There was a thread called something like 'which places that you thought you would hate were unexpectedly lovely' and I think lanzarote was the outright winner with strong following for Tenerife, Mallorca etc, because guess what, once people had been to see the places themselves they were able to see past the 'lanzagrotty Brits on the piss before English breakfast and a good roasting by the pool' stereotype and find culture, lovely landscapes, picturesque towns etc etc.

But I admit I'm in two minds about places like Marrakesh. I like the sound of the architecture, history, gardens etc, but being pestered all the time would utterly ruin a holiday for me, so I'll probably never go, but accept that there's a lot of stereotype that's putting me off, rather than fact about the city.

WELSH PEOPLE SPEAK WELSH, SHOCKER!

I’ve been going to North Wales (from England) for 12 years, 5ish times a year, and I have never experienced this widespread unfriendliness in shops or pubs. But I don’t take it personally when people speak Welsh in their own country/shop/home and I’m pleasant towards them and them to me. The odd dick I’ve met I put down to them being a dick, not being Welsh. Get your head out of your arse.

Egypt. Cairo was a shit hole with rubbish piled high either side of the street and not only was I underwhelmed by the pyramids, (wish I'd gone to the valley of the kings instead) there was no hospitality. If anything there was hostility towards tourists and I felt uneasy most of the time. Never again.

Sorry for getting ranty but I’m just tired of hearing that welsh speaking people are just doing it en masse to wind up the English or to talk about them. It makes me sad. All the welsh people I know continually switch between the two languages, sometimes I have to remind them to stick to English but it’s nothing personal.

So I just find these comments really ridiculous.

San Francisco, I found the homeless situation absolutely horrific. Very intimidating walking through any parks . Beautiful city but very scary

Goa- went with a female friend years ago backpacker style and had loads of hassle from the local men (before anyone says it, I was very respectful in what I wore in public places) I was told by some of the locals out there it was because I am blonde and pale. had lots of people taking photos of me, trying to brush up against me etc, we felt really unsafe at times.

Those saying Bali be interested to see when you went? Dh and I went about 12 years ago and loved it. Didn't at any point feel unsafe or hassled, but I get the impression it's changed a lot since then sadly.

@Mothership4two you're xenophobic

Vancouver

New York

Shallen I had a terrifying experience in goa definitely used up one of my 9 lives. I was packing for a night flight middle of night in a deserted first floor apartment well away from main bit of hotel. My friend had met a guy so was off with him. A large group of men must have seen me through the window trooped up the stairs and hammered on the door. Turned lights off and sat in dark. A cheap door between me and gang rape. They left eventually when my friend got back I was literally gibbering with fear.

@MsTSwift terrifying hope you're ok

Bloody love these threads. The juxtaposition between one poster saying 'Pontins Camber Sands' and another 'Australia'.

LOL.

Of course Welsh people speak Wales, and they speak it between themselves when they visit London, too. Obviously.

However when you ask directions of an assistant at a petrol station and their colleague says ‘back where you came from ‘ in Welsh in a disingenuous cheery voice there is something else going on.

Oops, my SIL speaks Welsh....

hopefully the person saying Pontin Camber sands, wouldnt write off the entire country though ;)

Bucharest.

I only spent a day and night there but that was enough.

Prague is somewhere I wouldnt rush back to.

@MsTSwift that sounds terrifying. we had a scary experience too, New Year's Eve at a beach party, walked into the bar, entirely full of men so decided we would sit at a table out on the sand, it was quite dark and the beach was just full of huge groups of men walking up the beach, would see us, divert up the beach to literally circle our table, stare at us then walk back down the sand! We were shitting ourselves. Got my now husband on speaker phone so someone knew where we were if something happened and RAN up the road to the main town whilst shouting at them. Got ourselves into a well lit friendly bar for the rest of the evening and vowed to never be in a situation like that again.

Awful. Yes it was one of those big groups of men. All trooped up the stairs to our apartment and just banged and banged on the door. So weird. Did they think I would just let them in?! I heard that groups of Indian men go there on their stag weekends because there are western women who they think have no morals. I would do anything my power to dissuade my dds going there it felt extremely unsafe for young women.

It's funny there is so much hatred for Tunisia I absolutely loved it there

Dh and I travelled everywhere it was safe to do so saw some amazing historical sites a fascinating country having been to Turkey a few times I'm used to hassle and patter from the locals I didn't find any more aggressive than there

Alcudia in Majorca. I was so disappointed. We couldn't get accommodation in Puerto Pollensa and compromised with Alcudia. Awful.

The trick to doing over touristy city breaks is to do them lots and for a specific reason; warmth, shopping, food, cheap wine, whatever floats your boat.
I go to Barcelona every year for my birthday ( middle of winter) because it’s that bit warmer and I can enjoy a hotel stay in a fun city. I would hate it too if I was there to see the sights, because it’s insanely busy even in the quiet months and pretty grotty in places.. It’s not “all that” but it’s a cheap flight and the hotels are all relatively new and good quality unlike Paris and London.
Amsterdam is horrid. Been a few times over the years and it’s rained every time and you get mown down by bikes if you aren’t careful.

Israel. It was the home of the anti-tourist. There’s nothing that says “relaxing lunch” like an Eilat beach bar with early 20’s sporting shorts and semi-automatics.
Badly researched. You should have gone to Tel Aviv.

I loved Jerusalem and tel aviv - awesome and such a relief after flipping Egypt

@Basil90

Nope. Why don't you try reading my posts properly?