Where wouldn't you go back to?

There is no doubt that travelling, holidaying and visiting different places is, for most people, one of life's great pleasures.

However, it's not always what you thought it would be. I would like to ask which places you have been to that, for whatever reason, you would not go back to.

Of course, many people don't want to return to a place simply because they have been there and want to keep going to new places. This would make for pretty boring reading on a forum however. So is there anywhere that you wouldn't return to because of a more interesting reason?

I'm going to be a bit of a hypocrit now and give a pretty lame reason for my choice, but I really don't have any stories of things that have put me off going back to anywhere. And anyway, it gives you all a platform to give your far more engaging stories.

I would choose Playa de las Américas in Tenerife. I only ever went on one 'lads holiday' and it was to Playa de las Américas. There is probably nothing wrong with the place if that's the kind of holiday you want, and I did have a good time, but I just feel like I'm past that part of my life. I can't handle the youth of today getting hammered every night for two weeks and trying to sleep with as many equally hammered people as possible. So for me, there is absolutely no desire to ever go back.

As a side point, I should say that some of the other places I would have to think twice about going back to are the places I enjoyed the most. I had such a good time in Cambodia, Laos and New Zealand that I wouldn't want to go back and sully the memories. The culture shock wouldn't be there and neither would the other travellers I had such a good time with. It just wouldn't be the same.

So, over to you. And hopefully you'll have better reasons than me.

I'd probably say Ibiza.

Had a great time over there, thoroughly enjoyed it, but going over there when you aren't single isn't quite the same I imagine!! Also, the clubbing, as you say, has got noticeably harder to sustain as I have moved in to my mid 20's! At 18 I would have been out until 7am every night, alas no longer. 3am and I was finished!

Also, it isn't really my scene. I'm much more of an activities person, and appreciate breathtaking scenery and culture shocks a hell of a lot more than I do a westernised island full of other Brits.

Il Gialloblu wrote:As a side point, I should say that some of the other places I would have to think twice about going back to are the places I enjoyed the most. I had such a good time in Cambodia, Laos and New Zealand that I wouldn't want to go back and sully the memories. The culture shock wouldn't be there and neither would the other travellers I had such a good time with. It just wouldn't be the same.

Very good point. I had never thought about it like that before but as much as I enjoyed Cambodia it certainly wouldn't be the same second time around.

Sorry to continue in the same vein but my destination to not go back to would be San Antonio Ibiza or Malia Crete for exactly the same reasons as you and FoF. Been there, done it, bored of it, far too old for it (well I am now anyway!). I like to explore places, see things, go off the beaten track etc. I get really wound up by people who go away and just do and eat what they always do at home. I have friends who go to Benidom every year without fail and spend all day in the English or Irish Bars drinking Guinness and eating British & Irish grub. Costs them a couple of grand each time as well. It's pretty much the same as they do every weekend in England.

B, don't even get me started on that. We go away to Bulgaria skiing most years, and they do some cracking food, yet a couple of my pals insist on finding the local pizza outlet each night. Winds me up no end.

When I wrote the article, I feared it may come across as a bit condescending, although I did say that I had a good time in Tenerife. I'm glad you two have understood my feelings enough to have agreed with me.

Just at different stages of our lives now I guess.

I actually enjoyed Playa De Las Americas more the second time round, when I was 30. Went there on a lads two week holiday in 1994, and tbh, didn't enjoy it. To many Muppet for my liking. I avoided the bar crawls, Muppet, and ticket touts in 2002, and had a great time.

Back to the question.

Blackpool. Scummy place.

France.

The algarve. Been a couple of times now and although I had a great time both times (with the exception of a horror nightmare that when I have a spare our I will add to the other thread!!) there wasn't really an awful lot going on. Golfers paradise though

your right about the golfer paradise bit spencer...The majority of Portugal is fantastic for golf, ive been there many a time to play golf!

Newquay in Cornwall. Not because it's a bad place or anything, but simply because I'm older and wouldn't choose to go there on a holiday now. I went twenty years ago when I'd just left school to work for a season. Had a great time, but from what I've seen it's not what it used to be, and I think I'd be scared of it now!

Not sure if I would ever go back to Lombok again. 

I went there a couple of times when I was married and it was just beginning to get a touristy edge but there was this uneasy feeling of tension in the air.

This was due to the cultural-religious mix of local Sasaks, Javans, (Muslim) Balinese and (Christian) Chinese. It's a very volatile mix. The hotel we used to stay at has had a few nasty incidents where tourists were robbed by organised gangs wielding automatic firearms.

Beautiful place (scenically) though. Mt Rinjani is the constant backdrop and some of those beaches on the south coast are simply amazing. There's probably more people who have discovered that once almost deserted paradise now though.

Kavos - it stunk that bad I'm sure it was built on sewage. It was my 'lads' last holiday about 8 years ago and it was horrible, the whole week was too long!

