Underrated places to visit

Dick phelan · 17-04-2021 12:07pm #1

Inspired by the "most boring place you visited" thread, how about the opposite, somewhere you've visited that's not a major tourist destination but you'd recommend. For me I don't know how underrated it really is but I really liked Busan in Korea.

Your Face · 17-04-2021 12:16pm

I wouldnt share that info for fear it would turn into a major tourist destination.

biko · 17-04-2021 12:18pm

I told people about Sharm El Sheikh before it was cool, and now look at it

Zebra3 · 17-04-2021 12:22pm

One night in Paris is meant to be great fun.

Bobblehats · 17-04-2021 12:37pm

Somewhere only we know

Mr. Incognito · 17-04-2021 12:39pm

Istanbul for a week was hands down the best holiday I've ever had.

Stay in a hotel in the centre not a resort..

Cheap. Great food. Amazing history

sabat · 17-04-2021 12:39pm

Romania is well worth a visit.

Gregor Samsa · 17-04-2021 12:43pm

When the twins were babies, I used to sometimes go out to the bins round the side of the house to throw something out, and just stand there in the dark and quiet for a minute or two. Sometimes I didn't even have something to throw out.

Graces7 · 17-04-2021 12:47pm

My dream is the wildest part of Alaska. And were I younger I would not leave it! I fear I am too old for such jaunts now...

But hey! I longed for a small, isolated island and I am here.

Anywhere desolate and deserted ie per se underrated.

FrankN1 · 17-04-2021 12:57pm

Croatia

Hamachi · 17-04-2021 2:12pm

Don’t know if it’s underrated, but I enjoyed Montreal in Canada. Felt like it had a lot more character than Toronto and Vancouver.

Parts of the city are quite beautiful, contrasting with the typical North American skyline. The nightlife is very lively, particularly in summer. It’s also interesting to see how much they value their French identity, without being obnoxious about it.

On a related note, the old town in Quebec City is also very appealing.

FTA69 · 17-04-2021 2:53pm

West Waterford has some lovely scenery and mountainous areas for hiking. Parts along the Blackwater are lovely as are places like the Gaeltacht and Ardmore.

Sligo for Ben Bulben and the beaches.

North Norfolk in England. Went up there with the missus last year and there are loads of lovely villages, long clean beaches and areas of outstanding natural beauty loaded with rare birds.

I went to Algeria and it was incredible, no tourist infrastructure but you can visit unspoilt and perfectly preserved ruined Roman towns and be there alone for hours on end, tripping over old bits of coin and pottery. The scenery in parts of it are incredible and Algiers is a fascinating city in its own right, only a two hour flight from London too.

Lebanon is well worth a visit. Really diverse mix of culture, anyone interested in history will be in their element. People are sound and the food is some of the nicest in the world. Going up to the mountains to see the cedars is a great experience as well.

Captain Havoc · 17-04-2021 4:16pm

I saw Berlin mentioned in the boring thread and I thought, no I'm not having it, we had an amazing weekend in Berlin a few years ago. I planned the whole thing out, which I know is a bit anal but still:

Friday we arrived, stayed in a Mercure by checkpoint Charlie. Went to see Hertha Berlin play Dortmund in the olympic stadium. Saturday, did the parkrun in the morning, drove a trabant around in the afternoon and in the evening went for dinner in the Charlottenberg castle with a Vivaldi concert, Sunday, museums and stuff, Trabant museum, currywurst museum, Führerbunker site, bus tour around the city, topographie of terrors, then in the evening had dinner on top of the TV tower. This was in January so no tourists about, which made it great, probably wouldn't have covered half the stuff in the summer.

Thelonious Monk · 17-04-2021 4:17pm

Waterford, I love it there, the coast and even the city.

humberklog · 17-04-2021 4:18pm

Palma in Majorca.
I'd say a lot of holiday makers don't bother making it into the city but it's a really lovely, interesting and friendly with great restaurants and bars.

