Places that were a let down

[DarcyDear]

Have you ever been anywhere on holiday and felt it wasn’t what you thought it would be? My friend is just back from New York and absolutely hated it. I’ve never been let down by a holiday but I remember being really taken aback at the levels of poverty and homelessness when I visited Los Angeles in my youth.

Tenby
Dublin

I wasn’t wowed by NYC.
I really loved London…

Albufeira/the Algarve. I went recently and didn't see the appeal. I think it must have been great 20 years ago but perhaps not now.

I wouldn't say it was a let down, but Costa Rica wasn't what I expected. It was lovely, but a lot more touristy than I expected and (obviously, with hindsight) there were a lot of Americans.

Loved NYC and expected to hate it.

Venice

athens what a shithole

I found Santa Monica/LA a let down. I wouldn’t go back.

Same. Hated Venice and was so disappointed as I was so looking forward to visiting.

Definitely LA I hate flying in there and everything about it.

Rome scenery was amazing, pick pocketers and professional beggars ruined it.

What did she hate about New York OP? I loved the experience but must admit it took me by surprise. It's a very rough city. Lots of litter and weed etc. I thought it would be a bit more cared for. I also found the pizza quite sickly. Great people though!

Noooo! Athens is amazing, when did you visit?

Chicago. I nearly got mugged in broad daylight. The St Patrick’s Day parade was fun but I was so relieved to get home.

Malta

Turkey, hot and dirty

I loved Athens - so interesting, masses to see, lots of fun little restaurants and pretty corners. It was so much better than I expected.

Agree LA is horrible in every respect, such a let down.
Paphos in Cyprus

Turkey.
Cambodia.
I found New York was a mixture of hit and miss.

Riga. Thought it would be like Prague but it wasn’t. Christmas market almost non-existent. Restaurants closed at 9.30. The most interesting visit was the inside of Central police Station when I had to report a theft.

I've holidayed in Rome 9 or 10 times over the last 35 years, and never experienced these problems. It's my favourite place in the world - I just love it.

Cyprus
Naples

Agree, Paphos is a tacky dump. I liked Cyprus as a whole though, especially the mountains and the north coast.

LA is two cities to me, one is rundown, dirty and full of addicts and the other is unbelievably wealthy and iconic. I actually like LA, but I can see why others don't and LAX is a horrible airport!

I've been to lots of places that weren't as expected - usually in a good way, sometimes in a not so good way. But, I try to find a way to enjoy it anyway.
Particularly bad ones

• Paris: rude waiters, le merde du chien (I lived in Paris for two years many years ago, the recent experiences have been yuk!). I do shut down the waiters - have been mistaken for being Canadian, which is a plus
• Dalaman: angry men. DH was challenged in the pool for not being a guest. We were offered a "fruit plate" in recompense which was summarily rejected
• Havana (20 years ago). No water, food reheated several times, DH almost arrested for harassing me (he is of southern European extraction and mistaken for a local)
• Jerusalem - the most toxic city I have ever visited

All of these have become fun holiday anecdotes. Particularly good ones:

• Being treated to local noodles in China (in a Chinese home) because the hotel cook was unwell
• Staying in a villa in Cyprus and being invited by the owners for "breakfast". Which went on until 2pm, DH "enjoyed the hospitality" via a lot of bottles!
• Staying half board in Montenegro, we told them that we wouldn't be having dinner a couple of nights so they gave us a bottle of wine (because it stopped them from over-catering)
• Staying in a hotel in Atami, Japan. It was (a couple of years ago) a totally Japanese establishment. Was awesome and we were thanked for being the only Westerners at the time. My Japanese is super basic but they appreciated every effort. My young nephew was also in attendance and was so awesome trying out all the food. They showered gifts on him. It would have been an amazing stay, but their kindness and appreciation made it so special

Paphos city might not be the best but assigning the whole area as a "tacky dump" is harsh.
Plus, for a first time visitor to Paphos, there are a lot of places and spaces to enjoy.
As with all destinations, choose the places that speak to you. Enkleistra is just outside or Paphos and is one of the most beautiful places I have seen

The Algarve. Boring, nothing to do, a week was too long.

What did you hate about it? We were there for a week this spring and thought it was dazzling and magical