Unexpectedly good places

Adhamh

Spinning off from the other thread going at the moment, what places have you been to that surprised you in a positive way?

For me it was Calcutta. Miles ahead of the rest of India in terms of development (paved footpaths, no open sewers, no random power cuts, normal enough traffic). But instead of just having the bare minimum to function it has a beautiful and consistent architectural style, alcohol and a sort of night -life, a fleet of 1950's style yellow taxis, much less poverty, a good fish-based cuisine and genuinely friendly people. It's more like how I'd imagine Cuba to be.

So where have you been that wasn't what you were expecting?

Lollipops23

I was in Sligo for the first time ever last year and was by how beautiful Enniscrone Beach was. Really took me by surprise.

The_Valeyard

Donegal, beautiful county.

Tokyo

Adhamh wrote: »

Spinning off from the other thread going at the moment, what places have you been to that surprised you in a positive way?

For me it was Calcutta. Miles ahead of the rest of India in terms of development (paved footpaths, no open sewers, no random power cuts, normal enough traffic). But instead of just having the bare minimum to function it has a beautiful and consistent architectural style, alcohol and a sort of night -life, a fleet of 1950's style yellow taxis, much less poverty, a good fish-based cuisine and genuinely friendly people. It's more like how I'd imagine Cuba to be.

So where have you been that wasn't what you were expecting?

Where in Calcutta were you? I used to work there - Calcutta has some of the worst slums and poverty in India....

fleet_admiral

Lollipops23 wrote: »

I was in Sligo for the first time ever last year and was by how beautiful Enniscrone Beach was. Really took me by surprise.

Went to Sligo for the first time in 2011 expecting it to be a typical bog (pun intended) standard town. What I got was the best week I have ever had in Ireland and now I cant stay away from the place. It has one of the best pubs in Ireland (Hargodans)

Señor Fancy Pants

Lollipops23 wrote: »

I was in Sligo for the first time ever last year and was by how beautiful Enniscrone Beach was. Really took me by surprise.

Il be there in a few weeks. It better be nice, or else!

West Cork is beautiful but when someone used to say to me, "here, Truffle Pig are ya coming to west Cork"? I'd be like, fcuk that.

But man it's lovely there!

When the Sun Hits

Enniscrone is pretty boring, we'd bring the dog there sometimes and he likes it though.

Waterford.

The city is so grim it tarnishes the reputation of the county. The county, especially the west, has some great mountain and coastal scenery, a lively town with good restaurants in Dungarvan, lovely villages like Dunmore East, Lismore and Ardmore, plenty to see.

Truffle Pig

Truffle Pig wrote: »

Il be there in a few weeks. It better be nice, or else!

West Cork is beautiful but when someone used to say to me, "here, Truffle Pig are ya coming to west Cork"? I'd be like, fcuk that.

But man it's lovely there!

Ah West Cork, South and West Kerry and west Connaught are tourist hotspots.

What is surprising in West Cork is Skibbereen. Clon and Kinsale get all the hordes. Skib is a great town.

Magico Gonzalez

Gent. Given my overwhelmingly negative feelings about the rest of Belgium, I found Gent to be a charming surprise.

Señor Fancy Pants

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Ah West Cork, South and West Kerry and west Connaught are tourist hotspots.

What is surprising in West Cork is Skibbereen. Clon and Kinsale get all the hordes. Skib is a great town.

Yeah I was in Skib and Clon last year, fantastic!

I prefer Skib, it's more bohemian and alternative. More of a proper West Cork town, Clon is one of those places that is geared towards tourists, like Killarney or Kinsale, and there is something a bit fake about it IMO.

fleet_admiral

Deleted User wrote: »

Waterford.

The city is so grim it tarnishes the reputation of the county. The county, especially the west, has some great mountain and coastal scenery, a lively town with good restaurants in Dungarvan, lovely villages like Dunmore East, Lismore and Ardmore, plenty to see.

Lismore is a beautiful place

littlemisshobo

Cork of some feckers so hiding West Cork from us... everyone knows how lovely Kerry and Wicklow are but I was blown away by West Cork and its sneaky loveliness...

I live in South Kerry and weekends away in West Cork are always great. Beautiful scenery and beaches and lovely towns...and only an hour or 90 mins back to God's own country.

littlemisshobo

is Kerry an independent country now?... that was unexpected!

ToddyDoody

Deleted User wrote: »

Waterford.

The city is so grim it tarnishes the reputation of the county.

Its actually a lovely place. The recession has just taken it's toll a bit.

