| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities 11:29 - Oct 7 with 6733 views | SaintNick |
Forget the obvious destinations such as New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Rome, Prague, Amsterdam, Barcelona etc, all places I have been and liked (Well not Paris) where have you been that not many chose to visit
1. Chicago- My favourite city in America, much better than New York it is sport and music crazy and has some real iconic buildings as well.
2. Shanghai- A city of two halves one part Chinese and the other like New York, again a great City to wander around and take in the different vibes
3. Hamburg- Like Chicago gritty and they like a bit of football and music |  |
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 19:32 - Oct 7 with 1394 views | dirk_doone |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 18:47 - Oct 7 by Ron11 |
The Khat just gave me a headache, but yes, just to be sociable.
Lovely people, shame they've been hit with civil wars and other conflicts.
One of our watering holes was the British Embassy club bar in Sana'a run by the notorious Mr
Douglas Scrafton. |
I was there more recently than you, but I remember the Sunday quiz nights in that bar, when you could win some decent alcoholic prizes.
[Post edited 8 Oct 18:22]
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 19:38 - Oct 7 with 1372 views | TripleNiemi |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 13:36 - Oct 7 by 1885_SFC |
1. Philadelphia
2. Hamburg
3. Valetta |
Philadelphia has always been on my radar - is it deffo in your fave 3? Looking for another Stateside city to do……. |  |
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 20:02 - Oct 7 with 1334 views | Southamptonfan |
I have been to most of Europe, Greece, Turkey and Florida. There are a few places I haven't been to that I would like to experience:
Japan - Apparently the safest country in the world.
Mexico - One of the most dangerous countries in the world.
South America / Brazil
Germany/ Austria / Switzerland
Australia
Thailand
Dubai
Canada
Other parts of the US [Post edited 7 Oct 20:03]
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 20:46 - Oct 7 with 1275 views | dirk_doone |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 20:02 - Oct 7 by Southamptonfan |
I have been to most of Europe, Greece, Turkey and Florida. There are a few places I haven't been to that I would like to experience:
Japan - Apparently the safest country in the world.
Mexico - One of the most dangerous countries in the world.
South America / Brazil
Germany/ Austria / Switzerland
Australia
Thailand
Dubai
Canada
Other parts of the US [Post edited 7 Oct 20:03]
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Mexico really isn't bad compared to El Salvador, for example.
Japan is a lot of fun. I highly recommend it. [Post edited 8 Oct 18:21]
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 20:52 - Oct 7 with 1260 views | kingolaf |
Edinburgh
Cardiff
San Francisco
New York is a weed smelling sh*t hole now.
Loved LA. | | | |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 21:01 - Oct 7 with 1248 views | Ron11 |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 19:32 - Oct 7 by dirk_doone |
I was there more recently than you, but I remember the Sunday quiz nights in that bar, when you could win some decent alcoholic prizes.
[Post edited 8 Oct 18:22]
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Yes I remember the Quiz Nights, and also falling in the pool - or was I pushed? Dougie Scrafanton handled all the UK pension payments some Yemenis were entitled to having lived and worked in the UK (when the UK had Aden as a protectorate} and was caught creaming ££'s off the top, later to be caught...
Another happily remembered watering hole was the old '392' in Orchard Road, Singapore, happy days indeed | | | |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 21:06 - Oct 7 with 1243 views | Southamptonfan |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 20:46 - Oct 7 by dirk_doone |
Mexico really isn't bad compared to El Salvador, for example.
Japan is a lot of fun. I highly recommend it. [Post edited 8 Oct 18:21]
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Thanks for that, very interesting. Can you get British food in Japan, or is it all sushi and fish? Not all the family like fish! Did you stay in a hotel in the city or near the beach?
Going to the Caribbean soon, never been so looking forward to that. | |
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 21:07 - Oct 7 with 1238 views | TripleNiemi |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 20:52 - Oct 7 by kingolaf |
Edinburgh
Cardiff
San Francisco
New York is a weed smelling sh*t hole now.
Loved LA. |
Can I politely ask when you last were in New York and San Fran? Whilst the smell of the green is evident in NYC, San Fran was the worst place I have visited in recent years (2023) for the stench of weed. Not sure if it got worst since Covid, big the place stank and people everywhere were walking round like zombies. New York was nowhere near as bad imho | |
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 21:07 - Oct 7 with 1239 views | Southamptonfan |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 20:52 - Oct 7 by kingolaf |
Edinburgh
Cardiff
San Francisco
New York is a weed smelling sh*t hole now.
Loved LA. |
LA ofcourse is another destination many want to visit. Again, never been. Would love to go to Hawaii too. | |
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 21:09 - Oct 7 with 1233 views | TripleNiemi |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 21:07 - Oct 7 by Southamptonfan |
LA ofcourse is another destination many want to visit. Again, never been. Would love to go to Hawaii too. |
LA was pretty shït I thought tbh when I was there | |
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 21:51 - Oct 7 with 1183 views | saintwizzler |
•Toronto with a trip to the wonderful Niagara Falls
•Berlin
•Zagreb |  |
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 21:56 - Oct 7 with 1173 views | ronan006 |
1. Medellin ,Colombia.. never a dull moment, lots of green spaces , good food, people are friendly (although I did have my drink spiked once and ended up in hospital).
2.Natal , Brazil. Long beach , carnival but less manic than Rios, good weather, all you can eat meat, reasonably priced.
3. Galway, Ireland. Festivals, racing, music and craic ( different type to South American kind) |  | | |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 22:03 - Oct 7 with 1164 views | dirk_doone |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 21:06 - Oct 7 by Southamptonfan |
Thanks for that, very interesting. Can you get British food in Japan, or is it all sushi and fish? Not all the family like fish! Did you stay in a hotel in the city or near the beach?
Going to the Caribbean soon, never been so looking forward to that. |
I worked in Tokyo for a few months and only ever ate Japanese food. There are some surprisingly cheap lunchtime places where you sit on a bar stool at a counter. At night, the Shinjuku, Roppongi and Shibuya districts are good fun. Tokyo is massive. The Tokyo metro system can seem overwhelming when you first arrive. You should definitely take the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto, which is a classic traditional town with beautiful old buildings. I wouldn't really describe Japan as a beach resort sort of country. [Post edited 7 Oct 22:06]
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 22:22 - Oct 7 with 1123 views | 1885_SFC |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 19:38 - Oct 7 by TripleNiemi |
Philadelphia has always been on my radar - is it deffo in your fave 3? Looking for another Stateside city to do……. |
Definitely in my top 3 cities is Philadelphia.
It's a very cosmopolitan city, very green (parks everywhere) and there are so many fabulous bars, clubs & restaurants to visit. We paid a visit to see the Liberty Bell (as you do) and ran up the famous Museum of Art steps where Stallone did in the Rocky movie...just because. I really love my music, so Philly was always a place I wanted to go to. It caters for everyone ; lots of soul music themed bars & clubs obviously - but also funk/jazz funk & of course Philly is famous for jazz.
Incidentally, I've been to several US cities over many years - some when I was on ships a long time ago - and some paid for out of my own pocket in more recent times, and none have had a more friendly or lovely population than Philadelphia - once they find out you're English with that accent that they love! |  |
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 09:06 - Oct 8 with 992 views | SaintNick |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 22:22 - Oct 7 by 1885_SFC |
Definitely in my top 3 cities is Philadelphia.
It's a very cosmopolitan city, very green (parks everywhere) and there are so many fabulous bars, clubs & restaurants to visit. We paid a visit to see the Liberty Bell (as you do) and ran up the famous Museum of Art steps where Stallone did in the Rocky movie...just because. I really love my music, so Philly was always a place I wanted to go to. It caters for everyone ; lots of soul music themed bars & clubs obviously - but also funk/jazz funk & of course Philly is famous for jazz.
Incidentally, I've been to several US cities over many years - some when I was on ships a long time ago - and some paid for out of my own pocket in more recent times, and none have had a more friendly or lovely population than Philadelphia - once they find out you're English with that accent that they love! |
Philadelphia is a lovely place, at least in the centre and edges of the centre, but fairly quickly you get into some really bad areas.
Some of them had old style terraced houses that were back to back, a little bit like Leeds funnily enough, some of those areas were almost wastelands
But the centre is a great place to visit including the home of the Philly Cheese Steak, the origin of which is hotly disputed by two establishments opposite each other | |
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 09:15 - Oct 8 with 988 views | SaintNick |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 21:51 - Oct 7 by saintwizzler |
•Toronto with a trip to the wonderful Niagara Falls
•Berlin
•Zagreb |
Toronto is a nice place, seems a lovely clean city and a lot less violent or dangerous than most Cities in the World of that size, Niagara Falls is spectacular, staying on the Candadian side seems better than the USA one.
I went to Toronto in 2010, whilst I was there I saw Toronto play New England Revolution, Toronto were a fairly new team then and the fans wanted a club that was more English than the other teams in the MLS, hence just Toronto FC and not Toronto Mounties or similar, plain red kit and for some bizarre reason a food outlet that sold Chip Butties.
Berlin is perhaps my favourite capital city in Europe, certainly in the top 3. | |
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 09:51 - Oct 8 with 937 views | saint901 |
Some great suggestions above, some of which I've been to and some I have not. I am though now "semi retired" at least according to my wife and we have begun to create a bucket list and have managed to cross a few places off.
Recently we were in Lisbon. And loved it. Great food/wine, friendly people, lots of history to indulge in, great weather.
For the more adventurous, we were in New Zealand last November. The scenery in the Southern Alps is stunning. The North island geothermals are not unique - then the first time we had witnessed them. People fabulous. Auckland has a great vibe. The wine is incredible.
Honourable mentions also for Seville and Puglia.
We travel a lot in the US (worked there and have US born daughter in laws) and whilst there are some US cities and areas I would revisit (New Orleans, San Francisco), there is unfortunately an increasing number of cities in particular which would be way down my list.
These include New York (too busy and up itself), Washington (too many politicians), Seattle (too much rain).
Boston and many East Coast cities are still quite European in style and outlook but we do avoid Philadelphia. | | | |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 10:27 - Oct 8 with 909 views | franniesTache |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 20:02 - Oct 7 by Southamptonfan |
I have been to most of Europe, Greece, Turkey and Florida. There are a few places I haven't been to that I would like to experience:
Japan - Apparently the safest country in the world.
Mexico - One of the most dangerous countries in the world.
South America / Brazil
Germany/ Austria / Switzerland
Australia
Thailand
Dubai
Canada
Other parts of the US [Post edited 7 Oct 20:03]
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Mexico isn't that dangerous depending on where you go, it is very hit and miss for quality though.
Cancun is absolutely f*cking godawful and should be avoided like the plague, it's basically magaluf for americans, and if you like that sort of thing then just go to magaluf and save yourself a packet.
I did a trip down from San Diego down the coast of mexico too and Tijuana is genuinely unsafe but if you carry on down that coast you get some amazing towns and places to visit. Also Mexico City is exactly what you'd expect from a big south american capital, absolutely buzzing with life and brilliant food and music.
Brazil i love, Salvador De Bahia has to be one of the best places in the world for music, yes it's sketchy in places and you need to have some common sense about you (don't walk around with expensive watches showing stuff like that) but it's honestly fine if you watch yourself.
Rio is - for me at least - the best city in the world, and the scare stories about how unsafe it is are by and large absolute b*llocks. The one thing that did surprise me there was how expensive parts of it where, easily on a par with London, and if you went to a fancy restaurant or cocktail place you'd be paying new york style prices.
I'd also recommend trips to both morro de sao paulo and the iguazu falls if you go there too. Morro de sao paulo is a car free island that's probably no bigger in land mass than the east of southampton, but with some of the most stunning beaches you'll ever see and old school colonial architecture.
The Iguazu Falls speak for themselves, i saw both the Brazilian and Argentinian sides and they're a stunning bit of nature, we also crossed over to Argentina and stayed in a six star hotel in the rain forest next to them because the exchange rate was so much in our favour it was as cheap as a bnb. |  | | |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 11:06 - Oct 8 with 887 views | yateleysaint |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 21:09 - Oct 7 by TripleNiemi |
LA was pretty shït I thought tbh when I was there |
It’s the worst place I’ve ever been. This was nearly 30 years ago and I’ve never had any intention of going back. |  |
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 11:11 - Oct 8 with 881 views | Ifonly |
I used to work in the US including a spell in Chicago. It's very liveable and friendly but in all honesty I wouldn't put it up there as a tourist destination on a par with NYC.
I'd say a unique US city worth visiting is Key West. It's expensive (as is most of the US now) so don't stay long but a visit is memorable, not least for the drive there.
A hidden gem city worth visiting is Portsmouth. Lots of history, culture and friendly people. I'm talking about Portsmouth New Hampshire obviously. | | | |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 11:20 - Oct 8 with 868 views | GRIM |
I'm surprised no one has mentioned our great City.
SOUTHAMPTON.
There's worse places to live.
Let's get behind our City & our Team. | | | |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 13:34 - Oct 8 with 768 views | PaleRider |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 11:11 - Oct 8 by Ifonly |
I used to work in the US including a spell in Chicago. It's very liveable and friendly but in all honesty I wouldn't put it up there as a tourist destination on a par with NYC.
I'd say a unique US city worth visiting is Key West. It's expensive (as is most of the US now) so don't stay long but a visit is memorable, not least for the drive there.
A hidden gem city worth visiting is Portsmouth. Lots of history, culture and friendly people. I'm talking about Portsmouth New Hampshire obviously. |
I used to live just outside of Portsmouth New Hampshire and the state itself was a wonderful place to live. I'm not a fan of many US cities - one because I find them a bit samey and two because they are becoming increasingly expensive!
I'm surprised no one has mentioned any of the Scandinavian or Baltic state cities as they are great. I do agree that Valetta is wonderful and I have a soft spot for most German cities, having lived in Germany as well.
I'll throw in:
1) Belgrade - fun city, increasingly cosmopolitan and people speak great English. The food and drink are brilliant. Of course, they have a football rivalry to match Saints/skates as well!
2) Ashgabat - the weirdest city I have ever been to. A white marble city in the desert some 30 miles from Iran, where all the cars are white and clean (by law!) and every building has some form of symbolism. People are friendly but the city is quiet.
3) Singapore - great architecture and variety of food & drink. Everything works and people speak English! Horrible climate though. | | | |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 16:30 - Oct 8 with 684 views | kingslandstand1 |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 13:34 - Oct 8 by PaleRider |
I used to live just outside of Portsmouth New Hampshire and the state itself was a wonderful place to live. I'm not a fan of many US cities - one because I find them a bit samey and two because they are becoming increasingly expensive!
I'm surprised no one has mentioned any of the Scandinavian or Baltic state cities as they are great. I do agree that Valetta is wonderful and I have a soft spot for most German cities, having lived in Germany as well.
I'll throw in:
1) Belgrade - fun city, increasingly cosmopolitan and people speak great English. The food and drink are brilliant. Of course, they have a football rivalry to match Saints/skates as well!
2) Ashgabat - the weirdest city I have ever been to. A white marble city in the desert some 30 miles from Iran, where all the cars are white and clean (by law!) and every building has some form of symbolism. People are friendly but the city is quiet.
3) Singapore - great architecture and variety of food & drink. Everything works and people speak English! Horrible climate though. |
I'll throw in St Petersburg in to the pot as well, although I'd guess not many will be going there now
Such incredible architecture in the palaces etc but also that sense of intrigue |  |
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| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 22:23 - Oct 8 with 548 views | cotswoldsaint |
Sydney, Australia.
I was on a trip combining business and pleasure and stayed in an amazing bohemian hotel in the Kings Cross area overlooking the beautiful Elizabeth Bay. What struck me back then was how much space everyone had and there were like zero traffic jams even at rush hour. And of course the clean and incredible climate,. | | | |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 23:51 - Oct 8 with 503 views | 1885_SFC |
| Top 3 Hidden Gem Cities on 22:23 - Oct 8 by cotswoldsaint |
Sydney, Australia.
I was on a trip combining business and pleasure and stayed in an amazing bohemian hotel in the Kings Cross area overlooking the beautiful Elizabeth Bay. What struck me back then was how much space everyone had and there were like zero traffic jams even at rush hour. And of course the clean and incredible climate,. |
I lived on the outskirts of Sydney for 3-years when I was just a kid. I still have a lot of wonderful happy memories though. My old man was a submariner for 29-years and transferred to the Aussie navy for 3-years to show them everything about sonar as that was his speciality and subs were new back then to the Aussie navy.
I even met Skippy at the studios where it was filmed (one for the old codgers amongst us!). | |
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