short travel stories funny

My Funniest, Cringiest & Most Embarrassing Travel Stories

Last Updated: October 18, 2023

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Whenever I tell people I’m a travel blogger, the first response I typically get (well, besides the backing away slowly) is “wow you must have so many fascinating travel stories to tell” .

At which point I laugh nervously and try to change the subject.

The truth is, most of my best travel stories happen because I did something shockingly stupid, as opposed to the fearlessly inspirational wanderlust stories most people imagine.

Truth be told, these days, my site (like many travel blogs) is more geared towards helpful, practical how-tos and guides. That’s what the people tend to want, and (truthfully) that’s where the money is.

But you really can’t beat a good travel story.

So here are my top stories about travel – zapped of all practical tips and paraded here for your amusement only.

Save this list of funny travel stories for later!

You’ll be very glad you did.

To offer a semblance of organization to the chaos, I’ve divided my travel stories into the following sections:

My funniest and most embarrassing travel stories (short travel stories to make you laugh)
My best travelogues (journal style content that is only slightly more serious)
An archive of my old travel updates organized by month/year

Simply tap on each Travel Story title and the tale will reveal itself. Enjoy!

My Funniest & Most Embarrassing Travel Stories

I’ve long considered myself a magnet for cringe, awkwardness and embarrassment. Luckily. my pride’s loss is your entertainment’s gain! Here are the funniest travel stories I have in my repertoire.

I’ve always considered myself a grandma in disguise.

After all, I love baking cookies, I often use the term “youths” non-ironically, and quite frankly: I’m nostalgic for time periods I wasn’t even alive to witness.

But you know, dating a grandpa by accident – that’s where I draw the line.

And as absurd as it sounds, this happened. I went on a date with a man 3x my age one night in Liverpool. All by accident.

Here is that story.

Let me start things off by saying – I wouldn’t consider it an actual “date”, though maybe he thought differently. Moreover, my boyfriend finds this story rather hilarious so let’s not slander my name with terms like adulterous and wench.

Anyways, last summer I found myself in Liverpool while criss crossing England by train. This was a true bucket list trip for me, one that I’d dreamt of ever since deciding in high school that I’d be weird and listen exclusively to music that was at least 40 years old.

So yes, an early onset obsession with the Beatles is what led me to Liverpool.

My visit coincided with peak season, meaning a hostel was all I could afford without subsisting off ramen the entire trip. I was excited though – it had been a while since I’d stayed at a hostel, and I was looking forward to the social element.

Well, the social element definitely came through in a way I did not expect.

One night, after delighting myself with countless Beatles tours that flung my fangirl heart into overdrive, one piece that remained missing was seeing a live performance at the Cavern Club, where the Beatles rocked the stage decades ago.

I stopped at my hostel to quickly drop off my things and rest up before attending the show.

To my surprise, as I flung the door open, one of my dormmates happened to be slightly above the average age of a backpacker.

… By like, 50 years.

“Oh helloooo!!” he sang as I tip toed in. His enthusiasm was undeniable.

After an awkward hello, I quickly learned that this man, easily 50 years my senior was in fact a local – Liverpool born and raised, supposedly holed up in my hostel dorm due to some water issues at his own home.

And while I was taught since birth to avoid hanging out alone in rooms with strange old men, I was captivated by his stories. He rattled on and on about what it was like to grow up in Liverpool during such an important time (yes, he grew up with the Beatles’ rise to fame), and chatted about his favourite spots in the city.

Then came my ultimate blunder.

In an awkward attempt to fill the conversation, I asked him if he had ever seen the Beatles tribute band at the Cavern Club on Thursdays.

His response?

“That sounds great. LET’S GO!”

Did I just ask him OUT?

It seems, in a comical twist of events, he had interpreted my question as an invitation, and before I could clarify he was already rattling off how excited he was to be going again.

As a safety net, I roped in another guy from the dorm to come, turning my awkward maybe-date into a definite threesie-date type situation.

We took the short 5 minute walk to the Cavern Club, and as I slipped through those iconic doors to see the exact setting where the Beatles performed decades ago, I temporarily forgot I was on a date with a strange old man.

What about my safety net invite, you might ask? Let me tell you – that man did NOT stick around. He soon faded to the back of the room and left me alone with my grand-date, who had sweetly scavenged some beers for us as the concert began.