17-04-2021 4:22pm

Sitges in Spain, it's a seaside town that hasn't been ruined by overdevelopment.

It's something of a gay hotspot, so if you've a problem with seeing men holding hands (the horror) then I wouldn't recommend it.

It's a beautiful place.

Happyhouse22 · 17-04-2021 4:27pm

As said earlier Romania was a great spot which totally surprised.

Iran one of my favourite places and travel experiences.

Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan were both amazing and pretty underrated, would expect an explosion of tourists in the coming years.

As for individual attractions the Darvaza Gas crater stands out. Not sure if it counts as underrated but didn’t know much about it before I went but Sossusvlei in Namibia was , had heard so many negative things about the leaning tower of Pisa so had super low expectations but thought it was awesome- could that count as underrated

Fann Linn · 17-04-2021 4:31pm

Tunisia prior to ISIS with its generous and friendly people, it's Roman Colosseum, Berber caves, salt lakes, Sahara desert, Star Wars sets, sunrise in the Atlas Mountains and lovely exotic foods

A really enjoyable holiday with great memories for me and my family.

17-04-2021 4:33pm

Fann Linn wrote: »

Tunisia prior to ISIS with its generous and friendly people, it's Roman Colosseum, Berber caves, salt lakes, Sahara desert, Star Wars sets, sunrise in the Atlas Mountains and lovely exotic foods

A really enjoyable holiday with great memories for me and my family.

Has it gone extremist there?

Fann Linn · 17-04-2021 4:35pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Has it gone extremist there?

I'm not sure about now, but a number of years back some Irish and British tourists were shot and some killed on the beach.

DeanAustin · 17-04-2021 4:35pm

Your Face wrote: »

I wouldnt share that info for fear it would turn into a major tourist destination.

Think you might be overestimating your influence.

Queenstown in New Zealand has everything. Incredible spot as is most of the South Island. I saw Singapore mentioned in the boring thread. I loved it there. The best run place in the world for me.

Thelonious Monk · 17-04-2021 4:44pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Has it gone extremist there?

My friends uncle was killed by terrorists there a few years ago, during that attack on a resort. North Africa never appealed to me.

Meeoow · 17-04-2021 4:49pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Has it gone extremist there?

Extreme flirting with Western women.

retalivity · 17-04-2021 4:56pm

Laos is fantastic - A much better place to visit than Vietnam or Cambodia.
Seoul in South Korea is a great spot, could spend a month there and still have new things to do every day.

In Ireland, I always thought Sligo had some great sights and things to do but never made anyone's lists or destinations for travel.
Similarly in the north, places like Portstewart, Cushendall & Newcastle Co. Down are great spots that would have very few visitors from the south.

Thelonious Monk · 17-04-2021 5:30pm

Yes Sligo is a nice part of the West Coast without all the diddley eye tourist crap you get in Kerry and Galway. I have often stayed around Strandhill, lots to do there.

completedit · 17-04-2021 5:52pm

Malaga itself not the tourist spots along the coast.

The DayDream · 17-04-2021 6:13pm

Great to see Sligo being mentioned, I lived there for a while and enjoyed it and when I had friends from America visit they fell in love with the place and had flights booked for a return visit until covid hit. As has been said they thought it was real authentic Ireland without trying too hard to be what Yanks expect of Ireland. I still get a warm fuzzy feeling when Ben Bulben comes up alongside you any time I return there.

Unfortunately the chamber or commerce and the former mayor are those usual golden circle types: a mixture of incompetence and corruption, so when the recession decimated the town it ner really recovered properly. My visitors were shocked to see so many closed shops and that I was unemployed at the time myself. As they said, any town with scenery like that all around that close to the beach would be hopping in the States and you'd be paying a million for a house in it!

SEPT 23 1989 · 17-04-2021 6:21pm

Limerick

Great little city doesn’t deserve the bad press

I see sheep · 17-04-2021 6:26pm

Carlow

ShagNastii · 17-04-2021 6:32pm

Myself and the wife have done serious travelling the last few years.

