What’s your worst holiday experience, destination?

[dublinblue12]

Not a shithole but beware of La Manga on the Costa Blanca. A lot of club and International teams used to go there, it's where the some of Leicester team got caught with their trousers down a few years ago. It's a rip off, shite service and full of brass, never again. Even the barmaid at the pub on site was a part time prossy, she gave my mate a "menu" with her prices on it, golf courses were good though:-)

What was the pub called just so we know exactly which one to avoid

 

[bluemoon32]

Stayed in Kapparis nearby in a Villa, thought that was a great small holiday place, nice bars and restaurants but was about 6 years ago so maybe changed.

Was a lovely place but spoilt by the new Kings of holiday destinations, the Russkies

 

[Sid C]

Ah Soller, I know this is the worst holiday experience thread but there and Port Soller is possibly my favourite place in the World!

My wife’s favourite place as well, although now La Manga‘s changed I’m considering digging my golf clubs out.

 

[dublinblue12]

Benidorm, grim

 

[hammocity]

What was the pub called just so we know exactly which one to avoid

It's 18 years ago but the bar frequented by brass and where my mate got "propositioned" by another bloke was on La Manga itself, I think I remember it having a piano at the time, looked upmarket but seedy as.

 

[Phil1]

What was the pub called just so we know exactly which one to head to

 

[MillisleBlue]

Aer Lingus Airbus A330 from Dublin to Orlando a few years ago, economy. Will never forget the stench of excrement on that flight. Kinda expected to see rivers of raw sewage running down the aisles.

 

[hammocity]

Was a lovely place but spoilt by the new Kings of holiday destinations, the Russkies

What a shame, we had a laugh there. Went to a Chinese in Kapparis, not an Oriental in sight, waitress was Bulgarian and the Chef was African who spoke pigeon English. The Plum Sauce was Strawberry jam and the lemon sauce was lemon curd, the steak dish had steak Canadian and the chicken was like a chicken kebab, worst Chinese ever, every course was a joke, we were pissing ourself laughing when the Bulgarian waitress brought the food, even she joined in with the laughter, we gave her a decent tip for the comedy gold.

On the other hand the Steak Restaurant (opposite George's bar) was top notch, one of the best steaks I've had.

 

[Sid C]

It's 18 years ago but the bar frequented by brass and where my mate got "propositioned" by another bloke was on La Manga itself, I think I remember it having a piano at the time, looked upmarket but seedy as.

That sounds like the Piano bar in the Hilton hotel, only went in once as it was a rip off, there were some good normal bars on the complex

 

[Dirty Harry]

Compared to other parts, I found it rather pleasant and considerably safer.

I don’t doubt there are worse places mate, in fact a couple of years later the two Scandinavian backpackers were murdered around the Atlas Mountains where we’d done a tour, it didn’t surprise me .

In the UK I remember the “Barry Island resort”, security were basically hired thugs, barbed wire around the entrance (or exit, couldn’t decide) tbh though it was that bad it was funny at times .

 

[splinter]

Gran canaria..Hotel full of Germans,, next door neighbours Welsh rags (wankers) air France concord went down a few days in, the ex hated flying and wouldn't shut up about it..last day nearly banged one of the Welsh rags out..6hr delay coming home. Shite ..never been back.

 

[hammocity]

That sounds like the Piano bar in the Hilton hotel, only went in once as it was a rip off, there were some good normal bars on the complex

Yep, going back all those years it was 12 euro for a Glen Fiddich whisky.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

Benidorm, grim

It's not my choice of holiday. However, went there with 3 mates 2 years back and had a great time. A holiday is what you make of it I think.

 

[Phil1]

It's not my choice of holiday. However, went there with 3 mates 2 years back and had a great time. A holiday is what you make of it I think.

I mean, benidorm is a bit grim but surely everyone knows that before booking.
It's great for a couple of nights with the lads but not exactly somewhere I'd take my misses for a getaway.

 

[paulbob]

I remember a holiday on the Greek island of Aegina in the 90s. The beach nearest to our hotel was full of litter and when i walked along it i sunk to my knees in thick oil under the sand! I trudged back to the hotel to wash it off shower and the hotel owner said i couldn't have a shower saying I should walk a mile along a track to a petrol station so I could wipe it off with petrol. I told him i wasn't prepared to walk a mile in the blazing sun caked in oil. He relented because a few other hotel guests said he should let me shower, so he begrudgingly let me. Agina is the nearest island to Athens and the port of Piraeus where cruise ships tip their rubbish and old engine oil. Apart from that it wasn't too bad a holiday.

I also had another bad experience in mid 90s when I went to kusadasi in Turkey. I got food poisoning from eating a cooked chicken on a rotisserie that had juices from uncooked chickens dripping on it. I was really ill for 3 days on the toilet and being sick and could only stomach bread and water. The only good thing was i wasn't spending much so i treated myself to a leather jacket.