Lanzarote - once you've seen one bit of multicoloured volcanic rock, you've seen in all. 2/3 of the island is covered in the stuff, I don't need to spend three hours on a coach listening to some spacey commentary CD (in GERMAN!!!!!!!!!!) telling me about it.

Whitby...long drive for just fish and chips and a walk, love (I've got one I can nearly see from my house)

Blackpool - Wife loves it for some bizarre reason and decided we simply HAD to go in January for a day out. ONE arcade open and the wind chill factor would have made Captain Scott stay indoors

Keighley...   

rick_dagless wrote:Keighley...   

Q/ What's the best thing to come out of Keighley?

A/ The A650

Venice. Dont be fooled ppl. Its a squat, as are most Italian ports. Naples, Salerno, Trieste. All dumps.

Agreed...it also stinks...and you pay a lot of money for the privilege of sitting down to a thimbleful of coffee looking at your other half thinking they've just broken wind.

"Let's go see the famous Bridge of Sighs" It's boring with a mildly interesting tlel...can we go now?

Was in Bali 5 years ago for a month. Stopped off in Bangkok for a week along the way and would never go back there.

Bali on the otherhand is an absolute paradise. Cheap as chips too. 20 cigs for about 24p. A fish bowl of cocktails (literally a half bottle of vodka etc) for £1.50 in their money.

Also visited a bar called Oscars which sells "Special Drinks".... Thats a blend of water melon, oranges, peaches and.......magic mushrooms.

Would give my right arm to go back out there again.

Amman in Jordan.

A place utterly devoid of anything to do whatsoever.

Dalat in Vietnam also. Described in the lonely planet as "the Paris of the East", not sure what part of Paris the writer was basing this on, but wasn't a part I'm familiar with.

Dubai does nothing for me - apart from a few square meters in the Old City.

The place lacks any discernible vibe and has less soul than Canberra did... 30 years ago.
Even though I do think it's amazing how they have created Dubai from a small fishing village in a short space of time - that heat and dust (maybe I was there at the worst possible time of year) was beyond bearable for me.

The local people didn't strike me as being too friendly either.
It's on par with Bandar Seri Begawan (otherwise known as the Place Where They Confiscate your Sunscreen)... the baastards!

Went to Messonghi beach in Corfu years ago..........When Rob was little........

Food was awful..........Garlic everywhere.....Even in the Ice cream I reckon.....Greasy Waiters hanging around like flies !!

Never again.......

My home town of Runcorn.

Nothing could tempt me back there. God awful place and I warn my fellow 606v2'ers never to visit the town.

Runt-corn when you lived there.

Genius, Beefcake.

I really don't know how you consistently come up with such level of witticism.

Wittenoom - hell on earth.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:Genius, Beefcake.

I really don't know how you consistently come up with such level of witticism.    

It's not easy........  

Luton

ONETWOFOREVER wrote:Luton

  

Runcorn is worse than Luton.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:Runcorn is worse than Luton.

That must be one big dump?

Stella wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:Runcorn is worse than Luton.

That must be one big dump?

It is worse than that, Stella. At least Luton has an airport to take you away from the place.

Actually Slough is worse than Luton.

Bitches. Don't diss my town - its actually starting to look good now with all the work they've been doing. Traffic flows, the town doesnt look like a haunted house, the airport is getting extended, lots of business parks and leisure parks and finally a guided bus service to Dunstable where we can look down on someone worse than us and get fantasitc turkish doner kebabs at the same time.

ShahenshahG wrote:Bitches. Don't diss my town - its actually starting to look good now with all the work they've been doing. Traffic flows, the town doesnt look like a haunted house, the airport is getting extended, lots of business parks and leisure parks and finally a guided bus service to Dunstable where we can look down on someone worse than us and get fantasitc turkish doner kebabs at the same time.

I wasn't dissing it, Shah. I was saying it is the second sh*tiest place in the UK, not the sh*tiest.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

ShahenshahG wrote:Bitches. Don't diss my town - its actually starting to look good now with all the work they've been doing. Traffic flows, the town doesnt look like a haunted house, the airport is getting extended, lots of business parks and leisure parks and finally a guided bus service to Dunstable where we can look down on someone worse than us and get fantasitc turkish doner kebabs at the same time.

I wasn't dissing it, Shah.  I was saying it is the second sh*tiest place in the UK, not the sh*tiest.  

I doubt your son lets you off the leash enough to know anything about any other place anyway. Who'd give him a pedicure if you were to leave the house? I'd even suggest you'd butt heads over this issue tino.

Went through Swindon on Saturday. That didn't look like a place in which I'd like to live.