But I was too blissed out to care. After all, I was in the Cavern Club, watching a Beatles Tribute Band that (to my blurry vision) was a dead-ringer for the real Fab Four.

This was living.

Of course, there were moments here and there that would snap me back to my bizarre reality, like when Gran-Date tried to teach me how to twist.

Or when he tapped me on the shoulder mid-twist to say “I’m so glad you dragged me to this!”, likely to the horror of anyone who could hear.

But most curious of all was when briefly after the intermission, I turned to my side mid-jam, and found my Gran-Date nowhere to be found.

Gone like the wind. Replaced with a wall of drunk tourists.

Apparently I’d been ghosted.

After the concert, I walked back to the hostel, soaking in the brisk Liverpool air, trying to process the simultaneous euphoria of a bucket list concert and the bizarre company I’d mistakenly roped into the ordeal.

And just as I pondered the mystery of my disappearing date, I slipped into our shared hostel dorm and found him snoring away in his bottom bunk, dreaming (I assume) of the golden days where he’d twist and shout the night away.

I slipped into my bunk, dress soaked through with the stench of smoke and spilled beer from the Cavern Club, thinking about what a weird day that all was.

All in all though, I’ve had worse dates.

There are few times in my life when I have laughed hysterically, uncontrollably and in sheer terror.

My dear readers, today I will recount to you one of those times.

This is the story of how I once managed to forget an entire suitcase on my way to a trip. No, I did not leave it at a bus stop. I did not negligently have it taken from me in a busy cross street. No, I simply left it on the floor, meticulously packed on the dusty carpet of my studio apartment, probably wondering why his mommy left him.

It was a hazy November evening, specifically – it was Black Friday.

Exhausted from a recent press trip and the daunting catch-up to be played that morning, I can fully admit I was not myself, mentally-speaking. Marbles might have been lost, or destroyed entirely.

But a Christmas market getaway was soon to be my reward for a hard day’s work!

My to-do list that day was the only thing standing between me and a weekend in üusseldorf munching on bonbons and frolicking wherever the glühwein was fresh.

So, dutifully, I started my day by packing for the weekend, and then proceeded to spend the next 8 hours glued at my desk, clacking away at the keyboard.

When my boyfriend got home from work, we had to act fast. Our train was set to depart within the hour, so it was very much a “grab bags and go situation”. Luckily, having pre-packed, I felt pretty smug as he darted around trying to find his toothpaste while shoving all his things into an oversized duffel.

I was clacking away at my keyboard up until the moment he said “time to go!”, at which point I threw my laptop in my backpack and off we went.

Throughout the 15 minute commute to Munich’s main train station, I kept my nose glued to my phone, attempting in earnest to craft the perfect caption for a Facebook post (yes, really).

“How Cosmopolitan of me!” I thought. A woman on the go juggling work so effortlessly en route to a weekend away in a glassy new city.

I AM CARRIE BRADSHOW MEETS MICHELLE OBAMA, I gloated giddily to myself, thumbs still working as the U-Bahn came to a slow crawl.

Hauptbahnhof. Central Station. That’s me – the woman on the go.

It was at this moment that I felt the emptiness of my hands.

I didn’t have ANY OF MY STUFF.

In horror, I realized I hadn’t brought the suitcase I had so dutifully packed, and had nothing on me but my small black backpack with my laptop and camera.

But with my train leaving in 10 minutes, I had to go. Forget running back to get my suitcase – I had to bust my butt to even make it on the train.

Luckily, I did.

And so I sat on my overheated train bound for Düsseldorf, 5 hours ahead to allow the full gravity of my problem sink in.

I had no clothes… nothing but the woolen granny sweater I threw on last minute, and a black tank top which was sure to be caked soon with 72 hours’ worth of sweat and humiliation.

And my boyfriend? Smugly unhelpful.

There are a few moments of my life that I’m not terribly proud of. In the aftermath of my realization, and amidst the hysterical laughter that followed, I would have traded places with any of those prior moments 20 times over.

But as they say, even lemons can be made into lemonade. I hurled myself into a DM upon arrival and stocked up on makeup and hygiene essentials, and treated myself to a dorky Christmas sweater to last me the rest of the weekend so I had at least one outfit change.

