Most disappointing destination/holiday

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For me, it was the Norwegian fjords. Not because they weren’t beautiful (what we saw of them, they were!) but because it was cold, rainy and foggy when we went. One town known for being very pretty was ridiculously busy and there was a cruise ship blocking the view from the restaurant we booked. We knew the prices were going to be high, but expected good quality… when you pay over £100 for a train ticket, you expect there to be toilet roll and soap in the toilets!

where have you been that was disappointing?

To be reasonable, someone who can never taste the cocktails they make (or even the separate ingredients) is unlikely to make great ones.

Phuket for me.

I expected hot and humid - but it was next level. Very uncomfortable. I didn't manage to feel clean the whole time as you'd start sweating again as soon as you stepped out of the shower. Lots of rats and obviously seedy undertones to most of the place. Very crowded with dodgy buildings that didn't look safe/half built. Couldn't wait to leave.

Its actually put me off tropical holidays for life. Much prefer a temperate climate!

@CurvedPaw Whereas in Porto, Lisbon, Naples I had the sense of real people living in a real city

Can’t speak for Naples but Lisbon and Porto city centres have essentially been sold off to “expats” and Airbnbs, it’s nearly impossible for a local to afford to live there anymore. This has been going on for about a decade now.

Very sad.

Oh yes , we found this out last year . Hugely disappointing Christmas market . Similar crap to a car boot sale here . Bruges itself was gorgeous just don’t go for a Christmas market experience .
Places I didn’t enjoy
Jamaica - beautiful island but not safe .
Las Vegas - nothing to do if you’re not a gambler / slot machine lover .
Marrakesh- awful food , dusty , dirty stinks of diesel
New York - mixed , lots to see but locals aggressive even the police were terrifying , only spoken to nicely when spending a lot of money in a restaurant

DH and I did the Golden Triangle in India this year, and whilst we saw some amazing sights and loved the colourful culture and the warmth of the people we met, the overwhelming poverty and plastic waste piled up everywhere with people and animals living amongst it has really put me off ever having to go back.

But where in Northern India? Did you go up to the mountains - Ladakh, Dharamsala, Rishikesh etc?

I'm not a huge fan of Indian cities - although some are undoubtedly impressive - but you can't really argue with how stunning the countryside is.

Varanasi too feels pretty special IMO, although if course poverty and high population is everywhere

The same is true of the Golden triangle @FeltCarrot . In Rajasthan ( although not my favourite region) I'd definitely recommend going to Jaisalmar, Phuskar & Udaipur, and Ranthambore or Bharatpur for wildlife.

Yes it’s a huge culture shock . India is incredible but the contrast in extraordinary wealth v abject poverty is mind blowing .

We went to Shimla too, the scenery there is amazing but it still had a plastic litter problem although not as bad as Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The one Indian city we visited that was relatively litter free was Chandigarh, a modern city with ana amazing Sculpture garden,.

What about South America (excluding the AI crap in Mexico)? Has noone been and had a bad experience in 34 pages (I've only skimmed but couldn't see any references)? We went to Rio de Janeiro during Carnival and unfortunately (for this thread) had the best time ever! What a place. Crazy and beautiful.

You didn't make it sound very appealing!

Mexico isn’t in South America.

Mexico is beautiful and also isn't in South America

@FindingMeno I also thought the food was fantastic in Marrakesh , loved all the jacaranda trees and the big square - and yes whilst we did get a bit of animated hassle , usually to get cabs or in the souks, it was reasonably good natured. Riads and hotels were really nice too - it is quite a culture shock though if you have never been anywhere similar - and smells of a mix of mint and donkey piss!! It seems to be a marmite place, when we were there the people I heard moaning were the kind who to be frank wouldn’t appreciate the call to prayer and wanted McDonald’s and Carling -
on tap -

How about Sir Les Patterson!

we did a food tour around Marrakesh - incredible food. Cheap and lovely with great spices. We also ate in a few back alley local places and they don’t sell booze, but that didn’t worry us.

The cow face and ‘parts’ on the market stall that we tried was more on the ‘adventurous’ menu, but cow udder is actually quite tasty (if you like beef)

The prickly pear stall was gorgeous too, the tagine restaurant.

It’s finding great places that the locals use, not Marrakesh cuisine.

Puno at Lake Titicaca was the arsehole of Peru - cold, depressing, difficult to find food . This was in 1985 when all you had for guidance was the South American handbook! I was glad to get back on the train for a cheese sandwich. Arequipa the White City was beautiful but Cusco was the best. The port town of Guayaquil in Ecuador - we ended up in a recommended hotel only to have a gap of about 2 foot at the ceiling between us and the next room where we listened to a variety of night time activities 😬😂.

