Riga, Latvia Stag Do - Anyone been?
Discussion
It's ok from what I remember it, the locals generally weren't too friendly but I guess they're rightly sick of groups of blokes turning up hammered and falling round the city! it was chuffing cold, I remember that much, snowed constantly and was really icy, everyone fell over at some point.
DO NOT get ushered into any strip bars by touts on the street.....you WILL get shot/stabbed.
Stick to the main busy bits and go to a club called essential.
We had a right laugh there a couple of years ago despite nearly getting shot by some very dodgy looking bouncers.
It's a hellhole, in a good way.....and the women are generally drop dead stunning.
Stick to the main busy bits and go to a club called essential.
We had a right laugh there a couple of years ago despite nearly getting shot by some very dodgy looking bouncers.
It's a hellhole, in a good way.....and the women are generally drop dead stunning.
Inside Mile radius of the centre; fine
Outside that mile; Hellhole.
I stayed within the radius and had a great time, made some Latvian friends (Eddy Polish and some other dude), drank loads of beer and Tequila. We did a 4 day trip on like £200 including £35 flight and £40 accomodation.
We stayed in an apartment type thing which was 15 minute walk from centre but still in nice part, near the bus station. It was by no means plush, but did the job and to be honest you should be out drinking not in there! Think it was called guesthouse jakob lenz.
Cheers
Outside that mile; Hellhole.
I stayed within the radius and had a great time, made some Latvian friends (Eddy Polish and some other dude), drank loads of beer and Tequila. We did a 4 day trip on like £200 including £35 flight and £40 accomodation.
We stayed in an apartment type thing which was 15 minute walk from centre but still in nice part, near the bus station. It was by no means plush, but did the job and to be honest you should be out drinking not in there! Think it was called guesthouse jakob lenz.
Cheers
Went last august.
Great fun for a stag doo - we went paintballing - not exactly saftey concerned out there.
Stayed in a hotel called "the stag hotel" or "xdream" same place two names. http://www.staghotel.co.uk/ which was actually very good for the price we paid.
Food was generally cheap but we didn't really eat much.
Drink varied - the hotel bar sold a larger at 80 pence a pint which was fine, and another that was about £1.30 a pint. In the city centre things were a bit more expensive - especially in the nicer bars. Spirtis etc were not much difference in price to here (up north england) couple of quid for a measure.
a lapdance in our hotel strip bar (yes our hotel had a strip bar) cost 10 quid a go.
Taxi's and transportation weas very cheap though - much cheaper than here.
Locals were ok, we didn't have any trouble but they were not especially friendly either.
As others have said don't get sucked into any old dtrip bar, it will cost you money or body parts. Ask at your hotel desk for advice and they will be happy to tell you more.
Have fun. - Any Q's ask away.
Great fun for a stag doo - we went paintballing - not exactly saftey concerned out there.
Stayed in a hotel called "the stag hotel" or "xdream" same place two names. http://www.staghotel.co.uk/ which was actually very good for the price we paid.
Food was generally cheap but we didn't really eat much.
Drink varied - the hotel bar sold a larger at 80 pence a pint which was fine, and another that was about £1.30 a pint. In the city centre things were a bit more expensive - especially in the nicer bars. Spirtis etc were not much difference in price to here (up north england) couple of quid for a measure.
a lapdance in our hotel strip bar (yes our hotel had a strip bar) cost 10 quid a go.
Taxi's and transportation weas very cheap though - much cheaper than here.
Locals were ok, we didn't have any trouble but they were not especially friendly either.
As others have said don't get sucked into any old dtrip bar, it will cost you money or body parts. Ask at your hotel desk for advice and they will be happy to tell you more.
Have fun. - Any Q's ask away.
Stayed here
Lovely hotel. Even if you don't stay here, you need to visit it for the nice bar on the 25th floor. There is also a club and a casino there.
Locals were pretty friendly, but then I was with the missus, not on a stag.
Basic advise is don't get completely wrecked on drink, and you'll be ok. Get trashed and you will end up losing money, body parts or your liberty for a while.
Lovely hotel. Even if you don't stay here, you need to visit it for the nice bar on the 25th floor. There is also a club and a casino there.
Locals were pretty friendly, but then I was with the missus, not on a stag.