Add on some borrowed clothes from my cooperative boyfriend, and I was back in business, able to frolic and enjoy Düsseldorf’s Christmas markets to my heart’s content.

72 hours later, when I arrived back home to Munich, I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically a final time as I saw my sad suitcase sitting in the middle of the room, handle up, ready to go… exactly as I had left it only a few short days ago.

Maybe next time, bud. Maybe next time.

Warning: this story will make zero sense if you have not seen Game of Thrones (or at least familiar with its main characters). Read at your discretion.

Dear readers, there was a time not too long ago that I was a raging, rabid fangirl.

Like, to the point where I would fly long distances to meet my favourite musicians, gift them fan art, and attend the PBS taping of their concert special.

And while those dark times are now (fortunately) in the past, there are still some specks of that fangirl enthusiasm that remain.

Said speck is what spurred me to buy a last-minute ticket to see Kit Harrington’s play in the West End by myself on one random London day, an expensive and spontaneous decision that would lead to one of the weirder days of my life.

(Bear in mind this took place during the peak of Game of Thrones hysteria, so try not to judge me too hard)

With a ticket confirmation in hand for the performance later that evening, I swung by the Duke of York’s Theatre in the late afternoon to get my ticket.

As I exited the theatre, my fangirl spidey senses began to tingle. Stood steps from the door, I watched as a silver car pulled up to the curb…

And the passenger door swung open to reveal a mass of curly black hair.

KIT. FREAKING. HARRINGTON.

Literal metres from me.

I froze in place as a mob of fans seemingly emerged from nowhere, swarming him for photos and autographs. He made a pretty firm beeline for the theatre, stopping only for a photo or two.

And just like that, he was gone.

As I reeled trying to process that flash entrance, a French accented voice snapped me out of my daze.

“He arrives everyday at this time. I always come when I have the day off” she said.

I turned to see a girl about my age, holding a letter she’d written for Kit and intended to give him.

For a few minutes, I chatted with my fellow fangirl in battle. She told me how she’d met Kit Harrington only twice, but she’d recently met Shawn Mendez 11 times, and how she had a group chat on Whatsapp with fellow fangirls where they swapped Shawn-spotting tips daily.

She also told me how Kit’s work had helped her during a tough time, and that she’d written him a letter with the specifics… something she intended to give him at some point today, even though she didn’t have a ticket to the show.

I knew instantly, if anyone was going to crowbar her way into Jon Snow’s heart with weaponized fear, it would be her and her alone.

So we said our goodbyes, I grabbed a romantic Chipotle dinner for one (AKA the ‘Cry for Help’ combo) and headed back to the theatre.

There, I watched the play (it was terrible) and rushed outside right after the final bows, just as I was instructed.

Immediately, I saw my new ally, feet planted into the concrete, guarding her position at the front of the gate. She motioned me over, permitting me the honour of fighting by her side in this battle.

I mean… with stakes as high as breathing Kit Harrington’s air, we needed a united front.

Together we stood, hopes high with every squeak of the door, watching with the ferocity of hawks. Countless cast members exited, each ushering in their own wave of disappointment.

Then, finally – another squeak of the door… and there he was! Black curls, black coat. “King of the North!!!!” Except, sad? Oh no….

We watched as he leaned in and whispered with his security guard. Suspenseful murmurs. In the silence, you could almost HEAR the crowd peeing their pants.

Then, he turned away. The King of the North turned away… and walked off.

“Unfortunately Kit is feeling under the weather and can’t do signings today,” announced the foxy security guard.

Nooooooo!! YOU KNOW NOTHING, JON SNOW!!!!! I later pieced together that this was the evening he had gotten in massive trouble in the media for claiming male actors were also “sexual objects”. Not a great chapter of sweet Kit’s life, I’ll tell you.

And so, defeated, the crowd dispersed, eager (I’m sure) to air their grievances over Twitter.

In my grief, I began my walk of sadness towards the Tube. I walked no more than a few blocks to see another mob of fans, no different from the one I had just bitterly exited. Feeling like I had nothing to lose, I asked an excited gaggle of girls in line “What are you waiting for?”

Their answer? “ROBB STARK! HE’S PLAYING ROMEO!”