It's fascinating reading all the conflicting Marrakech posts! Those of you decrying the food... where the heck were you eating? We ate out every night and it was always nice and fresh. Lots of nice rooftop restaurants with "Assassin's creed" type views and beautiful lanterns and rugs. But if you preferred there were European style restaurants, pizza places.
I also found the people to be good humoured, and never felt unsafe.
If you can't see beyond a bit of smell and dirt to the sheer stunning amazingness of Marrakech, then frankly you have no soul!

The only "destination" type place I've hated has been Dublin. Dreary, dirty, dull, unfriendly and expensive, and shite weather.

I'm surprised at all the Barcelona hate - even if you don't like Gaudi, there's the absolutely massive maze of streets through the Gothic Quarter and El Born, between Las Ramblas and Parc de la Ciutadella where you can just get lost in all the beauty, and most of that bit doesn't get rammed like Las Ramblas.

I'm amazed at people dismissing entire countries (France and Spain). They're both absolutely beautiful in parts.

I am astonished at the comments here. It seems people just want a sanitised version of their destinations and would be better off staying in a manufactured resort with immaculate beaches and all inclusive catering.

Venice - if all you see are tourist crowds and ‘Disneyland’ then you are lacking in gumption. I have lived there and re-visit most years, so must have been a tourist 15 or more times, and literally every time i go I discover something new. Step away from St Marks Square and the Rialto and get lost in the magical alleyways. The ancient crumbling walls are full of stories, the boat yards look like a film set from the 1920s and the art and architecture is mind blowing. Some of the best Italian food I’ve ever had has been in the residential districts of Venice. And cheap too.

Lille - how anyone could find this city boring is beyond me. The architecture on the back streets is stunning. Just look up! The food was amazing. But of course you have to look beyond the obvious main boulevards and explore deeper into the districts. The art was incredible. I can’t wait to return.

Barcelona - again - just walk! Step away from the main drag and explore. It’s one of my favourite cities. So full of character. And yes, character can often mean buildings that have seen better days. Beautiful, decorative architecture, bustling markets full of locals buying groceries, delicious cheap wine in tiny bars on back streets. That walk up a forested hill right in the centre of a city is crazily exciting. And the views from the top blow my mind.

I love Paris, I love Rome, I love Florence, I love Stockholm and Berlin… there’s always something magical around the next corner. I don’t want to go to a sterilised picture perfect city.

If you just walk - explore - you’ll find the romance in any place.

Spent honeymoon in Alcudia, Majorca 52 years ago. There was one hotel. Very few tourists. Lovely local market.

How do you know they don’t drink? Quite an assumption to make no?

Barcelona - again - just walk! Step away from the main drag and explore. It’s one of my favourite cities. So full of character. And yes, character can often mean buildings that have seen better days. Beautiful, decorative architecture, bustling markets full of locals buying groceries, delicious cheap wine in tiny bars on back streets. That walk up a forested hill right in the centre of a city is crazily exciting. And the views from the top blow my mind.

Completely agree. There's such a maze of vast, beautiful alleys and side streets in Barcelona. There's nothing better than getting pleasantly lost and then coming upon an amazing little square. I actually suspect some people literally don't leave the main streets at all, and race from one ticklist to the next, so all they see is crowds.

Again Barcelona - we stayed in Gracia on one of our visits. We love going up Tibidabo. So yet more to explore.
I had friends that went and I think just did the route up Las Ramblas and Passeig de Gràcia, and they didn't seem to much enjoy it.

I wonder if I'm really laid back or have low expectations but apart from Gran Canaria which we didn't enjoy....and even then I say 'we' my partners complaining impacted me as I'd go again but elsewhere on the island, I tend to find something positive about everywhere we go.
Also i think I remind myself I'm fortunate to have the time and money to be able to travel. My dad died at 48 and had only 2 holiday in his life which was his honeymoon a year before he died

Disneyland, California - kept on expecting the 'magic' to hit me but after queuing for the best part of an hour to get on any decent ride and then it closing for whatever reason we were p*ed off by the 12pm on the first day. Took our then 6 year old dd thinking she'd love it but could have saved ourselves the best part of £600 and stayed at the mediocre hotels splash pad. The whole experience felt very..... forced. I think it's the whole theme park thing; California is AMAZING but finding yourself sitting in a floating plastic log waiting for a mechanical plastic hippo's to open it's mouth is just a bit, well odd when there so much incredible natural beauty outside.