Most disappointing holiday/tourist destination/attractions?
Discussion
Jaguar steve said:
havoc said:
Jaguar steve said:
By contrast the Canaries have been nudging mid to high 20s for the last two months, southern Europe and the Mediterranean coasts are warming up nicely and the sailing season has kicked off in the Adriatic.
I know where I'd rather be...
Yeah, right.I know where I'd rather be...
Just got back from P-Blanca - didn't top 22 the whole time we were there, with more cloud than you'd expect, rain 3x in 9 days, and winds that the BBC would probably call 'breezy' but we just called too f'n strong.
Friends were (coincidentally) across in Caleta - same sort of weather.
But don't let that stop your inaccuracies, will you...
In any case the weather pattern you describe is still a massive improvement on the UK over the last couple of weeks.
However, given you're spending at least £500 for a holiday, some may feel short-changed.
My sister is in Lanzarote, as we speak, where it seems reasonably sunny at present although yesterday was good weather here (short-lived, I know) but we are promised Mediterranean weather next week.
It's really about budget and what you can afford. If I paid a lot of dosh, I would be extremely miffed to get a chilly holiday but a cheap flight, apartment and car hire can offset that risk.
bad company said:
Yes Florida does have some decent places but give me California, Arizona or Southern Texas every time.
By the way the drive down to Key West in Florida is also pretty cool. ??
Anyone for San Diego CA or Monterey CA, Matagorda TX, Corpus Christi TX, Brownsville TX, or the sometimes delightful South Padre Island TX?By the way the drive down to Key West in Florida is also pretty cool. ??
Talking of Key West, in the mid eighties, I drove the A1A from Miami to Key West with another Black Cab driver friend while we were “doing America”.
After quite a while, my friend said, “Pull over when you get a chance Frank, I fancy a p**s.”
I’d just started going over a bridge, so I said, “I’ll pull over as soon as we clear this bridge.”
You’ve guessed it, it was 7 Mile Bridge, between Key Largo and Key West!
I drove it as fast as I could, and as soon as I pulled over on the far side, Johnny was out, and galloping into what I assume was the Gulf of Mexico, or maybe the Caribbean, fishing in his shorts for the necessary.
As he stood there, up to his knees, helping to fill the salt water up, I called, “Watch out for sting rays John, they love a bit of wrinkled gristle!”
LuS1fer said:
Jaguar steve said:
havoc said:
Jaguar steve said:
By contrast the Canaries have been nudging mid to high 20s for the last two months, southern Europe and the Mediterranean coasts are warming up nicely and the sailing season has kicked off in the Adriatic.
I know where I'd rather be...
Yeah, right.I know where I'd rather be...
Just got back from P-Blanca - didn't top 22 the whole time we were there, with more cloud than you'd expect, rain 3x in 9 days, and winds that the BBC would probably call 'breezy' but we just called too f'n strong.
Friends were (coincidentally) across in Caleta - same sort of weather.
But don't let that stop your inaccuracies, will you...
In any case the weather pattern you describe is still a massive improvement on the UK over the last couple of weeks.
However, given you're spending at least £500 for a holiday, some may feel short-changed.
My sister is in Lanzarote, as we speak, where it seems reasonably sunny at present although yesterday was good weather here (short-lived, I know) but we are promised Mediterranean weather next week.
It's really about budget and what you can afford. If I paid a lot of dosh, I would be extremely miffed to get a chilly holiday but a cheap flight, apartment and car hire can offset that risk.
Friends of ours who live just outside Corralejo recon 2017 has been the best year ever for weather since they've been there and last October into November when we stayed with them it was high 20's with wall to wall sunshine everyday. I 'd pretty much expect the same from mid Feb onward too
schmunk said:
Jaguar steve said:
Der Liddle Oroish Fella Himself Sur
Is there really any need for this?
Just for the record I have no problem with Himself whatsoever. Anybody who can fly me to the SoF or Balkan States or the Canaries or in fact anywhere else in Euroland I fancy both faster and cheaper than me driving from one side of the UK to the other gets my business every holiday.
