Holiday destinations that were unexpectedly lovely OR awful.

[NickiFury]

Torremolinos - ex booked it and I really didn't want to go. It was beautiful, amazing food, beach, perfect for kids, been back loads since.

Thailand - I hated it from the moment I left Bangkok airport, Krabi down by the coast was ok but the rest of the time was awful, I actually cried with relief when we touched down at Heathrow.

The Ardennes in Belgium are so beautiful. I loved it there.

Didn't like Morocco - felt uncomfortable the whole time in Marrakech. Natives unfriendly & keen to rip you off, maps horribly unhelpful. Essaouira a bit nicer but still uncomfortable.

Love Amsterdam, much of Corfu & much of southern Spain. "Costa del Sol" puts people off I think - call it Andalucia instead & it suddenly sounds much better! Granada, Cordoba, Seville & Malaga all lovely cities & lots of the coastal resorts are surprisingly nice too. Even Marbella has a beautiful beach & promenade, & the old town is lovely; Puerto Banus is great for an early evening stroll spotting ostentatious cars & yachts (we bagged a Hummer & a Pagani Zonda last time)

Loved Tuscany (apart from Pisa, & didn't bother with Florence, assuming it would be rammed).

Languedoc/Roussillon has some fabulous scenery & sights. We had a few great camping & gite holidays in Normandy when the kids were small & last year (without kids) really enjoyed a short break in the Loire visiting the chateaux.

I'd avoid many of these in July & August though - too hot, too crowded. Tricky when tied to school hols I know but we've had several family holidays in hot places around May half term. Amsterdam & N France bearable heatwise in high season.

Copenhagen ok (only there one day) & Danish Legoland was fab in August - quite quiet as their kids were back at school - but Denmark as a whole was pretty meh - flat & boring.

Good thread.

We're off to Mallorca next week for the first time so I hope I agree with the Mallorca lovers!

I've enjoyed most places we've been to but was really disappointed with Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. For a start it was unexpectedly cold for April (locals kept saying how unusually cold it was) and I had nothing warm to wear. I thought it was far too built up, like a continuous town all the way from Naples and not at all beautiful. Capri was boring and expensive. Only bit I enjoyed was visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum (which is what we'd gone for) which were both fascinating. Naples was nice but our courier scared us witless by saying how dangerous it was.

Went to Jamaica and Cuba early this year; loved Cuba; such an interesting place, I felt that the locals were really looking forward to the future (and being able to buy new cars!) Met hardly any Brits there but loads of Canadians in the coastal resort of Varraderro. They've been holidaying there for years.

Jamaica is a very ramshackle place; I think to really enjoy it you have to hire a car, drive round the North & East coasts (and to Treasure Beach and the Blue Mountains) and avoid the big resorts like the plague; that's where you'll really be hassled.

We went backpacking to some Greek islands in 1980 with a toddler. Loved Santorini, hardly any traffic then and no cruise ships. Went back on a nostalgia trip a couple of years ago and found it quite different; still enjoyed it though. You either love it or hate it, I'm told.

Really loved Croatia. Been to Split and Dubrovnik but best of all was a week's small boat cruise round the islands, which are idyllic.

Also really enjoyed Grenada in the Carribean.

Labruja beautiful city. Love lunch by the beach, perusing the markets, walking along the river bed and visiting all the places round and about. Would move there in a heartbeat.

I also disliked Malta. Beautiful history but what has built up around it is tacky. Gozo is amazing though.

We loved Cambodia and were not expecting to as we didn't really enjoy Thailand (and we have family living in Bangkok to show us around). Cambodians were so warm and friendly, Thai's were hostile and taxi drivers tried to cheat us at every opportunity bar one when we didn't have family with us. We were so grateful to that one who didn't that we gave him a huge tip that probably exceeded the amount he would have tried had he been dishonest so he was very happy. Cambodia was totally different, haven't enough nice words to say about the place.

Liked the U.S but didn't like New York or Washington - avaricious, uptight, cold and a veneer of high culture which gives you the underlying impression it's all been nicked or ill-gotten. Both places gave me the creeps and that was even before 9/11.

Mexico was gorgeous but bit dangerous. Loved Malaysia when we weren't expecting to. LOVED China and Taiwan and outer areas of Hong Kong (island itself is a bit meh). India - total love/hate relationship

The Amalfi Coast was absolutely breathtaking and fun for me but I have loved everywhere I have been in Italy. Chicago is a fantastic city and Miami Beach is one of my all time favourite holiday destinations. I love NYC too.
Places I have found disappointing are Cancun which is horrible and touristy and ridiculously hot and Thailand in general. I met so many fake and fraudulent locals in Thailand who tried to trick me into parting with my money. Plus the smells made me nauseous all the time.
I liked Australia personally as the scenery was spectacular and there was so much to see and do.
Person worried about Copenhagen now, I found it very fun and cool and perfect for a city break.
Finally, I love Butlins for 2-3 days but by day 5 I am dreaming of escaping and sick to death of it. Have been twice now and probably won't go again. It is amazing for kids though. My daughter enjoyed it as much as Disneyland (weirdly!) Disneyland is a million times better but she has been to Florida and California and she still said she loved Butlins more!

really loved reading this - so agree Ibiza is fabulous (8 more sleeps!!! and then I am off), Barcelona - wonderful ....Ko Jum in Thailand is sublime but Florence - isnt my fav .....what a busy, nightmare city!!!! My dad is in St Ives this week - very expensive and it hasnt stopped raining yet ...sadly......poor guy.....

