Most disappointing holiday/tourist destination/attractions?
Discussion
Squiggs said:
Years ago (20 or so) we went to Cuba and went on a coach tour, part of which was a visit to a market which the tour guides kept raving about.
When we pulled up in the coach there were two small stalls - one selling dodgy looking vegetables the other rough cuts of pork that had more fat than meat ........ and that was it!
To be fair, that's really the only pork worth buying! When we pulled up in the coach there were two small stalls - one selling dodgy looking vegetables the other rough cuts of pork that had more fat than meat ........ and that was it!
Los Angeles - A fair few years ago, but zero inclination to give it a second chance. I've been to a few dodgy and third world places but never felt as unsafe as i did there. A few pockets of niceness, surrounded by massive and horrible megalopolis.
I'm not keen on Lagos either, but it isn't exactly a holiday destination.
I'm not keen on Lagos either, but it isn't exactly a holiday destination.
UK
John O'Groats - what a one horse dorp of a s
thole
Land's End - ditto
Blackpool - proof that the stty bits aren't just at the top and bottom of the country.
RoW
Bulgaria - all of it
Venice - beautiful architecture ruined by tourist tat shops and the nastiest Italians I've ever had the misfortune...
John O'Groats - what a one horse dorp of a s
tholeLand's End - ditto
Blackpool - proof that the s
tty bits aren't just at the top and bottom of the country.RoW
Bulgaria - all of it
Venice - beautiful architecture ruined by tourist tat shops and the nastiest Italians I've ever had the misfortune...
Blackpool - why anyone would want to go is beyond me!
New York - went around mid december a few years ago. Really did not get what all the fuss was about if I'm honest. It was nice but not wow.
Niagara - As someone elses has already said, falls are amamzing, the town is werird. Like a clean blackpool but utterly dead. Spent 3 days there, 1/2 is enough
New York - went around mid december a few years ago. Really did not get what all the fuss was about if I'm honest. It was nice but not wow.
Niagara - As someone elses has already said, falls are amamzing, the town is werird. Like a clean blackpool but utterly dead. Spent 3 days there, 1/2 is enough
BRR said:
Hong Kong - Like London, but worse, didn't find many redeeming features about the place other than you get to see some nice cars and the contrast between rich and poor is quite interesting
I do get what you mean as my first trip to HK in 2007, I had exactly the same opinion, if not worse. My opinion of HK on subsequent trips - en route to Mainland China - improved tremendously. HK is London on steroids and feels a quarter of the size. As a city-scape, it is truly impressive: incredible skyline view of Victoria Bay, Star Ferry across the bay, old style buses, good transportation, and incredible views from Victoria Peak. Interesting architecture, and lots of interesting places and markets. Also, good walks on the various islands inc. underneath the escape path on Lantau Island from Ngong Ping to Tung Chung, walking around Lamma Island - and avoiding getting a face-full of f**k off spiders with their webs criss-crossing the paths - and Stanley. The bus ride to Stanley up and around the hills is incredible.That said, 3-4 days max and then I get the fear and need to leave. If I stayed any longer I'd go stir-crazy.
Kermit power said:
First one for me is Florence. That's possibly a bit unfair on Florence, but of all the places I went to on business over the course of a decade of very frequent travel, that was the one which was completely and utterly over-hyped by everyone I mentioned it to before going. The Ponte Vecchio and the Cathedral square were OK, but I was expecting so much from the way everyone had reacted to mention of the place that it was probably never going to be able to live up to it.
We - my partner and I - went to Venice and Florence in May 2016 when she was 6 1/2 months pregnant. She preferred Venice, but I preferred Florence. The weather, architecture, Tuscan hills, plenty of history and culture. A couple of aspects I disliked: the area north of the station, and the amount of aggressive African men trying to sell shady crap around Ponte Vecchio. Fastchas said:
Isn't the Pyramids supposed to a historical landmark ruined by surrounding fast food restaurants and rubbish strewn around?
We went to see them on a trip from Sharm. Granted this was possibly not a great idea as we went by road.