Regarding the whole all inclusive / "normal" holiday debate, personally I think both have their place. I normally love exploring different countries and getting a real feel for the local culture: usually driving my own car or hiring a car and going way off the beaten track - having worked in the tourist industry in the past, I utterly detest the whole guided tour experience.
However, last year for the first time in my life I went to an all inclusive resort in Cancun and really enjoyed it - I wouldn't spend weeks there, but for 4-5 days it was perfect just to relax and have everything done for you. It was very quiet, and the few people who were there were nice and normal: not a football shirt or fish and chips to be seen.
For me at least, the ideal way to do it is to have one all inclusive short break somewhere warm and beachy, then one or two proper holidays where I actually explore a local area and culture. Best of both worlds!
However, last year for the first time in my life I went to an all inclusive resort in Cancun and really enjoyed it - I wouldn't spend weeks there, but for 4-5 days it was perfect just to relax and have everything done for you. It was very quiet, and the few people who were there were nice and normal: not a football shirt or fish and chips to be seen.
For me at least, the ideal way to do it is to have one all inclusive short break somewhere warm and beachy, then one or two proper holidays where I actually explore a local area and culture. Best of both worlds!
Geekman said:
Regarding the whole all inclusive / "normal" holiday debate, personally I think both have their place. I normally love exploring different countries and getting a real feel for the local culture: usually driving my own car or hiring a car and going way off the beaten track - having worked in the tourist industry in the past, I utterly detest the whole guided tour experience.
However, last year for the first time in my life I went to an all inclusive resort in Cancun and really enjoyed it - I wouldn't spend weeks there, but for 4-5 days it was perfect just to relax and have everything done for you. It was very quiet, and the few people who were there were nice and normal: not a football shirt or fish and chips to be seen.
For me at least, the ideal way to do it is to have one all inclusive short break somewhere warm and beachy, then one or two proper holidays where I actually explore a local area and culture. Best of both worlds!
Similar here. I prefer city breaks and holidays where you can just mooch about the local area, attempt to speak the language (badly) and sample the off the beaten track delights. Being pretty much tied to a hotel/resort, eating whatever generic unauthentic garbage they serve and sitting by a pool with fellow Brits is something I've avoided all my life. However, last year for the first time in my life I went to an all inclusive resort in Cancun and really enjoyed it - I wouldn't spend weeks there, but for 4-5 days it was perfect just to relax and have everything done for you. It was very quiet, and the few people who were there were nice and normal: not a football shirt or fish and chips to be seen.
For me at least, the ideal way to do it is to have one all inclusive short break somewhere warm and beachy, then one or two proper holidays where I actually explore a local area and culture. Best of both worlds!
Fast forward to this week and I've just paid for a holiday to Mexico all inclusive for 10 nights with the family
It's been a stressful year so far I'm actually looking forward to just relaxing and not worrying about finding an eating place that will accommodate me, my lactose intolerant Mrs, a 2 year old with food allergies and a 17 year old who only eats pizza and ketchup. I'm not expecting to see much in the way of culture or sample the Mexican way of life but the holiday is right for us at the minute. I'll try and squeeze in a city break later in the year which will involve jazz clubs, local eateries and hidden gems but for the summer, it'll be chatting to Mike and Lucy by the pool about Premier League football! Geekman said:
Regarding the whole all inclusive / "normal" holiday debate, personally I think both have their place. I normally love exploring different countries and getting a real feel for the local culture: usually driving my own car or hiring a car and going way off the beaten track - having worked in the tourist industry in the past, I utterly detest the whole guided tour experience.
However, last year for the first time in my life I went to an all inclusive resort in Cancun and really enjoyed it - I wouldn't spend weeks there, but for 4-5 days it was perfect just to relax and have everything done for you. It was very quiet, and the few people who were there were nice and normal: not a football shirt or fish and chips to be seen.