ShahenshahG wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

ShahenshahG wrote:Bitches. Don't diss my town - its actually starting to look good now with all the work they've been doing. Traffic flows, the town doesnt look like a haunted house, the airport is getting extended, lots of business parks and leisure parks and finally a guided bus service to Dunstable where we can look down on someone worse than us and get fantasitc turkish doner kebabs at the same time.

I wasn't dissing it, Shah.  I was saying it is the second sh*tiest place in the UK, not the sh*tiest.  

I doubt your son lets you off the leash enough to know anything about any other place anyway. Who'd give him a pedicure if you were to leave the house? I'd even suggest you'd butt heads over this issue tino.

I know someone whose mum is so ashamed of the place, when people ask her where she lives, she just says "on the Hertfordshire/Bedfordshire border". She can't bring herself to say Luton.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

ShahenshahG wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

ShahenshahG wrote:Bitches. Don't diss my town - its actually starting to look good now with all the work they've been doing. Traffic flows, the town doesnt look like a haunted house, the airport is getting extended, lots of business parks and leisure parks and finally a guided bus service to Dunstable where we can look down on someone worse than us and get fantasitc turkish doner kebabs at the same time.

I wasn't dissing it, Shah.  I was saying it is the second sh*tiest place in the UK, not the sh*tiest.  

I doubt your son lets you off the leash enough to know anything about any other place anyway. Who'd give him a pedicure if you were to leave the house? I'd even suggest you'd butt heads over this issue tino.

I know someone whose mum is so ashamed of the place, when people ask her where she lives, she just says "on the Hertfordshire/Bedfordshire border".  She can't bring herself to say Luton.

She just doesnt want to be outed as a drug dealer. Bitch.

 

Galted wrote:Went through Swindon on Saturday.  That didn't look like a place in which I'd like to live.

Brother lives there. Not horrendous like Luton Bracknell or Slough. Or anywhere up north.

seanmichaels wrote:

Galted wrote:Went through Swindon on Saturday.  That didn't look like a place in which I'd like to live.

Brother lives there. Not horrendous like Luton Bracknell or Slough. Or anywhere up north.

Basically anywhere where the locals wont bum you?

Slough's a big place. And when I've finished with Slough, there's Reading, Aldershot, Bracknell, you know I've got to-Didcott, Yately. You know. My-Winersh, Taplow. Because I am my own boss, I can-Burfield. I can wake up one morning and go 'Ooh, I don't feel like working today, can I just stay in bed?' 'Ooh, don't know, better ask the boss.' 'David can I stay in bed all day?' 'Yes you can David.' Both me, that's not me in bed with another bloke called David.

Ha, Brent.

Seen a film called 'Cemetery Junction'? That is apparently where he grew up, although I might be wrong. Think that place makes Slough look like Beverley Hills.

This is the poem Slough, by Sir John Betjemen, probably never been here in his life. ‘Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough, it isn’t fit for humans now.’ Right, I don’t think you solve town planning problems by dropping bombs all over the place, he’s embarrassed himself there. Next ‘In labour saving homes with care, their wives frizz out peroxide hair, and dry it in synthetic air, and paint their nails-’ they wanna look nice, what’s the matter, doesn’t he like girls? ‘And talks of sports and makes of cars, and various bogus Tudor bars, and daren’t look up and see the stars, but belch instead.’ What's he on about? What, has he never burped? ‘Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough, to get it ready for the plough. The cabbages are coming now, the earth exhales-’ He’s the only cabbage round here. And they made him a knight of the realm...Overrated.”

Yep, sorry, you're right. Quoted by Brent in The Office.

Back to the initial thread question (and as someone born and raised in Dewsbury, I suggest you soft southern lager shandy drinking poofters stop whining about Slough or Swindon    ).

One place I wouldn't go back to is St Lucia. Went for my honeymoon, and had a lovely holiday on a fantastic island, but the travelling is just such a headache. Flights go via Barbados, and you sit in the plane on the tarmac for an hour while half the passengers disembark and a few others get on, then are off again for only about 25 minute before landing in St Lucia.

The airport (a converted USAF base) is on the south-eastern corner of the island, and all the hotels are around Cap Islet at the north-western tip. Wouldn't be too bad on a straight road, but you go up the east coast about 2/3rds of the length of the island then across on a diagonal taking you back south before again travelling about 2/3rds the length of the island up the west coast. And then you have to negotiate the traffic in Castries. All in all takes about 2.5hours for the airport transfer.

As I said, lovely island, but one visit was enough, and next time we go to the Caribbean (if, as and when we have saved up enough) we'll look for somewhere with direct flights and shorter transfers.

Dewsbury

Is that Shannon Matthews country?

Stella wrote:Dewsbury

Is that Shannon Matthews country?

Yep, and one of the 7/7 bombers. Before that it was probably most well known for being Eddie Waring's home town and for being where the trial of the Yorkshire Ripper began (although to be fair, none of his victims were in the town, iirc they were mostly Leeds and Bradford).