……… Iiiiiiiinteresting.

Like a well-trained robot, I claimed my spot in the Robb mob.

And not even 10 minutes later, the play ended, the crowds emerged and our mob doubled in size. Another 10 minutes and Robb Stark was there – right before our eyes, smiley, charming and beautiful as ever.

Somehow I had weaseled my way into the front of the mob, literally a foot away from him. Bear in mind I hadn’t even watched the play, so had no ticket, no program, nothing for him to sign.

There I stood, deer in headlights, nothing to sign, just a fangirly glob of goo vaguely pieced together as a human being. As he passed me, he smiled, Sharpie in hand, then, seeing that I was just a motionless psycho who didn’t even want an autograph, he moved on as quickly as he came.

And so, I suppose I did end up meeting the King of the North, one way or the other. Proof that sometimes fairytales do come true.

… You just have to be a little shameless 😉

It’s 5pm at Gatwick Airport and my pockets are filled with bacon.

Literal, raw slabs of bacon.

… as in, “salty fat strips plucked from the fluorescent freezer at Tesco’s” bacon.

I can admit this was a bizarre situation to be in, but allow me to pepper in a smidge of context. You see, for some time, one of my biggest gripes with life in Germany had zero to do with the red tape, the bureaucracy or the fact that it made me fat. Rather, my #1 complaint was simply the bacon: too thin, too flimsy and woefully unsatisfying.

So when I found myself in London for a little break before retreating back to Germany, I immediately recognized an opportunity…

“England has GREAT bacon” my brilliant mind mused.

I could simply bring home a bundle of English bacon and then rid my new German life of its one mild (but troubling) imperfection.

I’ll take my Nobel Prize by mail, thank you.

Slow clapping at my supposed perfect plan, I set the wheels in motion. One cloudy London morning, en route to the airport, I slid my way into a fluorescent Tesco’s and got my claws on a few packs of sweet English bacon.

Fast forward to airport security.

… I’m sure you can tell where this is going.

After dutifully removing my coat, my shoes, and my bag, I went through my usual security routine, perfected over dozens of airport visits and that classic Canadian fear of confrontation.

Then it happened…

I watched as my backpack zipped into place on the secondary conveyer belt, the one intended for re-checks of delinquent liquids above 100mL and rogue electronics.

Except my backpack wasn’t filled with delinquent liquids or rogue electronics. My backpack was filled with sweet, English bacon.

Paranoid thoughts began to cloud my already questionable judgment. Oh god, what did I do? Was it worth it? Was I doomed to rot in airport jail, alongside other fearless smugglers of cured meat?

I stood there, accumulating pools of sweat in my furry Uggs, as he swabbed my bag for classic things one might smuggle, like Columbian cocaine. All he managed to locate however were the tattered remains of my dignity.

“It’s bacon,” I squeaked.

The look on his face said it all. If I could translate facial expressions, his probably translated to “daheq did you just say, child?”

“It’s bacon. I hope that’s okay. I just… the bacon is Germany isn’t very good… so…” I continued to mumble.

After the disbelief washed off his face, I watched in slow motion as Mr. Airport Security flashed a smile. “So the bacon’s no good then?” he confirmed.

I breathed a sigh of relief as he handed me my bag and moved onto the next delinquent in line. No airport jail, just a crippling sense of shame. Also known in my life as an average Friday night.

I wish I could tell you the rest of the commute was smooth. Unfortunately, I found myself at the mercy of EasyJet’s strict one bag policy, meaning my backpack had to be stuffed in my carry-on suitcase, which simply wouldn’t shut for one reason:

That damn bacon.

So that’s how it ended up in my pockets. All of it. There was nowhere else to put it.

Boarding that flight, I threw on my big burly coat, pockets precariously stuffed with bacon, as I climbed into my narrow seat, I prayed for mercy from the gods of embarrassment. “Please don’t let a pack fall out… please don’t have anyone tell me Miss, you’ve dropped your…….. bacon?!”

I am forever indebted to the gods of mercy because thankfully, dear readers, all of said bacon did manage to stay unseen, all throughout the 2 hour flight and the subsequent 1 hour commute home…

Success: My sketchy meat smuggling remained secret for another day.