Aongus Von Bismarck

I was pleasantly surprised by Edinburgh. The food wasn't as utterly horrific as I had envisaged, and the Scots who live there weren't half as loud and uncultured as other Scots I've had the misfortune of meeting on my travels.

tomwaterford

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I was pleasantly surprised by Edinburgh. The food wasn't as utterly horrific as I had envisaged, and the Scots who live there weren't half as loud and uncultured as other Scots I've had the misfortune of meeting on my travels.

Is it not famous for strip clubs???

tomwaterford

tomwaterford wrote: »

Is it not famous for strip clubs???

The pubic triangle around the Burke and Hare.

lazygal

In the recovery room after having my babies. I had both via c section which I hadn't ever expected and I'd never stayed in hospital before. That incredible high after the ops is something I didn't expect and I'll never forget it.

Wanderer78

Adhamh wrote: »

Miles ahead of the rest of India in terms of development (paved footpaths, no open sewers, no random power cuts, normal enough traffic). But instead of just having the bare minimum to function it has a beautiful and consistent architectural style, alcohol and a sort of night -life, a fleet of 1950's style yellow taxis, much less poverty, a good fish-based cuisine and genuinely friendly people

im questioning your reasons for traveling. is the lack of paved footpaths and random power cuts that big of a problem for you? alcohol and a sort of nightlife???? do you really travel to developing countries requiring these?

Deleted User wrote: »

Waterford.

The city is so grim it tarnishes the reputation of the county.

heard theyre removing it from the maps as its so bad

Adhamh

mike_ie wrote: »

Where in Calcutta were you? I used to work there - Calcutta has some of the worst slums and poverty in India....

Not saying that it isn't there, but I was a bit taken aback at how 'normal' the central area is, in other Indian metropolises the poverty is unavoidable and very 'in your face '.

Adhamh

Wanderer78 wrote: »

im questioning your reasons for traveling. is the lack of paved footpaths and random power cuts that big of a problem for you? alcohol and a sort of nightlife???? do you really travel to developing countries requiring these?

What I mean is that the city I found (or at least the much smaller area I saw) largely contradicted what I was expecting.

On a more local note, Donegal was nicer than people made it out to be.

pickarooney

Maputo, Mozambique, for a shell-pocked, war-ravaged, flood-soaked, third-world hell-hole was strangely warm and serene. Smiliest people I ever met.

Mr_Muffin

The Waterford coast line.

Wanderer78

Adhamh wrote: »

paved footpaths, no open sewers, no random power cuts, normal enough traffic. alcohol and a sort of night -life

are these important things for when you're traveling in developing countries?

mod: thanks for deleting my previous post. apologies, forgot humour isnt allowed

Adamantium

Siberia














































Prison.

mikom

The southern coast of St. Bart's.
My friends and I didn't think much of it to begin with.
But once but once me and my friends started sunbathing with spider monkeys and tripping on acid, it changed our whole perspective on shit.

GLaDOS

For all the crap I heard about it going over, I quite enjoyed Glasgow, though it was a brief enough stay.

Lia_lia

ScienceNerd wrote: »

For all the crap I heard about it going over, I quite enjoyed Glasgow, though it was a brief enough stay.

Yes, me too. I was there a few weeks ago for a work trip. Nice city. Shame I was there when that poor girl was murdered, it left a bit of a bad impression!

Wanderer78

Lia_lia wrote: »

Yes, me too. I was there a few weeks ago for a work trip. Nice city. Shame I was there when that poor girl was murdered, it left a bit of a bad impression!

poor girl. very sad to watch her funeral

the evasion_kid

East st.louie despite its bad rep,I got lost in the hood there one time.I found the hugest toughest looking guy lifting weights on his porch

"Excuse me"...he sits up and flexs his muscles and looks at this white Irish kid like a mirage

" weres the train station?"

He answered,filled my water bottle and threw me $5 all the while snoop Dogg was playing in the background

"East side st.Louie,Spokane,getcha money man"

Wanderer78

the evasion_kid wrote: »

East st.louie despite its bad rep,I got lost in the hood there one time.I found the hugest toughest looking guy lifting weights on his porch

"Excuse me"...he sits up and flexs his muscles and looks at this white Irish kid like a mirage

He answered,filled my water bottle and threw me $5 all the while snoop Dogg was playing in the background

"East side st.Louie,Spokane,getcha money man"

hahaha excellent story

Balmed Out

Deleted User wrote: »

I prefer Skib, it's more bohemian and alternative. More of a proper West Cork town, Clon is one of those places that is geared towards tourists, like Killarney or Kinsale, and there is something a bit fake about it IMO.

