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.

Tangier, agree, worse place I've ever been. I'm quite well travelled and have always liked most places (low standards though). Switzerland is beautiful, if I win the lottery, I'm moving there!

Elvira Weirdly, I had pretty much the opposite in Copenhagen. Went went in winter which may have made a difference, but didn't see any crowds of half naked men, drunk or otherwise and although our hotel was opposite a sex shop, it just seemed to be full of inflatable sheep. We found some good things to do around the city centre but everything was scarily expensive. Saw a sex shop but it was flanked by a cafe and a sewing shop, so seemed pretty innocuous. The people however, were horrible to us. Crap service, patronising, bumped out of the way walking on the streets. I'd go back though

I loved Capri! Yes the bit straight off the ferry is very touristy and silly expensive shops, but you only have to walk for 15 minutes and you are alone in the most magical scenery. I've never been anywhere more beautiful except Croatia. I'd love to stay there overnight one day and see it without the day trippers. Not all the shops are designer either - I have a pair of gorgeous earrings from there I paid about £20 for which I treasure.

Paris, beautiful Paris, will always be one of my favourite cities. I just love it. There seems to be such a wonderful sense of living history there - unlike London, which has largely been bulldozed into a bland, giant shopping centre in the last few decades.

I also love, love, love Stockholm. Interesting to hear the negatives about Copenhagen because I'd been hoping to go there next!

Tokyo - yes. Also wonderful. Interestingly, I vastly prefer Tokyo to Kyoto, which I know many people wouldn't agree with.

Have been to Madeira - not keen. Also Jamaica...wouldn't go back.

Just wanted to add London as an unexpected love. I went as a child many times on a five hour coach journey shopping and stopping in a shit hotel in Wembley and back the next day. Usually went in November, cold and grey.

Went a few years ago, drove down, parked at great expense, stayed in a wonderful Mayfair hotel, went to a show, ate in nice but reasonable restaurants, stayed in July and the weather was baking. I was in total awe and so proud to be British.

What an absolutely amazing city we have, fabulous and for me up there with New York, Las Vegas and Rome for me. P*** all over Sydney and Melbourne IMHO.

Exceeded expectations: Vienna, Budapest, Singapore, Copenhagen, Berlin, Madrid
Did not meet expectations: Barcelona, Cannes
Lovely: Costa Smeralda, Corsica, provence, ardeche, parts of Malaysia
Lovely once the day trippers have gone home: Capri, parts of the amalfi coast

Barcelona, just felt dirty and the food was awful, although DH loves it and has been back twice without me so I may have to give it a second chance.
Madeira, very pretty but the weather was crap, people were rude and there was nothing to do.
Only 2 holidays I was glad to come home from.

City breaks are my favourite type of holidays so favourite places in no order are Barcelona, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Amsterdam and Prague. I would never step foot in either Budapest or Lisbon ever again.

I also loved Florida for all the Disney stuff and will happily go back to Majorca.

DH and I also liked Marrakech a lot, but our heathen kids weren't so keen and preferred being out of town, in the hotel pool.

To be fair, all three did manage to contract E Coli 0157 from an ice cream parlour whilst we were there, so I understand their reluctance to go back...

Goa. Full of pretentious wannabe hippies pretending to be really poor I didn't think much of the beaches, food was ok. Southern Goa was much nicer and I loved Keral and people far more welcoming

Cuba. I found it very depressing. Havana is an interesting city but behind the vibrancy in the clubs and bars there was an air of defet and a sadness. I have been to counties where the people are poorer but there felt to be no hope in Cuba I guess that what communism does to you

I didn't like Dubai much, nice hotels and beachs, great restaurants
and shopping but it is soulless and i found the way they treat their workers is modern day slavery. When seeing the conditions they worked in against the extreme wealth it's sickening

Sumet an island in Thailand. Strange place (though beautiful) with a very strange vibe couldn't wait to leave.