Hated Prague - booze weekend only!

Pisa and Tuscany in the rain is dull and FA to do if you don't drink.

Dubai is totally amazing and so diverse - have tried every season and all locations .

Tenerife is lovely and weather is changeable .

Bermuda - prettiest place on earth and the local people are very friendly.

Majorca - Palma , loved it ,cross between Paris, Rome, bath

Also Venice is stunning and the Italians are entertaining to watch .
Berlin is a must for everyone- it's the best history lesson you'll ever have!

Venice - a dead tourist city that rips off tourists.

Dubrovnik - stunning, beautiful. No expectations but it blew me away.

Agree with Dublin.

Belfast/ Northern Ireland - stunning scenery, lively city, coast as far as the eye can see. World class beaches.

Christchurch NZ - FFS just get on with the rebuilding - looks like a bloody war zone in the centre.

Going back a few pages and haven't read to the end of thread yet but this has made me so angry. Shanghai wtaf? Did you actually see what they've been dealing with in Christchurch and how much has to be demolished? People died. My dh worked in the red zone before things started to come down and it was horrendous. Yes there has been a lot of red tape but if you had lived there and seen just what has had to come down or be replaced you might start to get some idea of the scale of devastation. Sorry everyone else for the rant but I know a lot of people who have lost a lot and lived through a lot of earthquakes. I look at built up areas with a bit of fear now, Wellington is amazing but everytime i go there the tall buildings do worry me.

There is a lot going on in Christchurch and I would actually really recommend visiting. But yes, there is a lot of damage from a major natural disaster, but it is still beautiful and the gap filler projects have been great in the city. My Ds used to make us ride the trams every week!

Sorry to everyone else, back to the thread...

Going to Dorset later this month, getting a little concerned now. Anything good to do with 2 primary age DCs?

Book onto a fossil hunting guided walk from the visitor centre at Charmouth Beach. Our boys loved it & found some excellent fossils which the guides identified for them. Bring a trowel or some heavy duty garden gloves to save your fingernails.

Monkeyworld is good, though most of the apes are slow risers if you get there just after opening on a misty morning in October half term.

Tiny museum on Lyme Regis sea front is surprisingly good - in a quirky, eclectic way.

The Beehive fish restaurant at the National Trust beach just along the coast from Bridport at Burton Bradstock is not cheap but the food & views are great.

If you can go to Abbotsbury Swannery on a quiet midweek day, it is lovely. Heaving in the hols, though.

Agree with Palma, Mallorca too. Fantastic city break and so easy to get around, love the wide tree lined boulevards and if you get off the main streets, there's some fab restaurants in the side streets.

I would love to know what St. Tropez is like now. I was a bit of a rebel and went off there with a guy for a long holiday when I was about 19 (in the 70's!). It was so cool and cutting edge then. Topless on the beach was unheard of anywhere at that time, but St. Tropez had it. Not only topless but some nudity too, I grew up on that holiday. I loved it over there, it was arty and fun and such contrasts with the rich side of life and the yachts and me and my boyfriend camping! I had a blast.

So many posts I agree with, too many to mention. Likewise for disagree!

I didn't feel it for Mallorca even Palma and was surprisingly expensive
Unexpected bonus was Delft - went for a day trip and ended up staying for 10 days
Annecy in the French Alps - stunningly beautiful, hot and with a beach vibe

Favourite places: Berlin, fabulous city with a great vibe; Mallorca, really pretty, lovely clean beaches; London, so much history and culture.

NY was a bit meh. I'd been desperate to go for ages but once I'd got over the fact that all the buildings are really tall, its really just another city. Not sure I'd go back. Paris is another place that I'm not sure I'd do again - dirty, with dog shit everywhere. I did go in November so it was cold and rained a lot. Maybe it would be nicer in the summer.

I agree Dorset is lovely and loads to do

Isle of Wight....just wasnt' what I thought...stukc in the 1950s, although may like it now if we returned.
Didn't like the place we stayed at or the island itself, although to be fair weather wasn't good, which does affect the way you feel about places. Took our 3 kids stayed on a "GOLD" David Bellamy site...not sure what the David Bellamy "GOLD" bit was for...you should have seen hubby's face when we arrived to see serried ranks of statics. (which he hates) One of which was ours, complete with velour, kids clubs, bingo and nightly show. Kids loved it though and won a return visit in the weekly talent show. (we booked somewhere else so we didn't need to go!)