And yet, amidst all that chaos…. I can still say: I have zero regrets. That well travelled bacon (who has travelled to more countries than some actual humans) turned out to be just as delicious as I hoped. Just maybe next time, I’ll bring a bigger suitcase.

I often speak about my travel experiences with a fairly a rosy lens – with words like magical, enchanting and postcard-perfect getting prominent use in my (admittedly) Disney-fied vocabulary.

But there are travel experiences that jade even me, the token overexcited corgi of the travel blogger world.

Today I’d like to share with you one of those times.

This is the untold story of when my boat in Venice vanished, and the whirlwind hell that ensued.

Once upon a time, when I was still interning for a river cruise company as a photo reporter, it was my actual job to visit magical places, live on boats and document the whole thing.

My 5 th cruise brought me to Venice, one of the most romantic cities in the entire world.

I had been there before once as a high schooler, and I couldn’t wait to see it again in my more mature form. As I rode from the airport to the docks, I passed through an industrial side of Venice I had never seen before. Giant loading zones for mammoth cruise ships, and woah – roads. The Venice I knew didn’t have roads.

As we reached our stop: “San Basilio Dock”, my taxi driver pulled into an empty parking lot and gestured unhelpfully towards the water. “Boats there!”

At the time, I was confident I’d figure it out. There was no time to clarify or press. I was in Venice! There was pasta to be eaten! Gondoliers to fall in love with! Or you know, at the very least, many tourist pictures to photo bomb.

And so, I made my way along the water, passing super yachts, cruises, little dinghys. I didn’t know how long I’d have to walk but at this point, I had seen these cruises multiple times, I thought I’d recognize it instantly, so I wasn’t worried.

… About 15 minutes later, that delayed worry began to kick in. Where was this stupid boat?

Nervously, I dragged my rolling suitcase across the rickety cobblestones, demolishing the romantic ambiance with my utter lack of grace.

I still do wonder how many proposals I ruined that night.

Up and down, I searched for my boat. I doubled back twice as the sun sank lower and lower behind the rippling waves of blue.

In my panic, I ducked into the only official looking building around, showing someone a print out of my boat’s name, and the printed instructions to visit this exact dock.

The burly Italian man, with orange, sunburnt skin squinted at my papers… Then with 4 words, destroyed my already shaky sense of confidence.

“MS Michaelangelo? No here!” He accompanied his harsh words with an even harsher X made with his arms, to really hammer in the fact that no, this boat was not here, I was kinda homeless in Venice and I had no (real) idea where I actually was.

All I could muster was a weak “okay” as I escaped outside to contemplate my demise.

Searching through all my papers in a panic, I finally found the boat’s phone number. A fast-talking Italian woman greeted me on the other end.

“No no no, we are not at San Basilio. Walking will take 1.5 hours, take the vaporetto and….” The rest of her directions came out in a jumbled, frenzied mess, capped off with an “okay bye”.

It turned out the boat had not simply vanished, but was docked elsewhere for the night due to scheduling/water levels.

But how the heck was I supposed to get there?!

Nervously, I waddled to the first vaporetto spot I could see. I didn’t know how to read the timetable, so I just stood there, and literally stared. I was the definition of helpless. The vaporetto schedules made no sense, it was getting dark, I had no idea how to get to this boat, and I was (quite honestly) certain of my imminent death.

Then a voice came from nowhere.

“Do you need help?”

There stood a short, thin man, teeth so bright they practically glowed.

Over a short conversation, I found out he had lived in Montreal for 10 years, now in Venice for 20 and knew the city like the back of his hand. I told him the name of my new location, and he explained the complicated route to me, which required two vaporetto transfers and a short walk in the dark. My eyes were glazed over. I had no idea what he was saying.

And so Mr. Mysterious Montreal stood with me as countless boats passed. “Not this one”, he would repeat. He probably had kids wondering where the heck he was all night. “Helping a useless Canadian girl, kids… helping a useless Canadian girl.”

Then, it came. Vaporetto #2. Like an action movie right before an impending explosion, he held his foot down on the boat, extending his hand and shoving me on board through the exit.

I sat there in fear the entire time, clutching my suitcase like my first born, as the Venetian sun came down. For a brief second, the worry dissipated as I caught glimpse of the final shreds of orangey sunset in the sky. I followed the steps as advised, and arrived to the boat like a traumatized puppy – drained and in need of a good cuddle.