3am start or something ridiculous, 6 hour drive in a hot uncomfortable minibus.
Ciaro is hot, really hot, noisy, dirty, and the Pyramids are more or less right on the edge of it.
From one direction the pyramids look like they should - from the other they are rather disappointing.
I was hot, tired, grumpy and unimpressed.
Hong Kong was also a massive disappointment for me. We tagged 4 days in HK onto the end of a 3 week tour around Vietnam and the contrast was incredible.
HK feels like it is trying to pick your pocket all the time. I do agree that the waterfront and HK island have some highlights but overall it is very underwhelming.
Would much rather have spent the 4 days back in Ho Chi Minh City which is awesome.
Ha Long bay just out of this world. Such a relaxing place to be despite the amount of boats and people. Use a decent local tour company who know some of the quieter areas and it's bliss!
HK feels like it is trying to pick your pocket all the time. I do agree that the waterfront and HK island have some highlights but overall it is very underwhelming.
Would much rather have spent the 4 days back in Ho Chi Minh City which is awesome.
Ha Long bay just out of this world. Such a relaxing place to be despite the amount of boats and people. Use a decent local tour company who know some of the quieter areas and it's bliss!
bad company said:
yellowbentines said:
bad company said:
I agree with the op about Las Vegas, I thought it was horrible but many seem to love it. Florida is also over rated imo.
ALL of Florida - or just Kissimmee/Disney which is what most of us Brits consider Florida?Just asking as I've holidayed in Florida many times, Naples is lovely, Fort Augustine really interesting and steeped in history, Mount Dora is a quaint little town, Tarpon Springs is worth a day trip etc.
Always amazes me the amount of Brits that visit Florida and don't see much outwith the theme parks! (please don't take that as a dig against you, just a general observation).
I don't have kids, my wife and I moved here with my work 15 months ago and love it, the reason I wanted to come here to work is because I love Orlando, the theme parks (have annual resident passes for Disney and Universal) the weather and the other areas nearby. 
But then, I am a big kid, each to their own I guess.
A tad worried to read about the views of Vegas, Montreal and Niagara as doing those area's this year. Vegas for the Damn and Grand Canyon (and we're meeting up with friends who will be there). Montreal for the F1, with a one day stop at Niagara on the way home.
Met up with Sister in Law and teenage kids at the end of their Californian holiday and the start of ours in Vegas (don't mind the place for a couple of days) with the intention of a day trip to the Grand Canyon the day after. Hired a car that would fit all seven of us in and we set off towards the West Rim and 'Eagle Point' (via Hoover Dam, which was worth the visit).
On arrival there was an air of disappointment in the car. After fleecing you for entry (even WITHOUT entry to the 'Skywalk') they then bus you around to various areas (a fake town, the skywalk and the bat st mine) for you to access. The Canyon itself is of course impressive, it's just the dressing around it by the native Americans that is so ste and manufactured and with a long drive at either end a bit of a wasted day!
(and it was August and the air-con in the hire car broke down on the way back. Opening the windows was like having a hair-drier pointed at your face)
On arrival there was an air of disappointment in the car. After fleecing you for entry (even WITHOUT entry to the 'Skywalk') they then bus you around to various areas (a fake town, the skywalk and the bat s
t mine) for you to access. The Canyon itself is of course impressive, it's just the dressing around it by the native Americans that is so ste and manufactured and with a long drive at either end a bit of a wasted day!(and it was August and the air-con in the hire car broke down on the way back. Opening the windows was like having a hair-drier pointed at your face)
chopper602 said:
Met up with Sister in Law and teenage kids at the end of their Californian holiday and the start of ours in Vegas (don't mind the place for a couple of days) with the intention of a day trip to the Grand Canyon the day after. Hired a car that would fit all seven of us in and we set off towards the West Rim and 'Eagle Point' (via Hoover Dam, which was worth the visit).
On arrival there was an air of disappointment in the car. After fleecing you for entry (even WITHOUT entry to the 'Skywalk') they then bus you around to various areas (a fake town, the skywalk and the bat st mine) for you to access. The Canyon itself is of course impressive, it's just the dressing around it by the native Americans that is so ste and manufactured and with a long drive at either end a bit of a wasted day!