Basic advise is don't get completely wrecked on drink, and you'll be ok. Get trashed and you will end up losing money, body parts or your liberty for a while.
some entertainment to had with automatic weapons as well, if that floats your boat. Slightly scary as you go through what looks like an old KGB touture venue to the shooting range - but a good way to clear the hangover, before heading back to skyline bar or jockey club (few years ago so may have changed)
Went there on mine a few years ago. Went karting and bobsleighing (terrifying), both pretty cheap. Stayed in the old town and didn't venture outside. I've been there with work and stayed outside the city centre and its pretty grim. I went in February and it was blooding freezing. Cheap beer though and plenty of E.European hotties.
toastboy said:
Hellhole? In a good way?
Nope !I suppose it's as good as anywhere else for a stag do in as much as they sell beer but it's really got nothing else going for it.
It's dangerous, cold and depressing. You really need to keep your wits about you as it's VERY easy to get into serious trouble.
It's no surprise there are so many Latvians in the UK as there's nothing to like about Latvia !
On the positive side, they know how to build a good woman !
Don't get put off by the danger part though, it makes it more fun.
What happened to us:-
Some creepy looking latvian fella enticed us into this strip club, down a dingy back alley, it wasn't a good plan from the start. We all got settled down, que plenty of very fit lasses taking the clothes off etc. One of the lads bought one of the girls a drink, a ribena.
We then got up to go and the bar girl wanted £75 for said ribena. Lots of chuffing and huffing later see's 6-7 fookin massive, bald, latvian heavies turn up who proceeded to show us their shoulder holsters, which had feckin guns in em!
We paid up and fvcked off.
Later one of lads buggerd off for a wander round, not a good idead in the middle of the night when you're drunk, he got held up at gun point but managed to head butt the assailant and run off!
All these things were done in very drunken states and wouldn't have happened if we'd stuck to the beaten path.
Other than that it was a great laugh....chracter building.
What happened to us:-
Some creepy looking latvian fella enticed us into this strip club, down a dingy back alley, it wasn't a good plan from the start. We all got settled down, que plenty of very fit lasses taking the clothes off etc. One of the lads bought one of the girls a drink, a ribena.
We then got up to go and the bar girl wanted £75 for said ribena. Lots of chuffing and huffing later see's 6-7 fookin massive, bald, latvian heavies turn up who proceeded to show us their shoulder holsters, which had feckin guns in em!
We paid up and fvcked off.
Later one of lads buggerd off for a wander round, not a good idead in the middle of the night when you're drunk, he got held up at gun point but managed to head butt the assailant and run off!
All these things were done in very drunken states and wouldn't have happened if we'd stuck to the beaten path.
Other than that it was a great laugh....chracter building.
Edited by dave_s13 on Thursday 9th October 12:26
Been on two stag do's there and a wedding - a mate married a Latvian girl. Riga is like any other place Ryan Air/Easy Jet fly - full of drunken Brits.
Its a nice place and genuine Latvian's are lovely people. Riga has more than its fair share of dodgy places so research it thoroughly before you go - there are some good clubs there, but you'll need to get out of the old town a little.
At all costs, do not go to a place called Roxy's. Even the brides 50+ y/o father told us about this place - definately one to avoid.
Its a nice place and genuine Latvian's are lovely people. Riga has more than its fair share of dodgy places so research it thoroughly before you go - there are some good clubs there, but you'll need to get out of the old town a little.
At all costs, do not go to a place called Roxy's. Even the brides 50+ y/o father told us about this place - definately one to avoid.
Stayed at xdream too.
Not bad. Ripped off a bit by the hotel; as we asked for a taxi for 2 to go back to the airport, expecting a private taxi, instead, they took our money and squeezed us into another groups ride to the airport. and they charged more than I paid the taxi to take me from the airport.
Rest of our group were traveling later, so used the Hotel minibus.
Also take plenty of snacks / sweets with you.
No food except breakfast in the hotel. if you want an evening meal, I can recommend a good steak house in the town. Very nice, top quality food, superb eye-candy waitresses too.
TIP. KEEP all your possessions on you at all times. The hotel organized strip joints are just as crap.
Shooting was ok, but everything has a price.
we ended up leaving the guide and finding an Irish Bar (well with 15 Irish lads in our group it was a no-brainer really)
Not bad. Ripped off a bit by the hotel; as we asked for a taxi for 2 to go back to the airport, expecting a private taxi, instead, they took our money and squeezed us into another groups ride to the airport. and they charged more than I paid the taxi to take me from the airport.
Rest of our group were traveling later, so used the Hotel minibus.
Also take plenty of snacks / sweets with you.
No food except breakfast in the hotel. if you want an evening meal, I can recommend a good steak house in the town. Very nice, top quality food, superb eye-candy waitresses too.
TIP. KEEP all your possessions on you at all times. The hotel organized strip joints are just as crap.