And so, as I entered my tiny cabin home for the next week, I set my bags down and heaved a sigh of relief. I didn’t die in Venice that night, but what happened the day after made me wish I had.

… but of course that’s a story to be continued.

I embarrass myself often, but there are times far worse than others that make me wish I could buy a secluded cabin in the woods and never see another human again.

This tale of a chocolate goatee was one of such times.

When I arrived in Venice to find my boat was nowhere to be found, I was traumatized (to put it lightly) and in need of some serious dessert therapy.

With a free day before my cruise was set to begin (I was working on board as the resident blogger/photographer), I decided to embark on a personal mission to eat the woes away: find the largest gelato I can find, and eat it.

So that’s what I did.

If my life were a coming of age film, this would have been the montage scene of me living my best life to upbeat music, dancing through the streets of Venice as a liberated solo female traveller. I escaped into narrow streets, skipped across bridges and you know, embraced a day of feeling pretty darn pleased with myself.

I felt like James Bond gliding through the streets, only with a much less serious mission: to find and consume a gelato the size of my face.

And I found one!

A perfect, giant gelato cone the size of my face – 4 whole scoops – for only 5 euros.

I ferociously wolfed it down, realizing I had only 15 minutes to get back to the boat for boarding and introductions. I would soon be officially meeting the crew I’d spend a week with, alongside all the passengers I’d be tasked with interacting with. I wanted to make a good first impression. Riding off the sugar high, I was rocking my favourite dress and I felt on top of the world. I was ready to impress.

I walked up to the boat, many passengers already boarding. I introduced myself to passengers, to crew, to pretty much anyone that would listen because I WAS JUST SO HYPED UP ON SUGAR.

I thought I did great.

Feeling mighty proud of myself for successfully interacting with humans, I walked back to my room, still riding that sugar high (and now a grossly inflated sense of self-confidence).

That’s when I looked in the mirror.

And oh god… it even hurts to type this right now…

I had a flipping goatee.

A GIANT, CHOCOLATE GOATEE.

What had happened? Who had I pissed off in another life to warrant this kind of karma?!

I had a slow motion flashback to my first voracious lick of that gelato. My chin landed right on the chocolate scoop. I must have been too enamoured by the treat to notice. I had just met everyone on the boat, passengers and crew, had full-on CONVERSATIONS, all with a chocolate splat the size of Mt Vesuivus firmly stained on my chin.

It was my worst professional blunder to date.

But it didn’t retain that honour for long.

Because less than a week after, I would do something far, far worse.

Though again, that’s another story to be continued…. 😉

When people lightheartedly ask if I’ve ever missed a flight, my entire body cringes.

Because my dear readers, the answer is Yes…. Yes I have. By an entire 24 hours.

You might be wondering how this is even possible… well, here is that story.

During the summer of 2015, I worked as an intern on board European river cruises, documenting the experience for the company’s blog and social media channels.

My 5 th cruise brought me to Venice, where I encountered a rough start (the boat had vanished) and an even rougher middle (when I introduced myself to everyone while rocking a chocolate goatee).

Little did I know, the end of this cruise would by far take the cake… and it still goes down as one of my worst travel fails in history.

My next destination was Croatia, the cruise I had been looking forward to most. I had heard time and time again that this was one of the company’s best cruises, and I even had a friend I met on a previous cruise set to work that route with me.

So on my final day in Venice, I was excitedly awaiting my taxi when I got the worst phone call I’ve received (probably) in my entire life.

Sat in the ship’s lounge, sipping a too-sweet cocktail, my phone began to shake, quickly lighting up with a string of mysterious numbers.

Nothing could have prepared me for what came next.

“This is the captain of your Croatian cruise. Where are you????” an angry voice shouted on the other side.

My heart sank. My stomach dropped. I might have peed a little, who knows.

Over the course of a panicked conversation, I was made to realize I had somehow missed my plane by 24 hours, that the crew had been expecting me since yesterday and that they were set to depart in a few hours, without me on it.

Through a further round of panicked phone calls with my supervisor, I went through rounds of apologizing profusely, them saying they would get back to me and then, the gutwrenching blow: There was no way I could make it to Croatia in time for this cruise.