For me at least, the ideal way to do it is to have one all inclusive short break somewhere warm and beachy, then one or two proper holidays where I actually explore a local area and culture. Best of both worlds!
I think we need to define "all inclusive". To me an all inclusive resort is one designed to prevent you from having to leave, not simply one that has a pool and a nice restaurant with decent room service that you can avail yourself of if you've got a particularly nasty hangover but one that has a private beach, planned activities, no clocks, difficult to find exits, so on so forth. Large walls around the parameter are particularly telling, especially if its not in a place that is dodgy.However, last year for the first time in my life I went to an all inclusive resort in Cancun and really enjoyed it - I wouldn't spend weeks there, but for 4-5 days it was perfect just to relax and have everything done for you. It was very quiet, and the few people who were there were nice and normal: not a football shirt or fish and chips to be seen.
For me at least, the ideal way to do it is to have one all inclusive short break somewhere warm and beachy, then one or two proper holidays where I actually explore a local area and culture. Best of both worlds!
captain_cynic said:
Geekman said:
Regarding the whole all inclusive / "normal" holiday debate, personally I think both have their place. I normally love exploring different countries and getting a real feel for the local culture: usually driving my own car or hiring a car and going way off the beaten track - having worked in the tourist industry in the past, I utterly detest the whole guided tour experience.
However, last year for the first time in my life I went to an all inclusive resort in Cancun and really enjoyed it - I wouldn't spend weeks there, but for 4-5 days it was perfect just to relax and have everything done for you. It was very quiet, and the few people who were there were nice and normal: not a football shirt or fish and chips to be seen.
For me at least, the ideal way to do it is to have one all inclusive short break somewhere warm and beachy, then one or two proper holidays where I actually explore a local area and culture. Best of both worlds!
I think we need to define "all inclusive". To me an all inclusive resort is one designed to prevent you from having to leave, not simply one that has a pool and a nice restaurant with decent room service that you can avail yourself of if you've got a particularly nasty hangover but one that has a private beach, planned activities, no clocks, difficult to find exits, so on so forth. Large walls around the parameter are particularly telling, especially if its not in a place that is dodgy.However, last year for the first time in my life I went to an all inclusive resort in Cancun and really enjoyed it - I wouldn't spend weeks there, but for 4-5 days it was perfect just to relax and have everything done for you. It was very quiet, and the few people who were there were nice and normal: not a football shirt or fish and chips to be seen.
For me at least, the ideal way to do it is to have one all inclusive short break somewhere warm and beachy, then one or two proper holidays where I actually explore a local area and culture. Best of both worlds!
captain_cynic said:
I think we need to define "all inclusive". To me an all inclusive resort is one designed to prevent you from having to leave, not simply one that has a pool and a nice restaurant with decent room service that you can avail yourself of if you've got a particularly nasty hangover but one that has a private beach, planned activities, no clocks, difficult to find exits, so on so forth. Large walls around the parameter are particularly telling, especially if its not in a place that is dodgy.
Tbh, I can't say I was aware such places existed. The one I went to did have a private beach, and I believe there was an area you could go to for planned activities, but it was very easy to leave if you wanted to. I assumed they were pretty much all like that, provided you didn't go for the cheapest one you could find, which applies to any sort of holiday accomodation really (I've found that out to my cost over the years 
)Geekman said:
captain_cynic said:
I think we need to define "all inclusive". To me an all inclusive resort is one designed to prevent you from having to leave, not simply one that has a pool and a nice restaurant with decent room service that you can avail yourself of if you've got a particularly nasty hangover but one that has a private beach, planned activities, no clocks, difficult to find exits, so on so forth. Large walls around the parameter are particularly telling, especially if its not in a place that is dodgy.
Tbh, I can't say I was aware such places existed. The one I went to did have a private beach, and I believe there was an area you could go to for planned activities, but it was very easy to leave if you wanted to. I assumed they were pretty much all like that, provided you didn't go for the cheapest one you could find, which applies to any sort of holiday accomodation really (I've found that out to my cost over the years :P )Spoke to some locals who complained, vociferously, at tourists not paying for cheaper local tours because all the official tour monies went into the Italian owners bank accounts and they got nothing. Some went on their trip and said it was great. Some of the military, carrying guns, along the roads, can be a bit off-putting but nobody tried to kill us.