The island itself seemed v expensive and you seemed to have to pay to get into everywhere...and everywhere there seemed to be expensive "all weather attractions" which we couldn't afford to go in (and may not have chosen to anyway) Cowes was lovely though, and so was Osbourne House, well worth a visit.
It was 14 years ago though and things may have improved...my parents went last year and adored it..though did have good weather too, which helps!
Didnt like Portugal near the Spanish border.....but again the place we stayed in was a complex out on its own and couldn't walk to anywhere to eat so didn't tick all the boxes for us, although went near Albufeira the other year and that was ok (although so cold in the evenings late May!)

Unexpectedly loved Scotland (weather wasn't good all the time but scenery amazing!) (Easter times) and would visit any time, also Northumberland and Lanzorote (Puerto del Carmen in Feb half term some years ago, last minute holiday as daughter had been ill)

Florida, not just Orlando, but also Clearwater (beach amazing!) and Sarasota far nicer than expected. Barcelona fantastic for short break with older kids - so much to see and do, friendly people and easy to get around. Paphos in Cyprus the same - beaches not so brill, but great aquapark and cheap restaurants serving delicious seafood. Always try and make the most of places, but one disaster was Fuerteventura - knew it was windy, but the resort we stayed in was windy +++ = couldn't stand up against the wind and were sand blasted like a medieval form of torture every time went on the beach!! That being said, if you steer clear of the Esquinzo area of the island, think Jandia central and some other parts can be more sheltered, and beaches beautiful (if only weather allows you to sit on them!!)

Really interesting and useful to hear others takes on places we've been to or hope to go.

Someone up thread asked about St Tropez, it's been the only disappointment we've had for holiday location. Was expecting a beautiful charming little French chic resort instead it was full of soulless designer shops and the boats in the harbour were so big they towered over the buildings. Beach, miles from town, pretty rubbish too.

For a French Jewell try Villefranche, near Nice, absolutely stunning.

Favourite city by a mile is Rome. The combination of its history, it's architecture and gelato is hard to beat.

Cinque terre in n Italy beautiful too with fantastic walking trails and coastal views.

I do lots of research on holiday locations to try and avoid disappointment and it usually pays off. Also we never go to popular spots in July and August, too many people and extreme heat would turn anywhere into a nightmare for us.

Forgot to add..adored Turkey too...the locals were so lovely, friendly, willing to help and just so nice. (although we did visit Bodrum to whilst staying elsewhere...shop owners a lot more pushy there..but only as much as in some other places I have been to) Scenery amazing too and as for the clear sea with all the fishes in......! (and the villa we stayed in was a bit skanky so for me to like a place despite the bad villa is amazing!)

Thank you to all contributors! Have really enjoyed this thread, and have some new additions to my (expanding) list of places I want to see as a result.

Would add that NE Scotland, in February, was fabulous. The scenery throughout Speyside and the Moray Firth were spectacularly beautiful, as was the drive across the Cairngorms from Balmoral. DS had a great day or two skiing at The Lecht; Lossiemouth beach and harbour, and Elgin were delightful. Our B&B, near Tomintoul and Glenlivet, was positively five-star! It was a long way from home (Cornwall) and the Lake District was an epic fail, because it rained and snowed so hard in both directions that we saw nothing.

Disappointed that so many posters have not liked Cornwall but would concede that the central parts of the county are quite ugly, and the coasts are beautiful but better outside holiday periods. It's a better place to live than to visit, IME.

I've also really enjoyed this thread and also have some new places I want to visit. Berlin was on the list anyway, but this thread has really reinforced that, so I think it will be the next city break destination, either later this year or early next summer.

I've also learnt a new word - I've never seen the word 'vibe' used so much and now need to find out what it means. Is it the current word for 'atmosphere'?

BarbaraofSeville (cool name btw!), yes atmosphere is good synonym for vibe.

Loved Stockholm and Bologna. Beautiful surroundings, charming people, lovely food. Efficient and clean public transport.

Less impressed, nay underwhelmed by Florence. Fabulous art and architecture but ruined by literally thousands of tourists, all with selfie-sticks. Expensive.

Syracuse, Sicily was truly amazing. We were planning on an overnight stay on our backpacking holiday, and ended up staying a week- and that just wasn't enough.
Split and Rovinj, Croatia. Gorgeous.
The Tyrol and Verona.
Loved the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon and Masada in Israel. So much history and the desert is hauntingly beautiful.
However, the most beautiful, truly stunning place in the world is where we have settled for the rest of our lives: The Whangaroa Harbour, north of the Bay of Islands, NZ. Beautiful climate, the air like warm silk, extremely under- populated, clean, clear water, no pollution, especially no light pollution, so that there are more stars in the black velvet sky than you could ever imagine. The beauty is beyond description.