We went to Lazarote in 2018. I was entirely snobby it being bit a of “package holiday” destination. But it is an awesome really unique place.

In terms of cities I think Liverpool as a tourist is very underrated. A quick flight, great people, interesting attractions and a nice place.

For my birthday one year we got tickets to Antwerp. I joked doing the Wayne’s World Deleware gag. Her brother sent us to some really great pubs and restaurants off the beaten track. One of my most enjoyable trips.

Fr Tod Umptious · 17-04-2021 6:39pm

Hamachi wrote: »

Don’t know if it’s underrated, but I enjoyed Montreal in Canada. Felt like it had a lot more character than Toronto and Vancouver.

Parts of the city are quite beautiful, contrasting with the typical North American skyline. The nightlife is very lively, particularly in summer. It’s also interesting to see how much they value their French identity, without being obnoxious about it.

On a related note, the old town in Quebec City is also very appealing.

Yea, the French influence really does
differentiate it from other similar sized north American cities.

I used to live in Boston and I'd often head up there for a weekend, it was about a 4 hours drive, great city.

appledrop · 17-04-2021 6:50pm

Krawkow, I know its more popular, now but went there years ago and wasn't expecting much.

Beautiful buildings, very like rural Germany, I was expecting much more high rise Eastern European communist buildings but not the case. A beautiful old castle.

Also spent a day in Auschwitz which was a very difficult place to visit but somewhere I wanted to see.

A large beer on main tourist square was €1.50 and you would get a 3 course meal with bottle of wine for 2 people for equivalent of €25.

Also stayed in four star hotel for next to nothing.

I think its much nicer than Prague, which is overrated in my eyes.

Spanish Eyes · 17-04-2021 7:10pm

The Aude region in Southern France. great wine, food, historic Cathar country, fabulous medieval towns still largely intact with their usual street markets, the prehistoric cave paintings in Niaux, over the border into Spain (Puigcerda) on to Andorra to just drive through it to see it. The ski slopes are something else. And so on.

When it was possible, the flight was into Carcassonne and hired a car from there. Loved it, but no one I know had ever heard of places like Limoux, Quillan, Mirepoix, Ax les Thermes, and so on. The drive across the Pyrenees is spectacular too.

smokie72 · 17-04-2021 7:15pm

Killinardan Tallaght

GetWithIt · 17-04-2021 7:43pm

The Hague (Den Haag)

Hear me out. Loads of historic buildings and squares. Restaurants, bars, markets, antiques, an awesome beach. Train from Schipol only 20 mins.

Because it’s a business town there are tons of hotels but there’s no demand at the weekend so it’s cheaper to spend Friday, Saturday, Sunday, than weekdays.

PeggyShippen · 17-04-2021 7:52pm

Internationally I think Israel is a great spot. The food ,history and weather is top class. Their customer service could improve but its a fascinating place.
North East Texas and up into the Ozarks is amazing if you like lakes and hiking and polite service. Beautiful place.
In Europe, Poland along the baltic coast..very historic..Swinoujice is beautiful..Foods good..good value,nice accommodation
In Ireland...Waterford is a gem..it really is...and County Down..Newcastle was lovely.
South America...Colombia is the best iv been and specifically Medellin area..
But America has it all...id retire there.. up around the Midwest.. wisconsin..visit the cousins and have a hugehalf a million quid camper with a car underneath it and a fold out cinema size TV..

athlone573 · 17-04-2021 7:53pm

Waterford and Sligo both have lots to see in the surrounding hills and beaches
As does Letterkenny now that I think of it

Sligo though, the town centre just seemed sadly run down, was hoping for a nice riverside cafe but no luck, huge contrast to Killarney/Galway in terms of the buzz around the place.

Zaph · 17-04-2021 8:09pm

Hamachi wrote: »

Don’t know if it’s underrated, but I enjoyed Montreal in Canada. Felt like it had a lot more character than Toronto and Vancouver.

Parts of the city are quite beautiful, contrasting with the typical North American skyline. The nightlife is very lively, particularly in summer. It’s also interesting to see how much they value their French identity, without being obnoxious about it.