Geekman said:
Tbh, I can't say I was aware such places existed. The one I went to did have a private beach, and I believe there was an area you could go to for planned activities, but it was very easy to leave if you wanted to. I assumed they were pretty much all like that, provided you didn't go for the cheapest one you could find, which applies to any sort of holiday accomodation really (I've found that out to my cost over the years )
Yep, such places do exist. Designed expressly for those who never want to travel outside their comfort zone. )The Mexican coast near the US border has more than a few, same with the Philippines as well as a some in Thailand. There are a large number of Americans who simply want to travel to a cheaper version of America and do what they did back home, but the Americans aren't the worst, it's the rising Chinese middle class. Stay in a Chinese speaking resort in Thailand, get bussed to the city with a Chinese tour guide, get told what to photograph, climb back onto the bus to go back to the resort for supper. Everything paid for up front and tightly controlled. They make the notoriously conservative Japanese tourists look adventurous.
captain_cynic said:
Yep, such places do exist. Designed expressly for those who never want to travel outside their comfort zone.
The Mexican coast near the US border has more than a few, same with the Philippines as well as a some in Thailand. There are a large number of Americans who simply want to travel to a cheaper version of America and do what they did back home, but the Americans aren't the worst, it's the rising Chinese middle class. Stay in a Chinese speaking resort in Thailand, get bussed to the city with a Chinese tour guide, get told what to photograph, climb back onto the bus to go back to the resort for supper. Everything paid for up front and tightly controlled. They make the notoriously conservative Japanese tourists look adventurous.
Nusa Dua in Bali is like that. There are Chinese and Russian resorts there where they don’t ever leave, just spend all day wearing colourful shell suits and taking selfies on the beach.The Mexican coast near the US border has more than a few, same with the Philippines as well as a some in Thailand. There are a large number of Americans who simply want to travel to a cheaper version of America and do what they did back home, but the Americans aren't the worst, it's the rising Chinese middle class. Stay in a Chinese speaking resort in Thailand, get bussed to the city with a Chinese tour guide, get told what to photograph, climb back onto the bus to go back to the resort for supper. Everything paid for up front and tightly controlled. They make the notoriously conservative Japanese tourists look adventurous.
I was never one for All Inclusive until, after a particular s
t few months at home we decided to book 10 days in Turkey in 2015.
It was bloody cheap (£1600 for 5 of us in Nov half term), flew from East Midlands which is 45 mins from home and right on the beach.
We weren't expecting much as it was last minute but it turned out really well.
Yes, there were the usual tats, football shirts, 3/4 shorts but nobody got excessively drunk, it was mostly quiet at night, food was excellent, staff superb and even the entertainment was passable for the kids.
And it was quiet being the last 10 days of the season.
I think it was 50% full when we arrived and got quieter each day with probably less than 50 people there the last 2 days.
We also explored outside the resort and did a few trips out and visited the local market.
But it was just nice to relax knowing the wife and kids were enjoying it and food/drink was available 24hrs a day :-)
t few months at home we decided to book 10 days in Turkey in 2015.It was bloody cheap (£1600 for 5 of us in Nov half term), flew from East Midlands which is 45 mins from home and right on the beach.
We weren't expecting much as it was last minute but it turned out really well.
Yes, there were the usual tats, football shirts, 3/4 shorts but nobody got excessively drunk, it was mostly quiet at night, food was excellent, staff superb and even the entertainment was passable for the kids.
And it was quiet being the last 10 days of the season.
I think it was 50% full when we arrived and got quieter each day with probably less than 50 people there the last 2 days.
We also explored outside the resort and did a few trips out and visited the local market.
But it was just nice to relax knowing the wife and kids were enjoying it and food/drink was available 24hrs a day :-)
Jaguar steve said:
But you instantly knew who I meant didn't you?