I felt like I could literally see my dreams get thrown out the window.

I ended up staying in Venice an extra 3 days, and placed on a cruise in Berlin in lieu of Croatia and the Loire Valley in France. Of course, things could have been much worse, but I couldn’t shake that feeling of complete failure and humiliation.

Of course, in time, as most things do, this story resolved itself. The first fully sponsored trip I was offered on this blog was, you guessed it, a sailing trip through Croatia. It felt like my life had come full circle, and you know what – things do (no matter how mortifying) happen for a reason.

I guess, sometimes happily ever afters come a little delayed.

For many, the prospect of hitchhiking sounds like an enchanting shortcut to getting murdered.

Having grown up on movies and TV shows where hitchhikers were exclusively murder-bait, I too subscribed to this belief.

But when a few friends and I attempted a really poorly planned hike in Bosnia & Herzegovina and missed our last bus in the process, we had no choice but to give it a try.

After all, we were three nervous girls stranded in Blagaj with no more buses until the next day. The sun was setting, the hanger was imminent, and times were getting desperate.

So with a deep breath, we stuck out our thumbs.

Within minutes, a BMW began to slow as it came up to us, and it truthfully took everything in me to not immediately run for the hills screaming for my mom.

Luckily, my friends were brave.

“Mostar??” we collectively said, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible. He nodded wordlessly and then waved us in.

And so, like the start of any good horror movie, we three girls piled into a stranger’s car.

As we drove, the language barrier became clear immediately.

Attempting only with excessive gesturing to get his point across, our driver admitted to knowing zero English and continued to furiously blab in a language we knew zero of.

But soon, his tone changed. We turned onto a vast county round and his eyes lit up.

“Lavanda!” he proclaimed.

“Lavanda, lavanda! MY lavanda.” The repetition was Pokemon-esque, and deeply confusing.

He whipped out his ID card, and in minimal English tried to explain to us his roots, his religion and what he did for a living.

Tough topics to tackle when you know like 3 words.

But nonetheless he persisted and continued the drive, which was scenic and somehow pleasant despite the broken conversation.

The short drive passed uneventfully, and as he pulled up to the curb a few blocks away from our hostel, he ejected himself from the driver’s seat and popped open his trunk.

“This was it! He was gonna throw us in the trunk and never look back!!!” The paranoid freak in me lamented.

But no. None of that happened. Instead, he flashed a toothy grin as he unveiled his roomy trunk…

Which was filled with tiny draw-string packets of dried lavender.

Lavanda. Lavender. This man was a lavender farmer!

“Lavanda!” he said for a final time as he waved us off and got back into his car.

Relieved and dazed, my friends and I continued our walk home, laughing to ourselves that we had just rode through Bosnia & Herzegovina with a baller lavender mogul.

And true fact: he’s the reason why to this day, I still smile every time I see lavender.

Once upon a time, I drove through the Dolomites with a burst appendix.

Except just kidding – my appendix hadn’t burst, though for some time I was very convinced it had.

You see, being a drama queen and mild hypochondriac has troublesome consequences.

For one, WebMD will literally keep me up at night. By my own diagnoses, I should have died twenty seven times.

Another consequence, clearly, is interpreting mere stomach pain as a serious medical condition, whilst among the mountains in a foreign country.

It was while driving through the stunning Dolomite mountains in Northern Italy that the latter happened.

And it’s painfully embarrassing to recall, even now. It was an early morning and we had been driving for about an hour, en route to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike, one that has dominated my bucket list for years. That’s when it hit me.

“Ow. My stomach hurts.” I whined to my boyfriend as he diligently weaved through the route’s hairpin turns.

It could have been all those winding roads, or perhaps the fact that I was practically inhaling a bucket of yogurt because I wanted to save time on breakfast… but my stomach started to clench, like someone had clamped over my intestines and just started twisting.

I couldn’t tell if I wanted to vomit, cry or what.

We pulled over to a scenic viewpoint, and as I opened the door, I keeled over like a little baby.

Truly, without exaggeration, I had never experienced this level of pain before in my life.

“I think maybe my appendix burst” I declared to my all-too-worried boyfriend as I sprawled out on a luckily placed bench.