Im not sure Ive read a post id disagree with more. Skib more bohemian and alternative then Clon? Are you getting them mixed up. Im suspicous your getting clon and baltimore mixed up. Skib is possibly more geared to tourism then clon though thats changing. Clon is more like a Dungarvan it has tourism but its a functioning town outside of that.

GLaDOS

Lia_lia wrote: »

Yes, me too. I was there a few weeks ago for a work trip. Nice city. Shame I was there when that poor girl was murdered, it left a bit of a bad impression!

If anything, that horrible incident only increased my respect for the city. It's the type of thing that could happen anywhere, but I was really impressed by the efforts of the police and the whole city seemed to get behind the poor girls family, including hundreds showing up in Georges square for a vigil

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/video-hundreds-turn-out-for-karen-buckley-vigil-in-glasgow-her-parents-also-attend-672318.html

Wanderer78

ScienceNerd wrote: »

If anything, that horrible incident only increased my respect for the city. It's the type of thing that could happen anywhere, but I was really impressed by the efforts of the police and the whole city seemed to get behind the poor girls family, including hundreds showing up in Georges square for a vigil

id have to agree. the respect from the scotish was impressive and heart felt

anncoates

Galway.

There's a magical feel about it and its colourful, soulful denizens that delivers a riposte to the materialism and spiritual bankruptcy of everyday life.

ebbsy

Yore Ma's snatch.

rossie1977

i remember first time i visited belfast city centre it was so strange to see a major population hub on this island with clean streets, no boarded up shopfronts and a lack of junkies

smurgen

Mumbles in Wales. It's like Kinsale with more pubs.fantastic restaurants there too.also I always say it but annecy in France. I should get payment from their tourist board I recommend it so much.loads of pubs and a casino.its cheap but a rich area cause it's next to Geneva.lots of high end shops.plus the lake their is the cleanest I've seen and all of this is encircled by snow topped alpes.the local mountain food is unbelievable. Lots of cheese bacon and spuds and delicious wine! Plus in the summer it's like 25 degrees or so.so it's good all year round.google the place it's stunning.

anncoates

ebbsy wrote: »

Yore Ma's snatch.

I think the OP is more about places you've been to that don't get many visitors though.

SEPT 23 1989

Limerick City from media reports down the years i beleved that i would recieve such a stabbing if i ever visited the place but all i encountered were friendly people

great place for a weekend session

wp_rathead

Dungarvon was surprisingly great fun

TheBeardedLady

Wolverhampton. Voted the second worst city in the world ahead of San Salvador by some survey or other, which was a bit harsh. Lovely countryside, sound people with big Sikh and Hindu populations, quite a nice city centre with lots of pubs with nice ales and discos (they could only be described as discos) that played Brit Pop all the time. Wouldn't recommend going there on holiday but it was a great place to spend 8 months. Same goes for Birmingham.


Madrid. Came here to live having never been here before and was really surprised by how beautiful it was - nicer than Barcelona imo bar the lack of beach.

Ave Sodalis

Adhamh wrote: »

On a more local note, Donegal was nicer than people made it out to be.

Just out of curiosity, is Donegal made out to be not so nice?

Tarzana2

Lollipops23 wrote: »

I was in Sligo for the first time ever last year and was by how beautiful Enniscrone Beach was. Really took me by surprise.

Yeah, Sligo is a gem of a county. Ben Bulben, Lough Gill, various top notch beaches. Very underrated.

I'm from Mayo which has its own great beaches but Enniscrone was our favourite growing up. Safe to swim in but with great powerful waves.

Señor Fancy Pants

ebbsy wrote: »

Yore Ma's snatch.

Don't be silly, my ma doesn't lift weights! She's dead.

Lingua Franca

I found New York City to be as cool and fun as some movies and TV shows make it seem. All the personal reports I'd heard made it out to be a hell hole.

bnt

the evasion_kid wrote: »

East st.louie ...

Toodle-oo!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY5D6uzxLuU

For me, it was Elgin & Lossiemouth on the north coast of Scotland. Maybe it was a reaction to Inverness (horrid tourist trap), but Lossiemouth in particular was charming and has a great long beach. Just don't expect to swim in that water, not unless you smother yourself in goose fat first. :eek:

Adhamh

sup_dude wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, is Donegal made out to be not so nice?

I'm not sure about the general population but a lot of my friends would hold it to be a bit dreary. I like it though.