Me and the Mrs went to Kusadasi several times in the 90s, we didn't have a lot of money so used to do those £99 allocation on arrival hols advertised on Teletext. The hotels they put us in were usually 2 star and pretty basic but eating out and drinks were dirt cheap, the locals were brilliant and all things considered we had some great times.
We liked going back because both me and the good wife are into ancient history and Kusadasi is very handy for visiting Ephesus. If we just fancied a lazy day we'd hop on one of the local mini-buses (dolmus) and go to one of the nearby beaches, Paradise Beach was our favourite. The reason we stopped going was unless you fancied Bar St. or a Turkish night at one of the hotels there wasn't much to do of an evening, although on one visit the rep we went with booked us a show at the local Caravanserai, this was great and was made even better when they persuaded an opera singer who was docked in the harbour overnight on an Italian cruise ship to give an impromptu performance, she was brilliant.

From the late 80s to the mid 90s we did quite a few cheapo Teletext hols, including a week in Eilat for £149 each. The accommodation was always pretty basic, but nothing too bad.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

I mean, benidorm is a bit grim but surely everyone knows that before booking.
It's great for a couple of nights with the lads but not exactly somewhere I'd take my misses for a getaway.

I wouldn't take the Mrs either but one of the lads dropped out and i took his place for £100. A 4 night break in a nice 4 star hotel with breakfast was worth it i think. We drank in some decent bars and avoided the shit holes.

 

[bluetonium]

Cuba, Antigua, then Dom Rep first time.

Cuba we were really ill and we're upgraded because the all inclusive hotel food cleanliness was very questionable, but being upgraded when you are fighting each other for the bog is not really a luxury. You know when you are shitting water so much that you have cramps, and then there's nothing left in your arse but the cramps are still there? Yeah, that was that's Cuba for us. Situated in some swampy mangroves that stunk and mosquitoes everywhere. Had to have a cigar at all times to clear them off. But the cigar lounge and drinks were top class, guy there called Ruben who had worked at some big hotels in America and knew his stuff. Went on a day trip and got left in some village where our chewing gum was taken from us, I think in return for just letting us be there. Saved us that, a proper whiskey sour and a cigar.

First Choice didn't give a crap when we got back and felt like we'd spent hundred of pounds on giving ourself the squits in a hot, sticky country. Holiday was also sold to us as a Robinson Crusoe type escape, they failed to mention it was also Canadian spring break, and the Canadians at the time just loved going to Cuba especially because their American cousins couldn't. Kids drinking and spewing all night, fights, used condoms on the beach. Gave Blackpool a run for it's money.

Antigua was great except for two things. My missus got far too squiffy on white rum on the first night and was ill for days, and near the end of our trip we were held up by a guy with a machete who decided to stop our taxi randomly. Taxi driver was off his tits on something, but thankfully they did a deal and we got back to the hotel.

Dom Rep in third place because it was my first big holiday outside of backpacking. It was basically magaluf in the Caribbean, pissed up Brits en masse, drinks in plastic cups like at a kids party because nobody was trusted with glass, strongly not recommended to leave the secure hotel complex, but when we did it was actually the best part of the trip. Plus it was ridiculously hot and you couldn't move without dripping, regularly over 100.

Don't get me wrong, all fantastic places and glad I went, well maybe except Cuba, but that was probably our hotel choice rather than the country.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

Me and the Mrs went to Kusadasi several times in the 90s, we didn't have a lot of money so used to do those £99 allocation on arrival hols advertised on Teletext. The hotels they put us in were usually 2 star and pretty basic but eating out and drinks were dirt cheap, the locals were brilliant and all things considered we had some great times.
We liked going back because both me and the good wife are into ancient history and Kusadasi is very handy for visiting Ephesus. If we just fancied a lazy day we'd hop on one of the local mini-buses (dolmus) and go to one of the nearby beaches, Paradise Beach was our favourite. The reason we stopped going was unless you fancied Bar St. or a Turkish night at one of the hotels there wasn't much to do of an evening, although on one visit the rep we went with booked us a show at the local Caravanserai, this was great and was made even better when they persuaded an opera singer who was docked in the harbour overnight on an Italian cruise ship to give an impromptu performance, she was brilliant.

From the late 80s to the mid 90s we did quite a few cheapo Teletext hols, including a week in Eilat for £149 each. The accommodation was always pretty basic, but nothing too bad.

Bargain! For that money you cant really grumble if it's basic pal.

 

[hammocity]

I wouldn't take the Mrs either but one of the lads dropped out and i took his place for £100. A 4 night break in a nice 4 star hotel with breakfast was worth it i think. We drank in some decent bars and avoided the shit holes.

I love Benidorm but in the winter not the peak times of summer. Quite a lot of FOC's (at 62 am I one?) but FOC's there for a good time. There's some really good restaurants that are not cheap and i usually stay around the Old Town, Tapas Alley is brilliant value and the nose bag is great.

 

[BlueHammer85]

Benidorm