Pattaya again in Thailand which is the vilest place on earth the explotation of women is horrendous and you feel you are never to far away from groups of men looking for children

I love the rest of Thailand it's such a shame they have such an issue with sex tourism in certain resorts that are best avoided

Awful was Turkey and Egypt, harassed so much that we stayed in hotel complex most of our holiday and once you've seen one tomb you've seen them all,
Loved and still love lanzarote, went in a cheap break there one year and was so surprised at how clean peaceful and beautiful the island is. Loved Budapest too, wasn't expecting it to be quite so lovely!

Hamburg, went to meet a friend who was working there wasn't expecting to like it, how wrong could I be it was great freindly people, great food, shopping and stunning buildings.
Marmaris, a few tears ago now hated it hassle from the moment you left the hotel room very unfriendly locals everyone just after your money, came home early and vowed never to return to Turkey.

Bahamas a truly stunning scary place if you aren't an American on a 5* resort! At dusk men would appear out of nowhere carrying machetes hitting the dirt and eye you up. I asked the British Embassy to get me a flight the hell outta there after a week early!

I am surprised London is seen as a big bland shopping centre. I think the history is amazingly all around but we don't have the lovely huge boulevards that they do in Paris

withdraw the word stunning!!

Costa del sol was always my idea of hell, especially the thought of marbella after towie etc bil moved there 5 years ago so we visit often. LOVE it!!

Worst place, probably hersonissos... even malia was more er interesting

We didn't enjoy Madeira much either; full of old people and no sandy beaches!

Dominican Republic was amazing, we met a local tour guide who took us on some incredible adventures rather than being stuck on a hot bus with all the other tourists.

I loved Australia whilst travelling as a teen but that was probably because I stayed with locals then ended up staying for months on an island with their family.

I also liked kefalonia we went just as they were filming captain c's mandolin. So it was quiet and undeveloped.

Venice - was shocked at the huge numbers of tourists, popular attractions were far far too crowded and unpleasant. Although it was a lot nicer if you wandered out of the main tourist areas. lots of hassle from people selling knock off handbags on the streets. Restaurants where the service was rude when it became clear you weren't going to buy super expensive wine with the meal. Wouldn't go back.

Istanbul- went for a Turkish friends wedding and stayed a week. One of the best holidays I have ever had. So many amazing places to visit (blown away by the Hagia Sophia). Locals very friendly - even the pushy street sellers did it in a friendly, good humoured way. A lovely atmosphere at night time, felt very safe - not much alcohol is drunk which I think helps. Weather fantastic. I am so sad at recent events in Turkey. I hope to go back to Istanbul one day but wouldn't at the moment.

Turkey, well at least the place we went to, rubbish everywhere, hassled from every restaurant and bar (esp 14 year old dd) English fry ups, Tetleys beer. I know there are lovely parts though, we just chose badly,

New York, was expecting to know what it would be like from tv and films, it was so much more magical (went at Christmas)

I didn't like Santorini, I had planned to go for a few days for an event but was convinced to stay for a fortnight and make a holiday out of it. I was so bored.

I hated Mauritius, Baltimore, Mexico, Rome (went back to check I didn't like it, I definitely don't ) Key West and the Bahamas.

Loved Charleston, which I wasn't particularly looking forward to visiting.

My DH says I'm hard to please.

I adore London though

Alvor Portugal.
Our accommodation was dire, an apartment in a tower block up about the 10 th floor with little ones, the pool was sea water ds 1 has an allergy to it.
On the return journey Faro airport was closed due to fog- this hadn't happened in thousands of years and we had to do a 6 hour bus journey to Lisbon. The children were always travel sick and they vomited all the way.

Copenhagen was disappointing.
So was Edinburgh.

Chicago was fantastic as was New York.

Relieved to see Krakow getting positives as going there next week!
As for me;
Hated Rome ( expected it to be an Italian version of Paris which I love) and Florence
Expected to hate Tenerife, was lovely. Expected to hate Benalmadena - liked it so much I nearly bought a house there.