(and it was August and the air-con in the hire car broke down on the way back. Opening the windows was like having a hair-drier pointed at your face)
Went 20 years ago, my memory is hazy, and I may be wrong, but I just remember driving up to it and getting out to have a look, no entrance fee or crappy touristy stuff. We stood on an overhanging boulder and just stared at it for ages. On arrival there was an air of disappointment in the car. After fleecing you for entry (even WITHOUT entry to the 'Skywalk') they then bus you around to various areas (a fake town, the skywalk and the bat s
t mine) for you to access. The Canyon itself is of course impressive, it's just the dressing around it by the native Americans that is so ste and manufactured and with a long drive at either end a bit of a wasted day!(and it was August and the air-con in the hire car broke down on the way back. Opening the windows was like having a hair-drier pointed at your face)
I know this an opinions thread but all those people saying Hong Kong was a disappointment are disgusting idiots and should be banned from any holiday and travel threads for ever.
I can’t possibly imagine what any of you did when you visited there to find it “disappointing”
I lived there for 24 years and it’s clearly an awesome place.
I can’t possibly imagine what any of you did when you visited there to find it “disappointing”
I lived there for 24 years and it’s clearly an awesome place.
El stovey said:
I know this an opinions thread but all those people saying Hong Kong was a disappointment are disgusting idiots and should be banned from any holiday and travel threads for ever.
I can’t possibly imagine what any of you did when you visited there to find it “disappointing”
I lived there for 24 years and it’s clearly an awesome place.
I thought it was OK, but not amazing. Having said that, going out on a boat to spot the pink dolphins was pretty cool.I can’t possibly imagine what any of you did when you visited there to find it “disappointing”
I lived there for 24 years and it’s clearly an awesome place.
Absolutely love HK. Bustling markets ,food ranging from street food to Michelin restaurants. Excellent transport (trams, buses, subway, ferries ). Victoria peak views, laser show of the skyscrapers at night. Racing at Hong Kong jockey club. Vodka Martini's at the Peninsula hotel. Hydrofoil over to Macau for the casinos. Lamma Island. Excellent expat community. Cooler than Singapore which I wasn't really impressed with apart from Marina Bay Sands.
AshVX220 said:
A tad worried to read about the views of Vegas, Montreal and Niagara as doing those area's this year. with a one day stop at Niagara on the way home.
See the falls from the Canadian side, maybe do the Maid of the Mist, then haul ass to Niagara on the Lake, which is a lovely place to spend some time - it could't be more different to Niagara City.Girlfriend and I have both agreed that neither of us ever want to go back to Paris.
Las Vegas has got worse in the last few years, it seems to me that people are trying to rip you off more than ever. Taxi driver from the airport to the Wynn charged me $45 and then turned his nose up when I gave him a $50. It had been 12 years since I had last been and I thought it wasn't the right way but was not sure enough to question.
Streets are full of "street entertainers" who just want your money plus I was constantly asked for money by people who had hard luck stories and needed "$10 for gas". I think Las Vegas is really struggling and the people are getting more and more desperate which just puts people off from going back there due to being ripped off.
On the way to Vegas we had some time so popped into Hollywood to see Hollywood Boulevard. What an absolute dump, seriously a place where you do not feel safe walking the streets.
Las Vegas has got worse in the last few years, it seems to me that people are trying to rip you off more than ever. Taxi driver from the airport to the Wynn charged me $45 and then turned his nose up when I gave him a $50. It had been 12 years since I had last been and I thought it wasn't the right way but was not sure enough to question.
Streets are full of "street entertainers" who just want your money plus I was constantly asked for money by people who had hard luck stories and needed "$10 for gas". I think Las Vegas is really struggling and the people are getting more and more desperate which just puts people off from going back there due to being ripped off.
On the way to Vegas we had some time so popped into Hollywood to see Hollywood Boulevard. What an absolute dump, seriously a place where you do not feel safe walking the streets.
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff