worst travel experiences

My Top 9 WORST Travel Experiences

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Do you ever read about my travel experiences and think, “Blimey, his trips are so smooth and straightforward. How does he do it?”

Let me tell you something: All my trips are FAR from perfect!

And that applies to almost every other travel blogger out there too. We write about how incredibly wonderful our experiences are. And the truth is, yes – they ARE amazing, but as with all great things in life, there is plenty of struggle behind the scenes too.

In all of my personal blog posts documenting my experiences abroad, I try to be honest and write about the shitty stuff that happens as well as the awesome. This is because I want you to understand the reality of traveling from my perspective as a 30-something-year-old deaf guy. It helps to tell my story and makes it unique.

And most importantly, I want you to avoid making the same mistakes that I did, to ensure you make the BEST of your travels.

Planning your trip? Use my favorite resources!

🏨 Accommodation: I recommend Booking.com ✈️ Flights: for the cheapest flights, I use Skyscanner 🚗 Rental Car: I recommend Discover Cars 🛡️ Travel Insurance: for the best deals I rely on SafetyWing

And despite all my bad experiences (including some near-death ones), I wouldn’t change ANYTHING . The good always outweighs the bad, and I have 9+ years worth of the most amazing memories I could ever wish for!

In this post, I have compiled a selection, in no particular order, of some of the worst travel experiences I have ever experienced so far, in just six years of traveling.

Disclaimer: This post in no way criticizes the places these incidents happened. Some of these incidents are common – for example, the bag theft in Vietnam – incidents like these occur all over the world, including in London and New York City. Falling ill in India was my own mistake and could happen in any developing country. And that mosquito bite? I was simply unlucky.

Covering all the bad things that happened to me while traveling over the past decade.

#1. Missing my Flight Home

In 2014 after a visit to Schweinfurt in Germany, I was at Nuremberg Airport, awaiting my flight back home to Birmingham early one morning. However, I was sitting in a cafe and completely lost track of the time.

The boarding gate was making its final call and the staff had called my name out across the tannoy system telling me to make my way to the gate immediately, but unfortunately, that literally fell on deaf ears as I didn’t hear it.

So by the time I got to the gate, it was too late – everyone had already boarded the plane and to my despair, I watched from the gate as the door closed shut on the plane, which meant nobody else could board the plane.

airport

I was shocked and annoyed that I’d missed a flight for the first time. I had to book a new flight, which costed around €200, and it wasn’t scheduled until 24 hours later, so I had to stay in Nuremberg for a night.

At least I took the opportunity to spend a day in the quaint city of Nuremberg. And since this incident, I started making use of Special Assistance for most of my future trips.

I wrote this useful guide on tips and advice for deaf and disabled people thinking about traveling abroad.

#2. Missing my Connecting Flight to India, Twice! (and Lost my Baggage)

I missed another flight in December 2014 when I traveled to India with a stopover at Istanbul Airport. But incredibly, not only did I miss my second leg flight, I was rebooked with a new flight departing 24 hours later only to MISS THAT FLIGHT too!

*Hear me out: unlike my previous missed flight, this one was of no fault of my own.*

Firstly, the flight from Birmingham to Istanbul was delayed by well over an hour due to poor weather, which meant I was almost certainly going to miss the connecting flight in Istanbul. So I informed the staff at Birmingham airport in advance, and they assured me that someone will take care of me as soon as I land in Istanbul, to ensure I get a new flight ticket and be onward with my journey.

So, as predicted, my second flight took off from Istanbul as soon as I landed there, and so I was issued a new ticket. But the next flight wasn’t due until 24 hours later, so they booked me into a hotel for the night. The only problem is, the hotel was quite some distance away, in the city center, so I had to obtain a visa to leave the airport, to get to this hotel.

The following day, the airport bus arrived at my hotel late, and worse still – the traffic was absolutely dreadful. It was total gridlock on the roads, and by the time I arrived at the airport, my flight was about to take off!

I had to explain this ridiculous situation to the staff once again, and nobody could believe what just happened.

So, once again , they issued me with ANOTHER new flight ticket, for a flight taking off – yep, you guessed it – 24 hours later. And so they put me in ANOTHER hotel for the night. BUT, this time, they made sure I was in a hotel right within the airport. So there was no way I was going to miss my flight for the third time.

That wasn’t the end of my troubles though.

mudras

When I finally made it to India – my luggage didn’t appear on the carousel. I spent ages waiting at the luggage area while everyone else collected their bags and there was nothing left on the belt, so I had to report to the staff that I’d lost my luggage.

It turns out, my luggage arrived a day earlier than I did. I had to identify my bags in the enormous lost property room, and you can imagine I was relieved when I was finally reunited with my stuff!

Read more: The Dark Secrets Behind Antarctica Tourism

#3. Scooter Crash in Goa

On that same trip to India in December 2014 I was in Goa to see in the New Year. Whilst there, my friends and I hired scooters to travel around.

We were riding about an hour north to Anjuna beach, and were slowing down towards one of the crowded roundabouts on the route.

scooter

As soon as I stopped, another rider came up too fast behind me on his scooter and crashed into the back of my bike. And as the crash took me by surprise, the impact caused me to tumble over on the left side, as the scooter was a bit heavy.

Luckily though, I walked away from this crash with just a graze on my foot, as I was wearing flip flops (*reminder to self: I should probably get a tetanus jab*).

Did you know: there is a spa just for elephants in India! For more crazy and interesting facts about India, click here.

#4. I once got Electrocuted in Mexico

In the summer of 2014 I had a literal, near-death experience whilst staying in a hostel in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

I went to take a shower one night and it was dark, so I was touching the wall trying to find the light switch. And all of a sudden, there was a bright flash and I felt a burning pain shoot right up to my elbow from my finger.

After the initial shock, I saw the wall and realized I’d just been electrocuted . The switch panel was hanging loose, and there were exposed cables sticking out everywhere!

I reported this to the receptionist who was very calm and casual when I explained what just happened. He then came down to have a look, and all he did was hastily cover up the loose cables with some black gaffer tape!

Seriously though, I had a lucky escape. I guess it was a good thing Mexico’s electricity grid output is weak, as I doubt I’d live to tell the tale if this happened back home from 240-volt sockets!.

exposed wires switch

Edit: I forgot the name of the hostel, so luckily for them I have saved them the embarrassment of being named and shamed.

Top Advice: Get Travel Insurance

You could say this near-death experience was a wake up call for me to ALWAYS take out travel insurance wherever I travel now.

You might be thinking,  it was just a freak accident what happened to me..

What’s the worst that could happen to you?

Well, you could suffer appendicitis and require emergency surgery. You could easily have your bag or camera stolen (this happened to me). A family relative could fall seriously ill or pass away, and you wouldn’t be able to afford the urgent flight back home.

For my travel cover I always use SafetyWing. They are one of, if not, the BEST insurance providers out there.

SafetyWing Travel insurance: simple & flexible

You can buy and claim online , even after you’ve left home. Travel insurance from SafetyWing is available to people from over 130 countries. It’s designed for adventurous travelers with cover for overseas medical, evacuation, baggage and a range of adventure sports and activities .

Planning a vacation in the Yucatan? Despite my accident, I had some of the most amazing adventure experiences there. Here’s my 2 Week Yucatan Itinerary Guide.

#5. Delhi Belly In Dehradun

During my second trip to India in January 2015, I came down with the dreaded ‘Delhi Belly’ – an illness that befalls many, but not all, who visit India.

Considering that India is one of the most challenging places a traveler can visit, and, bearing in mind I was living there for six months, a few days in January was the only time I EVER became ill in all my time in India.

It happened after I ate a plate of boiled eggs from a street vendor outside the gym. One evening after a workout with a mate, he suggested we have some chicken broth and eggs to top up on protein. I made the mistake of eating the yolk of five eggs – whereas my mate only ate the egg-whites. Lesson learned.

So that evening at my host’s home, I suddenly began to feel unwell and got hit with a severe case of diarrhea. Yuk!

Luckily, my host’s wife looked after me while I was sick – giving me natural remedies which made me throw up. And two days later, I was feeling much better.

chandni chowk

#6. Robbed by a Biker Thief

In January 2018 my partner and I were traveling in south Vietnam, having just seen in the New Year in Ho Chi Minh City. On our last night in the city, my partner’s bag was snatched by a thief on a motorbike.

These incidents happen everywhere, unfortunately, not only in Vietnam. In fact, there are notorious biker thieves that prowl around central London and rob passers-by as they ride on the sidewalks , in broad daylight.

Hanoi street

Over in Ho Chi Minh City, it was dark when the incident happened, at around 7pm, and it happened very suddenly, right in the middle of the road as we were crossing it.

We were completely taken by surprise and were overcome with dread when we realized what just happened, yet it was too late to do anything as the biker and the thief sped away into the night.

Naturally, my partner was very upset, as the contents of her bag included her iPhone, some cash, and some ID cards, though thankfully, NOT her passport.

We immediately reported the incident to the police who took a statement, but we realized soon enough, that there was absolutely nothing they could do about incidents like this, in a large city of over 9 million people.

Moreover, my partner’s bag was quite thin and light, with loose leather straps which made it vulnerable to rip, and therefore a very easy target. So we learned our lesson that night: if we have to bring our belongings with us, always keep them in secure and strong, tightly-fitting bum bags that can’t be ripped from us.

Security Tip: Since this incident, every time I go traveling I always wear my Zero Grid Travel Security Belt – a hidden money pouch that’s incredibly useful for stashing away my cash so even the smartest pickpockets don’t stand a chance.It comes with an adjustable, non-metal buckle too. Purchase yours from Amazon

security-travel-belt

Safety and Security Gear for your Travels:

Below are some more top security travel gear that I would recommend for traveling anywhere in the world – and would not leave the house without these.

Anti-Theft Travel Purse

If you’re after the ultimate theft-proof purse, I highly recommend the Anti-Theft Travel Purse – it consists of five measures of theft prevention including:

  • Slash-resistant straps: straps with stainless steel wire inside, protects against grab-and-go thieves
  • Slash resistant fabric: the whole bag is made with a slash-resistant mesh barrier inside for extra layers of protection
  • Lockdown straps: the strap lock secures bag to a stationary object, protecting against grab-and-go thieves
  • Locking compartments: locking zipper pulls that prevent pickpockets from getting into your bag
  • RFID blocking pockets: protects against electronic identity theft with RFID blocking card slots and pockets

cross_body_bag

PacSafe Bag Protector

Another great security option for wherever you travel, the PacSafe bag protector will store all your valuables and secure it to a stationary item in your hotel/airbnb.

My Top 9 WORST Travel Experiences 1

Bring a Small Lock

Be sure to bring a small lock for any hostel stays wherever you go, so you can securely store your valuables in the lockers provided.

Read more: Is Venice a Tourist Trap or Still Worth Visiting?

#7. Missed my Flight (Again!) to Hong Kong

*Why do I keep missing my flights?! To be fair , this incident was also beyond my control. *

In December 2017 I embarked on a flight to Hong Kong via Paris, from Birmingham. The weather at the time was very cold and it was quite icy outside, which had impacted the public travel systems all over the UK and as a result, my train to the airport was delayed and I was pretty late arriving at the airport.

This was the least of my worries though because I soon found that my first-leg flight to Paris was delayed by two hours.

susnet-airport

By the time I arrived in Paris around midnight, my connecting flight to Hong Kong had already left, much to the anger and frustration of my fellow flight passengers.

I have been in this situation before (when I missed flights to India) – so I was quite calm and knew that patience was key.

However, I was rather surprised by how furious the other passengers were. These were grown-ups, literally shouting at airport staff, and scrambling to jump in front of everyone else in the queues for new tickets at Paris Charles De Gaulle airport.

I just stood back and watched them make fools of themselves. It was unbelievable. Sometimes, shit happens. Just be PATIENT and relax! Our flight WILL go ahead. We will be put into a hotel for the night. None of this will cost us an extra penny.

There is really no need to take it out on airport staff who aren’t responsible for the actions of mother nature.

Related post: Top 10 Things To Do in Birmingham, UK (by a Local)

#8. My Arm BLEW UP From a Mosquito Bite

Yeah, so this was a bit of a freak accident that resulted in my earning an arm like Popeye’s.

During my second visit to the Yucatan in Mexico, I received numerous Mosquito bites, but that’s nothing new as I got bitten a million times from my first Mexico trip, and actually – almost every tropical place I’ve been to – whether it’s Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, I’ve been bitten by Mosquitos (I mean, who hasn’t?)

Except during this trip, I had this ONE bite on my elbow, which at first, was no different from the other bites, but it turned from a red swollen lump, into a small white bubble.

When I arrived back in the UK, it was still there – a month later. And then one day, I decided to pop it. The fluid in the sac leaked out, so I casually wiped it, and I never thought anything of it, maybe because I didn’t realize it was an old Mosquito bite.

But then, the area around the mark, on my elbow, started to go red again, and it began to swell. And it swelled really fast. I applied some brandy to the area to try and disinfect it, and it was seeping, so I was squeezing more fluid out.

But it got worse. The stinging from the brandy was nothing compared to what came next. The swelling became gradually more painful. In fact, it got to the point where it became so painful I could not even sleep at night – I would literally wake up clutching my arm, writhe around on the floor, and clench my teeth so hard to stop myself from screaming in agony.

arm blew up

The small lump had expanded so much that my entire forearm literally BLEW UP, so it looked just like Popeye’s arm!

I sought medical help soon after and was able to clear up the infection on a round of antibiotics. The doctor told me I was VERY lucky the infection wasn’t higher up my arm, as that could’ve been critical. Instead, it spread downwards due to the swinging motion of my arms from walking, hence the weird Popeye look.

Click here to read how I easily saved over $1000 in just ONE month for my travel funds

#9. I Once Received the WRONG Visa Stamp

I was due to fly back home from India in the summer of 2014 and as I entered the immigration checkpoint at Delhi airport, something odd happened.

The border guard was looking at my passport visa with suspicion and then asked me what date I arrived in India. I explained that I was only here for a week, but still, he was checking my passport photo and visa, with suspicion.

He then called up another guard who arrived and they were talking about my visa (I couldn’t make out what they were saying or what even was wrong). And then they pointed the stamp in my passport, which I received on arrival in India a week earlier.

I didn’t understand what the problem was. But then I took a closer look at the stamp and I read the small date imprint. It says ‘2013’. Shit.

Why on earth did I receive a visa stamp with 2013 on it, when my visit was in August 2014? I was just as dumbfounded as the Indian border guards were.

Yet surprisingly, they ushered me through immigration without another word.

It turns out, they made a mistake by stamping a year-old old visa stamp in my passport when I first arrived! When I checked the stamp again, they appear to have hastily smudged the date out and written, ‘Arrival confirmed on 15-8-2014’.

Indian visa

I was slightly relieved, and was able to board my flight, except I was due to arrive in Moscow for a transfer flight to London. I was seriously hoping this visa doesn’t draw suspicion by the Russian guards in Moscow, as I was seriously beginning to worry they’d throw me into a gulag .

And yep – you guessed it – the Russian immigration guard not only noticed something dodgy with my passport, he actually whipped out his monocular and proceeded to scrutinize my visa for quite a LONG time!

Several moments passed, my heart was racing and sweat began to drip down my face. And I could feel the stare of people behind me in the queue, which made matters worse.

And, AT LONG LAST, I was handed back my passport without a word said. Thank goodness!

So, those are my worst travel experiences so far! I hope this post doesn’t put you off traveling! Have you had any bad experiences abroad?

Further Reading

  • How to Find CHEAP Flights (+ FREE Cheatsheet)
  • How to Plan a Vacation (+ FREE Travel Checklist)
  • Why Do I Travel? (+ 10 Benefits of Traveling the World)
  • How to Quickly Save $1000 for Travel in 1 Month

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🏨 Accommodation: I recommend booking.com ✈️ Flights: for the cheapest flights, I use Skyscanner 🚗 Rental Car: I always rely on Discover Cars 🛡️ Travel Insurance: for reliable and trusted cover, I use SafetyWing 🗺️ For all my best travel tips & advice , head over to my Travel Tools

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My Top 9 WORST Travel Experiences 2

Billy Read is the owner and author of BRB Gone Somewhere Epic, a travel blog that helps travelers discover unique destinations and travel experiences on a budget. With more than 10 years of global travel filled with accidents, Billy aims to help readers avoid making the same mistakes as he did, and make the most of their epic trips.

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Travels Gone Wrong! Worst Travel Experiences By 19 Travelers

Travels Gone Wrong! Worst Travel Experiences By 19 Travelers

Oh Travel, how much we love that word. Many of us live our lives around Travel and the many adventures that unfold during our journeys. However, like two sides of a coin, there are bound to be certain misadventures too that end up as unwanted blips and sometimes even ruin the experience for travelers. We had more than a couple of these mishaps that disrupted our travel plans but there is always so much to learn from each experience. In this post, 19 travel bloggers collaborate to share our worst travel experiences from scams, accidents, racism and more.

Kristin @ Global Travel Escapades : Wallet Stolen in Paris, France

worst travel experiences

Amidst all the romantic allure, there are  some less glamorous aspects of visiting the French capital  that often go unmentioned. And, unfortunately, I discovered one of these harsh realities the hard way. While I was a teenager studying abroad in Paris, I joined the countless other victims who had their wallets stolen. It occurred in a crowded metro station when someone had casually bumped into me. All my cash, ID cards, and credit cards were gone, effectively leaving me stranded in a foreign country without any money. As someone who was solo traveling abroad for the first time, you can imagine all the tears that ensued. What ended up coming to my rescue were the friendships I had formed with my new schoolmates. They graciously offered to lend me money until I could arrange for a replacement credit card. So, in the end, everything worked out, but this experience definitely serves as a stark reminder to always remain vigilant when exploring new and unfamiliar places!

Marya Sutimi @ BeauTraveler : Getting Sick in Laos

worst travel experiences

A few weeks before the pandemic in 2020 I was about to have one of my worst travel experiences. I was on my Indochina trip from Vietnam to Cambodia before heading to Laos with plans to return back to Indonesia from Thailand. It wasn’t until I was on the bus from Pakse to Vientiane that I caught a cold that eventually became the highlight of my trip. On my first day in Vientiane, I managed to reach the hotel safely and decided to take a rest as soon as I got there. However, my condition worsened later that day, and I barely had the energy to go out to eat. I realized that I needed to go to see a doctor on the second day when I forced myself to go out to the supermarket nearby. I was too sick to walk back to the hotel and had to take a taxi for the 100 meters between the supermarket and the hotel. I tried communicating my condition with the hotel staff, but they struggled to understand me. After posting about my condition on a Facebook group, I got connected with a Lao girl who accompanied me to the hospital and got my first swab as coronavirus started to take over the news in Southeast Asia. I didn’t feel better the next day so I had no choice but to contact the Indonesian embassy in Vientiane for help. Eventually after the doctor’s suggestion, I had to get into quarantine and stay there for over a week even though my Covid test was negative. That was probably my worst travel experience so far, as I felt so helpless and my health condition didn’t improve until a few days later.

It was my first time  getting sick while traveling , and I couldn’t be more thankful that my embassy helped me during the crisis. Every day, someone from the embassy would drop some nutritious food, including fruits and vegetables to make sure I eat some healthy food to recover. Not only did they ensure that I was taken care of at my hotel during my quarantine, but their staff also regularly communicated with my mom back home to share the updates. I was also thankful that I had my travel insurance then, because the hospital cost in Laos was really expensive. Ever since then, there are two things that I always do whenever I travel overseas: getting travel insurance and saving the embassy number in my destination!

Lisa @ Waves and Cobblestones : Trapped in a restroom in Tel Aviv, Israel

worst travel experiences

I was traveling solo in Israel on a business trip.  Never one to miss an opportunity to see new places, I took several weekend day trips.  I stopped by the bank to get some cash and figured I’d use the restroom before hitting the road. I hung my purse up on the purse hook, locked the door, used the facilities, and washed my hands.  I unlocked the door and — it wouldn’t open!  I turned the lock this way and that, to no avail. I didn’t know many Hebrew phrases, but I started knocking on the door loudly and calling out ‘ Slicha’,  which roughly means ‘excuse me’.  A female employee came over and told me to turn the lock to the right and to the left. She was joined by a male employee, who gave me the same instructions.  I responded that I had already done that, and he replied ‘No, the  other  lock’.  It turns out what I thought was the purse hook was a second, self-locking, door lock.  Mortified, I hurried out of the bank.

I learned two things from this experience.  Firstly, no matter whether you’re spending a month in France, a  weekend in Barcelona , or taking a business trip to Israel, it’s important to know some basic phrases of the local language.  Secondly, don’t panic when things go sideways, but take a moment to think things through.  I could have saved myself some embarrassment if I’d kept a cooler head and assessed the situation more rationally!

Maartje @ Unieke Vakantieplekjes : Robbed in Tulum, Mexico

worst travel experiences

During our two-month journey through Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico in January 2020, an unfortunate incident occurred on the second-to-last night of our trip that left us shaken. Our worst travel experience unfolded in the popular  town of Tulum, Mexico, where we had been enjoying the last days of our vacation. In the middle of the night, while we were sound asleep in our hotel room, thieves entered and took many of our belongings. Awakening in Tulum, Mexico, we immediately noticed something amiss. Our phones, resting next to their chargers on the nightstands, were gone. The e-reader, the iPad, and even the backpack containing my camera and all our vacation photos had vanished. Furthermore, my partner’s watch was missing, and his wallet had been snatched. A realization struck – our passports were also in that stolen backpack. The initial reaction was pure panic. The immediate needs of replacing passports, acquiring funds, and booking a new flight overwhelmed us. We soon realized that this process was far from straightforward. The night after the robbery, in our final hotel room of the trip, different emotions surfaced. It was then that I discovered some of my toiletries missing. Presumably, the thief assumed they held jewelry. Sleep eluded us, haunted by the thought that a stranger had stood beside our bed the night before, reaching for my phone just inches from my head. One could hardly predict or prevent a robbery within the confines of a hotel room, especially when doors were securely locked. There was no safe in our room for valuables. We hadn’t been negligent. It was simply a stroke of bad luck that befell us. This was surely one of our worst travel experiences.

Upon returning to the Netherlands, well-intentioned yet insensitive remarks emerged, suggesting we were fortunate to have slept through the incident, that possessions were replaceable, and the thief likely needed the stolen items more than we did. But for me, those items were important. All my vacation memories were lost. The emotional toll was extensive, affecting my sense of security. Seeking help to cope and process became essential.

In retrospect, this experience underscored the unpredictability of travel, regardless of precautions taken. It’s a reminder that emotional reactions to such events are valid, and seeking support is both justified and necessary for healing.

Peta and Jonas @ Exit45 Travels : Accident in Hoi An, Vietnam

worst travel experiences

We were in the third week of our  adult gap year , visiting Hoi An for the first time when disaster struck. My husband and I were walking around the paddy fields just outside of Hoi An taking photos, when an out of control motorbike rider ran into Jonas. I was walking ahead wondering what was taking him so long, so I started to retrace my steps when I saw a group of people surrounding someone on the ground. I was curious what they were looking at, but didn’t realize it was Jonas until I got closer. My initial reaction was shock, then panic, then my first aid training kicked in. As I talked to him to work out his injuries, locals explained to me what had happened. After looking past the blood and skin off, I immediately realized we needed to get to the hospital as he had a wound on his head, and he said his shoulder and chest were painful. The Vietnamese by-standers hailed a taxi and told the driver to take us to the international hospital. Five minutes later we were in the emergency department with 3 doctors checking his injuries. The staff were absolutely amazing and did not hesitate to start treatment immediately. After several x-rays and scans, we were told he needed surgery to fix his collar bone, he had 7 broken ribs, but most importantly, no head trauma. The English speaking liaison officer then contacted our health insurance provider in Australia, 1Cover, sent the results of the x-rays and scans to them for review, got the necessary paperwork and approval, and he was then whisked off to surgery. Whilst it is an experience we are in no hurry to repeat, we were amazed at the efficiency of both the staff at the hospital and our travel insurance contact. The hospital bent over backwards to assist us over the 6 days he was hospitalized, even to the extent of allowing me to stay and sleep in the unoccupied bed in the same room at the hospital.

One thing we have learnt from this incident is that travel insurance is a MUST for anyone travelling overseas. Not only for the cost of his treatment and hospital stay, and the additional expert medical advice we received from Australia affirming all treatment was the correct.

Victoria @ Guide Your Travel : Stuck in Komodo National Park, Indonesia

worst travel experiences

Komodo National Park is a beautiful area in Indonesia, which you can only explore by boat, unless you’re staying at a hotel in the park . Last summer, we were staying on a traditional Phinisi boat for a few nights to see the pink beaches and untouched nature and everything was going great until our boat’s engine unexpectedly failed. The crew repaired it multiple times but it kept shutting down or when it did work it was very slow. This meant that we couldn’t travel fast enough for the currents and had to wait on a deserted island until the tide went down and it was easier to travel. The entire journey back took around 12 hours at sea instead of 3. While it was a bit stressful in the moment, the experience was still beautiful and we at least got to enjoy the views.

Erica Riley @ Travels With Erica : Hotel Room in Siem Reap, Cambodia

worst travel experiences

My worst travel experience happened in February 2023 on my first night in Siem Reap.  I was exhausted after a long day of travelling from  Chiang Rai  to Siem Reap and arrived in Cambodia in the evening.  

I went to bed early and around 1am, I suddenly woke up when I heard someone talking.  I quickly realized that there were three men in my hotel room, which was especially scary since I’m a solo female traveler. Adrenaline kicked in, and I stood up on my bed and started screaming.  The three men quickly left my room.  I was too scared to go back to sleep that night and put a chair in front of the door because it only had a simple lock and no deadbolt or chain.  I checked out of the hotel first thing in the morning. Later that day, I received an email from the hotel manager asking why I checked out.  I explained to her what happened, and she said that it was simply an accident.  The men had misplaced their key and told the front desk that their room number was mine.  They had the wrong room number, and, thankfully, weren’t intentionally trying to break into my room or harm me. 

I started travelling with a door lock specifically designed for hotel rooms after that trip.  I’m very lucky that this was just an accident and that I wasn’t hurt, but the experience definitely scared me and made me more safety cautious about hotels.  

Tina @ Veganderlust : Cancelled Flights at Auckland, New Zealand

worst travel experiences

Have you ever seen a movie where a character is stranded at an airport when all of the flights get cancelled? Well, this is exactly what happened to me on my holiday this year! My friends and I did a van life holiday for three weeks across New Zealand in February 2023, and after our van life experience, we wanted to relax on the beaches of Fiji. At the beginning of our holiday, in Auckland, the weather was already bad. It rained a lot during our time in New Zealand, and it was actually one of the wettest New Zealand summers on record. However, towards the end of our van life holiday, the weather improved. We spent one last sunny  day in Queenstown , in the South Island of New Zealand before we headed back to Auckland by plane. From Auckland, we were supposed to go to Fiji. But because of a cyclone headed towards Auckland, all flights were cancelled. So instead of spending some relaxing days at the beach, we were stuck in a crappy airport hotel for three whole days!

For future trips, I learned the hard way how important it is to check weather forecasts more carefully. It seems silly now, but I didn’t even know there was a cyclone season in New Zealand before I visited. A mistake I won’t make again!

Karen @ Outdoor Adventure Sampler : Medical Emergency in Mexico

Worst travel experiences

My partner and I were in Puerto Morales, Mexico to explore the amazing  outdoor adventures of the Yucatan Peninsula  in January. It was a rainy morning as we exited the hotel to go to breakfast. As I stepped out of the hotel door onto the wet marble entry, I slipped and came crashing down, hitting my head on a stone column. The hotel management was immediately responsive, and in spite of a language gap, helped us call an ambulance for my profusely bleeding head wound. Fortunately, due to my partner’s two years of daily Duolingo Spanish study, we muddled our way through the Mexican health care system to get my head stitched up.

I realized my assumptions about quality of health care in Mexico were way off base. It was one of the most efficient, professional, sparkling clean emergency rooms I’ve ever been in. Plus, the generosity of the Mexican people was evident again when the hotel owner insisted on paying the bill.

Catrina @ 24 Hours Layover : Stopped at customs in New Zealand

worst travel experiences

One of my worst travel experiences was getting stopped at border control in New Zealand by the sniffer dogs! I was just doing a quick trip over to New Zealand from Australia, and so had packed my handbag in a rush without emptying it first. Both New Zealand and Australia are very strict about what food products are allowed into the country, but when I was asked if I had anything to declare for customs, I said no as I believed I wasn’t carrying anything I needed to declare. Just as I was walking away, the sniffer dog came bouncing towards me and that’s when I instantly remembered. There was a handful of dog biscuits at the bottom of my handbag from when I had walked the dog that I finished  house sitting  that morning!!

I should have declared the dog biscuits but completely forgot they were there, and burst into tears as the drugs squad came towards me. I instantly told them about the dog biscuits and that I honestly forgot they were there. They didn’t look very impressed, but they could see I was very remorseful and that I understood how serious it was. Being a Flight Attendant I thankfully managed to talk my way out of getting fined a huge amount, but what an ordeal! Always always empty out your bags before you pack for your holidays so you know what you’re bringing with you!

Kristine @ Wanderlust Designers : Scammed in Milan, Italy

worst travel experiences

The first trip I planned by myself was to Milan, Italy, in 2014 with my friend. I knew nothing about  planning trips . I had no idea how much it costs to go somewhere, where to look up what to see and do, – or that there are scams of which you should be aware. And we were on an  extreme  budget. We were two students with barely any money (200 euros for the two of us for a week of travelling!), so we couch-surfed and ate basically only McDonalds and stuff that we had packed (instant noodles, anyone?). So, when we went to the Duomo and the square in the wee hours of the morning, I didn’t expect anything to go wrong – since I didn’t know anything about common tourist scams.

We were taking pictures of the Duomo and the pigeons there, just having fun, when two guys approached us. They said – would you like us to take pictures of you with the pigeons? And then one just took my hand and put some seeds in it, while the other took my friend’s (expensive) camera and started taking photos. After, they just asked us for money. We were confused and just gave them some coins. They said, no, more! Since it was morning in February, there were barely any people on the square beside us. So we gave them like 30 euros just to get the camera back. It was really terrifying. But lesson learnt – read up on common tourist scams when going somewhere.

Melissa @ My Beautiful Passport : Scammed in Panama City

worst travel experiences

One of my worst travel experiences was when my partner and I were scammed money while waiting at a bus station in Panama. It was early in the morning, and we were waiting at Albrook Mall Bus Station for the first bus out to head to El Valle from Panama City . A man approached us and we started to chat. He told us about how he was an American stationed in Honduras and Panama, and his family was going on a cruise along the Panama Canal and he wanted to surprise them. He needed money to buy his ticket and he would meet us at the airport when we were leaving to pay us back. We were hesitant at first but after a while more chatting with him, his story seemed reasonable so we trusted him and we weren’t hurting on our travel budget, and agreed to lend him $200 USD through PayPal. 

We went on with our trip keeping positive, and only when he didn’t show up at the airport and never tried to contact us via email, we learned he wasn’t honest and we tried to report it to the police but it was too late. We left and learned not to trust everyone even though we wanted to. We no longer give money to help strangers when they give us stories, but we are happy to buy people food to help.

Soumya @ Stories by Soumya : Passport stolen in Venice, Italy

worst travel experiences

After completing an exciting trip in  Southern Italy , my husband and I had just alighted at the Venice Mestre Train Station. We were eager to get started with the canals and gondolas of Venice. But alas, fate had some other plans for us and we had one of our worst travel experiences! When we got to the city center, I realized I no longer had our passports. I had carefully put them in a wallet and the wallet in my backpack but could no longer find them. We had taken a crowded bus from the train station to the center. So, that was where I guess I had lost them.

There was no way to be sure. So, we followed our trail all the way back to the station and everywhere else we had been, even the toilets. But the passports were nowhere to be found. After hours of searching, we decided to register a police complaint at the station, gathered a copy of it, and headed to the Indian Consulate in Milan where they issued us a temporary, hand-written passport. Since my husband and I were working in the Middle East then, we had to wait a couple more weeks to get our work visas. That meant more embassy visits and much more contact digging.

This was a long, no-end-in-sight process but it made me appreciate life so much more. Eventually, we did not get the work visas (had to come back to India and get them done) but had two extra weeks to spend in Rome. That meant we could see all the hidden gems in and around the Italian capital. Sometimes, things go wrong. But it’s important to go with the flow and enjoy life as it comes.

Corritta Lewis @ It’s A Family Thing : Racism in China

worst travel experiences

One of our worst travel experiences as a traveler was experiencing severe racism in Beijing, China. In 2019 my family and I were excited for our first big international trip. This time would be different because we were traveling with our nearly five-and-a-half-month-old baby at the time. It was to be his first long haul flight, so we were both nervous and excited for the upcoming adventure. After a perfect flight, and some serious jetlag we started exploring the city. During our time in Beijing many people were fascinated by us, which we expected as two Black women with a Korean baby. Since our son is biracial and as a baby looked very Asian, we knew there would be stares, but had no idea we’d be bombarded for pictures constantly. Although it was a little annoying, it wasn’t a huge deal. We understand people’s curiosity, so we weren’t upset.

We had several fun-filled days of exploration, but in the middle of our trip we experienced some hateful actions. While trying to get a cab with our baby back to the hotel, several cab drivers refused to pick us up from a museum. English isn’t widely spoken in China, but each one of them said “No. You Black. You Black” and proceeded to drive away. The museum was closed, and it was starting to get dark, so after nearly an hour, we finally got in contact with the hotel for them to send a car to pick us up. We shrugged this off as just an unfortunate experience, but the following day we tried to eat at several restaurants, and we were told “our kind” weren’t welcome. It was so demoralizing. We’d never experienced such consistent overt racism. Luckily, we found a family-owned restaurant with the sweetest ladies that embraced us and our little one. They were so welcoming, and even took the time to show us how to make dumplings.

We didn’t allow this experience to run our time in China. It’s been on our bucket list since I was a kid, and having the opportunity to walk on The Great Wall of China was a dream come true. Those moments didn’t define our time in Beijing. The lasting memory of fulfilling a lifelong dream is what comes to mind when we think of our time in China.

Mansoureh @ Travel with Mansoureh : Scammed by Police in Mexico

worst travel experiences

Travelling through the  Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico , we had an unsettling encounter that left us shaken. While we were driving from Bacalar in the south to Valladolid, we went through the town called Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Just as we were about to exit the town, a police officer on a motorcycle flagged us down, claiming that I had exceeded the speed limit. Yet, I knew with certainty that this wasn’t the case; my speedometer read a mere 28 km/h, and a road sign had clearly indicated a 40 km/h speed limit. Plus, the officer didn’t have any device or proof of my speed. I took out my driving license from my wallet, where I kept my cash. When the officer saw my money, insisted on a staggering fine of 3600 pesos and requested the confiscation of my license for three days, fully aware that we wouldn’t agree to that, so he suggested an alternative: a cash payment directly to him.

I tried to keep 200 pesos, but he saw my money and told me “TODOS”, meaning he wanted every last peso. I watched helplessly as he pocketed 1100 pesos, effectively robbing us. This encounter left me deeply frustrated with myself for allowing this injustice to occur, and I wished I had reacted differently.  It was a hard-learned lesson – never again will I keep my license in my wallet or leave cash in plain sight while driving in Mexico.

Tamara Williams @ My Elated Odyssey : Hit and Run Accident in Berat, Albania

worst travel experiences

During a trip to Albania, where my friend and I had arrived in  Berat from Tirana , we were so excited to see a new city! Before exploring, we decided to grab something to eat and were soon met with an unfortunate event. As my friend had the right of way crossing the street, a car was not paying attention and hit her! To make matters worse, as witnesses were shocked and gasping, the equally shocked driver did nothing and drove past without checking on my friend. There were better ways to start an adventure in a new place! Thankfully, after a trip to the hospital, my friend was confirmed to only have a bruise on her hip. The local witnesses were also very helpful in lending a hand and ensuring she was okay.

One crucial thing we noted about Albania is that the drivers often ignore the road rules. You must elevate your senses as a driver and a pedestrian in the country. After that ordeal, we ensured that even with a crosswalk, the drivers stopped with no intention of advancing further. This was definitely one of our worst travel experiences but thankfully, we had no further automobile incidents for the rest of our trip!

Bernard Tan : The infamous Thai gem scam

BernardTheTraveller

I was approached by a ‘friendly’ Thai guy claiming to have worked as a teacher in Singapore, while navigating myself in Bangkok. He had mentioned that there is a temple that is opened today only and we should visit it. He stopped a tuk-tuk by the road and negotiated the price to 20 Baht. The tuk-tuk brought us to the lucky Buddha temple, at the temple we met some Thais that initiated a chat with us and ask us to head to the Thai export center. While at the Thai export center, we purchased some small blue sapphire, and it cost us about SGD 70 after discount. The gems that we bought were worthless. We also gave the tuk-tuk more than the 20 baht that was expected from us! We were considered lucky, as others have been scammed thousands of dollars but this was definitely one of our worst travel experiences.

Anne Slater-Brooks @ From Miles To Smiles :  Narrowly avoiding a riot in Tunis

Tunisia Beach

The beachfront killings just a few days earlier seem to have angered the police as they systematically chase down pop up stalls, unleashing ferocious blows on those in their way, with no regard for age, sex or circumstance. We see elderly ladies thrown to the ground and trampled in the melee, pregnant women pushed aside and the growing panic of the more vulnerable.

I’m oblivious to my husband’s unease so intent am I on taking everything in, unfamiliar stores, scents of incense, street food and garbage, the occasional glimpse of a whitewashed architectural gem beckoning to me, until suddenly he grabs me and urges me to run in what was one of our worst travel experiences. ‘What?’ ‘Why?’ I shriek to no avail as he drags me away from an oncoming surge of people suddenly heading furiously in our direction. We dash around a corner, flip flops slapping the floor, adrenaline pumping as we fend off bodies jostling us. The panic is electric, as though a stray spark could ignite some unthinkable violence like a scene from Lord of the Rings.

We come to a stop in an oasis of calm where my ashen husband fills me in on events which I completely failed to witness. It seems we narrowly managed to avoid becoming embroiled in a Tunisian riot , gangs throwing bricks at a police cavalcade ahead, and locals of all age and race trying desperately to get away. Shaken we leave to return to the sanctuary of our hotel unharmed but a little more aware of how quickly things can get out of hand!

Read more Anne’s journey and read her precious travel tips at  TravelTheGlobe4Less .  Follow her travels on Facebook   and Twitter

Tamshuk @ That Indian Couple : Debit card cloned, Snakebite and Severe sickness in Thailand

worst travel experiences

I had set off for my travels in mid-June with a concrete plans and finances for the next 5 months. But today, I am back home in India as I write this post thinking about the mishaps I had in Thailand , especially Bangkok. On my first three days in Bangkok , my debit card got cloned and I lost more than 90% of my money  to an anonymous cash withdrawal with my card details. This I realized on the day I was leaving for Chiang Mai . Till today I am struggling to get any portion of that lost money back from any of the two banks.

Chiang Mai was really nice to me though with some great food at the night markets, lovely friends and those beautiful temples. Oh, I got bit by a snake right when I jumped into the river after a white-water rafting session. The availability of a snakebite kit saved any further “burns” for me. But the final blow came when I made another four day run to Bangkok to get myself a social visa for Indonesia – this, after I had spent a month in Indonesia using the Visa exemption facility. Already having an on and off cold, I landed in Bangkok with plans to fly off to Jakarta after four days. But, as destiny had other plans, I got sick real bad and at the end of day four when I was at the airport to fly off, I was declared “ Not fit to fly ” by the airport medical team. So, there ended my travel plans for now and I flew back to India !! This was definitely one of my worst travel experiences ever.

The purpose of this post is to highlight the fact that not all goes well when we are traveling. Long-term or even usual vacations always have the possibilities of being hit by unfortunate incidents. With the joy of traveling and visiting different places, comes the risk of getting unintentionally involved in bad situations. Having said that, will we stop traveling? Not at all.

worst travel experiences

42 comments

Oh god!! These kinds of stories are what make people doubt if they should travel. It is good to share them so people know what to be aware of while traveling.

How did they get your debit card details, did you ever figure that out??

Oh my! I read all of these stories and realize that all of our travel mishaps are NO where near as intense as these. WHEW! These are HORRIBLE! 🙁

I think, travels going wrong is a part of traveling and learning and every traveler goes through some mishap. I’ve been through it by not getting my visa, being mugged in turkey and stuff. But this yet doesn’t stop us from traveling. It’s a sad thing that happen to you with your debit card, these scams are so unfortunate.

Oh wow, I’ve heard and met people who fell for the gem scam in Thailand – apparently it’s super common!

Horrible about the violence in Tunisia 🙁

Thanks for sharing these! It is always good to be aware of possible things that can go wrong during one’s travels, especially scams. Tamz, we had a similar experience when we were in Naples, Italy. Instead of our debit card, our credit card was cloned. So many unauthorized purchases! Lucky for us, all charges were reversed on our card. A sincere good luck in getting your money back soon!

Wow that wasn’t the best experience you can hope for when travelling! Fortunately nothing has ever gone too wrong for me while on holidays. Probably the worst one was a stomach bug we caught in Turkey that had us in bed for most of our holidays, but at least it wasn’t anything too serious!

I had similar export scams run on me when I went to India. It happened everywhere I went in the country. Usually it was rugs and stonework. Maybe “scam” is too harsh of a word for what I experienced, as much as “forced factory tour and sales pitch” at the end of every tour.. there was no way around it. The craftsmen were brilliant sales people and really put on the hard sale. I quickly just came up with my narrative (which has the benefit of also being mostly true) that I live out of a backpack, have a strict 1-in-1-out policy on anything I buy and that, no, I do not have a home address where the products can be mailed. They usually moved to argue that I should buy some nice things for the lovely ladies in my life.. I would say that there were none, so then they would suggest to buy my mom a gift, and that is when I would lie and say she was dead (sorry mom!) but that also usually ended the negotiations and I was allowed to leave without having made a purchase.

All these experiences were awful. However, there is a silver lining to the stories as well. Telling them later would be so entertaining. Of course, there is a huge difference between losing most of your money (I am so sorry that it happened to you :(. Hopefully, you might still be able to recover your losses? ) and having a lesson learned from dealing with unscrupulous “guide” in Bangkok.

How terrible. Yes, the incidents go to show how vulnerable sometimes you are and how travel can sometimes go wrong. Thanks for sharing these for these are some learnings for all of us.

These stories make you realise how careful you do need to be whilst travelling but luckily there are more good stories than bad. And even though these things can be traumatic at the time it gives you a story to tell. Safe travels !!

wherever we go ought to be careful because there are bad people around us. do not be too trusting with new people you know.

Every traveler has at least a near miss with some disaster eventually. We should all remember that it happens to all of us, including the scams that make us feel stupid.

Gosh, those are crazy incidents! It is so important to research a destination and plan accordingly, especially if the destination is out of your comfort zone. I am glad you all are okay in the end!

Thank you for sharing a post on a topic that may be harder to talk about! Lots of people only mention when things go right – but it’s just as important to plan for contingencies 🙂

All we tourist want to do is travel and explore. It sucks that the natives are scamming tourist.

Every time I leave for a trip I really hope everything will go well. It would be a real nightmare instead!

These stories are terrible! Having a debit card cloned is my worst nightmare! I don’t know what I’d do if I lost all my money when I was traveling. For me, my worst travel story was getting caught in a city on lock down (Munich) because a shooter was on the loose.

whoa, that can be a scary situation too.

Well, every travellor has to go through something bad during their travels. I am sorry to hear about these but i think that they are experiences. As travel nurtures a person, these mishaps too nurtures them . 🙂

I love learning about travel experiences because when you wander around a city or the world, there’s so much that can happen, and that you don’t expect at all. When you’re encountering misaventrues, on the moment you’re just so pissed, but it’s such good memories! I had many bumps onto my travel journey, but actually, now I cherish them!

OMG I’m sorry that your card was cloned. I think that will be the worst on traveling overseas, or even not travelling… getting it cloned makes me scared.

I had a similar experience in Bangkok. The hotel guys had advised us to take public transport, but we wanted to save time in the process ended up spending more money 🙁

Yes it surely does. I was pickpocketed in Rome and I lost a lot of money. And another time, I was stuck in a stormy sea in the boat and was praying for my life

Yes lesson learned. But what a sad news. This must feel so bad. What a scam!

Travel can be really hard sometimes. We have not really had any major problems or issues until a trip to Mongolia last month. On our last day there we witnessed a car roll over just in front of us and when we got there the man and lady were weeping over their dead baby. A hard thing and yet we had to go on after about an hour when the police an ambulance finally came. Travel is dangerous but probably not more so than if you were home.

Oh that is such a saddening sight to see when you are traveling.

I had some bad experiences too, sadly that’s a possibility every time you travel. We need to be really careful. Story about avoiding riot is Tunis is the scariest one, it’s unbelievable how fast things can get crazy!

This is a side of travel to be kept in mind. I am traveller and this is such an amazing article I must say.

I’m sorry to hear about your travel situation in Bangkok. And that’s the spirit! You don’t let those circumstances discourage you from traveling again. It’s truly inevitable that mishaps happen in traveling. However, these unfortunate circumstances are what shapes us into stronger persons that we didn’t imagine we’ll be. Praise God that I still haven’t encountered those kinds of traveling mishaps, but I’ll learn from your experiences to be extremely vigilant.

I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Traveling has its own pros and cons but most important is be safe and cautious!

Things do not always go as planned. But we need to realistic and cautious at all times.

Scams happen everywhere. Being caught in an unfortunate situation where serious harm could have been incurred happens everywhere. Tam, you could have your card cloned in India too. You get sick in India too. So, yes, go travel again as soon as you are fit!

Mishaps are just… that. Nothing more but lessons learned.

http://www.amazinglifedaily.com #AmazingLifeDaily

As travels can be real exciting and fun, we cant dismiss the fact that it can also cost us big bucks. A number of natives can be real scammer and i really just cant understand why the need to be so dishonest and be such an opportunist.

Great stories from all the bloggers. Travel surely is an adventure which doesn’t always go to plan. While it might not seem so at the time the things that go wrong always give you the best stories to tell. I hope you get your money back.

Things always go wrong when you’re traveling long enough… it’s sad but true, and all we can hope for is that nothing leaves permanent damage, physically or financially! Good luck getting your money back!

OMG I’m so sorry about that. Actually I am scared sending important information through fb, email, viber anything specially online. Specially bank account…. Anywhere right now there’s a lot of scammers! But it’s okay only God can punish them. I’m sure there’s more blessings to come pa in your pocket.

Oh dear I am so sorry to hear about your experience. I would not know how to react if I were in your position I think I would freak out and cry! The cloning and anonymous credit card transactions sound really scary. I hope your feeling a little better now. 🙁

When traveling to another country we need to always be cautious. I’m sorry that happened to you. We’ve had the same experience once in Bangkok when the taxi driver drove us around in circles instead of straight to our destination. We need to always be alert.

Oh no! Those are the reasons why I don’t travel alone! I can be persuaded easily and I’d rather pay than find myself lost

Oh god I am so sorry to hear about your financial situation. How did it happen do you know? I must say I am really cautious when it comes to withdrawing funds checking both the hole where you put the card for any cloning objects and always hiding my pin code. That said I rarely withdraw cash preferring to use my credit card which is then protected by the card insurance. Being bitten by a snake sucks too. I thought I had bad luck travelling as I have had cellulosis, broken collar bone, snapped ACL etc. Hope you get everything sorted soon

Just one of those instances when you become that unfortunate one among a million. The atm machine apparently was rigged to read the card information which was then used to clone the debit card.

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Roaming Around the World

Travel Guides, Tips, and Tales

Our Top 20 Worst Travel Experiences: A Year in Review

January 9, 2015 By John Widmer 39 Comments

The end of 2014 also marked the end of our first full year of travel. So we recently posted about our absolute favorite experiences from this past year roaming around the world.

But life on the road isn’t all gumdrops and unicorns. We certainly incurred our share of misfortunes too. Some of these tales are humorous takes from a few of our more calamitous situations, while others are downright terrifying.

But even with these ill-fated circumstances, there’s always a bright side. And I’m a firm believer that’s there’s always a lesson to be learned from others’ misfortunes. So maybe one of these travel mishaps may one-day help you avoid a similar situation. If nothing else, come laugh at us and our Top 20 Misadventures from the past year, which are in chronological order from when they occurred.

1) Breaking a Rental Car in the Yucatan (Mexico)

Ok, well this sign was altered a bit (for laughs) but you get the idea.

Ok, well this sign was altered a bit (for laughs) but you get the idea.

Driving across the Yucatan using rural back roads sounded like an awesome adventure early in our big round the world trip. But we were nowhere near prepared for the bad conditions of these dirt roads and the severe lack of signage. It’s a wonder we were able to navigate it with a simple pocket compass and a little luck. But what was even more surprising was that we got the car back in one piece (well, sort of).

After going over so many vicious potholes that were more like pot-craters and speed bumps known as “topes” that seemed to just spring up out of no where, the car’s undercarriage was completely wrecked and hanging on by a thread. I got my hands dirty and reattached it countless times. It’s a miracle the car was even still running. I was so nervous that the agency was going to bill us horribly for the damages incurred. But when we returned the car, they signed off on it and we made a speedy exit. I don’t feel dishonest about doing that either, because I’m fairly certain that the undercarriage was already in bad shape when I got the car.

Silver lining :

  • We returned the rental car and weren’t charged any damages!

Lessons learned:

  • Consider sticking to the main roads in the Yucatan when possible.
  • A little patch-up work and a friendly smile can go a long way when returning a beat-up rental car.

2) Becoming Homeless in Tulum (Mexico)

Scorpion

January in Tulum is high season and accommodation can get booked solid. So we were sure to secure a room in advance. Yet the day before we were arriving, we received an email from the owner apologizing that he overbooked the place and informing us we had no room. That pissed me off but I was able to find somewhere else to stay and booked it immediately.

Then our bus to Tulum got sold out. So we had to take a late bus, arriving at about 11pm. We go to check in to our hotel and no one was around. We rang doorbells, called office/cell numbers, and yelled… but nothing. After walking past one “no vacancy” sign after another, we were at a complete loss for what to do next. It was now the middle of the night and we were officially homeless in Tulum, Mexico .

We finally decided to go to original place we had booked, who actually happened to make room for us after all. But although we booked a private room, the next morning we discovered we were sharing this room with a family of scorpions! Ahhh!

Silver linings:

  • Hotels.com refunded our stay-that-never-was and gave us a generous $100 credit for our troubles!
  • We ended up switching to a scorpion-free hotel, which we really liked.
  • Make bus reservations in advance during high season in Mexico.
  • Reserving through third-party booking sites do have benefits.
  • During high season, have backup plans for where to stay.

3) Becoming Deaf in Belize

Scuba Diving

Heather first learned to dive when we were in Caye Caulker , Belize. During this time there was a cold going around the islands and Heather caught it. But it wasn’t very severe, so no need to stop our scuba diving pursuits. Yet when getting to depths, depressurizing (clearing) her ears was proving problematic. It just wasn’t working. She fought through the pain and dealt with it.

Over the next few days I noticed she wasn’t hearing half the things I was saying. I’m used to her ignoring me from time to time, but it was getting beyond that. Her ears never really unclogged and she was partially deaf. We later found out that you really shouldn’t dive with a head cold, as it completely screws with your ears.

  • She still managed to successfully complete the course and get her certification.
  • A doctor prescribed her some eardrops and medicine that cleared up the issue in a few days.
  • Hearing is fully restored.

Lesson learned:

  • Don’t dive with a head cold.

4) The Sunrise that Never Was (Guatemala)

Tikal Sunrise

The guidebooks raved on about how amazing the Tikal sunrise is. So much so that, as non-morning people, we decided it would be worth waking up at 4:00am to catch the spectacle. We trekked into the Guatemalan jungle and hiked to the top of one of the highest pyramids. Our efforts were rewarded with a sea of fog.

Silver lining:

  • After the sunrise, we truly were rewarded by seeing lots of animals who are otherwise inactive during the day.

 Lessons learned:

  • Sunrises aren’t always worth waking up early for.
  • Check the forecasts.

5) Dangling Off a Cliff on Central America’s Highest Peak (Guatemala)

Heather at Summit

When we noticed that Central America’s highest point was near our planned route through Guatemala, we couldn’t refuse the challenge, so we decided to attempt the summit of Volcan Tajumulco . But we weren’t properly acclimatized and suffered horrible altitude sickness. And being only about a month or so into our trip, it probably didn’t help that we were still a bit out of shape.

But after a sleepless night, camping out under the summit in the absolute freezing cold, we woke up super early to make the final ascent and catch the sunrise. But because we were slower than the rest of the pack, we were led by the official guide’s 7-year old nephew. And this lad took us climbing up the wrong peak, which left us clinging on to the side of the mountain for our lives. Its probably a good thing it was pitch black and couldn’t see what was down below.

  • We did eventially reach the true summit and the views were spectacular.
  • Be sure to acclimatize before pursuing tall summits like this.

6) That Nasty Skin Infection (Guatemala)

Ewwwwwwww!!!

Ewwwwwwww!!!

Back in Guatemala, what looked like a small bug bite on my leg started looking worse and worse. Next thing I knew a mass nearly the size of my fist was building up and I was walking with a limp. I was long overdue for a doctor visit. I finally went and the doc bandaged me up good, gave me a strict dose of antibiotics, and ordered me to stay off my leg. It took nearly a month to fully heal.

Then when we got to Panama, it happened again – on my other leg! WTF! How is that even possible? Thoughts started swirling that maybe this is something other than an infected bug bite but the Panama doctor gave it the same diagnosis as my first skin infection in Guatemala , and I was soon on another antibiotic regiment, which also eventually cured things up.

  • Doctor visits in Guatemala and Panama are super inexpensive – I only paid $5 USD in Panama!
  • Seek medical attention early before things worsen.

7) The Longest Bus Ride Ever (El Salvador)

Getting from Antigua, Guatemala to our next destination in Leon, Nicaragua proved to be no easy task. You must cross through two countries – El Salvador and Honduras – and it takes about 13 full hours. But we found a shuttle bus that offers this transfer, so we got up at 3am to begin our long day of travel down Central America. We first went to a beach in El Salvador to pick up some more passengers but ended up stopping here for hours to fix a mechanical issue. No problem, the beach was really nice.

El Salvador beach

But a few hours later, we were broken down again, this time at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. No one knew how long it was going to take. We figured maybe another an hour two. We chit-chatted with fellow disgruntled passengers, ate gas station food, and walked around the rest stop like lab rats. It was a full eight hours later when a backup van finally arrived to take us the rest of the way. There are horror stories about the dangers of driving through Honduras at night, which was now inevitable, adding to our worries.

Very sleep deprived, we finally got in to Leon almost exactly 24 hours from when we left, about 12 hours later than expected. We went right to sleep. But to add insult to injury, an hour later, an earthquake abruptly woke us up!

  • We got to see the beautiful Pacific Coast in El Salvador.
  • We got to fill up on delicious El Salvadorian papusas.
  • Make the most of a shitty situation.

8) A Trifecta of Mishaps from Panama to Colombia

We blew chunks for days, got threatened by an island native, and I managed to loose my wedding ring. What a trip! Looks like I’ll need to break down each of these mishaps…

8a) A Sea of Sickness (Panama to Colombia)

We were about to set sail from Panama to Colombia across the Caribbean Sea and were advised to take seasickness medicine. I rarely ever get seasick so declined to do so. Once on the small sailboat, a most delicious coq a vin was somehow whipped up in the cubicle-sized kitchen. I stuffed myself with seconds, if only to lap up the wonderful sauce alone. And although I wasn’t supposed to be drinking on the antibiotics to treat my nasty skin infection, I decided to give in to the festive atmosphere and choke down some nasty Panamanian Guinness as we said “bon voyage” to mainland Panama. This was all a recipe for disaster.

Our cabin pre-spewing

Our cabin pre-spewing

I was the first to blow. And things only got worse as the sailboat tipped to what seemed like 90-degree angles and it all made for a completely sleepless night unsuccessfully trying not to fall out of our bed in between vomit sessions. It was just awful. We had another 36 hours of this on the back-end of our trip.

  • Our fantastic experience visiting the beautiful San Blas Islands in calm waters, outweighed the rough nauseating nights during the rest of the voyage.
  • We all dosed up on plenty of sea-sickness medication on the latter rough nights which kept spewing to a minimum.
  • For rough seas on a small boat, just take the damn seasickness pills.
  • Don’t overindulge.
  • While Guinness made in some countries (like Belize) is great, it can still be pretty awful in others.

8b) Being Threatened at Knifepoint by a Drunken “Pirate” in the Caribbean

While sailing through the remote San Blas islands on our way to Panama, we stopped at a group of islands known as Coco Bandera, which were the most gorgeous islands of our voyage. We swam out from the sailboat to one of the tiny islands, which was perhaps less than 100 meters wide and long, and spotted with palm trees.

DSC02753

It was here that we ran into an indigenous Kuna man who had motored his little wooden boat to the island so he could chop down some coconuts with his machete. Upon locking eyes, I greeted him with a smile but he just gave me a stern look and continuously yelled “Mi isla!” (My island). Then he demanded that we pay him a $2 entrance for being on the island. I told him in Spanish that his “island was very pretty, but I do not have any money with me.” He replied that if we didn’t pay him, he would have our heads. After taking another glance at that machete, I just apologized and slowly backed into ocean.

This was NOT the culprit. (This was a very nice Kuna we met on another island.)

This was NOT the culprit. (This was a very nice Kuna we met on another island.)

After a fast swim to the sailboat, this crazed Kuna motored over to it. He was even ballsy enough to demand to our Captain that everyone on the boat must pay him $2. Much shouting back & forth ensued between him and the Captain for the next 10 minutes, but he finally left and started harassing the few other boats in the harbor. Apparently he was completely drunk and acting all out of sorts. This was not reflective of all the other most pleasant experiences we had with the Kuna people who call these islands home.

  • We didn’t pay his made-up fee and still left with our heads intact on our bodies.

Lessons learned :

  • If there’s ever a weapon present during a heated conflict, get the hell out of there!
  • Don’t bother arguing with a drunk person.

8c) Oops! Losing My Wedding Ring (Panama to Colombia)

The Mintaka

During this same sailing trip from Panama to Colombia , we stopped occasionally to snorkel the beautiful reefs around the San Blas islands. By this point in our trip I had lost a little weight and was afraid my ring may slip off in the water, so I decided to store it on a shelf in our cabin, for safekeeping.

But days later when I went to put it back on, it was missing. I looked closely at the shelf and noticed there was a small hole, just big enough for a ring to slip through. In all the rocking in the rough seas, I’m certain that is exactly what happened. I tested the theory with a coin and could here it drop all the way to the hull of the sailboat. The captain explained there was no way to access the area unless the boat was put in dry dock and several days of work was done to pull off the panels. So to this day, my wedding ring still sits rocking back and forth on the Mintaka sailboat.

  • Our travel insurance fully reimbursed us for this loss and I was able to replace it with the exact same ring.
  • Be careful about where you leave valuables.
  • Travel insurance can be a very wise investment for international trips.

9) Getting Threatened with Cobras (Morocco)

Cobra

The $80.00 photo with a cobra

When in Marrakesh, a quintessential tourist experience is to go down to the Jemaa el Fna square and have your picture taken with the cobras and snake charmers. We just couldn’t resist this unique opportunity in Morocco, so we went to the square and I took Heather’s picture with the snakes. Its all tip based, and the snake charmers were nice and fun, so I went to give him a few bucks, which I thought was pretty generous tip, considering wages in Morocco. His demeanor quickly changed and he wouldn’t take my cash. He then explained to me that he charges about $80 USD to take pictures with his snakes. WTF!? I would never pay that much for a couple of mediocre snake pictures taken with my own camera.

After I adamantly refused, he said it would be okay if I paid about $50. “Sorry, still – no way I’m paying anything even close to that!” What a scam. This is basically robbery! The back and forth went on for about ten minutes, voices got louder, and he finally started threatening me by putting the cobras in my face! Yikes! I finally just threw the couple of dollars I initially offered him in his hat on the ground and we quickly scurried off without looking back.

  • We got our quintessential snake photos.
  • When dealing with street performers anywhere, always determine a price before taking pictures. (Rookie mistake.)

10) Getting Blasted by A Freak Sandstorm in the Sahara (Morocco)

Sandstorm in the Sahara desert in Morocco

Riding camels through the Sahara desert was a bucket list experience that we were super excited to tick off. But being in the heat of summer, we would have to patiently wait until the early evening to leave the town of Merzouga, which lies on the edge of the vast desert. We were all packed. Our camels were there. Our guide had arrived. It was finally time to go on our three-day overnight trek. Yet nearly a half hour past our scheduled departure time, we were still waiting at the tour organizer’s riad. Growing impatient, I finally asked the tour organizer what the hold-up was and he calmly explained to me that a sandstorm was approaching. A sandstorm? I went to the rooftop terrace of the riad and could see a cloud of darkness in the distance getting closer and closer. I helped the owner tie down some patio furniture and then it hit!

It started with a blast of warm air. Strong winds whipped furiously through the town and rivers of sand began to flow through the barren streets. I tried to stay atop the terrace to witness this spectacle but after inhaling mouthful after mouthful of sand, I decided it would be wiser to seek shelter. The sandstorm raged on. Finally our guide signaled for us to go and outfitted us with scarves to keep the sand out of our ears, noses, and mouths.

The sandstorm was still blowing full force yet we hopped on our camels and off we went into the desert as the murky sunlight began to fade away behind a blanket of sand. We rode on and watched as some dunes dwindled, while others were being built up. The landscape was being shapeshifted right before our eyes. Our Berber guide miraculously navigated us to camp, where we immediately ducked into tents to escape the horrible lashings we’d been receiving.

Silver linings :

  • When we awoke the next day, the storm was over.
  • The storm had created fresh dunes to go sandboarding down!
  • If horrendous weather strikes, try to marvel at the unique spectacle rather than let it ruin your day.

11) Getting Attacked by Barbary Apes (Morocco)

Just hanging out with my monkey friends

Just hanging out with my monkey friends

We were so excited at the chance of seeing the Barbary Apes of Morocco’s Cedar Forests and were just hoping to get a glimpse or two of these wild animals. So we were thrilled to see dozens of them who were all fearless in getting nice and close to us. There were some vendors selling peanuts to feed them, but that just didn’t seem right.

After admiring them, taking pictures, and even playing with them a bit; it was time to have a picnic lunch. But these monkeys had other plans for our food and decided that it would be their lunch instead. Next thing you know they had attacked us stealing all of our food. How rude! We did manage to retain a canister of Pringles. But when we walked about a mile away to pop the top, out of nowhere, they reappeared and snagged our chips too!

  • Hanging out with these primates was still pretty awesome.
  • Don’t feed the wildlife, as it encourages bad behavior.

12) Learning Why Not To Go To the “Good View” (Spain)

The beaches of Cabo de Gata were among our favorite and prettiest beaches we’ve been to so far. The clear waters were incredible and I feel like this remote region is one Spain’s best-kept secrets.

Boat and swimmer floating in the super clear ocean water in Cabo del Gata

But its no secret to nudists, as they were everywhere. Sure, there really were some beautiful women but there was also everyone else. Perhaps what gave us the biggest laughs were the two hippy guys who were very aggressively playing paddleball with one another. (You’ll have to use your imagination for that visual.)

There are many scenic cliffside trails which wind their way through the craggy coast. While exploring, I came across a sign, which read “Buena Vista” (Good View) and an arrow. So I followed the arrow, which led me to a 600-pound man, spread-eagle, who simply smiled at me. This was not a Buena Vista at all.

  • While that wasn’t a particularly good view, everywhere else in this area certainly was.
  • Don’t be overly trusting of signs.

13) Attempting to Drive Manual Transmission Through Spain

Learning to drive a manual transmission in Spain

Renting a car in Europe can sometimes be challenging for Americans, since many of us are accustomed to driving automatic vehicles. In fact, I’ve never driven a car with a stick-shift in my entire life. Throughout Europe it can be nearly impossible to find automatics and if you do, you’ll end up paying about ten times the price of manual. To get to some of the far reaches of Spain, a rental car was necessary, and a manual was our only option. So I figured, “how hard could it be?”

It was time for me to learn how to do this. So when visiting friends in Cabo del Gata, I got a brief 15-minute lesson using their rental car. A week or two later, I watched a quick Youtube video on “how to drive a manual” and was off to the rental car agency.

I was horrible. I definitely stalled out more than a few times and felt bad for anyone driving within 100 feet of me. Spain was probably not the best place for me to learn a new driving skill. Unfamiliar roads, signs in Spanish, endless roundabouts, and lots of hills make for a recipe for disaster. The absolute worst was approaching red lights while going uphill. My palms would sweat at the stoplight as I rehearsed in my head putting the car into gear once the light changed. Instead I’d roll back and/or stall, nearly smashing the unfortunate car behind me. I still get panic attacks just thinking about it.

  • I found Spanish drivers to be very courteous drivers, which helped my cause.
  • I never hit anyone.
  • I can now drive manual (err, sort of).
  • Stay on flat roads when first learning to drive stick.

14) Escaping to Ukraine with No Place to Stay

We never considered visiting Ukraine , but when we found ourselves in Poland with only a few days left on our Schengen visa, it was the closest non-Schengen country nearby. So we thought it might be an interesting place to escape to and we’d work out the logistics once there. With all the negative press recently facing the country, surely there would be an overabundance of accommodation available.

Overnight train to Lviv

Overnight train to Lviv

After a rough overnight train ride being constantly awoken by customs officials, we arrived to Lviv early in the morning. But our search for a hotel came up empty. Everywhere was actually completely full, booked solid. How could this be? Well, it was was Ukraine’s independence day and patriotic Ukrainians around the country had flocked to Lviv to celebrate. There were no vacant Airbnb apartment rentals, hotels were booked solid, and we couldn’t even find an empty bed in a hostel. We were starting to consider last-resort options like sleeping on a train station bench.

We then thankfully managed to find a strange pseudo-resort town named Truskavets, located a few hours away and known for its healing spring water, that happened to have a few rooms available. So we quickly booked one and hopped on bus to discover this off-the-beaten-path destination.

  • Truskavets turned out to be a very interesting side-trip that gave us an opportunity to visit an area we would have never considered.

 Lesson learned:

  • Research when each country’s holidays are and plan accordingly.

15) Getting Too Drunk in Ukraine and the Worst Hangover Ever

vodka shot

It was our last night in Ukraine and we had an early bus ride the next day. So we decided to go out for a few beers to celebrate and call it an early night. We ducked into a pub with some live music and were eventually invited to a table of Ukrainians our age, who were quite insistent on sharing their multiple bottles of vodka with us. Shot after, after shot, after shot, after shot. These bottles were seemingly endless and it felt rude to refuse their generosity, so we continued to oblige. I think Heather and I probably finished off an entire bottle’s worth ourselves during the hour period we sat with them, and that was after a good number of beers earlier in the evening.

Next thing you know, Heather is dancing with strangers and I can barely see straight. Yup, it was definitely time to form an exit strategy before those last few shots caught up to my brain. I grabbed Heather and we hurried out of the pub, which I recalled was right next to our hotel. Except, in this extremely drunken state, I couldn’t seem to locate it. Just then our phone died, so Google Maps wasn’t going to help us either. I tried to ask some taxi drivers but between the harsh language barrier and my slurred speech, it was going nowhere. Meanwhile, Heather sat in a drunken stupor with a now upset stomach.

Drunk in Ukraine

Finally a cab driver was willing to help us and took us on a 10-minute drive across town. “Well this doesn’t seem right, but we’ll see where it goes.” He took us to a hotel that definitely wasn’t ours and I finally had the epiphany to show the night manager our room key. She explained to the taxi driver where to take us. We were thankfully taken back to the doorstep of our hotel which turned out to be about a half block away from where the cab had picked us up. SMH.

Needless to say, we missed our bus and suffered dearly the next day. It was honestly one of the worst hangovers of our lives. Vodka will never be the same again.

  • Don’t feel bad about refusing a shot, particularly if it’s the seventeenth one.
  • Its wise to travel with a backup phone battery.
  • Know when to leave.
  • Before we were in a drunken stupor, it was a really fun night with new Ukrainian friends.
  • The fare of our very round-about taxi ride still only came out to about $2 total.

16) A Rumble in My Tummy in Transylvania (Romania)

Biking through the Transylvanian countryside past the UNESCO-listed fortified churches was a wonderful experience. That is, until we were cycling through farmland, miles away from the nearest town and my stomach began to churn.

Biking through the countryside in Romania

I only had a matter of minutes before I was about to explode. This was farmland and there were no trees to hide behind to relieve myself. So I found a haystack which would have to make do so I could do my business. Flies and other insects were instantly attracted. Being in Transylvania, I wondered if I Dracula had cursed me.

I won’t go into much further graphic detail, but will just say this eruption was an extremely uncomfortable experience, which went on for nearly an hour. I did have a single lone napkin in my pocket, thankfully leftover from lunch, to attempt to clean myself with. Yuck. Luckily my stomach settled enough to ride back into town and things got better from there.

 Silver lining:

  • This stomach bug was very short lived and I was fine by the next day.
  • Whenever doing any outdoor recreation, always be prepared with some toilet paper, just in case.

  17) Getting Caught in Deadly ISIS Riots (Turkey)

Kurds rioting

During our visit to Turkey, tensions with the ISIS/ISIL activity in neighboring Syria were beginning to flair up. Yet everything in Turkey still remained safe. One day in the town of Antalya, we were getting ready to take a trolley to the bus station, but the trolley wasn’t arriving. I attempted to ask someone official-looking at the tram stop, and he just uttered something about “riots.” I thought I may have heard him wrong, as it was a nice and peaceful day in the seaside town.

But next thing you know there was a stampede of people heading right for us. Business owners began to shutter their shops as protesters rushed through. Smoke and fire soon filled the streets. Riot police soon followed.

turkish riot police

I nervously asked someone what was going on and was explained that it was a protest for ISIS. I know ISIS has no mercy, so we quickly found a local bus to hop on and escape this tense situation. I later found out that the protest was actually Turkish youth protesting against their country for not doing enough to combat ISIS. Protests went on across the country that day, and although this was not in support of ISIS, many of these riots were violent and sadly caused dozens of people to loose their lives.

 Silver linings:

  • We made it to the bus station without further incident.
  • No deaths or major injuries were reported where we were in Antalya.
  • Always stay abreast of evolving political situations.
  • If violence erupts, leave immediately.

18) The Missed Ferry (Turkey)

We only had six very short days using ferries to explore the vast Greek Islands between Turkey and Athens. We devised a carefully planned out itinerary to make the most of our time. From Fethiye, Turkey there’s only one ferry leaving each morning, so we booked our tickets and arranged to arrive early. We showed up a full 30 minutes early but the ferry wasn’t there. Actually no one was. We went to the tour agency we booked the ticket with and discovered that the ferry actually decided to leave early !

With that, we kissed goodbye to one of our few days in the Greek Islands. It actually screwed up our entire itinerary, since each day relied on subsequent ferry connections and pre-booked hotels. We’d heard that Greek ferries are notorious for being late but never heard of them leaving early! We can now confirm to you that it does, in fact, also happen.

  • We had an enjoyable extra day in Turkey.
  • We worked out a new itinerary and were able to cancel hotel reservations.
  • We weren’t charged for the missed ferry tickets.
  • When catching an international ferry, consider arriving extra, extra, extra early.
  • Be flexible to replan when travel hiccups occur.

  19) Getting Pickpocketed in Athens (Greece)

worst travel experiences

We were on a packed subway in Athens. Everyone was cramped, standing shoulder to shoulder. One man kept poking me in the ribcage, perhaps signaling me to scoot over. I tried to scoot but he kept poking me. It was becoming really annoying and was all I could think about. It was at that exact moment that I recalled some advice that an Argentinian friend had gave me if ever visiting her home country. She had explained that the pickpockets would poke you in an area away from your wallet, thereby distracting you from lifting your wallet.

I immediately reached down for my wallet but the thief’s hand had just grabbed it. Yet, I managed to smack it right out of the criminal’s hand and actually got it back! This happened right at our stop, so I quickly exited the subway car. At that moment an unfortunate passenger who was also getting off had realized his wallet had been lifted.

  • I thwarted the thief and was able to keep my wallet!
  • Never ignore good travel advice, particularly when it comes to your safety.
  • Always hold on to your belongings in crowded situations.

20) Merry Christmas To Us: A Smashed Camera (Chile)

Christmas in Santiago

We were spending the holidays in Santiago, Chile and so decided to take a nice Christmas picture to mark the occasion. The photo was snapped just seconds before the fateful moment when the camera was smashed to the ground.

You see, we went up to the rooftop patio of our apartment building to take the shot. We set up a tripod that we had placed on a bench to give it the little more height it needed for the picture. We set the autotimer and then got into position. The picture snapped just before a gust of wind came, sending the camera on a forceful 7-foot fall smack down into the concrete below. It was a horrible site.

  • We were able to get the camera repaired and it should be covered by our travel insurance.
  • Be careful using tripods in windy situations.
  • Travel insurance is worthwhile for international trips.

Look on the Bright Side!

Even with these misfortunes, we wouldn’t trade in this entire experience for anything. You just have to take the bad with the good. And we find that the “bad” makes the “good” all that much better.

And if this is the  worst of our past year in travel, I’d say we’re doing A-Okay.

Now for a more uplifting and inspirational review of our past year, be sure to also check out our Top 20 Favorite Travel Experiences  from the past year!

Related Posts

Our Top 20 Favorite Travel Experiences from 2014!

April 16, 2019 at 1:44 PM

Better Homeless in Hawaii For spring break this year we rented a VRBO suite in Hawaii. Two days before arriving we were told that the pool was out of service – this was our major search criteria. Over the first two days we discovered that not only was it out of service it was under full repair with jackhammering right outside our window. We had to move from this rental from hell. VRBO has acknowledged the misrepresentation but has not refunded the rental pinning that on the owner. Any idea what we can do to pressure them to refund us?

worst travel experiences

April 18, 2019 at 4:46 PM

Yikes, that’s pretty bad. What a nightmare! We usually do home rentals from Airbnb, so not really familiar with VRBO’s policies. It definitely sounds like you’re entitled to a refund, at least for the nights you didn’t stay, if not a full refund. Even if VRBO is putting that onto the owner, I’d seek help from VRBO to help mediate this dispute. Best of luck!

worst travel experiences

January 17, 2016 at 11:54 PM

I couldn’t stop laughing at #15 and especially the photo of Heather. 😀

January 18, 2016 at 4:19 PM

Haha! Oh, Cairo, what a crazy, crazy place! The chocolate covered picture of Heather? I laughed so hard when that happened. She got chocolate all over her face and then she immediately did it two more times! Lol, I suppose that’s what no sleep + a few strong Belgian beers will do to someone.

worst travel experiences

May 28, 2015 at 11:28 AM

I loved your post! It’s great that you can take a bad situation and find the good in it. I find some travel mishaps so funny (afterward) that I actually start wishing more things would go wrong. Happy everything turned out all right!

May 31, 2015 at 11:55 PM

Thanks Becky! We try to find the good in things and we hope others are able to learn from some of our mistakes. Everything has turned out alright for the most part. Even with all the wacky mishaps, we still decided to go for a second year of travels!

worst travel experiences

January 24, 2015 at 6:10 PM

This post is full of gems. I remember hearing about the cobra incident, but the drunken man proclaiming his island is beyond hilarious/ terrifying. Happy travels!

January 25, 2015 at 8:56 PM

Haha – thanks Bonnie! Yeah, we definitely froze up for a bit with the drunken Kuna man wielding a machete. That guy was nuts!

worst travel experiences

January 14, 2015 at 4:09 PM

This is a great post.

Looks like Guatemala was pretty sucky for you. I returned a while back and had a great time. Went to Tikal at sunrise and abandoned a shitty tour. Didn’t make Tajumulco due to protests closing all the roads; almost got stuck in Xela.

May the Silver Jews be with you

January 14, 2015 at 9:07 PM

Thanks! Actually, we loved Guatemala! Sure we had a few sucky incidents, but overall Guatemala was very good to us and has been one of our favorite countries so far. You’ll have to go back one day and tackle Tajumulco. Although it made our “top 20 worst” list, it was still one heck of an experience and glad we did it! Cheers!

worst travel experiences

January 12, 2015 at 7:39 AM

Very interesting post! The skin infection looks horrid indeed and I know the pain of breaking a rental vehicle (in my case it was a motorbike in Thailand), but all experiences (even the bad ones) are worth living because they are an important lesson. Take care, guys and hope you won’t have any such bad luck in 2015!

worst travel experiences

January 12, 2015 at 5:58 AM

You had me chuckling throughout this entire long post, right form the topes. Since I live in Mexico, I am painfully familiar with those Mexican speed bumps and what they can do to a car’s undercarriage–just ask the mechanic who recently installed a new muffler for me! I have also been far more intimately acquainted with scorpions than I would like. On the other hand, I have no desire to live anywhere else. Mexico, for me, is magic!

January 12, 2015 at 12:54 PM

Haha! It sounds like you can definitely relate to driving on those backroads. And despite a few travel hiccups there, we also really loved Mexico and looking forward to a return one of these days.

worst travel experiences

January 12, 2015 at 5:22 AM

Hahaha, those Mexican scorpions sure now how to gate-crash uninvited 😛

Yes, what jerks! Haha!

worst travel experiences

January 12, 2015 at 5:16 AM

This is definitely my favorite post of the month! Not because I enjoy hearing of other peoples bad luck but because many of them are actually quite funny and you have a great way of looking on the bright side which is really important when you travel. Plus if course you both came out of it all safe and sound. Thanks for the laugh!

January 12, 2015 at 12:57 PM

Thanks so much for the kind words! Yes, we always try to find try to find some way to laugh at our past misfortunes. And some are certainly easier to laugh at than others. And despite just a few more-serious situations, we did come out safe and sound. Thank you for laughing along with us!

worst travel experiences

January 12, 2015 at 3:47 AM

Ha, I got caught in a Moroccan sand storm in 2014 too but it was a highlight of my year!

January 12, 2015 at 1:00 PM

Awesome! I wonder if it was the same one. We were there in May. For us, the sandstorm was a highlight and a lowlight. While it really delay our trip and was extremely uncomfortable, it was incredible to experience this amazing force of nature.

worst travel experiences

January 11, 2015 at 9:43 PM

After 2 years of going around South America, I’m on my way to Central in a month and definitely bookmarking this post!

January 12, 2015 at 1:04 PM

Fantastic! Despite a few mishaps, we just loved Central America and hope you do too. Definitely make sure to check out our ‘Best of Central America’ post too where we highlighted our favorite experiences in the region. Hope your Central America travels are amazing! Bien viaje!

worst travel experiences

January 11, 2015 at 3:12 PM

Wow! Lots to report and some of it definitely not fun! What I loved about this post is your sense of humor keeps shining through, even though there were some potentially dangerous, and uncomfortable situations. Here’s to 2015!

January 12, 2015 at 1:09 PM

Thanks for the kind words Betsy! Yeah, we try to make light of some of these crazy situations we’ve gotten ourselves into. Its fun to look back and laugh at some of these, but at the time I never thought I’d be able to. Here’s to hoping 2015 will bring a few more funny stories yet a few less travel hiccups!

worst travel experiences

January 11, 2015 at 11:36 AM

These are great stories. Sometimes the challenges are just as memorable. I’ve almost been beat up by a group of Gladiators that Tara summoned over the tipping for pictures, we’ve been so blind drunk we couldn’t find our hotel across the street and had a ferry catch fire, which resulted in the best four day detour.

Love the stories, good and bad. Looking forward to many more.

January 12, 2015 at 1:13 PM

Haha! Yes, the challenges do make for some memorable stories. Some of your experiences you mentioned sound oh so familiar to us. And its funny how some bad situations can lead to some of the best times, as your ferry fire did. Cheers Mike!

worst travel experiences

January 11, 2015 at 11:26 AM

I loved reading this, even if there were some bad situations! You guys have had quite a year I hope your next one is filled with more great stories 🙂

January 12, 2015 at 1:14 PM

Thanks so much Leasha! Yes, it was quite the year, but that just help things to continue being exciting. Am also hoping we have some more good stories for 2015 but hopefully less machetes, vodka, and cobras, lol!

worst travel experiences

January 11, 2015 at 4:39 AM

im so glad you have written this! far too many blog posts on the amazingness of travelling and there is just as much crap stuff to balance it out (well some anyway)! feel your pain on some of these

January 12, 2015 at 1:17 PM

Yeah, we can sometimes get carried away writing about all the ‘amazing’ experiences that we realized we weren’t really showing the full picture of our travels. So I thought it would be fun to mix things up and shed some light on our struggles as well, as painful as some were.

worst travel experiences

January 11, 2015 at 1:11 AM

You guys had quite a year! Though I got to say I love the story in the Caribbean, very pirate, a great story to share! And I hate those guys that try to get money out of you for just having you taking a shot with there animals. We saw that in Lijiang, the guys had a llama and I was thinking seriously? In China? But of course as soon as you start looking they try to get loads of money out of you… But you guys do have a lot to share for your next party and so many memories out of all of that!

January 12, 2015 at 1:19 PM

Yes those picture guys sure can be brutal! A llama in China? lol! And, yes, I suppose that is another bright side, we certainly did get a few good stories to share out of all the calamity. Cheers!

worst travel experiences

January 10, 2015 at 9:39 PM

Like most tragedies on the road, these are pretty funny in hindsight. The lost wedding ring though, that’s pretty sad. Glad the pirate did not leave with your head. Better travels in 2015.

January 12, 2015 at 1:22 PM

Yes, we were pretty bummed out by the wedding ring, but its replaced now even though its not the original. I left my information with the captain, so who knows, maybe if they ever do maintanance in the hull one day and find it, we’ll have a nice surprise to look forward to. Very doubtful, but you never know!

worst travel experiences

January 10, 2015 at 9:22 PM

Pleased to see there was plenty of good with the bad but you did seem to have more than your share of bad luck in your 2014 travels. Hope 2015 brings more unicorns and less machete wielding drunks.

January 12, 2015 at 1:23 PM

Haha, yes – we too are hoping for more unicorns and less drunk island natives!

worst travel experiences

January 10, 2015 at 2:17 PM

Wow…so much stuff happened to you guys! I love that you are able to look on the bright side of things. I can throw one into the whole losing your hearing thing – I was once flying when overcoming a cold and the pressure change must have messed up my hearing….because I couldn’t hear properly for the next 4 days after the flight! Probably something very similar to what happened while diving.

January 12, 2015 at 1:25 PM

Ah, that sounds very familiar! Its crazy (and scary!) how pressure changes can really mess with your hearing when you have a cold!

worst travel experiences

January 9, 2015 at 10:17 PM

Lots of ups and downs, but nice to know you can take the positives out of them (and have lots of funny stories for afterwards!). I’ve had many a travel-mishap which feel crippling at the time, but now I never even think about them!

January 10, 2015 at 2:25 PM

Yes, its definitely nice to now be able to look back and laugh at some of these!

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The Sole Speaks

10 of My Worst Travel Experiences

Living through a pandemic as a single woman with strained familial relationships has demanded a lot of strength. The last few days, I have been reminding myself of all the terrible times I have had to face by myself in the past. These experiences, though horrid, did make me a stronger being and in times like these I draw strength from knowing that this badass Manisha who handled these 10 of my worst travel experiences in unknown lands, resides within me. I can summon her when need arises.

I have listed 10 of my worst travel experiences below, not to discourage you from traveling, but to remind everyone who needs to hear this that this too shall pass. When we are not left with any other choice, we have to be stronger than we know ourselves to be.

Often times, in such situations people say ‘It’s for the best’, so I have added that to give readers an idea how I view those experiences now.

1. Forgot my phone in a Toilet Booth at Chennai Airport

I was returning from my first international trip (Sri Lanka, 2015) and was severely sleep-deprived. I was waiting for my connecting flight at the airport and decided to take a nap for a few hours. I woke up past the beginning of boarding time and rushed to the toilet only to discover my periods had started. It was around 5 am, everything was quiet and empty but my mind was racing.

I rushed out as soon as I could and immediately heard, ‘This is final call for Ms. Manisha Singh’. Needless to say, I ran out and was rushed to the plane. This was happening 20 minutes before the departure time. Almost like a trigger, the moment I sat down, I realised I didn’t have my phone on me. I had forgotten it in the toilet booth.

I informed the staff to check if someone could fetch it for me. The airport was fairly empty, I believed my phone would still be where I left it. The staff told me they will inform the ground duty and get it sent to my destination.

At my transit airport (Hyderabad), not one person from the airline crew (Spicejet) knew what I was talking about and seemed fairly indifferent to the whole thing. But a person from another airline (Indigo) was very helpful, called the ground duty staff, called my phone which was ringing then. He told me the procedures at the airport that prepared me to handle the situation at Mumbai airport.

What did I do to fix the situation: I spent a few hours at Mumbai airport only to realise the crew hadn’t spoken to anyone or done anything about it. I sought help from other airport staff and no phone had been submitted to the lost and found. Later, someone started disconnecting the call on my phone, and a few hours later, it was turned off.

I wrote to the airlines later, but it didn’t amount to anything.

Lessons learnt: My contacts are now synced with google and so are my photos.

I don’t trust what the airlines staff (I believe they are as clueless as anyone else)

Most of my travels are now via Indigo airlines

Was it for the best: Nope, I could have used the phone for a few month months. There was nothing good that came out of it.

A young woman in yellow t shirt and blue pants sitting in an old Sri Lankan temple

2. Stranded without a Hostel at 11 pm in Argentina

I was hitchhiking in Argentina. It was summers which meant sun set fairly late. My last ride dropped me near the bus stand and from there I had about 5 km to walk to the nearest landmark. Along the way, I stopped at a hostel to see if I was headed in the right direction. I had the address but my offline maps couldn’t exactly find the hostel. A guy at the hostel was headed in that direction and offered to drop me. I didn’t see any harm so I waited the 15 minutes he was going to take to pack up. around 9:30 he dropped me at the beginning of the street. I thanked him and started walking uphill. All the houses/hotels had gate locks so I couldn’t walk into a property to seek directions. I walked all the way up, couldn’t find the hostel, I stopped at a patch which was pitch dark, too afraid, I walked down believing I missed it along the way. Nothing. So, I walked back up all the way including the patch with no lights. Nothing again, there were no houses there either, just wilderness. Too afraid and tired (I had my backpack and daypack on me), I turned around, also tried a different smaller lane along, tried buzzing a house who cut the call after telling me they didn’t know where my hostel was. I reached back at the beginning of this road for the third time. It was well past 11 pm, I was afraid, along the way some dogs had started barking at me, one caught on to my trousers, and I just wanted to get away from the whole thing.

What did I do to fix the situation: I saw a couple in distance reaching for their car, I rushed to seek help. They didn’t know anything about my hostel but seeing me distressed they just took me under their wings. After a failed attempt at reaching the owners of the hostel, they called another friend of theirs and dropped me there. Needless to say, I was and am extremely grateful to them.

Lessons learnt: I swore to never reach a new place that late in the evening. At times I didn’t have a choice with the bus schedules but for those situations, I was better prepared.

I also switched to a different app (maps.me) that had much better offline data than google maps. This helped me with directions in new places.

Was it for the best: Yes, It’s because I didn’t find the hostel that next day I called the lady who had given me a ride to the town. She had invited me to her farm which turned out to be one of favourite memories from the trip. It’s exactly what I romanticised doing on my travels, cherry picking, making jams, sitting on the green grass with dogs.

A young woman in blue t-shirt standing on a ladder picking cherries

3. A government Bus left with my luggage on board

I was headed from Hampi to Gokarna on an overnight government bus which was packed. At around 6 am the bus took a halt at a bus stand. I checked with the conductor regarding how long would it stay and I was told 10 minutes. So, I quickly ran out to use the washroom. I got back 5 minutes later, got on the bus and see my bag was missing and wait, there were other people sitting in my seat. I was confused, I asked the men on my seat regarding my bag and it was then that I understood that this was not the bus I was traveling in. That bus had left.

What did I do to fix the situation:

Panic-stricken me got out, approached the two policemen nearby who were extremely helpful. They made some calls, spoke to others, and first got me on a bus, traveled on the bus for a bit then explained to me that the conductor and driver will help me further. And, like they had some along the way, this bus overtook my original bus and they both stopped for me to be able to board the bus.

My bag was where I had left it, intact.

Lessons learnt: I travel with a fanny pack now so I always have my most important things on me like cash, ID proofs, phone, etc. (This is not something I would do in a country where robberies are common though)

Was it for the best: Ummm, I don’t know. It was just an adventure. I didn’t lose anything so that’s good.

A near empty street in the small town of Gokarna

4. Denied boarding my flight to Cuba

I was all prepared for my month-long trip to Cuba which means I had my currency changed to Euros, spoke to a guest house in Havana, read everything I could on how to travel there, and even had a travel friend I was going to meet up with on day 1. Cuba has no wifi and I don’t take local Sim cards so I was preparing for a month of no internet.

I had met a traveler traveling on an Indian passport who flew to Cuba from Cancun (Mexico) a few weeks ago. He was issued a tourist card based on his Valid US Visa on the Indian passport. my situation was the same but I still wanted to be certain so I went to the airlines’ office on the west coast (3 days before my flight) where I was informed that there’s going to be no issue getting the tourist card in Cancun. So, I took their work, flew to Cancun from where I was going to fly out to Cuba in less than 40 hours. I went to the airlines’ office to get a tourist card to avoid last-minute hassle and of course, it’s never easy on an Indian passport. The man behind the counter looked at the list and told me that he couldn’t issue Indian passport holders a tourist card. Rules had changed recently and the only way for me to travel to Cuba was to get a Visa. Getting a visa meant going to Mexico City, waiting for 5 days, and submitting a gazillion documents, none of it I was ready to do anymore. I was tired of trying to go to Cuba and being misinformed (I had a similar experience in Colombia but my fights weren’t booked then).

What did I do to fix the situation: I dropped my plans of going to Cuba, got my flight rescheduled (which costs nearly as much as booking a new flight), and decided to go back to Colombia from Mexico city after 2 months. This time I decided to spend in Belize and Guatemala. Countries I hadn’t been to and had chosen not to visit the only coz I was quickly running out of money.

Lessons learnt: Don’t trust the staff of airline companies unless you have things on paper. I also learned that there are no wrong answers in travel, I would have enjoyed going to Cuba but I also greatly enjoyed my time in Belize and Guatemala and met some incredible people along the journey.

Emotionally, I wasn’t affected in the least bit but I lost money that I was low on already.

Was it for the best: Yes, I instead got to go to Belize and Guatemala, two stunning countries, I hiked an active volcano something that I wanted to do since the very beginning of my trip. I’m sure Cuba would have been good too but that’s the thing, there are no wrong answers in travel.

A girl looking at a mountain in distance with a cloud bed underneath. Rising sun in front.

5. Denied entry into Guatemala at the border

I was going to live on a boat for a few days, excitedly I took the bus from Belize to Guatemala border. Guatemala was also going to be last new country on the year-long adventure in South America. I exited Belize, paid my exit fee of $20, changed leftover currency to Guatemalan quetzal, and walked towards to the Guatemala border.

The short queue had me at the counter quickly, but only to be told that I couldn’t enter. India apparently was a type 3 country and on this passport a valid US visa made no difference to the entry into Guatemala. But I had done my research, I had read on the website, other people’s experiences and everywhere the information was same, Indian passport holders with a valid US Visa could enter Guatemala Visa-free. I tried convincing him to see the website, speak to a senior, or another colleague but nothing worked. So, I walked out, sat on the pavement and realized I was truly in ‘no man’s land’. I did not have a local SIM card from either Belize or Guatemala, there was no wifi, I didn’t know anyone in either of the countries except my host in Belize and my to-be host in Guatemala but I anyway couldn’t reach anyone.

What did I do to fix the situation: I asked an official where was the nearest Guatemalan embassy and was told in the town I had crossed while coming to the border. I sprung into action, walked back to the border, requested the person who had purchased my currency if he would give it back (he did), spoke. spoke to the officials at Belize border and requested them to let me in, took a shared cab to the town and landed at the Guatemalan embassy.

After a good waiting period, a gentleman came out and explained that I was indeed right, I don’t need a Visa for Guatemala with my Valid US Visa. The staff was very kind but I was afraid if I was turned a second time I wouldn’t have money to reach here and the office would probably be closed. I requested them to give me some official document that I can show at the border. The man obliged and gave me a piece of white paper with his signature and something scribbled in Spanish. They also called the border to clear things.

I hitchhiked my way back, exited the border (I had earlier requested them. to not charge me an exit fee again, they did not), joined the international queue at the Guatemalan border and my passport was stamped by. the same man without a word. It was at that moment I realized that none of it was about the rules, he was seeking a bribe.

Lessons learnt: On an Indian passport, be prepared for anything.

Was it for the best: It didn’t change much except that I lost some money but the time I had in plenty anyway. I didn’t get to stay on the boat but I took a different route that allowed me to go to a waterfall (Semic Champey) that was stunning.

6. Being stalked by a stranger in Colombia

Colombia clearly didn’t vibe with me. I had taken a bus that dropped me around the second-hand market lane, the only stop near my hostel. I started walking the few blocks to my hostel and noticed many shops were closed (It was weekly off). Since experiencing another worst travel experience (mentioned later in the post), I had gotten into the habit of watching my back often (literally). I cut a corner and a few feet later, turned around and my eyes met a man’s directly. And I instantly knew it was trouble. I was in a fairly busy block but after this, there was a near isolated section before I reached a central area. I stopped a little further at a stall and wasted time buying something, by this time the man had reached me and of course, didn’t go ahead. Instead, he went to the right and stood by a wall. I had nowhere to go, he was waiting for me to leave and he wasn’t being coy about it. All the shops in the building were closed, so I couldn’t go anywhere.

What did I do to fix the situation: I did what I had to, confronted him, in my broken Spanish but he didn’t flinch. He looked at me with his blank eyes. and then I saw some bikes coming towards me with police men. I started jumping in the middle of the road and spread my arms to stop one. The officer, didn’t bother checking this guy who casually walked away when I started yelling in Spanish that he’s been following me. I didn’t let the officer leave though and made him accompany me to the center from where I walked to the hostel by myself.

It had angered me not because I was in a vulnerable position, I had nothing on me then. I had already lost my phone and camera. I was angry because I had lost my valuables in that very city and someone wanted to rob me again!! I didn’t want another Colombian to rob even a pencil from me again.

Lessons learnt: No matter how rude it feels to turn around and look strangers in the eye, continue to do so.

Was it for the best: Nope, just made me more angry towards the country.

7. Discovering the last currency note gone on a Bus in Guatemala

I was on a chicken bus headed for the highway. From the highway I had to take a few more buses to reach Mexico border. It was my last day in Guatemala and I was headed back to Mexico. As the conductor approached, I dug into my wallet to get my last currency note, a 100 quetzals (~USD 13). I scrambled through my wallet but it was not there, I checked my backup wallet, not there, I checked my daypack pocket where I put away coins, not there. The conductor was standing looking at me probably wondering when will I stop with the act.

I asked him, ‘cuanto cuesta?’ (how much), I scrambled through my wallet and I had the exact change for ticket price so at least I was not going to be asked to leave midway which was also middle of a fairly empty route.

I knew the currency was gone, I had put it in my wallet only 2 days while preparing for a volcano hike. I had very cautiously spent money so I didn’t have to withdraw cash before leaving. Withdrawing cash drew a fee of around 50 quetzals. I felt saddened thinking who could have taken it, could it have been one of the locals when I left my backpack in the tent and went to see the sunrise? Could it be my hosts from last evening? Could it be the guy I shared a bus ride with? All options saddened me.

What did I do to fix the situation: Once on the highway I decided to hitchhike the 130 odd kilometers to Mexico border. I had Mexican currency left to get me through there before I could find a cash machine.

But hitchhiking in Guatemala is a bad idea. Nobody stopped for quite some time and eventually the car that did stop had 4 men inside. I was wondering how to decline the ride when a guy popped out and said ‘we’ll give you a ride but we’d like to discuss bible with you’. It turned out to be one of the most educating car rides on my trip. It was not just because we discussed the bible but we also spoke about each other’s lives and it was in this ride that I found words for my quest. ‘Don’t seek happiness, it’s temporary. Seek peace, it’s permanent. I truly believe in this and live by it.

Lessons learnt: No leaving cash behind, ever.

Was it for the best: Yes, that ride I hitched is a very important event in my life.

8. Finding myself on a Snow Hike Without Crampons

I was in Nepal during late 2018, the trekking season had just ended so I had given up on hiking the Annapurna base camp that year. I especially gave up the idea when I met a guy on my second day in Pokhara who entered the dormitory with such strong stench, he looked battered quite literally, and sought a soap from me. After his shower when we could talk, I learned he had just returned from the Annapurna circuit. That was a no for me.

In my second hostel stay, a few days later, I met another couple who had just returned from the Annapurna base camp and looked like they had returned from a stroll around the lake. They encouraged me to go for it if I wanted to. I met a few other people who said the same.

A few days later, I was hiking the Annapurna base camp by myself.

Towards the end of day 2 I did meet two super nice guys who continue to be my really good friends. I tagged along with and we continued hiking together. On day3, it started raining midway so we cut short our walking hours, it snowed afterwards. On day 4, we saw snow here and there but it kept getting thicker. It was evident I was not prepared for the weather but I was told I could rent crampons in the next village. So I marched on (mostly with the help of my friends) and before I knew it, I was beyond the point of return by myself. I would have needed help to cross certain difficult points.

There were no crampons at the next camp, which meant, I could stay back at this place and wait for my friends to return next day so I could hike back with them or I could continue pushing forward. I was so close to the top, I decided to continue walking plus I felt a lot more comfortable being with my friends than being holes up in a room alone.

The terrain kept getting worse (except the last stretch), we got caught in a blizzard that hampered the visibility but we reached with no injuries. On my way back, I couldn’t wait to leave the snow so we hiked until late evening to a base location with no snow.

What did I do to fix the situation: I took advice from the locals and put the largest pair of socks I had in my backpack and wore it over my hiking shoes. This is supposed to be better than crampons and I did find it extremely useful.

Lessons learnt: Nothing in the mighty Himalayas should be taken lightly.

Was it for the best: I didn’t die, so it’s okay.

A girl with a bamboo stick against snow clad Himalayan mountains

9. Being Stalked in India

I am not being precise in the heading because unfortunately, it has happened more than once. I don’t wish to undermine the issue but in my personal experience, a lot of times it’s harmless.

The two times when I felt trapped and threatened was –

  • I was walking the ghats of Varanasi (the steps near the holy river Ganga), I paused to get something from my bag when I noticed a man walk past me slowly and looking at me then looking back at me and a few steps later he stopped too. I didn’t think much of it but a few meters ahead noticed he was walking behind me (I was walking very slowly so it was unusual that we had the same distance between us as earlier). I stopped on purpose this time, and unashamed as he was of following me, he stopped too but a few steps ahead of me. This continued one more time. The third time I sat overlooking the Ganga though. I was afraid even sitting there because I had to turn around take some 50 odd steps, cross a few dark corners to reach my guest house. It wasn’t far once I climbed those steps but I am a slow climber and I feared being cornered along the way. One option was to go back and take a longer route that was busier. I sat there evaluating my options when I noticed two tourists walking up the steps. I quickly got up and went past them but continued walking in front of them. Once on top, I ran to my guest house. I had turned around from the steps to assess the situation, he was still sitting on the ghat but was not looking at the Ganga, instead, he had turned around and was looking at me.
  • The scariest experience I had of someone following me has unfortunately been in one of my favorite destinations – Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu . I was walking in a quiet lane, looking at old buildings. I was working on a project back then that required me to assess properties as potential hostels. So, I would often walk into buildings, speak to the caretakers and inquire about the owners. On such a visit, I was walking around the property but I could barely communicate with the caretaker. I continued checking out the nursery and see if I could gather any details on the availability of the property. Soon the caretaker called me to explain her son was here and he could answer my questions. As soon as I met him, I was afraid. his pupils were dilated and he looked deadpan at me. He said nothing, just stared at me. He was another friend on a bike, I tried to look at him and talk but the caretaker’s son would just not look away. I wanted to run away but I pretended to be all calm and just waited for them to leave. I left soon afterward, at the next property I met a dog who stuck around while I was walking in the vicinity. I took a turn at a road that connects to the lake which is generally busy but this stretch was empty, another turn and I saw the man with dead eyes again. He was standing on the side of the road and continued staring at me. I was scared, really scared. I didn’t know what to do so, I had to pretend to be composed. I pretended like the dog was mine and took an about-turn because I knew I could seek help quicker on that road. But the moment I cut the corner, I rushed and entered the first building, a guest house run by the church. I ran in, make small talk with some guests I saw. When I turned around (I was at an elevation), I saw the man walking on the road I had taken. He had started following me. As a reflection, I ducked and continued sitting on the floor, hidden from the road for some time. The problem with this was, I didn’t know which way he went. There were three roads I could take from there and all of them were fairly isolated.

What did I do to fix the situation: I stayed hidden for a 20-30 minutes and then chose a path that took me to a busier section quickest and I ran through this stretch.

Lessons learnt: Always have a taxi driver’s number handy, in case you need a pick up from such situations.

Was it for the best: Absolutely not. Nobody needs such an experience in life.

Sunrise over ganga with the silhouette of a man

10. Being Mugged at Knifepoint in Colombia

This hopefully remains one of my worst travel experiences because worse than this would be too much to handle. I was hiking back from this very popular tourist destination named – Montseratte in the capital city of Bogota. I was accompanied by my local host (a young woman), and it was about 4:30 pm (which means broad daylight). In fact, the reason we were rushing back was so we could make it back to her house while there was still daylight left. 10 minutes from the trail end (which joins a fairly busy road), three masked men jumped from behind a bulging boulder. In no time there was a man in front of me holding a machete to my throat and a man behind me. On my left, I saw another man with a machete chasing my host who was screaming and running backward.

They took my entire daypack (which had my camera, phone, passport, and both my debit cards, among other things that I had carefully picked 6 months ago for this trip of a lifetime). They also took my host’s sling bag which had her iPhone and her identity card.

What did I do to fix the situation: There were many things I had to fix in this situation starting from getting a new passport but the most difficult task was to access my money. The Indian banks I had accounts with had no presence in Latin America, they would not mail me the card either. It was a complicated task and a stressful 2 weeks.

After the robbery, I was left with less than $30 that was in my main backpack. I didn’t know how long I had to go on the $30 so I stopped taking dinner. I would cook lunch with just onion, tomato, garlic, and spaghetti.

I knew it was going to be an arduous few weeks, so the first thing I did was to find an alternate stay arrangement. I didn’t want my hosts to take the brunt of my situation. I knocked on hostel doors in the tourist town to find volunteer work. After nearly losing hope, and breaking down in tears in the middle of a street, I did find reception work in a backpackers hostel.

Two months later, I left Colombia for Mexico with a new passport, new US Visa, money transferred to my travel card, no camera, no phone (so no way to see the time or take pictures), but a great deal of determination to continue traveling.

Lessons learnt: I still struggle with this. I haven’t been able to make sense of that experience at all. Why did it happen, why did it happen to me, and what did I learn from it? I was already being as safe as I could. A few things that I experienced after the incident were:

  • The incident, unfortunately, made me slightly indifferent towards the poor, the addicts, the whole glaring economic disparity esp. in Colombia.
  • It reinforced the idea to never let the guard down. I was trying to book my exit tickets a day before the incident and had accidentally put my backup card in my daypack after that.
  • I learned that locals don’t always know best. I was recommended that place by both my previous hosts and none knew of the situation there.

Experiencing and fixing a situation like that by myself definitely prepared me for everything. Like Cheryl Strayed would say, I felt like a total “hardass motherfucking Amazonian queen”.

Was it for the best: NO. I was never able to buy a camera again (I had bought it when I had a job), now I’m always somehow in survival mode. Trauma from that experience haunted me for months and it permanently changed my interaction with strangers.

Mount Monseratte view from bottom

I hope sharing these 10 worst travel experiences of mine which required me to go back to those unpleasant moments, helps someone find their strength back.

10 thoughts on “10 of My Worst Travel Experiences”

all seems to be a spooky/ thrilling scenes from a movie, more power to you 🙂

Yes, quite dramatic when I look back but we all have it in us to endure what seems unimaginable. And i’m sure many people are experiencing that right now with Covid.

Hmmm… well covid is a more of like a organised catastrophe , like we know its coming yet we let it come

From leadership point of view and large group behaviour but on an individual level, that’s not everyone’s truth. I got a really bad case of Covid last September while following everything I was supposed to (Staying home, going out once a week to get groceries, mask, sanitize, etc.)

Hmmm i get it 🙂 hope you are well now

yes, I am. I was a long hauler so my symptoms (esp. social anxiety and loss of smell) persisted for months.

Yea , many of my friends experienced the same .

Bad incidents somehow do ruin your travel experience, I’m glad you found ways to get out of these although I’m sure it must not have been easy.

Yes, for sure. We are only human, many of these incidents hurt how I interact with strangers and the trust I put in them. But except the robbery in Colombia, every other incident led to only short-term discomfort.

Well said, Manisha

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Our Worst Travel Experiences & How You Can Avoid Them

  • February 7, 2024

Traveling is just like any other part of life – it doesn’t always go our way. We’ve had our fair share of unfortunate events while out in the world, some caused by our own fault and some not. From each of our worst travel experiences, we’ve learned something from every incident which taught us how to better prepare for next time. The most important lesson we’ve learned from all of the dilemmas we’ve endured while travelling is to take it for what it is and not let it ruin your entire trip. A misadventure is still an adventure nonetheless.

In this post, we want to share a few memorable bad travel experiences which made us learn our lessons the hard way. Our worst travel experiences have essentially evolved into our best travel tips . Keep on reading so you don’t have to follow in our footsteps!

Is It Easy to Travel a Lot?

Putting the wrong type of fuel in a rental car, visiting a popular destination in july.

  • Finding Dog Friendly Accommodation

Missed Connecting Flights

Leaving behind passports on an island, a luggage’s case of mistaken identity, ups and downs of road tripping, travel resources for the best travel experiences.

worst travel experiences

Whether some avid travellers may never admit it, travelling sometimes sucks. Yeah, I said it! There are times where we cannot wait to finish driving a 7-hour journey and just get into bed after a long day. Rushing through airports to make a connection in time while dripping in sweat? Forget it. Now, multiply these feelings by ten if you’re travelling with kids (let along young kids ) and it’s truly a wonder why we choose to do it all over again and again.

As with anything that’s worth doing, it can be challenging but you have to really love it. So it’s a good thing we are in love with travelling because in the end, this is what fuels us to get through the rough times. There’s no use in pretending that every trip will be perfect or that something won’t go according to plan because frankly, life just doesn’t work that way. What you can do is learn from past mistakes and become better at travelling with practice. Or, at least learn from our stories and save yourself the hassle.

Our Worst Travel Experiences

Not only is this one of our worst travel experiences, it’s one of our firsts. Many years ago, we rented a car in Europe for the very first time with plans to road trip through France. As one can imagine, many things were racing through our minds to make sure we 1. had a wonderful trip and 2. made it back in one piece. Overwhelmed by excitement, it didn’t dawn on us to think about fundamentals like refuelling. After picking up our rental car in Paris, we headed south. By the time we reached Bordeaux, we needed to gas up the car. After pulling into the gas station, we reached for the diesel pump and starting filling up our Fiat. 

We never made it out of the gas station parking lot after the car sputtered and died just moments after we started it. The Fiat was gas powered and absolutely did not like that we filled it up with diesel. We had to call the rental car company in order for them to come tow the Fiat away and drop off a replacement for us. This delayed our road trip by only a few hours since the rental company was prompt, but we imagine it could have been a worse situation with a less reputable rental agency. 

How to Avoid This Travel Mistake:

Ask essential questions about your rental car before leaving the car rental lot. If you’re not sure or only semi confident, ASK! Clearly, knowing what type of fuel your rental car takes is crucial. After this, you’ll want to be completely certain on how to open up the gas cap and so on. To our defence, France is one of the most confusing places for refueling in Europe. In France, “gazole” is actually diesel, despite it looking like the word “gas” which ultimately led us to our wrong decision. On the other hand, gasoline can go by the names of benzin/benzina or sans plomb. You can’t blame us entirely for making this mistake, right?!

rental car ford fiesta

From time to time, a proper summer holiday is planned with one priority… it needs to be scheduled for the summer. Naturally, the weather is nice and people have the best chance of taking time off from work or during summer break when travelling with kids. Although it sounds like the perfect idea, it can also significantly turn into a bad travel experience if you visit the wrong destination. Taking a vacation in June – August to a widely popular destination almost makes the entire trip not worth it. Summer holidays means crowds and lots of them. 

For us, Mallorca specifically comes to mind and should be avoided at all costs during peak months. There are just too many people and over tourism has unfortunately ruined such a beautiful island. The famous sites and renowned Mallorca beaches you see on your feed, are unbearable during the months of July and August. Naturally, us being us, we still found secluded places to visit on Mallorca . Enjoying hidden gems on the island instead turned one of our worst travel experiences into a memorable one.

Visiting a place with a lot of tourists versus none can make or break a trip. How do you avoid other travellers? Well, sometimes you can’t entirely but there are still ways to at least minimise the amount of people you’ll run into. For example, travel during shoulder season. This is one of the most common travel tips and for good reason. There are so many benefits to planning a trip for off months including lower accommodation costs and open availability for tours and activities. 

If summer is the only time you can make a trip happen, there is still one sure way to steer clear of mass tourism. Do not travel to incredibly popular places. The world is large and filled with ideal summer destinations that are off the radar. You just have to search a bit outside the box. Thinking of visiting Mykonos? Choose an underdog Greek island like Kythira instead. 

story of travel

Finding Dog Friendly accommodation

We booked an apartment on Booking.com for a short stay in Ulcinj, Montenegro. Upon arrival, the owner saw our larger than life dog and decided that she did not want to host us. She spoke English well enough where I was able to ask “then why does your listing say you allow dogs?” As we stood there confused and equally as frustrated, we had to face the fact that we were simply being refused our reservation due to our dog. From the car, I hopped back online to find an alternative. Given the fact that Ulcinj isn’t exactly Barcelona, the number of places you’re able to find online are slim as it is. Montenegro also isn’t the most dog friendly country which means, our chances of finding a place to stay in the next couple of hours that will allow our dog were diminishing.

I booked another apartment nearby and on our way there, messaged the owner to give them a heads up about the dog in an effort to not repeat the same mistake. With our luck, this apartment also didn’t want to accept a big dog so we were denied before even arriving. This process repeated itself one or two more additional times before we gave up on the internet. We then relied on the old fashioned strategy of walking into any establishment that had “hotel” written on it just to ask if they had an available room for us and our dog. We were basically turned away by the entire city of Ulcinj. My final attempt was successful after 4 hours of driving around the crazed streets and in 100°F degree weather. We were so exhausted from this experience that we didn’t leave the air conditioned apartment for the next 24 hours. 

Although we had zero problems finding dog friendly hotels and Airbnbs in neighbouring countries, we should not have assumed that all Balkan states will be the same. From our time in Montenegro, we learned that big dogs (no matter how well mannered or trained) are simply not conventional when it comes to domesticated pets in Montenegro. Therefore, most people are cautious and do not want them in their homes or buildings. To avoid this being one of your worst travel experiences, do some research on how pet friendly a country is so you know what to expect. Furthermore, always make it a habit to let the hotel or apartment know you’re explicitly travelling with a dog , even if their listing already says “pets allowed.”

ulcinj montenegro

Comparatively, this isn’t at the top of the list of our worst travel experiences but it’s still a setback nonetheless. If you’re like us, you may always be attracted to the shortest flight paths with the least amount of layover times when searching for flights. So, when booking a flight from NYC to Bangkok, I wanted to minimise the long journey as much as possible. Our flight path included a one hour stop in Beijing before our arrival in Thailand. On paper, this looked like a fantastic and efficient idea. In reality, we were very wrong to choose this route.

As soon as our departure time in NYC was delayed, I could tell the rest of the journey was doomed. During the flight, attendants were already distributing the plans for everyone who was affected by the delay. Upon arrival, we were herded to customer service where they handed us vouchers for an overnight stay at a nearby (questionable) hotel with transportation included. That evening, we were fed a bowl of instant noodles with a hot dog in a squeezable tube.

First, the airline we booked wasn’t necessarily an award winning company. It even had an online reputation for not flying on time. If you do decide to risk it with a short layover, look up some reviews or data on past flights to see if you’ll actually make it. 

Secondly, keep in mind the size of the airport where you are transferring. For example, Beijing’s airport is a major transportation hub in Asia. This typically means physically getting from one gate to another takes time. 

Lastly, absolutely do not book a flight with a layover less than one hour if you are checking bags . When a connecting flight is delayed, luggage is deprioritized. This means it may not make it on the flight with you. At that point, your bags could meet you at some point down the road or, never.

hotel in beijing

During our first international trip together, Alex and I visited Greece with our friends. We started our Greece trip in Mykonos and later took a ferry ride to the island of Santorini. Once we arrived in Santorini and began unpacking, our passports were nowhere to be found. As my gut sank to its lowest point, I realised I had left them in our Airbnb in Mykonos. The irony was, I was trying to keep them safe by not carrying them around with us and therefore tucked them away in a drawer. When we were packing up our things to leave Mykonos, it escaped my mind to check that drawer. We were amateur travellers during this time! So this incident was quickly engraved into our minds as one of our worst travel experiences.

The first thing I did was contact our Airbnb host in Mykonos to let them know that the passports were left behind so they would know to hold onto them for me. The next step we had to figure out was a ferry ride back to Mykonos to retrieve the passports. There were no available ferries until the next morning so we couldn’t do much besides wait. The travel time between the two islands is around 2.5 hours. After traveling to and from the ferry ports, onboarding the boat and collecting the passports, we spent the entire following day in transit. This whole ordeal caused us to unfortunately lose a beautiful day in Santorini.

Aside from the obvious recommendation of simply remembering your things, make it a habit to open all the drawers, dressers or cabinets of your hotel before you leave. To this day, it’s a ritual we perform whenever we’re packing up to leave our stay. Another helpful tip is to ensure you have good communication with your hotel or host. This can get tricky with Airbnb stays since you don’t always meet the host or a person during check-in. Ensure you have a contact for a real human being who could possibly help you in case you do forget anything.

experience of traveling

While boarding a completely full flight, I was one of the last passengers to get on the plane. Of course, there was no room for my carry-on bag near my actual seat so I had to shove it wherever there was availability. After rearranging some items, I forced my North Face backpack in an overhead compartment about 15 rows in fron t my assigned seat. Upon landing, I went to pull my bag down from the bin and it was no longer there.

Instead, I saw another grey North Face backpack about two bins down. I immediately knew what happened – someone had mistaken my backpack for theirs. I snagged the imposter of my backpack that was left behind since it had a badge on it with some contact information. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very helpful. I had no idea if this person had already left the airport or worst, was getting onto a connecting flight with all of my things.

I rushed to the airline’s counter to explain my situation in hopes to track the person down. After providing the name of the person written on the backpack, I was denied help. Apparently, this was a policy violation of sharing customer information. The fact that someone accidentally stole my belongings, was not a violation. As I continued to beg, one merciful employee agreed to help me and told me which gate I could find this person before they boarded their next flight. This person seemed completely unaffected by the fact that they almost left all of their things with me. We nonchalantly exchanged our backpacks before departing on our separate ways.

It turns out, those fabric ribbons or kitschy bag tags in the shape of a pineapple aren’t silly after all. It’s actually an extremely helpful trick if you have a common looking piece of luggage. Whether it’s a checked luggage or carry-on bag, make your item stand out. There should be no possibility that someone would mistake it for their own. 

We’re devoted road trippers which means we’re constantly exploring by car. Needless to say, this adds an entirely new level of things that could potentially go wrong. And guess what? They have! From trivial fender benders, mechanical breakdowns to a full blown accident, we’ve experienced our fair share of troubles on the road. Some of the more serious occurrences weren’t just bad travel experiences, they were just unpleasant times in general.

Our most notable incident was a car accident in Sicily which actually launched us to purchasing an entirely new car. In addition to this, we’ve made a handful of impromptu stops at mechanic shops. Sadly, some of these visits ended up being much more expensive than others. Unquestionably, this is the worst part about road trips but for us, the benefits continue to substantially outweigh the downsides. What we learned from each of these instances is that things will continue to happen. Aside from putting our best foot forward, there’s no sense in stressing about everything we cannot control. 

This last experience is not a travel mistake, but a tip on how to be proactive when travelling. The easiest thing you can do to protect yourself and your trip when travelling is to be insured . It’s unfortunate but we know that some of our worst travel experiences could have panned out much better if we were properly insured. The type of insurance that travellers can benefit from is overall travel insurance , rental car insurance and even flight insurance .

my travel experiences

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Our Woven Journey

Travelers Share Their Unsettling Tales From Around the Globe

Photo of author

Traveling can be one of the most exciting experiences in life, but it sometimes goes differently than planned. From muggings and thefts to language barriers and cultural clashes, plenty of obstacles can make a vacation turn sour. Here are some of the worst travel experiences shared by an online American community. While some of these stories may make you cringe, others might make you laugh out loud.

1. Parisian Perils: When Romance Meets Robbery

woman pickpocket purse

Paris, a city of elegance and allure for most, has its exceptions – such as the reader who regrettably experienced being spat on and robbed at knifepoint. Another user replies, expressing little surprise. They recount how, in their high school French class, they were taught that it’s impolite to keep hands under the table – a historical precaution against concealed knives by potential assassins. Truly, stereotypes have roots somewhere. Who knew dinner etiquette could be so… cutting edge?

2. The French Fiasco

French policeman

Another tale of Paris gone awry. A user narrates how their family was mugged in the glaring light of day on a bustling Parisian street. To add insult to injury, when they reported the incident, the police merely retorted, “What do you want us to do about it?” While not everyone’s Parisian experience is marred by such unfortunate events, a number of readers have shared similar accounts. The lesson learned? The City of Light may not always be as luminous as we wish. Or perhaps, the shine of Paris is not immune to a few shadows.

3. Madrid Mugging Madness

Italian Rome metro

And the plot thickens. The tales of robberies persist with a user recounting an attempted mugging in the Madrid metro. Thankfully, the user’s husband intervened, catching the would-be thief in the act. It seems the game of cat and mouse isn’t limited to cartoons, after all.

4. Roman Scamorama: When in Rome, Don’t Do as the Romans Do

crowd at Trevi fountain in Rome

The height of tourism season often spells an uptick in scams. However, a globetrotter among us insists that Rome, among all places they’ve visited, holds the record for the prevalence of scams and harassment. Perhaps, “When in Rome, beware the Romeos!” Yikes! downloaded

5. The Irish Airbnb Break-in

buglar robbing home

A reader recounts a tale from their Irish sojourn, where the Airbnb they occupied was burgled. The hostess was thrown into a frenzy, discovering a stranger pillaging her personal belongings in a restricted area. Now, that’s a new definition of “getting an authentic local experience” I’ll be they weren’t expecting! thief breaking in

6. Airport Armageddon

crowd of people

A globe-trotter relays a tale from a packed Italian airport. Within such a crowd, a certain amount of push and shove might be the norm, but one Italian lady stretched the bounds of acceptability. She thrust her pointed elbow into his side, twisting it to gain an advantage in the queue. If he was seeking a warm welcome, he definitely got more ‘point’ than ‘pasta’ in his Italian experience!

7. British Banter: Gun Laws and the Unprovoked Inquiries

man questioning woman

Many attest to the wearisome nature of anti-American sentiment frequently encountered amongst Britons. As an example, a user recalls how any declaration of their American origin inevitably invites unsolicited discussions about gun laws. We’re not all residents of the wild west, folks. Still, it does lend a certain ‘bang’ to the conversation, doesn’t it?

8. Tokyo Drift Gone Wrong

woman hailing taxi

While most of their Tokyo experiences were pleasant, one member shares a less than ideal interaction with a taxi driver in Akihabara, who vehemently refused to provide them service. The reason behind this is uncertain, but it did leave a sour note on their otherwise sweet Tokyo memory. Just goes to show, even in the Land of the Rising Sun, sometimes the hospitality doesn’t quite ‘rise’ to the occasion.

9. Not So Nice in Nice: When Rocks Rain Down on Tourists

angry man at beach

Did we ever think that folks in Nice, France would always be, well, nice? After detailing two Parisian heists, we have a traveler’s tale of locals pelting them with stones at the beach. A rocky adventure indeed, in a way they certainly didn’t ‘pebble’ in their travel itinerary!

10. A Case of German Grumpiness

angry German with beer

Lastly, a solitary explorer recounts an episode in Germany. As she awaited her train, an elderly man struck up a conversation in German, querying her origins. Upon learning she was from America, he launched into a loud tirade about Americans visiting Germany without the courtesy to learn the language. Evidently, the linguistic track can be a tricky one to navigate!

Most Dangerous Cities in the World, Ranked: Know Before You Go

serious man

These are the 10 most dangerous cities in the world, where stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage collide with alarming crime rates. We’re not saying don’t travel to these locations, but it’s important to be aware in order to stay safe.

10 of the Most Dangerous Countries for Women Traveling Solo

woman with backpack on stairs

Sadly, there are still places where female travelers face a heightened risk of violence and harassment. As a result, it’s more important than ever to prioritize the safety of women on the road. To help you plan your next adventure with confidence, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 most dangerous countries for solo female travelers to avoid.

7 Most Dangerous Countries to Travel With Your Kids Today

Travel-in-plane-with-kids-MSN

Traveling worldwide is one of the most incredible experiences adults can give to children in their families. Interacting with other cultures is a priceless gift that creates memories for years to come.

Unfortunately, there are places where tourist travel is unsafe, especially with children, because of geopolitical concerns, crime, climate, and gang activity. So, if planning a family trip abroad, be wary of traveling to countries with high tourist safety risks.

Here’s What Travel Was Like 100 Years Ago

woman in a vintage car

Travel has definitely improved over the past 100 years. And by the way, if you’re thinking 100 years ago was back in the 1800s, you might be showing your age…100 years ago was 1923 and Americans were hitting the road in their new-fangled automobiles.

Here are ten things you might expect if you traveled across America 100 years ago.

This article was produced by Our Woven Journey. Source Featured image credit: Deposit Photos.

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Demi Michele

Demi Michele is a seasoned traveler, turned freelance writer. Having explored most states and ventured internationally, her love for outdoor cafes, new cuisines, and cultural immersion shines through her wide range of articles. Based in Texas with her family and two Scottish Terriers, Demi turns her adventures into captivating travel narratives to share with readers.

  • Demi Michele https://ourwovenjourney.com/author/demi-michele/ Travel Agents, Really? Is My $10K Vacation Just Peanuts to You Now
  • Demi Michele https://ourwovenjourney.com/author/demi-michele/ 10 Best Trinkets and Souvenirs to Collect When Traveling
  • Demi Michele https://ourwovenjourney.com/author/demi-michele/ 10 Hilarious Movie-Inspired Ways to Escape Your Toxic Relationship
  • Demi Michele https://ourwovenjourney.com/author/demi-michele/ Here's What Travel Was Like 100 Years Ago

Jessie on a Journey | Solo Female Travel Blog

21 Travel Horror Stories You’ll Be Glad You’re Not Telling

When you think of travel horror stories , what anecdotes come to mind?

That is exactly what I asked some of my favorite travel bloggers, whose scary travel experiences I’ve compiled below!

Get ready for your jaw to drop, as you read crazy travel stories about deadly scorpion bites, unexpected hospital visits abroad, failed car brakes on mountain roads, and more.

While each of these scary travel experiences is unique, they do all have one main thing in common:

Every story involves a situation you’ll be glad to be reading and not telling yourself.

Note that each story also comes with a lesson so that you can learn from these scary vacation stories and avoid the same fate on the road.

Table of Contents

Inspired Storyteller Printable Travel Journal (Free Gift!)

Now, before we dive into this list of scary vacation stories …

travel horror stories

I want to invite you to grab my free printable travel journal !

The journal comes complete with 56 prompts to help you relive your favorite trips and get creative with your writing.

Grabbed the journal?

Then let’s dive into the scary short travel stories .

1. A Travel Horror Story Turned Beautiful On Italy’s Amalfi Coast

When I think about horror travel stories , there are a few that come to mind — because let’s be real, travel isn’t always the pretty picture that Instagram paints it out to be.

The anecdote I’ll be sharing today in the video above is one of my more dangerous travel stories that takes place on Italy ‘s Amalfi Coast.

Without giving too much away, it does have a happy ending that also shares a reminder about the kindness of strangers .

Oh, and you’ll also be reminded to not put all of your faith in Google Maps.

Watch the video above for the full story, and if you enjoy it, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit the bell icon so you get notified when future videos publish.

Then continue reading for more crazy short travel stories you’ll undoubtedly hope you never have to experience yourself.

travel horror stories in Egypt

2. An Angry Camel In Egypt

One of the activities on my Egypt bucket list was to watch the sunrise while standing on top of Mt Sinai. 

It’s a challenging hike topping at 2,285 meters (~7,497 feet) above sea level. I hiked all the way, but many tourists choose to ride a camel instead.

Here’s where my story gets interesting.

The camels can’t be ridden the whole way and when you’re almost at the top, the camel is seated and you get off. Once everyone has dismounted, there is a long line of camels waiting along the narrow pathway.

I didn’t have far to walk to get to the climb and all the camels were sitting – except for one!

As I passed it, this camel let out an immense roar and opened his massive mouth, coming within centimeters of my face. I screamed and fell to the ground, though the camel backed off momentarily.

Within seconds, two camel guides came to my aid and tried to control the angry camel. This upset the camel further and it tried to attack the guides, who retreated by climbing a rock wall. The guides then yelled at me to get up on the rock wall, as well.

It was then a waiting game for the camel to calm down.

Eventually, some other guides helped to get the camel seated. After about 15 minutes, we came down the rocks and climbed the 700 stairs to the top of Mt Sinai.

It’s a funny travel story when I talk about it now, although at the time I could already picture YouTube videos of the camel picking me up by my head and tossing me around like doll.

I guess the poor camel just had a bad day of lugging tourists up the mountain.

Chris from the The Aquarius Traveller

scary travel experiences in Brazil

3. A Neverending Trip To Brazil

I was excited about my very first trip to Brazil , even though it meant taking a plane from NYC to Atlanta and then another long flight from Atlanta to Rio.

To make matters worse, a massive blizzard canceled my flight to Atlanta, and the best I could get was a flight from Philadelphia to Atlanta where I could make a connecting flight to Rio.

I thought I could just take a bus down to Atlanta. If I left right away, the bus would get me to Atlanta seven hours before my plane to Rio left. The plan seemed flawless.

The first part of the bus trip proceeded from New York to Washington DC without much incident. There I needed to transfer buses to continue to Atlanta, which was fine.

It was at Richmond, Virginia that the trip began turning into a travel horror story.

Our driver told us we needed to make a brief stop there. Well, that brief stop turned into two hours. 

Finally, our driver announced that our bus had been canceled due to a technical malfunction. We would have to wait in the station for several hours for the next possible bus — and spaces were not guaranteed!

I burst into tears and a nearby driver took pity on me and informed me he could take me as far as Raleigh, North Carolina. Even though it was four in the morning and I was running on no food, no sleep, and no shower I could see that all I needed to do was get to the Raleigh Airport and beg Delta Airlines to put me on a plane to Atlanta.

I was short on cash, but fortunately I found a woman on the bus to split a cab with me to the airport. When we arrived I managed to drag my near-corpse to the help desk where I relayed the entire story — in one breath in a high-pitched wail.

My pleas paid off and about an hour and a half later, I was onboard the brief flight to Atlanta where my uncle was waiting with a shower, lunch, and a place for me to nap before my flight to Brazil.

Even though this was my worst travel experience ever, it taught me to never give up and never be embarrassed to ask for help.

Stella Jane from Around the World in 24 Hours

worst travel stories in New Zealand

4. Stranded In The Middle Of Nowhere In New Zealand

My partner and I were on an epic road trip around New Zealand.

With our trusty campervan, we were experiencing New Zealand the best way possible – driving around, camping in our van, and exploring all the most remote destinations the South Island has to offer! 

There was one big mistake though that left us stranded on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. We ran out of gas!  

We didn’t realize how far the next gas station was and highly underestimated how long the drive would take. So there we were, stranded on the side of the road without any gas or cell phone service.  

Unsure of what we could do, we decided that we would just stay put for the night. It was getting late in the afternoon and we didn’t want to be walking anywhere once it got dark.

Luckily, our campervan was set up for spending the night and we had plenty of food and water (and wine!)  

Just as we were getting our campervan set up for the night, another campervan drove by! My partner waved at them and a couple of New Zealand locals slowed down and asked if we were okay.

We told them about how we ran out of gas and they laughed as they told us they had a jerrycan with gas we could use. They filled up our campervan and told us about how wrong Google Maps is in New Zealand with drive times.

We learned two things during this mishap:

One, always fuel up before a long drive.

And two, Kiwis (New Zealanders) are super friendly. We gave our new friends one of the bottles of wine we had on hand to say thanks and continued on with our road trip! 

Bailey from  My Queenstown Diary

the worst travel stories often involve broken phones

5. Getting Hit By A Car In Japan

When I was 22, I moved to Japan to work as an English teacher. After only having lived in the country for a few months, I was hit by a car while out for a morning jog.

The lady who hit me thankfully pulled her car over but was hysterical as she dialed emergency services and got out to check on me. 

Fortunately, while I had some pretty bad scrapes on my legs and cuts all over my face and hands, I was able to pull myself off the road and onto the curb.

Now I should add that I am actually half-Japanese and have both Japanese middle and last names— but I was born and raised in the USA. Besides English, I grew up speaking Cantonese (my other half) and not Japanese.

Knowing how confusing this would be for a homogenous society such as Japan, the first sentence I learned in Japanese prior to moving was, “Please excuse me, I’m American and I don’t understand Japanese.”

So back to my crazy story.

Both the driver and medical responders grew increasingly concerned and confused as all I kept repeating was “I don’t understand Japanese” — in Japanese.

As I rode in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, a paramedic asked me the list of routine health questions, but when the Japanese got too difficult, I explained again that I was not from Japan and couldn’t understand much Japanese.

So then he repeated the question louder, as if shouting the question again would help me understand another language better. I began laughing and making sarcastic jokes in English which only made things worse.

Once at the hospital, the whole process of figuring out what my deal was began all over again.

“Why does she keep saying she doesn’t understand Japanese? Her name is Japanese. And she keeps saying she doesn’t understand in Japanese. Her head must have been injured.”

In the end, they were so worried by my repetition of the only Japanese phrase I knew and bursts of English that they did a full head scan and more exams than I can remember to see if the accident had caused any brain trauma.

Despite what could have easily resulted in a terrible day, I learned to find the silver lining in every situation, especially when abroad.

Sometimes you just have to have a sense of humor and roll with the punches— or in my case, wherever the car sends you flying!

Michelle from Wander Eat Write

Scary vacation stories in the Australian Outback

6. Running Over A Rock In The Australian Outback

On a road trip from Cairns in Queensland to Perth in Western Australia, my partner and I were 200 kilometers (~124 miles) from the nearest town and drove over a rock the size of a fist.

Due to the speed we were going, the rock shot up into the oil tank and burst it.

We checked our phones, but there was no signal.

At that moment we had a snap decision to make. Do we stop and hope we can save the car? Or do we drive until we can get a phone signal to call a tow truck?

If you’ve ever been in the vast Australian Outback, you know that signal is hard to come by, and there’s also hardly anyone else on the road.

Therefore, we drove and drove with the hope we could use our phone to call for help. The result was that the oil leaked from the car and destroyed the engine. It was 40 degrees, and we felt helpless. 

Luckily, we managed to find a signal to call for help at the same time a friendly Aussie couple stopped to make sure we were okay.

There have been devastating consequences of breaking down in remote places in Australia . Thanks to the help of locals, we survived to tell our story.

The tow truck drove us the 200 kilometers back to the town where we had begun driving from that morning and now we can laugh about what happened. 

One of the biggest lessons we learned from this experience was to always keep food and water in the car at all times because anything can happen.

After our incident with the car, we learned that in Australia you can relocate vehicles to travel between places.

We found a fancy SUV that needed relocating to Perth for $1 a day, which meant not only did we finish our road trip, but we also did it inexpensively and in style. 

Since then we have started using this method to travel around Australia, including relocating campervans — which shows that something good can come out of a bad situation.

Rachel from Average Lives

Scary short travel stories that involve getting lost in a park in Granada

7. Locked In A Park At Night

This creepy travel story happened nearly 15 years ago when visiting Granada in Spain .

My boyfriend and I arrived in the city quite late and totally missed the opening hours of the Alhambra, so we just walked around and stumbled upon a nice-looking park.

It was a bit on the wilder side with plenty of wild greenery, animals roaming around, though it was also beautiful, romantic, and felt quite private.

As dusk fell, we decided to make our way out since it started to get a bit creepy – there were no people around and all that we could hear were strange animal sounds.

However, when we went to pull open the gate we realized in horror that it was locked.

Talk about scary travel experiences !

We were trapped. The whole park had a high brick wall around it.

Desperately, we walked around in the dark (before cell phones had flashlights on them), found the deserted premises of a local keeper, and then bumped into a small group of scared Spanish students. They were freaking out, too.

Together, we roamed the park and found a ladder. In the dark, we managed to find an acceptable spot to climb the wall. And survived to tell the tale.

And now the facts:

The park was in fact The Carmen de los Martires Garden, which closes its gate at 8pm during the summer months.

Apparently, there are only peacocks and ducks in the park, but in our state of distress, we let our imagination run wild. Also, peacocks sleeping in trees look like vultures.

Lesson learned – don’t be lazy and check the opening hours! The least you can do is just glance at a sign upon entering an unknown place.

Veronika from  Travel Geekery

Horror travel stories about driving in Switzerland without brakes

8. That Time We Went Down The Alps Without Braking

We’ve been traveling Europe in a motorhome for years. For us, part of the fun is never knowing what we might find around the next corner, or where we might end up.

But our very first trip to Europe with a van nearly ended in disaster. And, sadly, that’s not me being dramatic. 

It was a gloriously sunny day in Switzerland and we were driving over the Alps.

Our daughter was singing in the back, happy having just passed her latest exams. We’d just survived a trip on an old, rickety funicular, going backward up a mountain.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, quite a lot as it happens.

In the Alps, whichever way you go, you’re traveling on tiny mountain roads with lots of switchbacks. 

And as soon as we reached the first hairpin, we realized there was   something seriously wrong with our brakes.

As in, they didn’t work.

Talk about dangerous travel stories !

Coming into the bend, the only way my husband could slow us down was by using the handbrake.

The problem with mountain roads is there are very few places to turn around or pull to the side of the road safely. And we’d just left a car park, which meant there wouldn’t be another parking area for a while.

All we could do was continue down the mountain, in our heavy motorhome which was gaining speed, trying hard to slow without working brakes. There were 180-degree bends every 200 meters (~656 feet) or so — and each one was utterly terrifying.

We didn’t know if or when the handbrake would give out, and then we would be in big trouble — there aren’t any barriers to stop you going over the edge on these roads. 

Honestly, I don’t know how we got to the bottom in one piece. Truly, I’ve never been so scared in my life, and I’m eternally grateful my husband was driving and that he was able to deal with it.

Yes, our handbrake was ruined. No, we didn’t care.

At the bottom, we were lucky to find a small town with a garage. There, we quickly discovered the cause — our brake fluid had totally disappeared!

When we bought the van three months earlier, we’d been assured it had just received a full service and an MOT vehicle test.

We did our own checks, too, but we never thought to check the brake fluid.

Turns out, it hadn’t been changed for years and was mostly water — which meant it had evaporated over the past 48 hours as the brakes got hot going up and down the mountains. Until it was gone.

Thankfully, the garage was able to replace it and they also changed our handbrake for us. 

Lesson learned:  

Always do a proper check of your vehicle before setting off on a road trip. And don’t trust the word of a salesman; book your vehicle into an independent garage for a full service before you set off. 

Kat from Wandering Bird

9. Camels & Deathstalkers In Jordan

We spend a lot of time hiking, both near our home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia and North Carolina as well as in our travels around the world. So we like to think of ourselves as experienced outdoor adventurers, with a good understanding of backcountry safety.

But hiking in the Dana Biosphere Reserve – Jordan’s largest nature reserve – brought with it some seriously scary stuff that they don’t talk about in survivalist books.

Our 14-kilometer (~7-mile) hike literally got off to a rocky start, as our experienced Bedouin guide slipped and fell on the rugged terrain several times as we descended the rock-strewn trail into the Great Rift Valley.

But other than searing desert heat and a memorable stop for tea and snacks with a shepherd friend of our guide’s father, the first half of the journey proved uneventful.

Just minutes after our tea break, though, things turned terrifying remarkably quickly.

We were walking ahead as our guide put on his traditional Arabic headdress, called a  Keffiyeh .

Suddenly he screamed loudly, and we turned to see him doubled over in pain. We ran over to see him sucking his finger and speaking in what sounded like agonized epithets. 

As he was adjusting his Keffiyeh, he’d been stung by a Deathstalker scorpion, a dangerous species whose venom holds incredibly potent neurotoxins that can be lethal.

As we watched him trying to suck out the venom, his arm began turning colors and swelling up before our eyes. We were 7 kilometers (~4 miles) from the nearest town in the middle of the desert, with no cell service. 

He explained that Bedouin mothers will throw Deathstalkers into the fire and put the ashes into their baby’s milk to help them build up a tolerance. If one of us had been stung, we quite likely would have needed to be airlifted to a local hospital.

Over the next few hours, the intense swelling began to subside and it appeared he would be okay.

And then we encountered a random camel in the middle of nowhere, who proceeded to chase us as we tried to capture some video of him. 

It ended up being our most memorable hike ever, and not in a good way.

By the time we got to our hotel, nearly eight hours after the hike began, the fear had subsided, but the memory is still haunting nine years later!

Bret Love & Mary Gabbett from Blue Ridge Mountains Travel Guide

Almost getting strangded in Canyonlands National Park was one of their travel horror stories

10. # Vanlife Troubles

Instagram makes #vanlife look like every moment is a dream — waking up with ocean views and falling asleep beneath the stars.

That’s surely part of it, but there are also many not-so-pretty moments.

One of the worst parts of van life is dealing with vehicle issues. You can’t just call AAA and get a rental car while yours is fixed because not only is that your mode of transport — but it’s your home!

Neither my husband, Ben, nor I really knew much about fixing vehicles before we dove headfirst into building a campervan. So we learned on the road!

While traveling through Utah during the month of June, we had one pretty scary incident…

We had been exploring Canyonlands National Park and just watched an incredible sunset. As we were walking back to our campervan, a man called over to us and asked, “Is that your van?”

We nodded proudly, thinking he liked our campervan setup.

“It seems to be leaking quite a bit of fluid,” he said.

And that’s when we saw a giant puddle beneath the engine that was steadily growing.

We stopped in our tracks. We had no clue what to do.

The man called over to someone and all of a sudden we were surrounded by men and boys — a Boy Scout troop, it turns out. We popped the hood, and everyone huddled around. We started getting all sorts of suggestions as the sun began to set.

“Fill the radiator with water,” one man suggested. “Try to coast back to town instead of using the gas,” another chimed in.

The boys and dads piled back into their cars, wished us good luck and drove into the distance as we were left all alone in a desert that was growing increasingly dark by the minute.

We followed their advice and coasted all the way back to Moab. Luckily, it was downhill for the majority of the drive. We made it to town unscathed and parked across the street from an auto parts shop.

The next day, Ben bought the materials and spent the day under the 100-degree sun watching YouTube tutorials (thank goodness for car vloggers!).

He successfully fixed the leaky radiator hose that nearly stranded us in the desert, and we felt a pretty big sense of pride that we were able to fix it ourselves — with the help of an entire Boy Scout troop, of course!

Having a basic knowledge of how engines work and a few tools will make you feel a lot more confident on the road. Plus, YouTube can come in clutch when you need a bit of assistance!

Katie from Two Wandering Soles

Victoria Falls is beautiful but the trip entailed some of this couple's worst travel stories

11. Boarding Denied In Africa

Our travel horror story takes place on a recent safari tour while traveling Africa .

We began our trip in Johannesburg and navigated through Botswana and Zimbabwe. Finishing in Victoria Falls, we planned to fly back into South Africa for three nights in Cape Town before departing home to Copenhagen. 

The trip started well in Johannesburg and we had an incredible 10-day safari experience. Our final stop at Victoria Falls would be the perfect conclusion to this bucket-list trip.

With everything in order, we made our way to the airport for our flight to Cape Town and were excited to relax in a luxury hotel and have some time alone after a group tour.

Once we reached the airport, our travel horror story began.

We entered the airport and approached the ticket gate to pick up our boarding passes. My partner received his, but then I was informed that I could not be ticketed. It was explained that I did not meet passport requirements to enter South Africa.

I was puzzled, as I had been there only a week and a half before with no issues. As an American, I also qualified for visa-free entry and only required a single passport stamp on arrival.

Then it was explained to me that I was denied boarding because I received a few stamps during my travels and no longer met passport requirements.

South Africa has a separate passport policy that requires two consecutive empty pages to enter the country, regardless of visa status. I fit the requirements when I started my trip but did not when I was set to fly home.

After some moments of panic, we decided to return to the resort in Victoria Falls and rebook our flights home. This gave us the chance to see more of the area and do some extra activities and excursions.

Luckily, we were able to reroute our flight through Doha and spend two nights in a new city that wasn’t on our original itinerary. 

All in all, it was a lesson in planning and preparation and we will always check passport requirements as well as visa requirements when we travel in the future. We had a fantastic trip and adjusted to the circumstances we were met with.

Derek from Everything Copenhagen

While visiting Thailand, Cecilie got bed bugs for one of her top horror travel stories

12. An Encounter With Bed Bugs In Thailand

I was only a week into my trip around the world when I got cursed with every traveler’s worst nightmare – bed bugs!

I was so excited to finally get to Koh Tao in Thailand and enjoy some time on the beach; however, my time on this island actually turned out to be one of my worst and most itchy travel memories.

In order to get from Bangkok to Koh Tao you have to take a bus and then a boat. The journey went smooth, but once I arrived, I was so tired that I went straight to the hotel to sleep.

A few hours later, I woke up with an itchy red rash on my back.

I already have sensitive skin, so I assumed it was just an allergic reaction to the sheets. But the next day the rash had gotten even worse. It was more red, itchy, and warm.

Starting to panic, I decided to go to the pharmacy to get something to help calm the allergic reaction. I lifted up my shirt to show my rash and the lady in the pharmacy said, “Oooh bed bugs!”.

There was only one thing to do. We threw all our stuff out on the terrace, took all our clothes to the laundry service, and washed every item we owned.

In the meantime, the bites got worse and it reached a point where I couldn’t sleep from the fiery itch. I did in fact have an allergic reaction; it was just to a small bloodsucking insect.

Upon talking to our hotel manager, we learned that the bed bugs most likely came from the local Songserm ferry because it has long been known as an infested bed bug nest.

I’ve learned that no matter how thorough you check a hotel room for bed bugs, you can always get them from somewhere else.

But I’ve also learned that it isn’t the end of the world. Just do a thorough cleaning of all your belongings, and you can easily get past this.

The worst part about this travel horror story is that I couldn’t be in the sun and salt water for weeks because the rash just got 10 times worse – so my time in beautiful Koh Tao was mostly spent inside a hotel room or in the shadow of a palm tree.

Cecilie from Worldwide Walkers

One of Jessie's worst travel stories involved losing her GoPro on Kilimanharo

13. Lost Footage On The Adventure Of A Lifetime

Several years ago, I set off on my most adventurous expedition yet:

To climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

As a once in a lifetime trip, I set out with the aim of capturing the climb on video.

I made sure I had everything I needed, so I packed my GoPro along with two spare batteries — there are obviously no charging points on Kilimanjaro — and a couple of memory cards.

From arriving in Tanzania and daily video diaries to the spectacular views and camp life, I captured all kinds of wonderful footage. After a successful summit followed by a long and painful descent, we arrived back in camp for our final night before the last stretch home.

But I soon realized my GoPro was missing. I’d attached it to my rucksack for ease of access and it had fallen off on the descent.

I was beside myself.

Having had only a couple of hours sleep in the last 48 hours, and still feeling the effects of the altitude sickness, I made the very questionable decision to go and look for it.

My guide did everything he could to dissuade me but I was a woman on a mission. So he finally agreed, sent two porters with me, and off we went back up the mountain.

Within 20 minutes it was dark and I was the only one with a head torch. We hiked 1,000 vertical meters (~3,281 feet) back up Kilimanjaro. It took four and a half hours. I never found my GoPro.

Arriving back to camp, I felt deflated and exhausted. The GoPro itself I could do without. But I was heartbroken about losing all the footage from my climb – every single bit of it. That footage truly held the visuals for one of my most epic adventure travel stories to date.

I learned a very important lesson that day:

Never film everything on one memory card. I’d taken a spare with me, but didn’t think to divide my footage across the two.

Now whenever I travel, I intermittently switch the memory cards. So if something goes wrong, I’ll at least have some footage.

I’d also never recommend trying to hike back up a mountain in the dark with two strangers looking for a lost camera! That was one of the poorest judgment calls I have ever made because the exhaustion of summit night meant I wasn’t in the right frame of mind.

My footage was important to me, but your safety is always more important.

Jessie from Pocket Wanderings

Vicki experienced a travel horror story when her husband's phone was stolen in Lima

14. Being Pickpocketed In Lima, Peru

A somewhat crazy story happened to us during our trip to South America .

While in Peru’s capital Lima, we decided to spend an afternoon watching the Circuito Mágico del Agua, the magical water fountains in the Parque de la Reserva.

Since the park is located a bit outside the city center, we decided to take the city’s Metro bus. 

Buses are a popular form of transportation in Lima and they are always packed. Upon boarding the bus, we were pushed hard and seconds later, my husband noticed that his smartphone was no longer in his pocket.

Without hesitation, he began asking the people on the bus for his smartphone. A man asked us about our phone’s color and explained that he had just seen a middle-aged lady behind him put a smartphone of the same color in her bag.

When questioned about this, the lady became angry and got off at the first stop. We followed her.

After more than half an hour of discussions, following her getting on and off other buses, and hints from bystanders, a security officer became aware of our situation and suggested we call the police.

When the police showed up around the corner a few minutes later, the lady grabbed our cell phone, which she had hidden in her underwear, and pressed it into my husband’s hand.

By the time the police arrived, we were unable to press charges against the lady, but at least we had our phone back!

Here’s what we learned:

To avoid pickpockets while traveling , never carry your valuables in your pockets.

I live in the pickpocket capital of Europe, Barcelona, and have never been pickpocketed, as I always carry my valuables in a well-closed bag in plain sight.

My husband, on the other hand, is not always that careful.

Also, if you get pickpocketed, seek help from others. Make yourself heard in English or, if possible, the local language.

We were fortunate in this case, as we are fluent in Spanish. Without help from bystanders, we would never have gotten the phone back.

Vicki from SweetVidaHome

A South African safari turned into one of the most dangerous travel stories

15. That Time We Drove Through A Wildfire

Four years ago, we traveled in South Africa .

While we loved the experience, we also had a hell of a fright during the Game Drive in Kruger National Park — a game reserve park in South Africa that is one of the largest on the entire continent.

You are able to visit the park in your own car or with a tour guide on a 4-by- 4; however it’s best to go with a tour guide, as it’s the safest way (or it should be) and the guide takes you to the best places to spot animals.

But when we did our tour, we got caught up in a fire in the middle of the park.

We turned onto a gravel road as our guide wanted to show us a leopard, and we noticed we were driving closer to fire. Along the road, the fire became quite hot and intense, and we could barely see the road due to the smoke.

Fortunately, we were able to drive through the fire without crashing, but it was one of the scariest travel experiences I’ve ever had. Looking back, we could have easily died if we ran into a car problem or small accident.

We were very lucky to escape without any damage, but the guide should have assessed the risk better when decided to drive towards the fire.

Nevertheless, a Kruger National Park Safari is an amazing experience and, apart from this incident, we loved it.

Jorge & Claudia from Portugal Things

16. A Creepy Crawly Travel Experience On A Vietnam Bus

One of my worst travel stories is from a truly terrible night that happened when we were backpacking through Vietnam and we decided to take an overnight 15-hour bus ride to get to our next destination.

Overnight buses are very common in Vietnam, as they save you money since you aren’t paying for accommodation for a night and it also saves you time so you can sleep on the bus while getting to your next destination.

Unfortunately on this bus I quickly realized that I wasn’t getting any sleep.

The first issue was that the beds in the bus were designed like bunk beds — so there were three rows of bunks, each with a top and bottom and with two aisles going down the bus.

I was assigned a top bunk and immediately regretted the decision of taking the bus because I get motion sickness on just about anything that moves.

If you’ve ever been to Vietnam you will know what I’m talking about when I say the traffic and driving are crazy, which just exaggerated my motion sickness.

Immediately, I took a motion sickness pill; but before the pill started to kick in, I started feeling really sick. I asked the driver’s assistant if I could move down to the bottom bunk so the motion wasn’t as extreme as the top bunk and they told me we were picking up more people and the bottom bunk was taken.

Thankfully after a few minutes, the assistant realized how sick I was and told me which seat I could take. By this time the motion sickness medicine was kicking in and the bottom bunk was much better in terms of the motion.

I started settling in and feeling better when all of a sudden I felt a tickle on my arm.

Looking down, I saw an inch-long cockroach on my arm!

I freaked out and tried to kill it but it got away — but my travel horror story wasn’t over.

Looking around, I realized I was surrounded!

There were cockroaches crawling all along the window and going inside the wall of the bus and under my seat.

Because I had just made such a big scene trying to move seats I felt like I couldn’t move back to my upper bunk. I decided to get out my travel sheet, get inside of it, put it around my head, and have a tiny hole just for my nose and mouth and try and fall asleep.

Let’s just say I didn’t sleep a wink on that terrible overnight bus.

Lesson learned:

Take a plane! I looked up flights to our destination later on and realized it was only $20 more dollars to fly.

Jessica from Unearth the Voyage

A cruise turned into one of this traveler's most scary travel experiences

17. A Cruise Horror Travel Story

In December 2019, I embarked on a 30-day South American cruise expedition.

At first, this may sound like a once-in-a-lifetime adventure; however, about halfway through the trip, it turned into a travel horror story.

Planned over a year and a half in advance, my family and I made sure to have every detail of our dream back-to-back cruise perfect, down to the last excursion in Buenos Aires.

Unfortunately, with this cruise leaving in early December, it was impossible for my 17-year-old sister to join us on the first leg.

Knowing this, we decided to book her flight to Santiago, Chile — which was around 1.5 hours from the departure port — through our cruise line. This way, she was insured by the cruise line during her entire journey.

After her flights, she would be shuttled to the cruise port by the cruise line to meet us on the ship.

Easy, right?

Ironically, no.

All avid cruisers know to get to the departure port at least a day early in case of cancelled flights. Well, our cruise line decided it would be smart for her to arrive the morning of.

Her first flight was delayed over four hours, causing her to miss her connection to Santiago. After calling the cruise line, they found her a flight leaving a few hours later and guaranteed her shuttle once she arrived.

Once landing, she immediately located the cruise line’s shuttle service. They quickly glanced up and down their list, and her name was nowhere to be found!

While the cruise line employee she had previously talked to had guaranteed her shuttle, my sister was out of luck.

Practically in tears and with the cruise leaving in a mere three hours, my sister did not know what to do next. Her phone had died on the flight, she did not speak the local language, and only had $100.

After pacing the airport, she found a taxi driver willing to help her out. Only to make matters worse, about halfway through the drive, the taxi stopped at a rest stop, and somehow, my sister’s phone was stolen.

We eventually found her emotionally distraught in her stateroom — which is a terrible way to start your dream vacation.

At the end of the day, we learned that when traveling, especially internationally, always have your documentation printed out in case anything goes wrong.

Ellie from Ellie’s Travel Tips

Travel horror stories in Albania

18. When Your B&B Owner Decides To Go On Vacation

It was around 11pm and we were desperately trying to find our apartment in the stunning seaside town of Himare in the Albanian Riviera.

The GPS took us to an unknown road and after searching for 30 minutes, we finally found our apartment — only to be told that the owner had left for Greece for a vacation!

The thought of having no place to go that night really freaked us out.

We tried calling a few hotels and B&Bs in the area, only to be told that they were closed for the holidays or there was no response. December in Albania is rather quiet, and a lot of hotels close for the winter season.

We spent another 30 minutes trying to find a stay for that night.

My three-year-old twins, who had been peacefully sleeping in the car until then, woke up and started crying — because the damn car had stopped and mommy and daddy were talking loudly!

We were helplessly stranded in the streets of Himare, trying to pacify the screaming twins while simultaneously attempting to get an apartment for the night.

Not a single soul to be found, we finally accepted that we were going to spend the rest of the night in the car. We made a few last calls and were finally able to get an actual human on the other side of the phone, who offered us a place to stay.

The apartment was not far away from where we were parked, and the host actually came looking for us — the best thing that happened to us that day!

However, we didn’t quite like what he said next:

His apartment was located uphill about 0.5 kilometers (~0.3 miles) away and there was no road. 

Before we could process this information, he made another call and a lady appeared before us in no time. Her daughter ran a holiday apartment which was closed since she was away on holiday, too; however, the lady offered to open the apartment just for us because we had kids. How nice of her!  

The lady charged us €30 per night, and we took it without even looking at the place. 

When we reached the apartment, we were really stunned to see how big and beautiful it was. Nicely decorated, two bedrooms and a shower room. We were so relieved. 

Although the experience was a nightmare and could have easily turned into one of our worst travel stories, we were glad to have found such a warm host who also cooked up a lovely breakfast for us. 

When using accommodation booking platforms, always get a confirmation from the host before your journey begins. 

Anuradha from  Country Hopping Couple

A gross London Airbnb turned into one of the worst travel stories

19. A Toilet Issue Turned Travel Horror Story

Shortly after my husband and I checked into our Airbnb in London, it didn’t take us long to discover our toilet had a leak. 

It was enough to cause a small stream of water across the bathroom floor, but it was nothing we couldn’t easily step over. Still, we contacted our Airbnb host to see if he could fix the issue.

He promised to come to check it out on night two of our stay, but when that night came he let us know he couldn’t make it, citing train issues. At that stage, we only had one night left and weren’t the most impressed with the delay.

Our host did keep his promise and arrived the next night, where he went to work tinkering with the bathroom plumbing. 

After about an hour, he emerged from the bathroom, button-up shirt completely soaked with water. He said that while he had not corrected the issue, he put a “temporary fix” on the toilet, and had contacted an emergency plumber in the meantime. 

Then he left.

As we waited for the emergency plumber, I was irritated to see that he hadn’t put the seat back on the toilet. 

My frustrations grew an hour later when our host contacted us to say the emergency plumber couldn’t make it out until 1 am. We declined the service since that time felt entirely inappropriate and we were leaving early to head back to the airport.

Our host did at least have the decency to return and put the seat back on the toilet and left us a bottle of inexpensive wine as an offering.

However, it didn’t take long to discover that his “temporary fix” was not a fix at all. After one flush, water came gushing out from below the toilet. For the rest of the evening, we used the toilet as sparingly as possible.

After doing our best to evade the large puddle to shower in the morning, we used the restroom one last time before heading back to the airport. Upon flushing, we were horrified to not only see water spew out from below, but feces. 

We ran out of there as quickly as we could.

Our biggest takeaway was that we did not have to stick it out in a rental where the bathroom was broken for our entire stay. In the future, we’ll immediately contact Airbnb to cancel for a refund, and look for alternative lodging. 

Theresa from  Fueled By Wanderlust

Four hospital trips in Asia almost turned into travel insurance horror stories

20. Hospital Trips In Asia

Traveling is something that we love, so we decided to quit our jobs and travel for 12-18 months with our teenage daughters.

There are some travel insurance horror stories out there, so we knew we would need a brilliant policy for our family.

Little did we know how important this would end up being for us. In fact, we ended up visiting four different hospitals in Asia on our 13-month trip.

The first visit was when my husband developed kidney stones in Battambang in Cambodia. We had no idea what the pain was, but we put it down to a couple of dodgy cocktails we had had one night in Siem Reap.

I was woken at 1:30 am by the shower and I knew it was bad. After some help from the hotel desk, we were racing through the streets of Battambang to find a hospital that was open.

The first one looked dark, so our Tuk-tuk driver who didn’t speak English took us to the international hospital, which was only open from 9am to 6pm and we were too late. So, we ended up back at the local hospital.

The language barrier was difficult and unfortunately, they thought Mark had food poisoning, which they treated him for.

After some calls to our insurance agency back in Australia, the nurse we spoke to on the phone diagnosed him with kidney stones and tried to contact the hospital.

Once Mark’s pain was manageable it was decided that we would be medically evacuated by car to Phnom Pehn to a larger hospital.

Once in Phnom Pehn, the pain returned and we ended up at the Vin Mec Hospital where he was diagnosed with one stubborn little kidney stone and given the correct treatment for it. The level of care in both hospitals was excellent even with the language barrier.

Our second hospital visit was in Da Nang, Vietnam . I had been suffering from the sweats and general tiredness for a couple of weeks.

When I had to wear a snow coat because I was so cold, we knew another visit to a foreign hospital was necessary. Again the process was easy and we were well taken care of in a very modern, well-equipped hospital.

Our third and final visit was in Hanoi when our daughter slipped on some stairs and bumped her head.

I had always been so worried about having to visit a foreign hospital, but all of our experiences have been positive so far.

If you are unwell, please don’t be afraid to call your insurance agency and get them to direct you to an authorized hospital in your area. They can help you and also liaise with your agency about the care you need and what you are covered for.

Bec from Wyld Family Travel

21. An Expensive Operation In Egypt

Our romantic trip to Egypt turned out to be a sad event and a life lesson.

We were staying at a beautiful resort on the Red Sea in Hurghada. Everything was perfect: beautiful weather, turquoise water, delicious Egyptian food. The vacation was truly lovely.

Then, two days before our flight back, my husband broke his leg while playing beach volley! 

He was immediately sent to a private clinic in Hurghada and operated on.  My husband spent one night at the clinic, and our flight back to Europe was the next day.

The operation went well — though the doctor said it would cost around $10,000 because he’d put a platinum element inside the bone. 

We had travel insurance, but the insurance company wouldn’t agree to pay $10k. In their opinion, the amount was exaggerated for this type of operation. 

Then, the clinic took my husband’s passport and refused to give it back. 

Obviously, we needed his passport to take our flight home. The flight was in the morning, and we needed to leave the clinic ASAP and head to the airport as we were already late. 

After my calls to the embassy and the insurance company, the hospital finally gave us back the passport. In the end, the insurance paid $10,000 to the clinic.

Always get good travel insurance from a renowned company — and never let anyone keep your passport.

Sasha Naslin from The Alternative Travel Guide  

Bonus Short Travel Stories

Looking for more short stories about traveling the world ? Check out:

17 True Short Adventure Travel Stories To Inspire Your Next Trip

25 Crazy Travel Stories You Need To Read To Believe

23 Inspiring Travel Stories Sharing The Kindness Of Strangers

16 Short Funny Travel Stories That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud

38 Inspiring Travel Love Stories From The Road

Sexual Assault Stories From The Road (& What I’ve Learned)

8 Crazy NYC Subway Stories That Will Make You Hail A Cab

A Host’s Perspective: My Worst Airbnb Horror Stories

21 Travel Horror Stories About Scary Travel Experiences

20 Embarrassing Travel Stories That Will Make You Laugh & Blush

18 Scary Travel Stories From Haunted Hotels To Creepy Cabins

What travel horror stories would you add to this list?

*Featured image via Canva Pro

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oof that sounds soo cool!!

its nerve wracking.. hehe..

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Why are my worst travel experiences also my favorites? I asked a psychologist

Why are my worst travel experiences also my favorites? I asked a psychologist

The perfect trip may be hassle-free but the lack of drama rarely makes a good story. And for Tayla Gentle, it’s carnivorous fish and food poisoning that sticks in her mind. But why? She asks a psychologist why we’re hard-wired towards ‘negativity bias’.

Ask for my most controversial opinion and this is what I’ll tell you: there’s nothing more tedious—or forgettable—than a trip that goes perfectly to plan. Call me contrary, but I like my travel experiences served ‘bad’, peppered with challenge, and accompanied by a side of mishap.

But why do some of us favor our worst trips? That’s a good question; one that psychologists and philosophers alike have been pondering for centuries. Is it masochistic to find joy in discomfort? Is it odd to crave the exhilaration of misadventure? Is it strange to delight in disaster?

Or is it simply human?

An image of a girl jumping into the river in Laos.

The benchmark for what constitutes a ‘bad trip’ is entirely subjective. For some, lost luggage might be enough to ruin a holiday. For others, a trip is only considered ‘awry’ when it involves hallucinations in the Amazon or losing an arm in the desert .

One time, when swimming the blue-green rivers of Laos’ Si Phan Don archipelago, I had a terrifyingly close encounter with a carnivorous fish. The fish—a slippery cousin of the piranha—darted between my legs before taking a chunk out of a German backpacker’s big toe. Sure, it was a bloody, slightly traumatizing mess, but the incident remains my most loved, and frequently-told-over-drinks, travel anecdote (though I’m not sure how my German friend feels about it all).

RELATED: How to make friends on “America’s loneliest road

From a philosophical standpoint, Alain de Botton reckons the point of travel —especially challenging experiences like a piranha massacre—is transformation. According to Alain, travel helps us in our “inner evolution”; moving our personal narrative forward and pushing us to develop qualities like resilience and creativity. And a cool head under gory conditions.

Street vendors in Patagonia.

Similarly, Buddhism teaches us that suffering (whether it’s fear, grief or the pain of losing half a toe to a foreign fish) is not only an inescapable part of human existence but it can open us up to new, enlightened states of being .

Psychology, however, is less rooted in the existential and more concerned with what is happening neurologically and physiologically when we experience ‘a worst trip ever’. According to Megan Sinclair, a provisional psychologist specializing in trauma, the reason some of us love ‘bad’ travel can be attributed to how we create and store memories.

“ When we experience a negative event , we often ruminate on it, which strengthens the neural pathways in our brains,” she says. “The more we think about it, the stronger the neural connection grows, and the easier it is to retrieve our memories.”

“In fact,” Megan continues, “our amygdala—which is basically our emotional processing center—uses two thirds of its neurons for negative experiences and only a third for positive ones.”

So if you remember a bad batch of Cambodian carbonara more clearly, and more tenderly, than witnessing the sunrise over Angkor Wat—now you know why. Your neural pathways are designed that way.

But does that mean we’re hardwired for negativity?

A girl sits on the dusty ground in East Timor looking defeated.

In a sense, yes. And it’s thanks to something called ‘the negativity bias’. The negativity bias refers to the way we learn from and use negative experiences more than positive ones—which explains why my brain associates Timor Leste with one bout of dengue fever rather than three weeks of tropical paradise.

The negativity bias is an evolutionary hangover. Back in the day, early humans would need to remember which plant was poisonous and where predators hunted in order to survive. But as modern humans, we continue to hold onto our worst experiences because negative events make deeper impressions on our brains.

“Positive emotions signal to our bodies that we are safe, and we almost go into autopilot when processing these events,” says Megan. “Whereas negative events require a lot more thought, and are processed on a much deeper level.”

But brain processing aside, why do some of us enjoy challenging travel?

One woman looks out over snow covered mountains.

Travel is not, as we’ve established, always fun and games. In fact, sometimes it can literally hurt. Take hiking for example: Every year, thousands of trekkers throw themselves at Sagamartha (Mount Everest), and every year, thousands of trekkers are airlifted off the mountain.

RELATED: The hike that’s perfect for people who don’t like hiking

Sure, the landscapes are a drawcard. I cried watching the sunset above Namche Bazaar and felt closer to god-or-whatever looking out across the Patagonian steppe. But my favorite hiking experiences always involve wild weather, lost gear or vomiting on the hoofs of a Himalayan yak (true story).

A solitary figure looks out over the clouds while hiking to Mount Everest Base Camp.

So is it masochistic to enjoy such extreme experiences? Megan doesn’t think so. She reckons our human inclination to enjoy risk-taking is thanks to a little chemical called dopamine—a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation. “When we accomplish something or engage in risk-taking, we get a release of dopamine in our brains, which can lead to a euphoric feeling,” she explains.

This dopamine ‘reward’ can also become quite addictive. From eating comfort food to drinking alcohol, there are a heap of ways humans chase a dopamine hit. It just so happens that many of us find it atop a mountain. According to Megan, “there’s actually a rise in our dopamine threshold in adolescence” which is why we see experimentation and risky behaviours increase around this time.

Which makes me wonder: If some of our life-long friendships are formed during adolescence, does that mean we bond best through risky experiences?

Three people smile to camera during a gorilla trek in Uganda.

A few years ago, I joined a video crew on a journey deep into Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. What was meant to be an Attenborough-esque gorilla experience was thrown into total chaos when our guide accidentally macheted a jungle hive and we were swarmed by angry African wasps.

It was pandemonium on an almost comedic level—the guides screamed, the gorillas ran, the wasps stung. And yet in the aftermath I found myself, alongside the rest of the crew, delighting in the mayhem like some destructive Greek god.

According to Megan (and this study ) a sense of comradery after disaster is totally normal. In fact, sharing an intense event with other people actually results in stronger emotional bonds. Which explains why we make buddies so fast and fall in love so hard when we travel.

“Negative experiences are more revealing to our character, and sharing these experiences signals to others that we trust them enough to be vulnerable,” Megan explains. “If we have experienced trauma in the presence of someone else, sharing that experience may help normalize some of the feelings that arise and make us feel validated.”

Tayla floats in the blue water in Laos.

And at the end of the day, that’s the beauty of a ‘bad’ trip—it can unite and excite, challenge and transform, frustrate and inspire. “Some of our greatest lessons in life come from enduring negative experiences… we learn where our limits and boundaries lie, so we can grow as individuals,” says Megan.

So maybe my most controversial opinion isn’t that controversial at all. If we subscribe to the psychology, we’re all hardwired to benefit, enjoy and grow from ‘bad’ travel. The worse the trip, the greater the growth; bigger the impact; and stronger the bonds.

Or at the very least, the better the story to tell down the pub.

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Tayla Gentle

Tayla Gentle is an award-winning writer and video producer specializing in responsible adventure travel. Her work has featured in outlets such as Lonely Planet, Red Bull Australia, Rolling Stone and, of course, adventure.com.

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The wildest trip I’ve ever taken involved total silence and no passport

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How the Overland Track made me fall in love with walking again

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Highlights and Low-lights: My Best and Worst Travel Experiences in 2021

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Highlights and Low-lights: My Best and Worst Travel Experiences in 2021

From my many travel experiences in 2021, some stick out more than others — for bad and for good. In this post, let’s take a look back at the best and the worst of traveling this year.

My Best Travel Experiences of 2021

worst travel experiences

I spent 141 nights in hotels in 2021 , and some of those hotels were really awesome. However, my absolute favorite hotel of the year goes to the Hilton Cabo Verde Sal Resort. In my review , I said it may be my new favorite hotel. That still stands. I loved that hotel.

Cabo Verde is an island nation off the west coast of Africa and is connected to not only western African nations but also several countries in Europe, so flights aren’t too difficult.

worst travel experiences

Best New Place 

Among the places I visited for the first time in 2021, it’s not even close. Banff National Park and the surrounding area in Canada is just as good as the pictures make it look. My wife and I rented an RV for a few days and loved the experience. Definitely hope to do this again some day.

Flight Review: Finnair A350 Business Class Helsinki to New York

Best Flight

My favorite flight isn’t even close. I loved flying with Finnair from Helsinki to New York on their A350. You can read my gushing review here . The crew? Awesome. Experience? Phenomenal. Food? Stupendous.

Highlights and Low-lights: My Best and Worst Travel Experiences in 2021

Best Experience

I crossed off a few bucket list items this year, but one stands out above others. It’s the item I had to cancel twice previously, and it was also high on my wife’s list. We took a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey , and it was everything we dreamed it would be. Probably even better than that.

My Worst Travel Experiences of 2021

Worst hotel.

Hands-down, the worst hotel crossed off all the boxes: rude staff, terrible breakfast, uncomfortable bed, and bad wifi. The only thing it didn’t have was bugs…thankfully. This dubious award for my worst hotel in 2021 goes to the Hotel Imperio in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. Don’t stay there.

Worst New Place 

I guess “worst” is unfair, but “just wasn’t for me” could be more fitting. I just didn’t enjoy Niamey, the capital of Niger. It was unbelievably hot, there’s not much to see or do here as a tourist, and it’s one of those places where you feel like “I’ve seen everything” after half a day. Even TripAdvisor doesn’t have much for Niamey . 2 days there was more than sufficient. It just wasn’t for me.

Worst Flight

This is an easy one. My flight into Zambia. I had the window seat, a mom on the aisle, and a small baby in the middle seat between us. That baby cried for the entire 4 hours and then vomited (a lot!) on my shoes when we were coming in for the landing. Ew. This made it into my “worst of the month” for September , and I think it qualifies as the worst of the year, also.

Highlights and Low-lights: My Best and Worst Travel Experiences in 2021

Worst Experience

Nothing tops spending a few days in a hospital in a foreign country where you wonder if you’re dying, plus there’s a language barrier. I got malaria in Tanzania back in January , and this was definitely my worst experience of 2021–travel or otherwise.

Final Thoughts

I had some high highs and low lows this year. These are the best and the worst of my travel experiences from 2021 — flights, places visited, hotels, and experiences.

What are your best and worst travel experiences from 2021? Let me know!

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How was Guinea-Bissau? I was very interested in going there. (Apologies if I missed a trip report about it.)

Audrey – it was just OK. Not amazing. I’ve heard that if you get out of Bissau and see nature it can be more interesting. I will note that if you don’t speak Portuguese it could be a really, really frustrating visit. Even speaking fluent Portuguese, the creole-Portuguese they spoke in Bissau was often difficult for me.

Overall, seems like a pretty crappy year for you, especially getting malaria and going to an African hospital. Hope you got good treatment and are fully recovered and won’t have any relapses. Here’s to a better year next year with no hospitalizations!

Robert – The year only went up from, since that was in early January 2021. I wound up having some awesome highlights in the year–more good than bad.

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Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana Hotel Review 2023- Stunning Service

Over the top guide to visiting new orleans – where to eat, sleep & have so much fun in the big easy, grand hyatt baha mar hotel review 2023 – does it live up to its reputation from the past, springtime in the “city nestled in a garden” – guide to visiting charleston, south carolina.

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My Worst Travel Moments: Part I

October 5, 2021 //  by  Gwen Engler //   Leave a Comment

Somewhere in the middle of Alaska Month , as I was gushing over the beauty of the 49th State and waxing nostalgic on my golden years there, I had a revelation.

I’ve never really talked about the difficult parts of travel.

I’ve raved about the beaches on Vieques . I’ve swooned over the Scottish countryside . I’ve used superlative after superlative to describe a Chilean sunset . I’ve fallen under the spell of the Yukon . I’ve been enchanted by Paris , humbled by Vietnam , and awed by Belize .

But it hasn’t always been rosy out on the road.

When you write about travel for a living and doing your best to help people see and experience the world in the best way possible, it’s easy to default to the good stuff. But I don’t want to paint an inauthentic picture of my experiences or be so overwhelmingly positive that I come across as phony or insincere.

Eilean Donan Castle

Don’t get me wrong, I have been incredibly fortunate in my travels. On the whole, I’ve been safe, healthy , and blessed with great experiences. But I’ve also had my fair share of mishaps and bad times. Some were self-inflicted, the result of poor decision-making or misjudgments. Some were freak occurrences, like natural disasters or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some were the result of traveling on a bare-bones budget, like finding bedbugs in your cheap hostel room or getting sick from bad street food. And some were just plain old bad luck.

Happily, I can look back on most of my bad travel experiences and either laugh or chalk them up as great stories. Because of this, I want to share some of my worst travel moments both to prove that things haven’t always gone perfectly in the world of Gwen and also to (hopefully) entertain you with some of my merrier mishaps.

When all was said and done, I ended up with enough “worst moments” to fill two posts. I’m sharing part one today, with part two to follow in early 2022 . I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into some of my less Instagram-worthy travel memories!

Mom, you may want to stop reading now.

My Worst Travel Moments

The gunfight in ecuador.

Let’s start with a big one. While studying abroad in Ecuador in 2008, the majority of my classmates and I were celebrating the impending end of our trip when a gunfight broke out in the club. Two of my friends had walked in on some guys doing drugs in the bathroom and were chased out at gunpoint. Amazingly, the shots missed them – though another club-goer was hit – and an all-out brawl ensued. Some local friends hurried most of the girls into a back room while the rest of our group rushed to the aid of the guys.

We learned all too late that the club was the scene of frequent gang activity and that the cops were paid off the look the other way. When police arrived to respond to the melee, the gunmen sauntered right by them and out the door. My friend Jeff – one of the guys who was shot at – ended up in the back of a cop car and was only saved from an Ecuadorian jail by the quick thinking and persuasive words of the teacher running our trip. Another of our guys suffered a broken nose and cheekbone, and the same teacher ended up taking a half dozen students to the hospital for minor injuries. Although we – thankfully – made it safely home to the USA two days later, our university launched an investigation, and the entire Ecuador program almost got shut down.

Thankfully, the program survived, and I’m grateful to have had nothing worse to show for the night than a stolen wallet and a tear-stained face. Despite the incident, I was elated to return two years later , and to this day I would go back to Ecuador in a heartbeat. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

worst travel experiences

The Broken-Toed Ballerina

Ok, let’s follow that heavy-hitter with a lighter offering. After spending the day tubing the Nam Song River in Laos and stopping at numerous waterfront bars along the way, I was feeling delightfully tipsy and enjoying hanging out with some new friends. The subject of dance came up, and I foolishly attempted a pirouette to emphasize a point about my eleven years of dance experience. Hours of tubing overrode years of ballet training, and somehow half of my supporting foot got left behind. I heard and felt a crack , and the next morning, my pinky toe was swollen, purple, and painful. I couldn’t wear sneakers for weeks, and it was days before I could walk without limping.

worst travel experiences

The Border Crossing Debacle

When crossing the border between Argentina and Brazil , an Argentinian customs officer claimed that there was a problem with my friend Kyle’s passport and that he wouldn’t be allowed to leave the country without paying an $80 “fee” (read: bribe). Apparently, the customs officials had failed to stamp Kyle’s passport when we returned to Argentina from Uruguay, so there was no record of him having entered the country. I’m not sure how 300 Argentinian pesos would have fixed this, other than lining the pockets of the officers who were now laughing in our faces and preventing our entry into Brazil, but we were stuck until we paid the bribe.

What followed was an annoying waste of time and money. I had already been stamped into Brazil, so I had to walk across the street and re-enter Argentina to be able to take Kyle to an ATM. (I was the only one who spoke fluent Spanish, and Kyle has a terrible sense of direction.) We left our other traveling companion, Curtis, behind with the bags while we caught a cab back to the nearest town, withdrew the money, and took a bus back to the border. Upon reaching the desk hours later, however, we were told that Kyle’s information had been found in the computer and we were free to enter Brazil.

Thanks, Argentina.

The Tour that Saw Nothing

Wildfires are common in Alaska , part of the natural cycle of regeneration and rebirth. During any given summer, there are usually multiple fires blazing in various parts of the state, often with little to no intervention because of their remote locations. Unfortunately, one of my three years working in the Great Land saw a large number of significant wildfires that spread across the entire state and into the Yukon. At one point, the situation was so bad that one of my tour groups saw and smelled nothing but smoke the entire way from Skagway to Denali: a distance of almost one thousand miles. Looking out our motorcoach windows was like looking into a cloud, and all the beauty of the region was completely obscured for almost a week of their vacation.

Thankfully, we emerged from the smoke into bright blue skies around Denali, and my guests had the most glorious weather imaginable for the final days of their tour. They even got to see Denali’s summit, an Alaska bucket list moment that more than two-thirds of visitors never experience. In the end, however, it was small compensation for an otherwise highly disappointing vacation of a lifetime.

worst travel experiences

The Hanoi Taxi Hostages

After spending the day exploring some of the sights in Hanoi, Vietnam , my two traveling companions and I hopped into a taxi to return to our hostel. The meter started going crazy as soon as the taxi started moving, and before we’d even made it around the corner the fare was three times what we had paid to get to our destination that morning. Recognizing a scam, we asked the driver to pull over. Kyle, who was in the front seat, told Katie and me that he planned to toss the guy 50,000 dong – about 30,000 less than the meter demanded – and leave it at that. Unfortunately, however, he was able to get out more quickly and handed over the money before Katie and I were able to fully exit the car. Incensed, the driver spun around, slammed down the backseat lock, and prepared to speed off with us trapped in the backseat. Thankfully, quick-thinking Katie threw more money at him and I managed to wiggle the lock open so we could fling ourselves out. The driver peeled out, and we were left shaken on the side of the road.

The Earthquake for the Record Books

While backpacking through Chile in 2010, my traveling companions and I were sleeping in Valparaiso when we were shaken awake by the fifth-largest earthquake on record at the time. It was a terrifying night that you can read more about in this post , and it reminded us just how powerless you can truly be on the road.

Broken window and brick building missing plaster after earthquake

The Christ Under Construction

One of the most disappointing things in travel is when you finally make it to an iconic spot only to find it either closed or dramatically altered. That was the case when we arrived in Rio de Janeiro to discover that the famous Christ the Redeemer statue was covered in scaffolding as part of a massive restoration effort. While the views from the feet of the statue, which is located on one of the tallest peaks in the area, were still impressive, it was disappointing not to experience the iconic statue in all its glory.

worst travel experiences

The Irish Lemon

Renting a car in Ireland is known to be a bit of a hassle, mostly thanks to expensive insurance add-ons, narrow roads, and having to drive a manual car from the opposite side of the vehicle. During our multi-generational vacation to Ireland with M’s parents, we had the added delight of receiving a complete dud of a car. Almost as soon as we hit the highway, our car started rattling alarmingly, with the steering wheel vibrating right along. We ended up having to stop on the way to Belfast for repairs – the first of multiple detours to service the vehicle. Although we were eventually able to swap out the car halfway through the trip, it caused us enough delays and my in-laws enough stress to put a bit of a damper on our week in Ireland .

The Near-Drowning

At first, everything was going swimmingly – pun intended – during our beach day in Paraty, Brazil . Curtis and I were sunbathing on the sand while Kyle went for a swim in the calm blue sea. It was peaceful and pleasant until suddenly we heard someone cry out, “There’s someone drowning out there!”

My heart slammed into my throat as Curtis and I leapt to our feet to find Kyle bobbing out in the middle of the bay. He was waving his hands and shouting for help. I’m not a strong swimmer, so I could only look on helplessly as one man dove into the surf and two others worked to pull kayaks into the water. It seemed to take forever, but finally one of the kayaks reached Kyle and he climbed aboard. Thankfully, he was ok – he had swum too far out and then was unable to get back because of the strong tide – but it was still a terrifying ordeal that could have ended very badly if we had been alone or there hadn’t been kayaks nearby.

worst travel experiences

The Tale of Two Islands

This is another story I’ve shared before , but it was a huge disappointment when I arrived on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador, to find that the island that had been so lush and beautiful two years earlier was now a dry, barren wasteland. We had traveled to Puerto Lopez specifically on my recommendation that we take a trip to the island, spent more money than we wanted to on the tour, and then returned with disappointment and one of the worst sunburns of my life. For the next few days, the pain of my backpack straps on my angry, red shoulders was a constant reminder of our misfortune.

worst travel experiences

Well, there they are: the first ten of my twenty worst travel moments! Stayed tuned for Part II coming soon. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your craziest travel stories in the comments!

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Pool life in Seminyak, Bali, bad travel experiences

9 of the worst travel experiences from 10 years on the road!

Bad travel experiences, we’ve all had them. You may not believe me but being a full-time traveller does have its down-sides. It’s not all amazing sunsets, exotic beaches, sampling exotic & yummy food and lie-ins every day. There are tough times. It gets very tiring (despite all those lie-ins), you are highly likely to get food poisoning at least once from all that exotic and yummy food and sometimes those exotic beaches hide scary marine creatures like nurse sharks and stingrays. But you know what, for me a full year of travelling even with those minor hardships is 10 times better than a year of working 9-5.

So here’s the ugly truth about travelling – a list of 9 of the worst travel experiences that happened to us while on the road. 

#1   When our Halong Bay trip fell through

We booked an overnight cruise on one of the junk boats that famously cruise through the magnificent Halong Bay . We spent days deciding on the best boat for us, we walked to probably every travel shop in Hanoi and asked lots of questions and when we finally decided on ‘the one’ we started to get really really excited. It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime things that you base your whole South East Asia trip around. So, we set off that morning full of excitement and wonder. But alas a massive storm was about to hit the bay. In the end we only got to spend 3 hours on the boat. A massive disappointment.

halong bay boat cruise vietnam bad travel experiences

#2   The bus journey from hell 

From Hue to Hanoi in Vietnam – 17 hours in total (5 hours longer than we expected) with an overflowing toilet and lots of noisy locals. Freezing cold aircon. Blaring pop music. Pretty much hell for 17 hours, okay maybe 16.5 (I think I managed to fall asleep for 30 minutes).

#3   The time I got food poisoning in El Cuco, El Salvador

I don’t know how I got it – probably under-cooked chicken like everyone else. But we were staying at a really remote Turtle Sanctuary come hotel and there were no Pharmacies nearby so I just had to ride out the constant vomiting in a sweltering room with no air-con. Other than this little blip, we loved our time in El Salvador . 

#4   When we couldn’t find an operating cash machine on Livingston Island

And so had only $7 to our name for a full day and night. We were certainly hungry leaving on the boat the next morning.

10996500_979578008719467_7587747963770459870_n (1)

#5   When we spent the night in a murder-scene type hotel room in Guatemala City

It smelled like urine and had an unbelievably creepy vibe. I’m pretty sure it was filled with drug lords and hookers. Amusing if we were in another part of the world but not so funny when staying in one of the worlds most dangerous cities. Thankfully we were literally there for 10 hours before we had to catch a long bus the next morning. Here’s what we recommend doing in Guatemala .

#6   When we had bed bugs in Dalat, Vietnam

Imagine happily lying on your hotel bed after a long day of sightseeing when you suddenly start feeling really itchy. Then imagine, lifting off the  bed sheets and the mattress protector to find lots of teeny-tiny bed bugs. I may have let out a scream or two or three.  Thankfully the hotel allowed us to change rooms asap. I’m itchy now just thinking about it.

#7   The nightmare boat ride from Gili Air to mainland Bali

We both managed to catch a 24 hour vomiting bug on the island. Plus it was really stormy that morning, which made our already weak stomachs even worse. It took two hours longer than we were told. And it was jam-packed, I think I was squashed into a two-seater with three other people.

11263033_979391675404767_7149718755349626988_n

#8   The time my debit card would not work anywhere in San Salvador

No money, big problem. Plus all the banks were closed for annual holidays. Thankfully the American owner of our hostel was very understanding about us not paying our bill on time. In fact we couldn’t pay our bill until three days later.

#9   The time I got hit by a moped in Hanoi

If you’ve ever visited South East Asia and in particular the Vietnamese city of Hanoi you will know that crossing the road there is a death wish in itself. Needless to say it was only a matter of time before I got hit. It was only a little clip on the back of my legs. But it was still pretty scary and painful and I pouted for the rest of the night, Paul was sick to death of me.

10174992_897339040276698_7462425241187153403_n (1)

Despite this, we are very lucky to live the life we do

Looking back at this list now I realise how incredibly lucky we were in comparison to some of the other travel horror stories we’ve heard along the way. And to be honest I think my travel stories would have been a lot worse were it not for my very sensible other half or ‘street smart’ as he likes to call himself. My advice to avoid any dangerous encounters is simple – don’t be stupid. I know a lot of my friends and family were worried about us travelling through El Salvador, but as long as you use common sense and don’t go looking for trouble, then trouble won’t find you.

Take a risk with a life of travel

So, my question to you is are you willing to risk your stable 9-5 job for a year on the road, are you willing to risk months away from family and loved ones, are you willing to risk putting yourself in many situations outside of your comfort zone? And then guys there’s the most dangerous risk of all the risk of not spending your life doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.

Hope you enjoyed reading (and hopefully laughing) about our 9 worst travel experiences. I’d love to hear your bad travel experiences in the comments below.

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Not every travel experience is a good one right? So, here's a humorous list of the worst travel experiences we've experienced on our travels.

9 thoughts on “ Our worst travel experiences ”

Oh those bus rides across Vietnam. The sleeper seats are not built for non-asian men.. thankfully there wasn’t any music for those 17 hours

I got sick while in india. It was awful so totally get how you felt there. Ended up in hospital for 2 days too. Eek.

It is definitely not what social media shows usually – only smiles and happy sunsets. But it is good that you can laugh it off and continue your happy travels and most importantly that you are together in whatever happens.

I got itchy just by reading your terrifying bed bugs story, this is one of my biggest fears when booking a room, haha. It’s good that you can laugh about the bad experiences, they make up great stories afterwards 🙂

Bed bugs and getting sick seem the worst. Oh and staying a murder scene type hotel….nooo thank you. But you got some great stories out of it.

We’re only part time travelers, but had some bad travel experiences as well. Love that people tell about them so others can see that it’s not all about beautiful beaches, sun chairs, cocktail drinks etc, but they are all experiences you probably wouldn’t been without in the end. Makes good stories though 😛 Bed bugs sounds like a nightmare… ugh! Hope you didn’t get any in your bag traveling with you guys.

each of these experience is more familiar than I want it them to be. Look on the bright side: spending time in a murder hotel room makes for easy role playing and pretending you’re a hit man or drug dealer. Unless you actually are one of those, then it’s criminal business as usual..

Vietnam “moped” traffic and sleeping buses! So familiar!

Bed bugs……yikes! This is such a fun list… the ‘bad’ experiences often make great stories later, don’t they. But reading about bed bugs makes me feel itchy, too! LOL!

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Let's Roam Explorer

The Best and Worst Travel Experiences of a Full-Time Traveler

Travel is a complex thing. Sometimes adventures aren’t always fun. But we believe even the worst travel experiences make for great stories!

worst travel experiences

Where to even start with this one? When I first decided to write this article, I was overly excited about it, but it has gone through a few phases since then. Initially, the memories rushed in, and I thought it would be impossible to condense 13 years of my best and worst travel experiences into something readable. Then, it morphed into a period where I went blank, and I couldn’t think of a single valuable story to tell. In short, it has been an introspective, and slightly emotional, journey to produce this one. I hope this personal list of interesting events gives you some smiles and a few pauses for thought.

Every adventure is a story to remember!

As this article shows, sometimes travel takes you to extremes. But that’s what life’s about, right? Experiencing every sensation and seeing every sight, picking up a mountain of stories along the way. Here at Let’s Roam, we’re all about life’s adventures. We work hard (and play hard) to bring you some of the best activities out there. Our hilarious scavenger hunts are world-renowned! We also offer cool bar crawls to keep you merry, scary ghost tours to keep you spooky, and awesome art walks to keep you cultured. What are you waiting for? Download the app and get this story started !

Making the Best Memories

A life of travel affords an education that nothing else can offer. However, full-time travel is different than taking short vacations. While other travel lists tout the must-visit sites of Rome, Dubai, and the Maldives, big attractions aren’t the things that stick with you over the years. There are a few adrenaline activities on this list, but many of my treasured memories aren’t at a major site or checking off a bucket list item.

I don’t travel with a full itinerary of tourist attractions. I am mostly just living. I travel slowly, leaving room for the unexpected. It’s where the magic happens! Although, I am still going to book that shark diving tour in Cape Town, South Africa, and hang out with the penguins in Antarctica! Oh… and I want to see those weird Moai heads on Easter Island! That’s a given. Anyway, the point is many of my memorable experiences are just very normal-seeming things, happy moments revolving around special people I have met, which I will attempt to explain in a way that is at least interesting to read.

How This Whole Thing Started

The first time I got on a plane was for a mission trip to Ethiopia in my early twenties. From that point, wanderlust took over. My husband and I vacationed in the spring, did an international service project for the full summer, and went on an annual mother-daughter trip for a couple of weeks in the fall. After years of this pattern, we decided to leave our full-time jobs and make a career out of what we loved. For the last 2.5 years, we have been total nomads.

I would like to note that I have been extremely blessed in my travel experiences, and nothing truly horrendous has ever happened to me . I count myself very fortunate. Some of these experiences, even the bad ones, are light-hearted and funny. Others are deeply personal and heavy, so there’s your warning. They are the truth of the life I have led, a life that I can honestly say, I am very grateful for.

My Best and Worse Travel Experiences

Best: the highest bungee jump in central america.

While exploring Costa Rica on an epic road trip, I decided to introduce my husband to the thrill of bungee jumping. We headed for the cloud forest. Monteverde Extremo Park has a unique setup, in that you plummet off of a moving platform. The platform hovers 450 feet above a lush canyon, and the fall is an adrenaline-packed 265-foot drop.

My hiking boots were too tall for the bungee strap to attach appropriately, so I had to go barefoot, which added an extra element of fear, as it felt like my feet were going to slip out the entire time! It was over in seconds, but what a rush!

Worst: Horrors of War

We were exploring Finland when the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine. We knew instantly that we had to do something. We didn’t know what aid we could offer, but we found an American crisis relief company that was heading into the area, and after a week hulled up in a hostel in Estonia doing training, we joined them in Poland. After a few weeks in Western Ukraine, we took over leadership of the revolving teams and moved to the capital of Kyiv. Our days were spent delivering food, arranging transport for escaping refugees, and assessing needs, and our nights were spent under constant air raid sirens.

My job was to organize itineraries for volunteers, maintain the safety of my teams, and procure goods for refugees and soldiers. My husband was leading smaller splinter teams into hot zones to deliver goods and procure vehicles for the team, so we were often separated. While we met the best of humanity throughout our time in Ukraine, we also saw the worst of what we are capable of. I held women who were grieving the loss of their soldier sons. I treated injuries from bullet wounds in babushkas. I consulted with pastors turned refugee center directors, and wives turned war brokers. Everyone was operating under the radar, using skills and connections to get supplies to the front lines, while caring for those who had fled.

We saw entire villages leveled, people homeless and afraid, and women and children abandoned. It was an impossible situation, every second a new tragedy to take in. Then, there were the stories of the atrocities being committed in the hot zones. I won’t go into details there, but trust me when I tell you that no horror movie has depravity equal to what some of these people endured. Ukraine was a life-changing experience, and one of my most difficult.

Best: Strength of the Human Spirit

Now that we are all depressed, let me acknowledge the silver lining of Ukraine. The strength of the human spirit, the capacity for people to serve others when their whole world is falling apart, and the compassion I saw will stick with me as long as the atrocities. I met countless ordinary humans, from all over the world, who set aside their normal lives to help. We were all operating outside of our areas of expertise and comfort, but we were getting it done together!

One dear soul, that I think about daily, was a gentleman we will call Dmitry. While delivering food to a decimated village, I walked through a tiny, green, wooden gate into the homestead of an elderly couple. It was there I first saw him, the 76-year-old grandfather of our guide (we needed local guides to ensure we didn’t wander into areas that hadn’t been swept for mines yet). Dmitry was using an ancient shovel, with a broken handle, to clear a pile of rubble from his damaged home. It was heartbreaking. He escorted us indoors to meet his visibly traumatized wife. I stood in awe, in the center of their small living room, bullet holes and shrapnel completely encircling me. I split our teams, sending half to finish our food delivery, and the rest of us spent the afternoon helping Dmitry clear the rubble.

This man, despite all that had happened to him, was the epitome of joy! You could tell he had lived a rough life, and this war was just another dent in the armor. He introduced himself, to my companions, as Arnold Schwarzenegger, then challenged them to a brick-lifting competition. As he pulled his three-sided, broken wagon around the corner, he turned to us and said, “I’ll be back.” We all lost it! He recited a sonnet for us about the moon, and he danced as he outworked us all. At one point, we were scolded for throwing away his “beautiful bricks.” He pointed to the gigantic hole in his storage building and said “I still have work to do, you know.” His resilience was awe-inspiring.

As we hugged him to leave, he asked the translator a question, before turning to us and spouting in broken English, “thank you-best first responders.” He closed the van door… and we all cried. His gentle and vibrant spirit reminded us all that life goes on, and that we still had work to do!

Worst: Caught in a Riot

A couple of years after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, we were working with a mission in the village of Titanyen for the summer. Haiti was, at the time, in chaos (little did we know it would only get much worse over the years). Cholera was running rampant through tent cities. Riots were breaking out over the lack of electricity and the failure of the government to offer appropriate aid.

One of the primary forms of civil protest was to block major highways, usually with a series of barricades composed of burning tires. While traveling home from a nearby village one day, we got stopped between barricades. With fire raging on both sides of us, we heard distant gunshots, and things got really serious as a civilian, armed with a giant machine gun boarded our bus. As we all held our breath, he asked our driver a few questions and lowered his weapon. He faced us, in what turned out to be an unexpectedly humorous moment, and said “This has nothing to do with you white people. Go home.” We had to chuckle as we caught our breath, said “thank you,” and proceeded home as quickly as possible!

Best: Albanian Birthday Celebration

In my travels around the world, The Albanian people are some of the most vibrant and hospitable I have ever encountered. A tour around Albania is a series of raki-drinking invitations, intimate conversations, and quality time. One evening we were walking along the beach in Ksamil, and we heard a loud party. As we paused to take a quick look, a very exuberant man waved us in to join. Turns out, it was the celebration of his son’s first birthday!

The whole family was there, and they had rented out an entire restaurant. They sat us down for a full steak dinner and drinks. The hospitality was remarkable. We were just strangers walking down the street, and they turned us into honored guests. They invited us to dance and taught us their traditional steps, which I’m sure we butchered. We spent the whole evening eating, dancing, and celebrating the life of little Fadmir. It was one for the books!

Worst: Haitian Hell-Hole Orphanage

On an earlier short trip to Haiti, my team was sent to assess needs in a local orphanage. When we arrived, the children were all sitting around on a concrete floor, in various stages of undress. The place was filthy, and the children were starving. Looking for anything that could help, I foolishly pulled out a Nutri-Grain bar from my bag. That was the moment when I saw two toddlers turn into the equivalent of ravaging beasts, fighting over a piece of meat. Two, innocent children, clamoring over the bits of an oatmeal bar. It’s one of those moments in my life that instantly changed me.

Best: Witnessing an Active Volcano

Volcanoes are one of nature’s most mesmerizing shows. One of the most active volcanoes in the world is Volcan de Fuego, outside of Antigua, Guatemala. While it’s a tough hike up neighboring Volcano Acatenango, this day trip was worth every painful step!

Once we reached the campsite, we settled into our mountainside tent and waited for the darkness of the night. At about 3 am, our guide opened our tent and excitedly called us to witness the spectacle. We could feel the rumble of the earth, and hear the roaring and the cheers of people hidden all over the mountainside. It was one of those magical moments that makes you realize how amazing our planet is. We ended the night with a hike to the peak to watch the sunrise over the volcanoes of Guatemala, and it was nothing short of a spiritual experience.

Worst: Turkish Rug Scam

Traveling in certain cities can be a real pain in the butt when it comes to tourist hassling. Istanbul is one of those places. We were walking along, minding our own business when a friendly local stopped to have a conversation. Now, normally, we are all about interaction with locals, but we want it to be genuine, and in touristy hot spots, it rarely is. Knowing this, we said “hello,” and kept on walking. The next one came up, then the next one. They just want to sell you something, but we evaded them all.

The next day, we were looking for a particular coffee shop. A local asked if we were lost and offered to take us to his favorite coffee shop. It was a public area, and there was no danger, so we went. Sure enough, we landed in his family’s rug shop. Trying to be polite, we accepted a cup of tea, as they showed us a few rugs. We finally managed to get out of there, convincing them that we live in a backpack and do not need rugs. It’s a slimy feeling to be lied to and taken advantage of just because you’re a foreigner.

The next day, it happened again! This time, we went with the flow. Knowing exactly where we were going, we gladly obliged. We drank about five glasses of chai, ate some cookies, and allowed them to unfold and pull down rug after rug, feigning interest. We then got up and walked out. When they approached us, we called the young man out for his lie and left. Maybe it was wrong, but we were so over it by that point.

Best: Learning the Bag Pipes

While traveling through Scotland, we decided to do a housesitting job in Edinburgh. The family was amazing. We watched their lovely home and pooch for a few weeks, while they were on holiday, and then we headed out for a road trip around Scotland. Unfortunately, my grandfather passed away two days into the trip, and we had to turn back.

This incredible family took us in, and to cheer me up, they brought out the bagpipes. I must admit, it was incredibly humorous. My husband and I attempted to play, which is hard by the way, and we talked and laughed our way into the wee morning hours. It was one of those experiences that is nothing outstanding from the outside, but it was a small act of human kindness that was just what I needed at the time.

Worst: Ethiopian Girls’ Home

In the summer of 2009, we were working in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This whole trip was hard as we served in a leprosy hospital and a children’s AIDS hospital, but one day stands out above the rest. We went to visit a girls’ orphanage with the intent of having a girly day. We brought makeup, fingernail polish, and new shoes for the girls. When we were about to start painting fingernails and putting on makeup, a teenager pulled my friend aside and said “please don’t.”

We immediately stopped what we were doing and said, “Okay. We will, but may we ask why?” She lowered her head and stated solemnly, “you’re  only making them more valuable.” As the realization of what she meant flooded over us, so did a feeling of utter despair. As we exited the gate that night, local men were lining up around the corner, verifying the nightmare we had suspected. The headmistress was selling them. I’ve never felt so helpless.

Best: Caving by Candlelight

Semuc Champey National Park is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. Deep in the Guatemalan jungle, this paradise is reached via a long bus ride from the nearest city, followed by a winding trek, in the back of a local’s truck to a remote mountain village. Once we arrived, we took a hike to the lookout for a view of the most stunning series of natural pools on earth, but that wasn’t the best part.

We crossed the river to private property, where the owner ran a natural adventure park of sorts. A Mayan guide then took us on the adventure of a lifetime! Using some local plants, he proceeded to paint our faces with “war paint,” giggling the entire time, as he transformed my husband into a jaguar. He then handed us a small wax candle and lit it. We entered a water-filled cave system that was nothing like any experience we have ever had. There were no safety harnesses, no protective equipment, and no safety waivers.

By rope, we crossed deep water pools, rappelled up a waterfall, and slid down a natural water slide, all with nothing but the glow of candlelight. The trip ended with a 3-story jump off an internal bluff into total darkness. Trusting our guide, we barrelled off into the abyss… and thankfully, just as he said, there was a deep body of water underneath! It was one of those unexpected exhilarating moments that was a real adventure!

Worst: Voodoo Village

I hesitate to include this one. It’s devastating, but it does have a happy ending. On one of my stints in Haiti, I went with a team to assess the needs of a new tent village. You never know what you’re going to get on these scouting trips, so we took an experienced team, but I never expected this.

A few minutes into the visit, one of my team members came expressing concern for a little girl. She had witnessed a grown man touch her inappropriately. I found the child. Picked her up and took her to the side. She was young, probably around 3 or 4. Her little body was covered in injuries that I won’t describe, but just know they weren’t normal for preschooler injuries.

We were later informed that there’s a rare practice in some voodoo sects where a scapegoat is chosen. Basically, in exchange for everyone else living safely, one child is turned over to the abuses of the community. That is what had happened to this little one.

We protected her the rest of the day and took plenty of photos for identification. She had an infectious giggle, and she was obsessed with my head of red, curly hair. We did have to leave her that evening, but we were able to get her information to authorities who evacuated her soon after, and, to my knowledge, she was able to grow up safe and protected.

Best: Ice Hut Camping

While visiting Finland, we got the opportunity to spend an evening in a traditional ice hut in Lapland. Even the bed was made of ice. We slept on a giant reindeer fur, in temperatures of -9C. The next morning, we awoke with a silly feeling of accomplishment. I mean, how many people get to sleep in an ice hut?

We celebrated by joining a dog-sledding expedition, hunting for the northern lights, and completing the Finnish sauna challenge (a visit to the sauna followed immediately by a roll in the nearest snowbank). It was a challenging, but fun, 24 hours!

Worst: The Incident With the Crane

In 2021, we rented an apartment in Istanbul for a couple of months. One morning, we were sleeping and were suddenly awakened by a massive crash, a roaring noise, and the shaking of our entire apartment building. The fright was real, as we were sure that it was a bomb. Our apartment had a large wall of windows, so we pulled back the curtains, hesitantly, to see what was going on.

It wasn’t a bomb. It was a giant construction crane. The mosque behind us was undergoing significant renovation. The operator had been lifting a large stack of thick marble squares over our apartment to the mosque behind us. The load was too heavy, and the crane wasn’t properly anchored. The entire truck had turned over in the street, causing the outstretched arm, and its heavy load, to tumble.

Luckily for us, it toppled just before the load reached us. The heavy marble somehow didn’t crash through our second-story bedroom ceiling, but hit the base of our building, just below our bed. If it would have fallen just half a second later, the load would have been directly over us and would have crushed us. It was a very shaky cup of coffee that morning!

Best: The Bravery of a Guilty Mom

She was guilt-ridden for leaving her new infant at home. She struggled through the entire trip, trying to find purpose and overcome her desire to hop the next flight home. She had paid for the trip before finding out she was pregnant. The baby was now 10 weeks old. She was pumping breast milk and asked if there was anyone to donate it to. There was a newborn in the next village that we had concerns about. The baby was a few days old and had already been to our clinic. The mother was a very young teenager and extremely ill-equipped. We sent the milk to them, but in a few days, this American asked to meet the baby.

When we arrived at the home, the child was listless on the bed, and the young mother was attempting to feed it rice. Just as we prepared to evacuate this child to the hospital, the American mother, crossed the room, picked up the child, and somehow roused it to feed from her own breast. It was weird, in a sense, but also miraculous.

After the child had its fill, this American mother of four, sat down with our female translator, and she spent the next 3 hours teaching this child-mother everything she knew about breastfeeding, child development, and raising babies. As we left that day, the woman turned and said, “the very reason I thought I wasn’t supposed to be here, is the only reason that I am here.” She saved that child’s life that day, and she is now a happy and healthy teenager. It was a heroic moment for a normal person, stepping outside their comfort zone, and saving the day. I’m glad I got to witness it.

Worst: Pamukkale

The famous white marble and bright blue waters of the pools of Pamukkale had been on my travel bucket list for a long time. Unfortunately, this was a case of “Instagram vs Reality” played out in real life. The sheer number of people was the first disappointment, but that happens at major sites, so we set out to find a quiet pool. Every second, some half-naked person was bumping into us while recording their sexy dance for Tik Tok. We had to duck the giant angel wings being used in a Victoria’s Secret-esc photo shoot, and try not to stare at a near-pornographic couples shoot next to us.

We have our own small Youtube channel and social media platforms, and I am not bashing the system. It is part of the travel world now, and we shoot at public sights too, but this was over the top! I’d never seen anything like it, and after 30 mins, we packed up and left because the natural beauty of this incredible place had been surpassed by the circus allowed to unfold there. It’s kind of sad.

Best: The Dublin Gentlemen

This was one of those rare occasions of pure chance that turned into an unforgettable evening. While strolling the streets of Dublin, we decided to tuck into a traditional-looking pub. It was a beautiful facility, well-renowned in the city, and a band of local musicians was playing in the corner. It wasn’t an organized gig, just talented people would come in off the streets, sit down, and pick up an instrument. If you played, you were welcome to participate.

After ordering a customary Jameson, we sat down, at the large mahogany bar, next to an elderly gentleman in a bowtie, snap cap, and cardigan. Firstly, he was adorable, and secondly, he exhibited that open kindness that the Irish are famous for. We began to talk about life and after about an hour, the leader of the band spotted him across the way. He said, “oh dear, I have been noticed. He will ask me to speak.” I chuckled, unsure what he meant, but as he predicted, the man soon approached.

After a long and poignant introduction, the band leader turned over the floor to our little friend, and he started a rousing rendition of a classic folk story. Turns out he was a rather well-known seanchaí, a bearer of ancient Irish history and lore. He transformed into another person for a few minutes, regaling us all most exuberantly. I was floored. It happened several more times during the evening, always to a raging round of applause. Between performances, he would retreat to his quiet corner with us, sharing the stories of his childhood in rural Ireland. To this day, we refer to him as our Irish grandpa.

Worst: The Bar Fight

This is another bad moment that ended up being funny. In 2020, we spent months traveling through Mexico. While hanging out in a wine bar in San Cristobal de las Casas, the man in the booth next to us became irate, screaming at some other person in the next room, who did not know him. It naturally drew our attention, and we turned to see what was happening. He then redirected his anger on my husband, screaming at him. My husband just smiled and looked away.

The man proceeded to get out of his booth and come to our table, cussing and screaming. He was very high on some sort of stimulant. My husband kept his smile and tried to keep the situation under control. I asked the man to leave, and he then began yelling at me. That’s when the smile left my husband’s face, and I prepared for a fight. About this time, some locals came rushing up, tackled the man, and threw him out of the establishment. We got free snacks out of the deal and a lot of apologies from sincere patrons, but I couldn’t help but notice his heartbroken girlfriend now in the booth alone. I went to sit with her and just hugged her. She was so embarrassed.

Later, we met them in the street, and she and I locked eyes in a nervous moment, not knowing what to expect. What happened was not at all what we feared. The man had come down off his high. He came over to us, apologized profusely, and then wrapped my husband in a full-frontal, bear hug. He then said, “God bless you,” and left us standing in the street, totally bewildered!

Best: Paragliding in Turkiye

After our near-death crane experience, the hubs and I joined a dear friend and took a road trip through Turkiye. We burned off some steam by, what else, barrelling full-speed off the side of a mountain. Oludeniz is one of the most beautiful beach towns in Turkiye and a famous place for taking to the skies. Our guides were excellent, the scenery was stunning, and it was just the adrenaline rush we needed. We followed it up with hot air ballooning in Cappadocia and exploring some of the ancient wonders of the world. It was a road trip full of amazing experiences, one after another!

Still More Memories to Make

I hope this article has inspired you to get out and explore this incredible planet we get to call home. Travel has offered me both devastating and rewarding experiences, and I could probably write another 5 pages, but I will spare you. In short, I’ve basked in the most fantastic sunrises, tasted the best food in the world, and pushed my body to its limits. I have gotten to take my mom rafting in Costa Rica, snorkeling in Hawaii, trekking in Italy, and adventuring in Spain, Belize, and Costa Rica. I’ve made life-long friendships in the Himalayas of Nepal and war-torn Ukraine. I’ve gotten to meet the best of humanity and share in their joys and their pains. It is a life that I treasure, and I’m not done yet!

This year’s adventures include exploring Angkor Wat in Cambodia, taking a motorcycle tour of Vietnam, and hanging with the locals in Thailand and Bali, Indonesia, so there are many more memories in the making!

As you probably noticed, the best part of travel for me is the people I meet! That includes the author of “How to Make Friends While Traveling,” my dear friend, Kristin. Check out her pointers for making the most of your next trip!

It’s a question I get quite often, and the answer is, “no, I don’t come from money.” Here is how I made it happen: “21 Clever and Creative Ways to Save Money for Travel”

Frequently Asked Questions

Common bucket lists include the Great Barrier Reef, Petra, or the Pyramids of Egypt, but avid travelers state that their best travel experiences revolve around the people they meet while exploring.

International travel offers some of the best experiences! Hike the glaciers of Iceland. Take a gondola through the canals of Venice, or trek the Inca Trail through Peru to Machu Picchu!

Fill your travel journal with experiences instead of attractions. The best things happen when you immerse yourself in culture. Don’t fill your itinerary completely. Leave room for the unexpected!

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Our Worst Travel Experience Ever

Now that’s a title you don’t see too often! Despite the tales and stories of incredible once in a lifetime experiences and the wanderlust-inspiring Instagram photos – you CAN actually have bad travel experiences. Actually, it’s usually the norm – shit happens on a regular occurrence.

It’s usually nothing major, just the typical pitfalls of long term travel – bad accommodation, unfriendly people, being ripped off, eating something a little dodgy – but every once in a while, you experience something bad. Something downright terrifying. An experience where you legitimately fear for your life.

Ours happened on our first major backpacking adventure in 2012, when we went on a six week tour with Intrepid Travel (Disclaimer: the bad experience had nothing to do with Intrepid!) through South East Asia – Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

Cambodia was the first country we explored on our tour, and we’d had a few tough days to start with – I’d been struck down with food poisoning not once but twice within the first week. It had finally started to subside when we arrived in Sihanoukville, on Cambodia’s southern coast where we were stopping for a few days. The timing couldn’t have been any better – nothing but sun, surf and sand for several days of bliss.

The main beach in Cambodia - not the most beautiful but perfect for relaxing.

Six of us – Mike and myself, Clare and Meredith, Sarah and Brandon – caught up for dinner and decided that we would take a trip the following day to the nearby island of Koh Rong. Koh Rong was a hotspot for diving in Cambodia, and Mike, Clare and Brandon being keen divers wanted to give it a go. Meredith, Sarah and myself thought we’d tag along to spend the day at the beach. We found a dive operator, locked in the ferry and dive package for the following day and got to bed nice and early – excited for our island adventures.

Picked up by the tour operator the following morning, we were taken to the ferry terminal outside of town and jumped on board the two storey vessel along with a number of other keen divers and beachgoers. The weather was glorious – the sky was blue and the sun was shining – we couldn’t have asked for a better day!

Catching the ferry to Koh Rong - what a glorious day!

Dropping us off at the jetty on the Koh Rong side, we split up – the divers jumping aboard their boat for the day, and Meredith, Sarah and myself headed for the beach. We were told to meet back at the jetty at 4.30PM so we could get back on the 5PM ferry to the mainland. Easy done.

Walking past the bars and the small beach huts, we found ourselves a quiet beach on the far side of the island near a little restaurant and settled in for the day – sunscreen, hats, a good book and a sun-bed overlooking the ocean. Whilst the setting was postcard-perfect, upon closer inspection, we were pretty disgusted at how filthy the ocean was – the amount of rubbish floating in it was appalling. Meredith even found certain feminine sanitary items washed up on the beach. It was disgusting, so much so we didn’t even swim. I just hope they’ve cleaned it up since then.

The little restaurant by the beach in Koh Rong that we found.

After a somewhat disappointing day of dirty oceans, bad sunburn and expensive, mediocre food, the three of us made our way back to the jetty to wait for the other half of the group, hoping that they’d at least had a better day than us.

4.30 PM came and went and there was no sign of the diving boat. People had started to line up for the ferry back to Sihanoukville. Then the ferry showed up at 5.00 PM and people started to climb on. We started to worry, asking the ticket office how long the ferry would be here for. They told us not to worry. 5.10, 5.15, 5.20 PM…. no sign. At 5.30 PM, the ferry boat sounded, about to take off – but the rest of group was nowhere in sight. It took off, back across the ocean into the fading light of day and that’s when we started to worry.

Just after 6.00 PM, the dive boat pulled up alongside the jetty. As the majority of the divers headed towards the mainland, staying the night on the island, the six of us headed straight for the ticket office.

“No worry!” they told us. “Stay on island. Next ferry 10 AM tomorrow!” was their instruction. Except there was one problem with that – our tour group was due to depart from Sihanoukville back to Phnom Penh at 6AM the following morning. None of us had any way to contact our tour group leader to tell him that we were stranded on Koh Rong. Speaking with the dive company, we told them to find us a way back, and fast – as it wasn’t our fault that we had missed the ferry but because they were late.

First they offered us a ride back to the mainland in a tiny boat not dissimilar to a canoe – we laughed, and then told them to get serious. It was 6.30PM before a small, semi-enclosed fishing boat pulled up alongside the jetty and told us to jump in as they were heading back to the mainland. As it pulled away from Koh Rong, the purple and pink skies getting ever darker, we laughed together – glad that it was over, shared our crappy stories from the day (turns out the diving group had an awful day diving) and relaxed, knowing we’d be home in an hour or so.

Then it got dark.

Really dark. The sun disappeared, and we were surrounded by blackness, bar the tiny little light swaying from the roof of the boat above us. As we were miles and miles from land in any direction, there were no lights to be seen, no sign of life anywhere.

Then it got rough.

Really rough. Perhaps in a larger vessel, we would not have felt the swell so much, but in a tiny fishing boat, in the middle of the ocean – oh boy, you could feel it. As the waves crashed and splashed around us, flooding the deck, we all simultaneously gravitated to the bench in the middle of the floor, away from the sides of the boat, pulling life jackets over our heads and securing them tightly.

Mike attempted having a nap at the start of the boat trip, before it got too rough. This is the only photo I managed to take.

Then it got scary.

Really scary. The captain of the boat was steering the boat side on into the swell, guided only by the torch light his assistant was shining out onto the ocean in front of him. As the waves crashed, so would the boat, hitting the ocean with a thud before bouncing back up again. Lacking the power of a larger boat, he couldn’t seem to steer it any other way.

Did I mentioned that I can’t swim? That I’m scared of the ocean? And that I get sea-sick?

Well, I can’t swim, I am petrified of the ocean and boy oh boy did I get sea-sick. We managed to find one black garbage back lining a trash can, which I stole, and proceeded to stick my head in to vomit. Over and over again. The whole time, I kept saying to Mike “We’re going to die! Oh my god we’re going to die!” Even Mike – with years of State Emergency Service training, flood boat rescue courses under his belt and a strong swimmer – was pale, not opening his mouth to respond for fear of also being sick (there was only one bag), and also genuinely concerned.

The six of us huddled around each other for three hours. THREE HOURS. The ferry that morning had taken 45 minutes to reach Koh Rong, and this boat had been chugging along for over three hours – and I spent that entire time with my head in a bag, vomiting, and practically shitting myself that we were going to die.

Finally – and it couldn’t have come any sooner – we saw light in the distance. One single, lonely light – even the Captain’s assistant pointed it out excitedly. It took another twenty odd minutes to reach but finally, after 3.5 long hours at sea (where I’m pretty sure all six of us weren’t entirely sure whether we’d make it back or not), we abandoned ship and stepped onto dry land. I may or may not have kissed the ground…

Not the greatest photo, but look at my face - joy, fear, relief and 'holy shit we're alive' written all over it.

However, once again – we were left stranded. It was now 10PM at night and the ferry terminal and port area was completely deserted. Without a map, we had no idea which way was town. Thankfully Brandon had a phone that he was able to set to roaming and he was able to pick up a signal, and he called the dive shop in Sihanoukville that we’d booked the tour with. Asking them to come pick us up and take us back to our accommodation, we waited on the side of the road for another 45 minutes before the headlights of a pickup truck came around the corner and pulled up to collect us.

What a day! We finally began to laugh again about it all, but there was no denying how tense we’d been – first the horrendous boat trip and then being stranded in the middle of nowhere. It was close to midnight before we all said goodnight to each other and collapsed into bed – thankful that we’d made it back in one piece.

So there you have it – travel is not always fun! We’ve heard of so many tales worse than hours, where serious injuries have happened in accidents, and even fatalities. Our experience was nothing in comparison to that, but it was still one where we were genuinely concerned. As everything was out of our control, we felt helpless. Being unable to swim, with a genuine fear of the ocean and being so horrendously sick did nothing to make the experience any less frightening. Needless to say, we haven’t been on a boat trip like that since….

What’s your worst travel experience? Have you ever been in a scary situation whilst travelling? Tell us in the comments – we know we’re definitely not alone!

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My 10 WORST Travel Experiences of 2019

Posted on December 11, 2019

I really don’t like talking about my bad travel experiences, as I always try to focus on the positive sides of traveling and the countries I go to. But sometimes bad stuff happen on the roads, and I also want to be honest about that, so people don’t think it’s all just picture perfect Instagram posts with no suffering.

worst travel experiences

10 Worst Travel Experiences Of 2019

worst travel experiences

The year of 2019 is coming to an end and I’ve had an incredible travel year, where I’ve visited more than 45 countries, new and old ones.. It sounds pretty much perfect, right? Well, not totally. These are my 10 Worst Travel Experiences of 2019!

10. No Phone For 1 Week In Somalia And Eritrea

worst travel experiences

I had some amazing days in Somaliland, Somalia and out of a sudden my phone goes out (Iphone X), and I can’t open it again. I try everything to recover my phone, but there’s nothing to do. My phone is dead! I’m the type who plans pretty much everything on my phone, so not having it to navigate/plan stuff was incredibly hard for 1 week of travel around Somalia and Eritrea. You can read the full story below by clicking the link.

1 Week In Somalia And Eritrea With NO PHONE

9. 20 hours delay in delhi airport, india.

worst travel experiences

Because of high tensions between India and Pakistan my flight with Air India (one of the worst airlines from my travel experiences) was delayed. They kept on delaying the flight with 1 hour at a time, so I had to wait in the Airport, because of the insecurity if we were able to go. I ended up waiting for 20 hours, and I just made it last second to some work I had to do in Denmark, because of this crazy delay! Really not nice!

8. Getting Attacked By 2 Gangsters On A Beach Club in Belize

worst travel experiences

I had a really nice time in Belize City and doing islands hopping in Belize, right until I went to a Beach Club in Caye Caulker Islands. Two drunk guys (probably on drugs too) pushed me super in the back randomly when I was standing in the bar, and I turned around and asked “what are you doing?” I asked as politely as I could, but the second after they were straight in my face threatening me, so I took one of the guys and threw him into one part of the club and the other guy into a wall 5 meters away. They pulled up a knife each, but some people and the security came in between and threw them out of the club. They were apparently known for being bandits and making a lot of troubles in the night life. My adrenaline was pumping and at that time, and I wasn’t scared at all in the second! Nothing happened after and I had a good time still in Belize, super beautiful country! I’m really not the aggressive type normally btw 😜

7. Spending 3 Days In San Pedro Sula, Honduras (Most Murderous City in The World)

worst travel experiences

Going to San Pedro Sula is an INTENSE experience. I did 2,5 days there, in what was the World’s most murderous city, until Caracas in Venezuela surpassed it recently! You can read about my time in San Pedro Sula here:

My 3 Days In San Pedro Sula The Most Murderous City On Earth

6. getting detained for 5 hours in ivory coast.

worst travel experiences

I was detained in Ivory Coast for 5 hours after taking a photo of a flag pole in Ivory Coast that a local Ivorian guy had just taken a photo of seconds before me without any problems. When I took the photo the police yelled “no, no, no!” and took me to the Police Station for 5 hours, where I had to talk to so many different Police Officers.. I threw a water bag in the ground of anger to show them I’m not an easy target to rip off and I’m not soft (that’s how things work in Africa sometimes), and after I slowed down, kept my patience and explained myself well, and therefore I managed to not pay anything. I didn’t do anything wrong and I was really mad about what the police did!

Read how it was like to travel West Africa below.

West Africa Solo With NO Car and 0 Flights Taken!

5. near death experience in monrovia, liberia.

worst travel experiences

I have taken between 1,500-2000 motorbike rides on my travels, but I’ve never tried anyone like this. Read about the MOST SCARY RIDE EVER here below!

Near Death Experience In Monrovia Liberia

4. hotel shaking because of 3 rocket attacks, aleppo, syria.

worst travel experiences

I had an amazing time traveling around Syria for 1 week, and to be fair the capital Damascus in the south feels even safer than most European capitals. But when you get adventurous (like I usually do,) and travel around a country like Syria, bad things can happen. I haven’t told so many about this, because I want to spread a positive image of Syria and because I had an amazing time in Syria, so I haven’t felt the need to mention it. But since these are my 10 WORST travel experiences, I will do it now. Rocket attacks. 1 of my nights in the north of Syria in Aleppo was intense and I couldn’t fall asleep that night after what happened.

I could literally feel 3 rocket attacks at my hotel, with ISIS less than 20 km west of the city. I went that time ISIS-Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was still alive, so it was an intense time in the north of Syria.

Check out my 100% honest video about Syria and the condition of the country here.

YOUTUBE VIDEO – Is Syria Safe? (DENMARK-GUY)

3. crossing the most scary border crossing ever.

worst travel experiences

You can’t believe how crazy this jungle border crossing was. They had closed the original border, so the only way was through the jungle in the night. Read about the story below!

The Scariest Border Crossing – From Guinea Bissau to Guinea

2. losing my passport in china.

worst travel experiences

In terms of my most difficult moment of 2019, it was losing my passport in China after coming back from North Korea. I had to stay in China for 1 week extra, and the process of getting an emergency passport was unbelievably hard. My own embassy was unable to help me, and I had to go to 20 different non-English-speaking Police Station, go to the Chinese Embassy and many other Government places in order to get my emergency passport to fly home. This is a process I wouldn’t even wish for my worst enemy, SO DON’T LOSE YOUR PASSPORT IN CHINA AS A DANISH CITIZEN! Or wherever you’re from! I did however try to enjoy my extra week in China as good as I could and got to see some new cool stuff on my 4th visit!

Positive mindset ALWAYS!

1. Caught In Shootings And Explosions In Liberia

worst travel experiences

I’m writing this 6 months after the episode and to be fair I still have the pictures in my head after what happened this specific day in Liberia. The day where some villagers blocked the only International road to Ivory Coast. I remember all the details, and it’s probably a trauma I’ll have for the rest of my life. Running for my life, seeing two people get shot. It’s something you really don’t want to try!

You can read about the story and all the details here:

Caught In Shootings And Explosions In Liberia

2019 – what a travel year it has been.

worst travel experiences

I’m writing the article from the slums of Luanda in Angola, which is said to be Africa’s new hotspot for kidnappings and I forgot all about mentioning a terrorist attack in Mali on my 2nd day there (140 killed), only 30 minutes away from me. I have 2 countries, which are considered dangerous left of 2019, and I hope to not add any more stories to this list.  It was hard to write this article of my worst travel experiences, because I’m a positive guy who loves to travel, and I want to inspire other people to travel more and see the beautiful World of ours. But I also want to show you guys my honest travel experiences, what comes with visiting 130 countries over 7 years of lots of traveling. What comes with being an adventure traveler, and not a tourist who just visits resort or luxury hotels in safe areas, or just sets a foot in a new country and say “hey, I’ve been there now.” That’s really not interesting for me. Traveling to 130 countries on FULL ADVENTURE MODE is not as easy as it might look on Social Media Platforms!

Stay Safe And Travel The World With No Fear

worst travel experiences

I haven’t told you the thousands of amazing memories I had this year in this article, remember that please. Take care everyone and safe travels always! Never let fear decide anything in your life!

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My Ten Worst Travel Experiences

My Ten Worst Travel Experiences

One of the things I most enjoy about travel is the thrill of the unexpected: that tiny ristorante in a sleepy Italian village that just happens to serve the perfect lemon risotto when you turn up, exhausted after cycling those steep Tuscan hills. Or the church in Lisbon which hides the most extraordinary cloisters you’ve ever seen.

I’d be the first to say that travel can give you some of the most life enhancing, exhilarating and joyful experiences of all. But sometimes the unexpected isn’t a pleasure but a pain. There are times when travel can be frustrating, overwhelming and even frightening. Sometimes it all goes horribly wrong. Flights get cancelled, everyone is ill or the hotel that looked so perfect on the website turns out to be the hotel from hell.

But it’s often the unexpected and the things that go wrong that make for the best stories so here are ten of my worst travel experiences.

Being threatened with deportation from Hawaii

When I flew to Hawaii to interview the model, Marie Helvin, for the Telegraph newspaper, I was feeling very pleased with myself. I’d proudly ticked the box on the US immigration form to state that I was in Hawaii for work. I wasn’t feeling quite so pleased with myself when I got to passport control and was told that they wouldn’t allow me to enter the country without a valid work permit. They threatened to put me on the next flight back to the UK – another 18 hours of flying time.

I eventually persuaded them to call my newspaper editor who somehow managed to smooth over the whole incident and I was finally allowed in.

Rodents in the bedroom

My Ten Worst Travel Experiences

When a massive rat ran out of the toilets while I was in a restaurant in Mumbai I reacted in horror. My Indian friend just laughed at me, saying, “it’s only a bandicoot!” There was a mouse in our room when we were staying in the Himalayas – for me, this was far worse than the time when a monkey climbed through our bedroom window and ran off with our fruit. Then there was the rat which scurried around in the open-air bathroom of our bedroom in St Lucia – I didn’t sleep all night.

I’d rather have a lion padding outside my tent at night than a rodent.

Being ‘stalked’ by a police officer in Rome

My Ten Worst Travel Experiences

So when an Italian number showed up again on my telephone the next day at work I chickened out. One of my colleagues spoke fluent Italian. I’m not sure what he said to him but he never called again.

Being constantly ill in India

I backpacked around India for six months and hoped to avoid the ‘Delhi Belly’ everyone warned me about. It was six weeks before I got my first stomach bug. I had diarrhoea, chronic stomach cramps and was drenched in sweat for hours at a time, all made worse by the fact that we were staying in hostels that cost only 50 pence a night so there was only ever a hole in the ground for a toilet.

After that I’d get a tummy bug every couple of weeks and exist on a diet of plain rice and yoghurt for a few days until it was gone. It didn’t spoil my experience of India – it just became part of it. But I did get very thin. I looked like a half-starved hippy by the time I finally made it back to England.

Forgetting my yellow fever certificate in Tanzania

My Ten Worst Travel Experiences

I grabbed a pen and tried to copy the scribbles from my husband’s certificate. My hands were shaking when we finally reached the front of the line and I handed it over to the inspector. To my relief, he waved us through.

Being followed home in Paris

My Ten Worst Travel Experiences

Just outside the door to my flat he grabbed my arm. I was so scared I couldn’t even scream but the strange gurgling sound I made alerted my flatmate and she opened the door. The man ran back downstairs. It felt like a lucky escape.

Falling over everywhere I travel

My Ten Worst Travel Experiences

I am very clumsy. I’m the girl who had to have plasters applied to her knees before she went out to play because the teachers thought it would protect them from the inevitable tumble in the playground. Even now, I’m constantly tripping over. Every summer I arrive on holiday ready to bare my legs – they’re smooth, toned and exfoliated – and within the first couple of days I am guaranteed to fall over and have a nasty cut on my leg for the rest of the trip.

My boys’ abiding memory of the Acropolis is not of the extraordinary historic site but of their mother tripping over her flip-flops and having to be patched up in an ambulance parked nearby.

Having my passport and camera stolen in Calcutta

The Scents of My Travels

Turning up at the hotel from hell in Marrakesh

When we arrived at the riad we’d booked in Morocco we were all exhausted – we’d been up since 4am to catch our flight from the UK. The hotel, which had looked so promising in the photos, was in a terrible state. There had clearly been a party the night before and there was rubbish everywhere. Half an hour after our arrival we were still sat at a table with our luggage, being ignored by the few staff who were clearing up. Our boys, aged 5 and 7, were hungry and upset.

By the time the manager finally arrived we’d called other hotels to see if they had a room available. He started shouting at us when we explained we no longer wished to stay. We finally agreed to pay for one night. It wasn’t until he had taken our bank card that we realised he’d keyed the total amount for the week into the card machine rather than the night we’d agreed on. We refused to complete payment and he refused to give us our card back.

We eventually walked out, leaving him with the bank card and wheeling our suitcases and children behind us. We hailed a taxi and cancelled the card on our way to another hotel.

My suitcase not turning up in Turkey

A Suitcase full of Stories

So these are mine, what are some of your worst travel experiences?

My Ten Worst Travel Experiences

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Oh god what horrible experiences D:

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Thanks for commenting! Yes, pretty awful but I lived to tell the tale and can laugh about most of them now.

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I love this post! And you’ve had some pretty rough experiences. I would have to say my worst would be my luggage not arriving in Switzerland, getting bullied by panhandlers in Milan, getting food poisoning in Florence and my husband getting food poisoning in the Dominican Republic. (Maybe, we should be more picky with the restaraunts we select.) 😂

Thank you so much! Food poisoning is the worst – I’ve actually been really lucky not to have it much. Touch wood! It’s awful being ill when you’re travelling because trying different foods is one of the things I really look forward to.

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I loved this post! You truly have had some crazy travel experiences, but as you mentioned they make for great stories. Thanks for sharing your adventures and mishaps!

Thank you so much. Definitely crazy but memorable! At least it hasn’t stopped me travelling.

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Such a fantastic honest post Clare. Traveling is never all roses. A particular low point for us was getting squashed on a train with thousands of tourists pushing and shoving our 2 year old twins while I had my purse stolen. This was on Italy’s Cinque Terre a place very few people associate with challenging times! I think because you have these experiences travelling you become more resilient and determined to pick yourself up and get on with having a great time. You also surprise yourself with how resourceful you can become in a moment of crisis. Plus, you have lots of great stories to share!

Thanks so much, Katy. It’s particularly upsetting when you see your own children getting pushed and shoved by other tourists – that’s awful. Travelling has definitely made me more resilient and resourceful in trying moments. It’s quite good to be forced out of your comfort zone – you realise what you’re capable of in ways you would never have realised if you’d stayed at home. And I do love telling the stories!

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Wow, you’ve had more horrible travel experiences than the average person! I didn’t forget my yellow fever vaccination paperwork but I actually got yellow fever symptoms from the vaccination while in Kenya so that was not fun:) It is terrible to be sick in a place that is not comfortable and without a flush toilet.

Yellow Fever symptoms sounds absolutely awful! You definitely appreciate the home comforts more when you do get back, that’s for sure.

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My god! I think that I would just give up travel if I had half these problems. The worst we have had was luggage that was late. And, a rental car company that tried to gouge us with a $15,000 repair bill after we had already returned to the States. Hassles and lawyers ensued.

I think your €15,000 bill and ensuing hassle and lawyers sounds just as bad, Arnie! I just hate unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy like that. As for mine, well I’ve lived to tell the tale and I’ll always keep travelling, that’s for sure!

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Those are quite some stories! I have had my luggage go missing before and a few Delhi belly style experiences. Thankfully no scary men! And for me it’s cockroaches which I loathe *shudder* But it’s all part of the experience! Although I find it harder to adjust to things going wrong when my daughter is affected, I admit.

Far too many scary men in my travel stories in my opinion! Fortunately not for a good long time. I really don’t mind cockroaches which is probably just as well given that I lived with far too many of them in both Paris and India. I absolutely agree that it’s much harder adjusting to things going wrong when your children are involved. Fortunately most of my awful experiences happened long before the kids came along and they consider things like luggage going missing as an ‘adventure’ – unlike their mother!

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Great post. Travelling always has its difficult and tough moments – it’s never always rosy that’s for sure. I got my passport, tickets and money stolen in India so know how that feels and was also terribly I’ll in Vietnam. Makes you stronger though!

Oh yes it definitely makes you stronger. And that has to be a good thing, right? Travelling has always made me realise I have more reserves and resilience than I ever thought I had. Thanks so much for commenting.

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Those are some terrible experiences! The man following you really gave me the shudders! I’ve been terribly ill many times, missed flights, had luggage go missing, lost the key to our rental car and my husband was once stuck at the border in Mexico — but one of the worst we always remember was having someone following us flicking a knife and calling out down a long, empty back street in Jamaica. And also when I was on my own and had someone stalking me around the empty botanical gardens of Rio de Janeiro as it was starting to get dark. Thanks for sharing your experiences! #TheWeeklyPostcard

Oh my goodness, your Jamaica experience sounds really frightening – especially with a knife involved! Thank goodness you were with someone although clearly you were on your own in Rio which makes it all the worse. Thanks so much for commenting, Cindy.

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We’ve all been there…talk about rats…yuck! I did a whole comic book leap from bed one morning when I woke up to one on my balcony in Italy one time!

Rats are so utterly awful, aren’t they? I could barely bring myself to choose a photo to go with the post!

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Great post! I agree while they’re not fun going through them, travel mishaps make for great stories. That’s crazy about the policeman. I did a post called Roadtrip from Hell about not being able to get out of Florida, and having my wallet stolen in Spain was a terrible feeling too. Anytime you’re missing something in a foreign county is not fun!

Thanks so much, Corey! I must take a look at your Roadtrip from Hell piece although having just read your wonderfully enticing post about Captiva, I’m not so sure I’d be sad to stay longer in Florida!

Haha this is true! Actually I was secretly hoping we’d have no choice but to stay longer but my husband had to get back for something. Too funny.

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I’ve read your post with a lot of interest, Clare, and I noticed a pattern: India was involved in most of your bad travel experiences. This is not accidental. You and I seem to have the same standards for cleanliness and the same phobias and India doesn’t fit our bill. There is a reason why I didn’t run arms open to this country so far, as much as I would love to experience the culture. Give me lions, give me bugs, snakes and whatever else, but if I see a rat of a mouse that place is compromised for ever in my mind and so is my travel experience.

Don’t let my experiences put you off visiting India, Anda. I was there for over six months and on a very tight budget so could therefore only expect the odd tummy bug and rodent. India really is the most extraordinary, vibrant, wonderful country and I’d absolutely love to visit again.

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Wow, some truly scary stories!! Glad you somehow stayed safe through it all!! Found you through #TheWeeklyPostcard

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I was nodding and smiling as I read through your list. So many of these mishaps we have all experienced. I find that these are the stories that we continue to retell for me years – is that the same for you?

Absolutely! I really enjoy telling the tales on our return – and several years later. It can be awful at the time but so much more fun in the retelling.

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Oh my goodness! I don’t really know what’s worst but the one in Paris sounds traumatizing! :-/

The Paris story was definitely my most frightening travel experience, that’s for sure. I think I was really lucky escaping unharmed.

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Good grief Clare, you’ve been through the travel wars! I can’t beat that but my worst experience was when Mum and my suitcases stayed in London whilst we travelled to Iceland for a long weekend. We had no cold weather gear so had to go out to buy fleeces and socks and knickers which was entertaining!! They finally turned up at the end of the second day so we managed but it was a good lesson so I always have a change of clothes or essentials in my hand luggage!! I hope this is the last of your bad luck!! Thanks for sharing!

I definitely learnt my lesson after my experience of losing my luggage. From now on I shall try and spread out my clothes among the other suitcases and try and pack at least one item of clothing in my hand luggage. I’m sure I’ll have the odd bad experience on my travels in the future but hopefully nothing as traumatic as some of the old stories!

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some pretty bad experiences! luckily nothing worse happened in Paris!

I know! I feel quite lucky thinking about it now.

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These are all pretty awful! The rodents…eeeeek!

Exactly my view!!

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Being followed at night has got to be one of the worst and scariest experiences, it has happened to me once too. I’ve never had a mouse in my room and I probably wouldn’t mind it so much, but if I see a cockroach, I’m going to scream like a little girl, hahaha.

Haha! I’m a good friend of cockroaches but rodents of any kind give me the heebie-jeebies!

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A brilliant idea for a post. I nodded along to some of them, rats in the bedroom (we also had a mouse in the bed in a posh villa), dodgy men, dodgy food, also ended up in hospital twice (once due to falling over too). Funny how our experiences are different but also similar!

Thank you! I think when you travel a lot you’re always going to have some bad experiences along with the good – hopefully they’ll make good stories afterwards. A mouse in the bed?!! It makes me come over all queasy just thinking about it! Glad to find someone else is tripping up all over the world!

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Oh my goodness – I commend you for being brave enough to head out again after each of those experiences! I don’t think I would have coped so well, especially with the stalking; that’s utterly traumatic.

I must be seriously crazy – or travel obsessed to keep going! Most of these experiences happened a long time ago so I’m either more sensible, careful or just plain lucky these days. Still can’t stop falling over though!

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Some of the worst travel experiences can seem funny, when looking back. The person following you home in Paris was scary though. My worst travel experience was at the airport in Siem Reap, when my friends and I were pulled out of the immigration line and made to stand at the side till everyone had passed through. They kept checking our passport pages on their computer over and over again, even though everything was in place, including the mandatory Ministry of Defence clearance certificate for Sri Lankans travelling to Cambodia. I thought they were going to put us back on the return flight but eventually they did allow us to pass through. I did have a similar experience at the Amsterdam airport as well while on a solo trip.

That sounds awful, Ahila. A real stomach churning experience waiting to see if they’d let you through! My father experienced that once when he flew into Miami and was held for over an hour because he had the same name as a wanted criminal!

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Wow! You have definitely seen a lot. My sister-in-law visited Paris recently and had a similar experience – I am so glad you turned out to be okay. I lived in Hawaii for about 2 years and I can totally see that happening, but I’m glad you were able to get in. You’ve had some awful things happen but it seems like the beauty of travel has made it all worth it. What would life be if it weren’t for stories like these?

I feel very lucky really – and you’re right, they make for such great stories afterwards!

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I feel like you could write a book on these experiences – some are truly terrifying (especially what happened to you in Paris, thank goodness your flatmate was home!!). I’m with you in the rodent fear too, I would have been paralysed with fear.

Polly xx Follow Your Sunshine

The Paris story was definitely the most frightening and I was so lucky my flat mate was home – not least because I needed a friendly shoulder to cry on. As for rodents… I struggled just choosing a photo to go with the piece. I just shudder thinking of them!

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Crikey – you have certainly seen a lot of excitement in your travels! I hope you have 10 times as many good unexpected tales?…

Yes, fortunately plenty of unexpected good stories too – but they’re often not such juicy stories are they? I shall have to work out a way of working them into a post…

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Great post! I have traveled a lot for work, but to date nothing major has gone wrong. I’ve been sick a lot. The worst is when you have to share a bathroom, and you have to hold on until the other does whatever it is they have to do. I do remember being so sick that I was using toilet and the bidet at the same time … Had my bag stolen in Buenos Aires but I’d left my passport at the hotel and was flying home the same day, so all good. Got drunk one night at the snake restaurant in Hanoi and left my friend as a hostage as I went to call the nearest police (turned out to be the national guard or something inappropriate), because the driver had doubled his fee. I have been very lucky, … to date.

I love the story about the hostage in the restaurant in Hanoi – sounds like a great story!! Quite quick thinking too considering you’d been drinking! Being sick in a shared bathroom is completely hideous. I’m sure I’ve blanked out most of my experiences of that in India!

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Tarantulas at night in the jungle? Nope. Give me rodents any day 😉

I’ll take the tarantulas if you take the rats…

Deal. Nice doing business with you 😉

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I love *real* travel stories of the lack of luck almost as much as perfectly curated presentations of sun-soaked vistas. I’m only sorry you went through all of the above!

I expect I’m a better traveller now for having suffered occasionally in the past – I should hope so anyway!! I always like to read the real, the awful and the just plain stupid experiences too.

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Yikes, those are some pretty tough experiences to get through – but as you say, provided you can learn from them and laugh about them now, it’s worth going through I guess?! Thanks for linking up with #TravelLinkup!

I think so although I’m not sure I’d want to relive some of them again if I can help it. Loving #TravelLinkup!

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Is it super terrible that I absolutely loved reading these?

I’m really glad you did. I love reading the more gruesome stories too, even if they are mine!

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I’m wondering if the bad experiences in travel are like the pain of giving birth, you soon forget about it and go on to have more children/more travel, because I can’t remember many bad experiences at all. All I can think of right now is the farce of our honeymoon booking in India, despite the travel agent (back in those days before The Internet!) making it clear it was a honeymoon booking, every single place we went we were booked into a twin room!!! And every single time we said we were on our honeymoon and could we have a double bed we were downgraded to one; never upgraded! The final straw was that the whole aim of the honeymoon was to stay at the Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur where it turned out we had no booking at all so we ended up in a single maid’s room in the hotel opposite the Lake Palace without a window!!! Image how we’d slaughter the company now on social media if that happened. Back then all we got by was of apology was a bottle of Indian red wine! But we still loved our honeymoon and it makes for a good story just like you say. Oh and now I think of it I remember a knife being pulled on us to pay more for a boat trip in Ha Long Bay but my beefy brother in law fought them off!

Thank heavens for beefy brother in laws! Oh my goodness, Phoebe, at least you can laugh about your Indian honeymoon. Hilarious as a story after the event but not quite so funny from the maid’s room looking out on the wonderful Lake Palace! You must be right about bad travel being like the pain of giving birth. If you stopped to think about it, you’d be far too nervous/worried about it all happening again. But sometimes I feel I live for the adventures – something to think about when you’re having a bad time with the computer (definitely like me today!)

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Excellent post. I’m with you on the rodent front

Thanks so much, Catherine. They’re just awful, aren’t they?!

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Wow! Those are quite the experiences. Nothing too catastrophic has happened to me, there was the Airbnb where we showed up to vomit all over the sink- and the host insisted he was too drunk at a Christmas party to come fix it and the time I had to share a tent with a stranger at a safari in South Africa and was too afraid of the snakes/tarantulas/scorpions outside our tent to leave it after dark!

Actually that Airbnb experience sounds absolutely horrific, Amanda! Oh my goodness, how revolting! I remember lying in my safari tent in Tanzania, listening to the sound of the lions roaring outside.

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worst travel experiences

My ten worst travel experiences

worst travel experiences

After my feel good top ten travel moments of 2013 post and my ten amazing experiences while travelling the world , I thought I would head over to the dark side of travel for this Flashback Friday and go through some of my worst travel experiences.

Travel is not always fun, in fact sometimes it’s bloody horrible.  It’s easy to focus on the good because, thankfully, mostly travel is awesome. There are some experiences I never want to live again though.  My tag line for this site states that I will share the good, the bad and the ugly of travel – here is the ugly!  Here are my top ten worst travel experiences in chronological order…

1. Fainting on my flight to Europe on my second international trip

I have posted about this one before, so you can read the whole story .  Basically, I started to feel sick just before I flew to Europe and became very sick on my third and final flight from Singapore to London.  I actually ended up fainting!

The crew were horrible to me.  I was told I was lucky to be given water and that it was my own fault for drinking too much – even though I hadn’t had any alcohol.  I was also criticised for travelling alone.  On arrival at Heathrow airport, I was actually taken off the plane in a wheel chair by paramedics!

It was all very dramatic and not a recommended way to start a holiday, particularly my first backpacking trip alone at 21.

2. Getting gassed in Quito, Ecuador

I have no idea exactly what happened, but it was not good!

In bad travel experience #2, we were walking around Quito, checking out a market when suddenly we were coughing.  Everyone around us was coughing too and starting to pass out on the ground!

We thankfully reacted quickly and started running as fast as we could.  Once we left the area, we were ok and stopped coughing.

3. Being sexually assaulted in Turkey

I loved Turkey, but I struggled being a solo female traveller in Turkey.

Men were constantly trying to pick me up.  I covered up – despite being very hot, I wore ankle length skirts or trousers, and t shirts that covered me up.  I wore the fake wedding band, did everything I could basically, but it was relentless.  I would end up back at my room upset as I felt I had to start being very rude to everyone who tried to talk to me, as no matter how innocent their conversation started, it always lead to them asking me to come to their home.  I do not recommend young females travel to Turkey alone  – the only place I have been where I would say that.

Anyway, on my final day in Istanbul, I went for a long walk to an airline office.  It was all on main busy roads, and I would have thought I was perfectly safe.  On the way back, I soon realised that someone was following me.  I dodged around and thought I had lost him. Then, when I was walking behind a bus that was parked at the side of the road – blocking the cars going past from seeing me, he appeared out of nowhere and grabbed me around my waist and between my legs, rubbing my girl bits.

I screamed and yelled as loud as I could, and he thankfully jumped back and started screaming at me.  He actually looked shocked. Do some men really think women want to be treated this way? I ran onto the road and when I reached the median strip, I broke down on the ground and cried for quite awhile in the middle of a main road.

It was lucky I was flying out that night anyway, as I couldn’t stay in Turkey a second longer after that.  The whole incident still makes me want to cry today.  I have rarely told anyone this story, as I hate thinking about it.  It is without a doubt my worst travel experience.

4. Visiting the Egyptian Pyramids

My Flashback Friday post on why I hated my visit to the Egyptian Pyramids is actually one of my most popular posts.  Basically, there were so many touts hassling us in Egypt and at the Giza Pyramids, that it was impossible to enjoy them.  My whole three days in Egypt were horrible and this is definitely one of my worst travel experiences.

5. Mexico/US border dramas

I had some dramas crossing from Mexico to the US by land in 2006.  It started when the Mexican Army tried to take us away from a bus we were travelling in, saying that we had to leave the country immediately.  It didn’t improve from there!

We made our way immediately to a US border crossing , only to have them not allow us to get an exit stamp from Mexico, not believe us that Australians don’t need a visa and to give us the third degree.

It was all made worse by the fact that we had to travel back over the next day to get our Mexican exit stamp and repeat the whole drama again .

This is just a summary.  It was a stressful 24 hours and a bad travel experience that I never wish to repeat.  You can read the whole drama in the links above!

6. My travelling companion having a sudden seizure on a Grand Canyon tour.

I was riding along on a bus, when bam, my then boyfriend had a seizure.  He had never had one before, and I had never seen one before.  It was very scary.

The tour guide rung 911 and soon there were paramedics and police there.  We ended up spending a night in hospital and changing our plans to remain in the US while he had tests.  We had 7 months of our trip still to go and we nearly had to cancel it all.  Thankfully, he ended up being ok and we continued our trip.  It was a horrible couple of days though.

7. Nearly being robbed in Sofia

I was walking along the main road in Sofia when I heard a zipper sound… I started to turn around and there was someone’s hand in my backpack!!

I looked around and I realised I had been surrounded by young women, and my travelling companion was a few steps ahead of me. I screamed at the girl, and she pulled her hand out.  The group then encircled her and they slowly walked away, while I screamed out to my friend and at the girls.

I tried to check if they had taken anything while my friend tried to get to the girl who had had her hand in the bag to see if she had something.  My bag was full and it was hard to tell.  My friend couldn’t get to the girl thanks to the circle surrounding her.  He told me later that one of them had stood in front of him, so he had to walk around her and that is how they separated us.

While this was going on, an old local woman was screaming at us in Bulgarian.  It seemed like she was telling us to leave them alone.  Everyone else just watched or walked on.  I’m not sure what was worse, someone trying to rob me or all the people that were complicit in it.  It seemed like the old woman was part of it too.  I would have thought it someone tried to rob you, they would at least run off!  Even if she had taken something valuable, I’m not sure I would have been able to get it back.

Luckily the zips on my bag were loud and not that easy to open so I had been on to her straight away.  My bag had also just been stuffed full with bakery products on top, so she hadn’t been able to get to my wallet at the bottom.  When we got back to our hostel, we saw a sign on the wall that said to be weary of groups of well dressed, young women and described exactly what had happened to us!

We had loved our time in Bulgaria, so it was a shame it had to end on such a sour note with one of my worst travel experiences.  In saying that, I think things like this from time to time can be good reminders to be on our guard.  I have always been aware since then to not let people get in between me and other people I am travelling with like that again.

8. Being in Bangkok during a Thai military coup

Waking up in the morning to hear the news that the country I was in had just had a military coup is a very strange experience. It is hard not to think of violence when hearing the words “military coup”, and it was quite scary.  It turned out to not be that big a deal, but we did not know that at the time.  In fact, we knew very little as all the news stations were turned off.  Many people have told me they are jealous that I was there for such a big occasion, but I wonder if they would have been if it had turned out to not be peaceful.  It was definitely a bad travel experience.

9. Being kicked off a chicken bus in Guatemala

I had loved loved loved Guatemala on my numerous trips there until our last one.

It felt like everyone was trying to rip us off constantly and it was very trying.  The final straw was the last day we were in the country on our way to the Mexico border.  Yet again, the chicken bus guy tried to overcharge us and yet again we had to argue to try to pay the right fare.  In the end, he refused to lower the price and we refused to pay, so they stopped the bus until we hopped off!  It was all quite dramatic and a little bit upsetting that no one stood up for us.

We ended up getting on the next bus that came through and having to pay the fare again.  Needless to say, we were happy when we made it into Mexico!

10. KL accommodation mix up

This was the most recent bad travel experience.  Some of you will remember that we flew Bangkok – KL – Manila last year and I accidentally booked our night round KL airport for the wrong night – so we turned up and not only did we not have a room but the hotel was fully booked and we had a hard time finding somewhere else that wasn’t booked.

This may not seem like a huge deal but after a long day with a baby and a two year old, driving round in a taxi in the dark to yet another hotel that was full was hugely stressful.  It was not one of my finest moments as a travel planner and not one I am likely to forget any time soon. I  check any booking x 1000 now (compared to the x 100 I did before this happened!).  It was right up there with the other silly mistake I have made – when I booked two seats on a pricey plane trip from French Guiana to Brazil – both in my name instead of one in J’s name!

There you have it – my top ten worst travel experiences.  They were all bad and a couple were downright terrifying, but really, given just how much I have travelled, there is really not that much that has gone terribly wrong. I have done a fair bit of travel as a solo young female too. Perhaps something to consider if you are someone who is a bit scared to get out there and see the world 🙂

You can also read some other travel bloggers worst travel experiences .

What was your worst travel experience?

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Espresso

The worst places to travel in 2024

Posted: March 20, 2024 | Last updated: March 20, 2024

<p>It’s a <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/672/">UNESCO World Heritage Site</a> famed for its limestone pillars rising from the sea. Ha Long Bay, Vietnam is a popular scuba diving, hiking, and boating destination which hosts more than <a href="https://www.visithalongbay.com/news-updates/halong-bay-tourism-statistics--latest-data.html">11 million</a> tourists a year. However, this is one spot travellers will want to avoid in 2024 as the over-tourism issue is negatively affecting the local community and impacting the environment. <a href="https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3222669/why-vietnams-ha-long-bay-under-threat-plastic-pollution-crisis-and-whats-being-done-stop-tourists">Plastic pollution</a> and marine waste such as diesel are damaging the local ecosystem of this beautiful bay. </p>

There’s no doubt that travel is a booming business and the popularity of going to new places is not declining. In fact, an expected 4.7 billion people will be packing their bags for a trip in 2024 according to airline experts . Not only is travel good for the economy, but studies have shown that it’s great for mental health as well. A full 91 per cent of American travellers see their trips as a reset button on their stress and anxiety levels. However, since vacation time can be limited, intrepid trippers will want to choose their destination wisely, so read on for the 20 worst places to travel in 2024.

<p>This beach resort town along Mexico’s Pacific Coast is known for sunny beaches, luxury hotels, and stunning mountain views. While this all sounds like an ideal travel destination, Acapulco is also known for its high rates of violent crime such as homicides, kidnappings, carjackings, and assaults. Several countries have <a href="https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/mexico">travel advisories</a> for this Mexican city, and after a devastating hurricane in 2023, access to food and water remains a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/devastated-acapulco-rebuilds-other-mexico-resorts-urged-heed-its-lessons-2023-11-06/">challenge,</a> making it less than perfect for a carefree vacation. </p>

Acapulco, Mexico

This beach resort town along Mexico’s Pacific Coast is known for sunny beaches, luxury hotels, and stunning mountain views. While this all sounds like an ideal travel destination, Acapulco is also known for its high rates of violent crime such as homicides, kidnappings, carjackings, and assaults. Several countries have travel advisories for this Mexican city, and after a devastating hurricane in 2023, access to food and water remains a challenge, making it less than perfect for a carefree vacation.

<p>Sure, it’s sometimes considered one of the <a href="https://www.niagarafallshotels.com/blog/niagara-falls-8th-wonder-world/#:~:text=While%20there%20is%20no%20'official,th%20wonder%20of%20the%20world.">wonders of the world</a>, but it is also Canada’s biggest <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/niagara-falls-one-of-the-worst-tourist-traps-in-the-world-report-finds/article_be02d6d7-0f9b-5090-acaf-bdd6220e429c.html">tourist trap</a>. Niagara Falls is comprised of three beautiful waterfalls surrounded by tacky and underwhelming attractions. Tourists have described the town as expensive and overcrowded—it is only a perfect location if you have money to burn. For a more sophisticated trip, try <a href="https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/niagara-region/niagara-on-the-lake/#:~:text=Beyond%20the%20quaint%20downtown%20and,of%20world%20famous%20Niagara%20Icewine.">Niagara-on-the-Lake</a>, known for its quaint downtown, world-renowned theatre, and award-winning wineries. </p>

Niagara Falls, Canada/USA

Sure, it’s sometimes considered one of the wonders of the world , but it is also Canada’s biggest tourist trap . Niagara Falls is comprised of three beautiful waterfalls surrounded by tacky and underwhelming attractions. Tourists have described the town as expensive and overcrowded—it is only a perfect location if you have money to burn. For a more sophisticated trip, try Niagara-on-the-Lake , known for its quaint downtown, world-renowned theatre, and award-winning wineries.

<p>It’s an engineering marvel of giant skyscrapers, luxury shopping, and interesting attractions plopped right down in a desert. However, Dubai is also a city with very strict laws and <a href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/united-arab-emirates">dubious human rights</a>. It is the safest city in the Middle East, but many countries warn their citizens of the risk of <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/united-arab-emirates-travel-advisory.html">terrorism</a> while visiting. And while violent crime directed at tourists is rare, there is a long list of <a href="https://www.bhtp.com/blog/safe-travel-to-dubai/">common actions</a> that are considered illegal here. </p>

It’s an engineering marvel of giant skyscrapers, luxury shopping, and interesting attractions plopped right down in a desert. However, Dubai is also a city with very strict laws and dubious human rights . It is the safest city in the Middle East, but many countries warn their citizens of the risk of terrorism while visiting. And while violent crime directed at tourists is rare, there is a long list of common actions that are considered illegal here.

<p>This gateway to the Sahara Desert is a touristy and <a href="https://globalcastaway.com/what-not-to-do-in-marrakesh/">bustling city</a> that, while popular to visit, is best to be avoided. In Marrakech, Morocco visitors will experience <a href="https://anywhereweroam.com/is-marrakech-safe/#:~:text=But%20Marrakech%20does%20have%20its,can%20be%20difficult%20to%20shake.">verbal harassment</a> from locals who are trying to sell you trinkets and fake guides willing to take your money for a sham tour. Instead, book a flight to these seaside Moroccan cities along the Atlantic Coast: <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Tourism-g293737-Tangier_Tanger_Tetouan_Al_Hoceima-Vacations.html">Tangier</a>, Rabat, or Essaouira. </p>

Marrakech, Morocco

This gateway to the Sahara Desert is a touristy and bustling city that, while popular to visit, is best to be avoided. In Marrakech, Morocco visitors will experience verbal harassment from locals who are trying to sell you trinkets and fake guides willing to take your money for a sham tour. Instead, book a flight to these seaside Moroccan cities along the Atlantic Coast: Tangier , Rabat, or Essaouira.

<p>While Cape Town, South Africa is a popular tourist destination, known for its stunning landscapes and cultural experiences, it is also a place that travellers may want to avoid in 2024. Tourists will want to <a href="https://www.remoteyear.com/blog/is-cape-town-safe">exercise caution</a> while in Cape Town, as gang-related activity is common and rallies and protests occur frequently. Instead, head to <a href="https://www.thetravel.com/what-is-durban-south-africa-known-for/">Durban</a> with its sunny beaches, rich history, and outdoor adventure. </p>

Cape Town, South Africa

While Cape Town, South Africa, is a popular tourist destination, known for its stunning landscapes and cultural experiences, tourists will need to exercise caution during their stay, bearing in mind the crime and safety issues that arise in all major cities. For an interesting alternative, head to Durban with its sunny beaches, rich history, and outdoor adventure.

<p>Many climbers train nearly a lifetime to conquer Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. However, unless you’re an experienced mountaineer, <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/climbing-mount-everest-is-overrated/">making the trek</a> up this Himalayan Mountain is best to be avoided. With more and more people visiting the area, it has become largely overcrowded and <a href="https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/trash-and-overcrowding-top-world/">polluted</a>. Skip the long lines and “highest garbage dump” in the world and try scaling the height of <a href="https://www.adventurealternative.com/climb-mount-kilimanjaro/">Kilimanjaro</a> instead. </p>

Mount Everest, Nepal

Many climbers train nearly a lifetime to conquer Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. However, unless you’re an experienced mountaineer, making the trek up this Himalayan Mountain is best to be avoided. With more and more people visiting the area, it has become largely overcrowded and polluted . Skip the long lines and “highest garbage dump” in the world and try scaling the height of Kilimanjaro instead.

<p>This South American capital city is definitely on the list of worst places to travel in 2024. From criminal activity and civil unrest to kidnapping and <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/venezuela-travel-advisory.html#:~:text=Do%20not%20travel%20to%20Venezuela,terrorism%2C%20and%20poor%20health%20infrastructure.">arbitrary enforcement</a> of local laws, tourists will want to give a wide berth to Caracas, Venezuela. This densely overpopulated and polluted city is a pretty dangerous place and recent <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/venezuelas-anti-inflation-efforts-dealt-blow-currency-tumbles-2022-11-24/">economic unrest</a> makes it even worse. Instead, head to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Altiplano#:~:text=Altiplano%2C%20region%20of%20southeastern%20Peru,3%2C650%20metres)%20above%20sea%20level.">Altiplano</a> region in Bolivia.</p>

Caracas, Venezuela

This South American capital city is definitely on the list of worst places to travel in 2024. From criminal activity and civil unrest to kidnapping and arbitrary enforcement of local laws, tourists will want to give a wide berth to Caracas, Venezuela. This densely overpopulated and polluted city is a pretty dangerous place and recent economic unrest makes it even worse. Instead, head to the Altiplano region in Bolivia.

<p>This Honduran city is known for its high level of violent crime, making it one of the worst travel destinations in 2024. The <a href="https://www.travelsafe-abroad.com/honduras/san-pedro-sula/">second-largest city</a> in the country, San Pedro Sula has one of the highest murder rates in the world and is known for gang activity, drug trafficking, and targeted theft on tourists. Instead, hop on a bus and explore the charming town of Copán and its ancient <a href="https://www.visitcentroamerica.com/en/visitar/ruins-of-copan/">Mayan ruins</a>. </p>

San Pedro Sula, Honduras

This Honduran city is known for its high level of violent crime, making it one of the worst travel destinations in 2024. The second-largest city in the country, San Pedro Sula has one of the highest murder rates in the world and is known for gang activity, drug trafficking, and targeted theft on tourists. Instead, hop on a bus and explore the charming town of Copán and its ancient Mayan ruins .

<p>It’s sometimes included on travel bucket lists and many tourists have cheesy photos of themselves in front of it, but the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the worst places to travel to in 2024. Enthusiastic trippers will most likely be <a href="https://manhattanite.co/pisa-italy/">disappointed</a> in the tower and the cathedral in Pisa, Italy. The long lines, expensive tickets, and rather underwhelming leaning of the structure is sure to put people off. Instead, check out <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Gimignano">San Gimignano</a> in Tuscany to see beautiful medieval towers and stay away from the tourist onslaught. </p>

Pisa, Italy

It’s sometimes included on travel bucket lists and many tourists have cheesy photos of themselves in front of it, but the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the worst places to travel to in 2024. Enthusiastic trippers will most likely be disappointed in the tower and the cathedral in Pisa, Italy. The long lines, expensive tickets, and rather underwhelming leaning of the structure is sure to put people off. Instead, check out San Gimignano in Tuscany to see beautiful medieval towers and stay away from the tourist onslaught.

<p>It’s the largest island in Thailand and it’s surrounded by lush forests and beautiful beaches with warm water, making <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Hotels/Phuket-City-Thailand/Spotlight">Phuket</a> sounds like a traveller’s paradise. However, along with the tourist attractions comes crowding, <a href="https://www.thebrokebackpacker.com/is-phuket-safe/">tourist scams</a>, and robberies. For those looking for a more relaxed Thai paradise vacation, check out <a href="https://www.placesofjuma.com/krabi-beaches-thailand">Koh Poda</a>, which was voted one of the best beaches in the country. </p>

Phuket, Thailand

It’s the largest island in Thailand and it’s surrounded by lush forests and beautiful beaches with warm water, making Phuket sounds like a traveller’s paradise. However, along with the tourist attractions comes crowding, tourist scams , and robberies. For those looking for a more relaxed Thai paradise vacation, check out Koh Poda , which was voted one of the best beaches in the country.

<p>There’s no doubt that travel is a booming business and the popularity of going to new places is not declining. In fact, an expected 4.7 billion people will be packing their bags for a trip in 2024 according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/06/airlines-signs-are-pointing-to-a-bumper-travel-year-in-2024.html#:~:text=Total%20revenues%20in%202024%20are,4.5%20billion%20seen%20in%202019.">airline experts</a>. Not only is travel good for the economy, but studies have shown that it’s great for mental health as well. A full <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2019/07/28/this-is-your-brain-on-travel/?sh=679182032be6">91 per cent</a> of American travellers see their trips as a reset button on their stress and anxiety levels. However, since vacation time can be limited, intrepid trippers will want to choose their destination wisely, so read on for the 20 worst places to travel in 2024. </p>

Cairo, Egypt

History buffs travel in droves to check out the ancient pyramids, amazing museums, and the sights and sounds of this historical city. Cairo is home to some very cool tourist spots; however, it can be a very dangerous place to travel to in 2024. Rife with scams, pickpockets, and threats of terrorism, Cairo is also a particularly hostile city for women. Female travellers have reported catcalling, harassment, and sexual assault and Egypt is, in general, unsafe for LGBTQ+ travellers.

<p>The extreme weather conditions of Death Valley in California and its remote location make this one of the worst places to travel in 2024. There are limited options for food, water, and gas, meaning that unprepared travellers are putting themselves at very high risk. With <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/death-valley-hottest-place-on-earth-near-record-high-heat-wave/">temperatures soaring</a> to 52 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) and numerous fatalities recorded in the area due to heat and extreme conditions, this is not a tour for the faint of heart. If you still insist on visiting, safety should be a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/safety.htm#:~:text=Rattlesnakes%2C%20scorpions%2C%20or%20black%20widow,mice%20and%20cactus%20mice%20here.">top priority</a>, with guidelines such as drinking plenty of water, avoiding hiking in the heat, and following the speed limits. </p>

Death Valley, California, USA

The extreme weather conditions of Death Valley in California and its remote location make this one of the worst places to travel in 2024. There are limited options for food, water, and gas, meaning that unprepared travellers are putting themselves at very high risk. With temperatures soaring to 52 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) and numerous fatalities recorded in the area due to heat and extreme conditions, this is not a tour for the faint of heart. If you still insist on visiting, safety should be a top priority , with guidelines such as drinking plenty of water, avoiding hiking in the heat, and following the speed limits.

<p>Glitz, glamour, and the rich and famous—that sums up many people’s expectations of Hollywood. The reality is that <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-safety/north-america/united-states/is-los-angeles-safe">Hollywood</a> is a relatively small neighbourhood in Los Angeles, and while there’s plenty to see—including the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Dolby Theatre, and the famous sign—it’s a very crowded and sometimes sketchy place. Skip this part of Tinseltown and head to the Getty Museum or Griffith Observatory in <a href="https://travellersworldwide.com/is-los-angeles-safe/">downtown L.A.</a> and then hit up some amazing Mexican food as well. </p>

Hollywood, California, USA

Glitz, glamour, and the rich and famous—that sums up many people’s expectations of Hollywood. The reality is that Hollywood is a relatively small neighbourhood in Los Angeles, and while there’s plenty to see—including the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Dolby Theatre, and the famous sign—it’s a very crowded and sometimes sketchy place. Skip this part of Tinseltown and head to the Getty Museum or Griffith Observatory in downtown L.A. and then hit up some amazing Mexican food as well.

<p>Boasting beautiful beaches and a bustling and vibrant nightlife, <a href="https://www.thetravel.com/travel-guide-to-nassau-bahamas/">Nassau</a>, the capital city of the Bahamas, sounds like it has it all. However, due to its popularity, the city is also known for its overcrowding, high prices, and pushy vendors. It is also the most visited port for <a href="https://www.iqcruising.com/ports/caribbean/bahamas/nassau/index.html#:~:text=Nassau%20is%20the%20most%20visited,destinations%20in%20the%20Caribbean%20itineraries.">cruise ships</a> in the Bahamas, leading to an influx of tourists. The city is unfortunately also facing <a href="https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/bahamas#:~:text=Armed%20robberies%2C%20burglaries%2C%20purse%20snatchings,)%2C%20where%20gang%20violence%20occurs.">high rates of crime</a>, meaning this destination is one to skip in 2024. </p>

Nassau, Bahamas

Boasting beautiful beaches and a bustling and vibrant nightlife, Nassau , the capital city of the Bahamas, sounds like it has it all. However, due to its popularity, the city is also known for its overcrowding, high prices, and pushy vendors. It is also the most visited port for cruise ships in the Bahamas, leading to an influx of tourists. The city is unfortunately also facing high rates of crime , meaning this destination is one to skip in 2024.

<p>Gondola rides, romantic candlelit dinners, and historical canals may await Venetian tourists; however, this sinking city is completely overwhelmed with visitors. More than eight million <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-venice-entry-fee-italy-tourists/">day-trippers</a> descend onto this tiny Italian city annually, and not only is it crowded but Venice is also one of the most <a href="https://www.venicetraveltips.com/is-venice-expensive/#:~:text=Believe%20it%20or%20not%2C%20Venice,expensive%20cities%20in%20the%20world!">expensive cities</a> in the world. Skip the long lines and wander the waterways of <a href="https://www.tripsavvy.com/bassano-del-grappa-italy-5079079">Bassano del Grappa</a> instead. </p>

Venice, Italy

Gondola rides, romantic candlelit dinners, and historical canals may await Venetian tourists; however, this sinking city is completely overwhelmed with visitors. More than eight million day-trippers descend onto this tiny Italian city annually, and not only is it crowded but Venice is also one of the most expensive cities in the world. Skip the long lines and wander the waterways of Bassano del Grappa instead.

<p>It has all-night parties, amazing food and culture, and plenty of sunshine, but Barcelona also has an <a href="https://www.responsibletravel.com/copy/overtourism-in-barcelona">over-tourism problem</a>. As a result, the city has resorted to restricting the number of visitors, from reducing the number of cruise ships <a href="https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/barcelonas-war-on-tourism-ada-colau/">allowed to dock</a> to limiting hotel beds, making it one of the places to avoid in 2024. </p>

Barcelona, Spain

It has all-night parties, amazing food and culture, and plenty of sunshine, but Barcelona also has an over-tourism problem . As a result, the city has resorted to restricting the number of visitors, from reducing the number of cruise ships allowed to dock to limiting hotel beds, making it one of the places to avoid in 2024.

<p>This fourth-largest city in Japan also has the reputation of being the <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/10/08/national/media-national/nagoya-boring-city-japan/">most boring</a> in the country, meaning that it may just be one of the worst places to travel in 2024. While <a href="https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2155.html">Nagoya, Japan</a> has some famous attractions, the city is mostly industrial and lacks the tourism infrastructure that many visitors expect. Tourists in the Land of the Rising Sun would be better off heading to Okinawa or Kanoya. </p>

Nagoya, Japan

This fourth-largest city in Japan also has the reputation of being the most boring in the country, meaning that it may just be one of the worst places to travel in 2024. While Nagoya, Japan has some famous attractions, the city is mostly industrial and lacks the tourism infrastructure that many visitors expect. Tourists in the Land of the Rising Sun would be better off heading to Okinawa or Kanoya.

<p>Devastating forest fires ripped through <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/01/us/hawaii-maui-fire-timeline.html">Lahaina</a> in 2023, making this tropical destination one of the worst places to travel to this year. With its lush rainforests and amazing beaches, it’s not hard to see why the second-biggest island in Hawaii is usually a vacationer’s paradise. However, the area needs time to rebuild and locals are <a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/hi/hawaii/news/2023/08/15/tourists-discouraged-from-visiting-west-maui-#:~:text=%E2%80%9CMaui%20is%20not%20the%20place,and%20678%20acres%20in%20Kula.">begging tourists</a> to stay away. Instead of Maui, try Fiji for those tropical vibes.</p>

Maui, Hawaii

Devastating forest fires ripped through Lahaina in 2023, making this tropical destination one of the worst places to travel to this year. With its lush rainforests and amazing beaches, it’s not hard to see why the second-biggest island in Hawaii is usually a vacationer’s paradise. However, the area needs time to rebuild and locals are begging tourists to stay away. Instead of Maui, try Fiji for those tropical vibes.

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for its limestone pillars rising from the sea. Ha Long Bay, Vietnam is a popular scuba diving, hiking, and boating destination which hosts more than 11 million tourists a year. However, this is one spot travellers will want to avoid in 2024 as the over-tourism issue is negatively affecting the local community and impacting the environment. Plastic pollution and marine waste such as diesel are damaging the local ecosystem of this beautiful bay.

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Detroit Metro Airport ranks as 3rd best in America

worst travel experiences

If you're looking to catch a flight, Detroit Metro Airport is the way to go. A new report finds the airport the third best in the nation for stress-free travel.

The ranking by AirHelp , a claims management company focused on flight issues, looks at how some of the nation's busiest airports handled air travel in February. At No. 3, Detroit Metro provided 89.07% of flights on time, ensuring smooth travel for fliers.

Top 5 best airports

  • 1. Savannah/Hilton Head Airport in Georgia.
  • 2. McGhee Tyson Airport in Tennessee.
  • 3. Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Michigan.
  • 4. Albany International Airport in New York.
  • 5. Memphis International Airport in Tennessee.

Top 5 worst airports

  • 1. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida.
  • 2. Denver International Airport in Colorado.
  • 3. San Francisco International Airport in California.
  • 4. Miami International Airport in Florida.
  • 5. Palm Springs Municipal Airport in California.

The ranking compares airports with over 1,000 flights in February based on the rate of flight disruptions.

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  6. Worst holiday travel experiences

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VIDEO

  1. Worst travel of all time 

  2. Travel Facts No.2 #Shorts

  3. Our 13 Worst Experiences Traveling the World

  4. The WORST Commuting & Travel Nightmares EVER!

  5. Worst Travel Experience of Tezgam during Lahore to Rawalpindi Journey

  6. Bad Experience With Pakistan Airline

COMMENTS

  1. My Top 9 WORST Travel Experiences

    My Top 9 WORST Travel Experiences. Covering all the bad things that happened to me while traveling over the past decade. #1. Missing my Flight Home. In 2014 after a visit to Schweinfurt in Germany, I was at Nuremberg Airport, awaiting my flight back home to Birmingham early one morning. However, I was sitting in a cafe and completely lost track ...

  2. Travels Gone Wrong! Worst Travel Experiences By 19 Travelers

    One of our worst travel experiences as a traveler was experiencing severe racism in Beijing, China. In 2019 my family and I were excited for our first big international trip. This time would be different because we were traveling with our nearly five-and-a-half-month-old baby at the time.

  3. Our Top 20 Worst Travel Moments

    4) The Sunrise that Never Was (Guatemala) The guidebooks raved on about how amazing the Tikal sunrise is. So much so that, as non-morning people, we decided it would be worth waking up at 4:00am to catch the spectacle. We trekked into the Guatemalan jungle and hiked to the top of one of the highest pyramids.

  4. 10 of My Worst Travel Experiences

    10 of My Worst Travel Experiences. May 22, 2021 by thesolespeaks. Living through a pandemic as a single woman with strained familial relationships has demanded a lot of strength. The last few days, I have been reminding myself of all the terrible times I have had to face by myself in the past. These experiences, though horrid, did make me a ...

  5. Our Worst Travel Experiences & How You Can Avoid Them

    Putting the Wrong Type of Fuel in a Rental Car. Not only is this one of our worst travel experiences, it's one of our firsts. Many years ago, we rented a car in Europe for the very first time with plans to road trip through France. As one can imagine, many things were racing through our minds to make sure we 1. had a wonderful trip and 2. made it back in one piece.

  6. Travelers Share Their Unsettling Tales From Around the Globe

    Traveling can be one of the most exciting experiences in life, but it sometimes goes differently than planned. From muggings and thefts to language barriers and cultural clashes, plenty of obstacles can make a vacation turn sour. Here are some of the worst travel experiences shared by an online American community.

  7. 21 Travel Horror Stories You'll Be Glad You're Not Telling

    A Host's Perspective: My Worst Airbnb Horror Stories. 21 Travel Horror Stories About Scary Travel Experiences. 20 Embarrassing Travel Stories That Will Make You Laugh & Blush. 18 Scary Travel Stories From Haunted Hotels To Creepy Cabins. What travel horror stories would you add to this list? *Featured image via Canva Pro

  8. Why are my worst travel experiences also my favorites?

    But as modern humans, we continue to hold onto our worst experiences because negative events make deeper impressions on our brains. "Positive emotions signal to our bodies that we are safe, and we almost go into autopilot when processing these events," says Megan. "Whereas negative events require a lot more thought, and are processed on a ...

  9. Highlights and Low-lights: My Best and Worst Travel Experiences in 2021

    My Worst Travel Experiences of 2021 Worst Hotel. Hands-down, the worst hotel crossed off all the boxes: rude staff, terrible breakfast, uncomfortable bed, and bad wifi. The only thing it didn't have was bugs…thankfully. This dubious award for my worst hotel in 2021 goes to the Hotel Imperio in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. Don't stay there.

  10. My Worst Travel Moments: Part I

    Happily, I can look back on most of my bad travel experiences and either laugh or chalk them up as great stories. Because of this, I want to share some of my worst travel moments both to prove that things haven't always gone perfectly in the world of Gwen and also to (hopefully) entertain you with some of my merrier mishaps.

  11. Our worst travel experiences

    9 of the worst travel experiences from 10 years on the road! Bad travel experiences, we've all had them. You may not believe me but being a full-time traveller does have its down-sides. It's not all amazing sunsets, exotic beaches, sampling exotic & yummy food and lie-ins every day. There are tough times.

  12. The Best and Worst Travel Experiences of a Full-Time Traveler

    Initially, the memories rushed in, and I thought it would be impossible to condense 13 years of my best and worst travel experiences into something readable. Then, it morphed into a period where I went blank, and I couldn't think of a single valuable story to tell. In short, it has been an introspective, and slightly emotional, journey to ...

  13. Worst Travel Moments While Going Around The World

    But these were all just that, inconveniences. The real story lies in those more unique, sometimes terrifying, and sometimes very unpleasant circumstances we ended up in. Here are our top ten worst travel moments from our trip around the world. 10. The ATM Machine That Ate Tim's Bank Card. We were in the small town of Francistown, Botswana ...

  14. Tell Us: What's Your Worst Travel Experience?

    Peace Corps: On a bus in Guatemala. A group of three teens in MS-13 [ a notorious gang] decide to rob our bus. Being the only American on the bus and having just gone to the bank, I took all the ...

  15. Our Worst Travel Experience Ever

    Something downright terrifying. An experience where you legitimately fear for your life. Ours happened on our first major backpacking adventure in 2012, when we went on a six week tour with Intrepid Travel (Disclaimer: the bad experience had nothing to do with Intrepid!) through South East Asia - Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

  16. What Is Your Best or Worst Travel Experience?

    Maybe you're a careful travel planner. Maybe you like to play things by ear. Either way, things happen that you can never predict. Whether it's a place that captivated you, a person who ...

  17. My 10 WORST Travel Experiences of 2019

    10 Worst Travel Experiences Of 2019 Free motorbike ride in Bamako, Mali. The year of 2019 is coming to an end and I've had an incredible travel year, where I've visited more than 45 countries, new and old ones.. It sounds pretty much perfect, right? Well, not totally. These are my 10 Worst Travel Experiences of 2019! 10.

  18. What Are 10 Of Your Worst Travel Experiences? Come On, Don't ...

    But travel doesn't come without it's headaches and stress-inducing incidents. For this writing prompt, we are going to ask 10 questions about your worst travel experiences. Let's share the pain!

  19. The Curious Thing About My Worst Travel Experiences

    The Land Cruiser was stuck again. This time, it would take all of us. We piled out, one by one — eight strangers from six countries. The sh*t on Australia's all-sand K'gar Island gets thick ...

  20. My Ten Worst Travel Experiences

    My worst travel experience was at the airport in Siem Reap, when my friends and I were pulled out of the immigration line and made to stand at the side till everyone had passed through. They kept checking our passport pages on their computer over and over again, even though everything was in place, including the mandatory Ministry of Defence ...

  21. My ten worst travel experiences

    After my feel good top ten travel moments of 2013 post and my ten amazing experiences while travelling the world, I thought I would head over to the dark side of travel for this Flashback Friday and go through some of my worst travel experiences.. Travel is not always fun, in fact sometimes it's bloody horrible. It's easy to focus on the good because, thankfully, mostly travel is awesome.

  22. Worst Travel Experience

    Worst Travel Experience Murad Sezer / Reuters When an In-Flight Dispute Turns Into an FBI Interview Kaveh Waddell; April 20, 2017 Trying Times in Transit: Your Remaining Stories ...

  23. What was your worst travel experience? : r/travel

    What was your worst travel experience? I've had some amazing travels and a handful of awful experiences. Curious to know what yours were. One of my top 3 would be the train ride from Prague to Berlin. No AC, no water, roasting day. No electricity either, so no charging phones or lights when we went through tunnels.

  24. The worst places to travel in 2024

    The worst places to travel in 2024. There's no doubt that travel is a booming business and the popularity of going to new places is not declining. In fact, an expected 4.7 billion people will be ...

  25. Detroit Metro Airport ranks as 3rd best in America

    1:20. If you're looking to catch a flight, Detroit Metro Airport is the way to go. A new report finds the airport the third best in the nation for stress-free travel. The ranking by AirHelp, a ...