Just for the record I have no problem with Himself whatsoever. Anybody who can fly me to the SoF or Balkan States or the Canaries or in fact anywhere else in Euroland I fancy both faster and cheaper than me driving from one side of the UK to the other gets my business every holiday.
Have you tried one of his package holidays? I was in Lanzarote a month or so ago & Ryanair Holidays (actually a brand name for a Swiss company) did me the exact same hotel (one that PH appears to like given the threads on Lanzarote in here), same room type, same board basis as Jet2, but £300 cheaper. The only differences were that I had to pay £50 for a bag and I left/returned 1 day earlier from Prestwick instead of Glasgow, but at much, much more pleasant times. Coach transfer worked fine and journey/pick-up times were perfectly reasonable. I also paid for seats (£8) to make sure the infamous seat allocation algorithm didn't have me in the cockpit & SWMBO in the rear galley, but overall about £240 less all-in. I'd do it again.Just for the record I have no problem with Himself whatsoever. Anybody who can fly me to the SoF or Balkan States or the Canaries or in fact anywhere else in Euroland I fancy both faster and cheaper than me driving from one side of the UK to the other gets my business every holiday.
Frank7 said:
Sure, Orlando, if you have the misfortune to wind up there, can be like Blackpool or Basildon with sunshine, but get over to the West, the Gulf of Mexico side, Tampa, Clearwater, south to Bradenton, Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Naples, Marco Island etc., and it’s a whole different ball game.
I have the 'misfortune' to live in the metro Orlando area and the resemblance to Blackpool and Basildon is quite striking...
If you screw your eyes up a bit, it would be hard to tell them apart.
Bradenton, Ft Myers, Naples and Marco are OK if you're good with living among the, predominantly, nearly-dead - but Punta Gorda? The same Punta Gorda that is the trailer park capital of the southeastern US? That Punta Gorda?
Robertj21a said:
Sorry, you don't have to be on a stag do to realise that much of Barcelona is an utter dump. A bit of architecture and some parks is all that it really has going for it - and the petty crime rate will put most tourists off from ever returning.
You really have a thing against Barca. I went 4 times last year. Great place.I know this doesn't count, but my wife wants to go to the Cape Verde islands. I really don't want to go for some reason, I guess I'm petrified of shelling out lots of cash to go somewhere that is half built, but lots of recent building erasing what little history the islands might have, plonked in the middle of the atlantic (so challenging weather and ocean) with no amenities of note.
Has anyone been and was it a disappointment? Happy to be proved wrong.
Has anyone been and was it a disappointment? Happy to be proved wrong.
Matt Harper, in fairness this thread is about tourist destinations. I live near Southampton, perfectly pleasant area to live in but I’m not going to be recommending it to any foreigners I meet on my travels.
Personally I found Orlando to be like a hundred other cities in the US, perfectly nice but nothing special as a tourist beyond the obvious, I’m sure it’s a wonderful place to live. I’ve been to Naples (FL not Italy) a few times and as a tourist it’s also ok, a bit too expensive for what it is but there’s a nice beach and a cheap flying lesson gets you a birds eye view of how the other half live.
I spent a few days in Fort Lauderdale last year, fully expected to hate it, actually quite liked it, met some nice people, got quite drunk etc. Overall I quite like Florida, I’ve certainly never thought ‘get me out of here’.
TLDR Florida is alright
Personally I found Orlando to be like a hundred other cities in the US, perfectly nice but nothing special as a tourist beyond the obvious, I’m sure it’s a wonderful place to live. I’ve been to Naples (FL not Italy) a few times and as a tourist it’s also ok, a bit too expensive for what it is but there’s a nice beach and a cheap flying lesson gets you a birds eye view of how the other half live.
I spent a few days in Fort Lauderdale last year, fully expected to hate it, actually quite liked it, met some nice people, got quite drunk etc. Overall I quite like Florida, I’ve certainly never thought ‘get me out of here’.
TLDR Florida is alright
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