Shooting was ok, but everything has a price.
we ended up leaving the guide and finding an Irish Bar (well with 15 Irish lads in our group it was a no-brainer really)
RECOMMENDATION.
If you want a Good meal, good beer...
Go to the memorial (you cannot miss this, its almost 100 ft high and they have a perminant Military guard around it), walk towards the town square with Mcdonnalds on your right. You will come to a square.
Steiku Haoss
www.steikuhaoss.lv
If you want a Good meal, good beer...
Go to the memorial (you cannot miss this, its almost 100 ft high and they have a perminant Military guard around it), walk towards the town square with Mcdonnalds on your right. You will come to a square.
Steiku Haoss
www.steikuhaoss.lv
JVaughan said:
RECOMMENDATION.
If you want a Good meal, good beer...
Go to the memorial (you cannot miss this, its almost 100 ft high and they have a perminant Military guard around it), walk towards the town square with Mcdonnalds on your right. You will come to a square.
Steiku Haoss
www.steikuhaoss.lv
If you want a Good meal, good beer...
Go to the memorial (you cannot miss this, its almost 100 ft high and they have a perminant Military guard around it), walk towards the town square with Mcdonnalds on your right. You will come to a square.
Steiku Haoss
www.steikuhaoss.lv
Very good place to eat. Get a private apartment - Do NOT stay in a hotel. Loads of websites and they arrange transfers, the lot. Have been lots of times but never on a stag-do. Wouldn't even consider it personally. Pissed up Brit stag parties are not welcome anywhere and everyone will try and rip you off. Go in groups of 3-6 though and it's fine for a long weekend, as long as you don't act like a drunken t
t!
Don't know how dangerous/dodgy it is - never experienced any problems. Did once stagger around the old town for 2 hows at about 4am, absolutely battered (two bottles of neat vodka seemed a good idea at the time) whilst trying to find my apartment (it's the one next to the red church.....oh, there are 3 red churches....err...) with no hassle at all. Mind you, it was about minus 20c at the time. Women are gorgeous, beer is cheap and steaks are great. Been in Summer and Winter. Will probably go next summer again as I want to check out the beach.....
Best advice I can give is to go to Club Essential at opening time (10pm) go in small groups/couples. Arrive sober. Get in and go upstairs to the bar right at the back. There is one large table with a group of lounges. This is the only such table/area in the club. "Hire" table for the night. This will involve buying a large bottle of Vodka, say, £60. Sit back and enjoy as you are now the VIP area and all the girls will want to be your friend
Just make sure that you always leave someone back to guard the area....
t! Don't know how dangerous/dodgy it is - never experienced any problems. Did once stagger around the old town for 2 hows at about 4am, absolutely battered (two bottles of neat vodka seemed a good idea at the time) whilst trying to find my apartment (it's the one next to the red church.....oh, there are 3 red churches....err...) with no hassle at all. Mind you, it was about minus 20c at the time. Women are gorgeous, beer is cheap and steaks are great. Been in Summer and Winter. Will probably go next summer again as I want to check out the beach.....
Best advice I can give is to go to Club Essential at opening time (10pm) go in small groups/couples. Arrive sober. Get in and go upstairs to the bar right at the back. There is one large table with a group of lounges. This is the only such table/area in the club. "Hire" table for the night. This will involve buying a large bottle of Vodka, say, £60. Sit back and enjoy as you are now the VIP area and all the girls will want to be your friend
Just make sure that you always leave someone back to guard the area....E36GUY said:
JVaughan said:
RECOMMENDATION.
If you want a Good meal, good beer...
Go to the memorial (you cannot miss this, its almost 100 ft high and they have a perminant Military guard around it), walk towards the town square with Mcdonnalds on your right. You will come to a square.
Steiku Haoss
www.steikuhaoss.lv
If you want a Good meal, good beer...
Go to the memorial (you cannot miss this, its almost 100 ft high and they have a perminant Military guard around it), walk towards the town square with Mcdonnalds on your right. You will come to a square.
Steiku Haoss
www.steikuhaoss.lv
Very good place to eat. Any of the restaurants round the square are good for a big fat steak. There is a bar on a street which I can't remember just now called the Red Bar - big kinda sports bar, loads of tellys, hubba-hubba waitresses and they do great food and drinks. Would recommend this venue for the morning/afternoon hangover cure venue, rather than a main evening event. Oh yeah, the pharmacies/chemists seem a lot more lax on what they will sell you without a prescription; amphetamines, codeine, valium etc....
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