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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?

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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.

Andrewf20

Donegal - favourite county in Ireland. Amazingly desolate in winter.

Reno in Nevada also gets a nod. The village weirdo compared to Vegas but I loved its small cosy, yet vibrant feel. Up the road from lake Tahoe and Yosemite (kind of).

San Antonio in Texas is also suprisingly amazeballs.

Red Kev

Dakar, Senegal.

Heard horror stories about how violent and dangerous it was. Turns out it was total bollocks. I ended out using it as a base for 6 years, living there for over a year. Excellent place, great people, great food, brilliant night life. Traffic was diabolical though.

Guinea Bissau was another place that defied every report I ever heard about it.

LadyAthame

Berrick.

con___manx1

Montreal is a really beautiful city with really beautiful architecture and the people are so friendly . I have never been to a place with so many good looking women ; )

anto9

Pattaya ,bad beach ,dirty sea water ,but it has a great night life.(and a ton of Ladyboys which a lot of Irishmen seem to go for ;-)

[Deleted User]

Balmed Out wrote: »

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.

Nope, just count the hotels in each town. Skib has 1!

Clon is a tourist trap. Full of hotels and restaurants and faked touristy bs. Skib...isn't. Baltimore isn't even a town, it's a tiny village. 5 hippies would make it alternative.

shamrock55

Balmed Out wrote: »

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.

I dont think skibb is more geared to tourism then clon, how could it be shur there is feck all in skibb it doesnt even have a beach and zero scenery whatsoever, its a very dull and boreing town imo, clon is a much nicer town and least has inchadoney even though its about 5miles away, bantry beats both of them imo

Mint Sauce

Cork City. So much nicer than Dublin.

The_Kew_Tour

Tehran.

Super place if you know where and what you're doing.

valoren

Birmingham.

Worked there for a year.

First day and I got the bus to the city, passing through some pretty rough areas.

My heart sank. Here we go says I.

The city centre however is quite nice and it grew on me. I've visited since coming home.