Totally agree, absolutely loved Montreal when I was there and returning to see the grand prix there is on my bucket list. Toronto is OK but it's a bit bland, wouldn't be rushing back. I liked Vancouver, but again, I've seen it and don't feel the need to return. However nearby is one place I'm definitely going back to, Seattle. I'd say it's probably a bit underrated because you never really hear of people going there, but it's a fun place to visit with loads of great places to eat and drink as well.

Charles Babbage · 17-04-2021 8:17pm

Slovenia.
Food like Italy, mountains like Austria, some beaches, big caves and friendly people.

17-04-2021 8:22pm

North Macedonia, not in many people's to do list, but has a city, Skopje, with a nice old town area, and new town area, all night nightclubs, if weird European dance music is your thing! Cheap bars and restaurants.
Out the countryside, there's vineyards, cheap wine

mountains, and Ohrid lake is beautiful, lovely scenery, old town with castle.
Everything is cheap as chips.

ShatterAlan · 17-04-2021 9:13pm

Dick phelan wrote: »

Inspired by the "most boring place you visited" thread, how about the opposite, somewhere you've visited that's not a major tourist destination but you'd recommend. For me I don't know how underrated it really is but I really liked Busan in Korea.

Do you mean "underrated" that everyone knows about or a hidden gem?

I would vouch for Bannow Bay in Wexford.

fryup · 17-04-2021 11:19pm

Coral Bay in western australia on the ningaloo reef, stumbled upon it by chance many moons ago - gorgeous!

completedit · 17-04-2021 11:26pm

Plodiv, Bulgaria. Oldest city in Europe AFAIK

KaneToad · 17-04-2021 11:28pm

fryup wrote: »

Coral Bay in western australia on the ningaloo reef, stumbled upon it by chance many moons ago - gorgeous!

I was there too. I can confirm, it's a nice place. Long feckin' drive up from Perth though!

Andrewf20 · 17-04-2021 11:33pm

The Wilcox playa in southern Arizona barely get a mention in the guide books but its 1 of 2 places that I experienced complete silence. Its a dry lake bed, total flat in the middle of nowhere. I walked out towards the middle of it. Its surreal to feel totally detached from the world.

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Also, taking a swim out in Crater lake in Oregon. Its a bizarre feeling to swim out a few hundred feet and to then look down at up to 1900ft feet of water depth below you. You see you legs dangling and then this dark blue nothingness.

dublin49 · 17-04-2021 11:41pm

ShagNastii wrote: »

Myself and the wife have done serious travelling the last few years.

We went to Lazarote in 2018. I was entirely snobby it being bit a of “package holiday” destination. But it is an awesome really unique place.

I found Lanzarote disappointing ,the lunar landscape is mildly interesting but the towns are so boring and awful,the only reason for me to go there is winter sun,

17-04-2021 11:43pm

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Istanbul for a week was hands down the best holiday I've ever had.

Stay in a hotel in the centre not a resort..

Cheap. Great food. Amazing history

Istanbul is such a class city. The nightlife is also excellent, and the food as you say is absolutely fantastic. It’s nearly up there with Rome for stuff to see as well.

Some ridiculously good looking women there as well.

dublin49 · 17-04-2021 11:47pm

San Miguel in the Azores is lovely ,have to fly from lisbon though,surprised Ryanair have not put on a flight from Dublin,Tropea down south of Italy is well worth the effort,fly into Sicily and train stays on ferry ,Mafia heartland of yesteryear but grand now,

notdarkyet · 17-04-2021 11:57pm

Cordoba in the south of Spain is a gorgeous place to spend a few days. Fascinating blend of history too.

18-04-2021 12:00am

notdarkyet wrote: »

Cordoba in the south of Spain is a gorgeous place to spend a few days. Fascinating blend of history too.

The Spanish do good cities.

jimmy180sx · 18-04-2021 12:01am

Longford

Underrated places to visit

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