Here’s a hot travel tip for you: when you literally pull out Google maps and search “hospital”, there’s a high likelihood you could in fact be in trouble. This is what he began to do just in case.

Then came the WebMD. A list of vague symptoms that apply already to most people.

“Do you feel nauseous?” YES

“Do you need to pee?” I DON’T KNOW, MAYBE.

And while I was ready to speed off to an Italian hospital for what I was sure would be an emergency surgery, my boyfriend, every the rational one, tried to calm me down. He encouraged me to lay still for a few moments and try to breathe.

Within minutes, the pain began to ease.

He then suggested we go for a walk around the lake to hopefully “walk it off”.

Indeed, a loop around the lake and I was fine.

As we headed back into the car, appendix (most likely) in tact, I realized maybe I was indeed being a bit of a drama queen.

But if there’s one thing you take away from this story, it’s this: do not eat yogurt in a fast moving vehicle. The symptoms may lead you to believe that death is imminent.

My Top Travelogue Stories

If you’re looking for more journal-style travel stories complete with photos, here are some of my best ‘travelogues’, from Verona to Istanbul!

“So, how did you meet your boyfriend?”

For me, that’s always a fun question to answer. I could tell you that I met my boyfriend halfway across the world while dressed as a teddy bear (which is true), or that our first date involved building an IKEA table (which is also true).

I could detail the very random circumstances that led to our meeting, and the string of punny conversations that promptly followed… but the reality is: I probably would not have a boyfriend if it weren’t for one thing: Flixbus.

Yes, the budget bus company.

I guess, in the random tangled mess that is my life, this odd choice of Cupid makes sense. Here’s how a simple bus trip landed me a new leading man.

Let me start by saying the obvious: dating in the 21st century is a very interesting thing, full of secretive codes, unspoken rules and bucket loads of uncertainty. I’ve never been good at these kinds of games, especially since my first relationship started at the bright-eyed age of 15 and lasted… well, until last September.

Call me rusty, call me out of touch, but one thing I pride myself on is that I’m not a complete and total maniac.

… Well at least I thought so… until I booked a VALENTINE’S DAY getaway to ITALY with a GUY WHO WASN’T MY BOYFRIEND.

Yes guys… raise those red flags.

To be fair, I’m a spontaneous exchange student.

When you’re doing study abroad, weekends away are pretty much on par with grocery shopping in terms of frequency.

So naturally, one day, while chatting with a new boy in my life, the conversation switched to a cheap sale that Flixbus was having. 10 euro tickets for almost all their routes. It was a tempting offer indeed.

With a midnight cutoff pending, we proceeded to plan a trip at lightning speed.

“Where do you want to go?” Uhhh Verona. “Let’s do the weekend of the 12th?” Okay.

30 seconds later, we were booked. Sure, a weekend away seemed a bit committal for two 20-something ‘seeing each others’, but we got along really well, so what could go wrong?

Well…

Verona is one of the most romantic destinations in Italy, and even one of the most romantic destinations in Europe! This photo diary provides inspiration for a two day itinerary and weekend escape to Verona.

Turns out that was Valentine’s Weekend.

Valentine’s weekend in Verona, to be precise… one of the most romantic destinations in Europe.

There would be red wine, beautiful art, cheesy candles, and many guitar serenades from men named Pablo.

The result of our epiphany was not panic or cancellations… on the contrary, after bouts of nervous laughter and jokes, a mutual decision was made to embrace clichés and make this the cheesiest weekend we possibly could.

So, with this mindset, I packed a suitcase decked in red and black, channelled my inner rom com heroine and embarked on a ‘romantic getaway’ for the ages.

We arrived on Friday afternoon and soon learned the hard way that storms do not press pause for anybody, not even two dummies on a ‘special romantic getaway’.

We arrived at our bed and breakfast in the state of two drowned cats.

Our chatty host Vittorio (a burly Italian man with a perfect beard) welcomed us in, at which point I could have passed out. In an unexpected turn of events, our room was gorgeous . I mean, for a last-minute booking on Hostelworld, I definitely did not expect this:

Gold-framed mirrors, dreamily draped curtains, and wall motifs of books and clocks… There was even a tray of snacks, aperitifs and wine to welcome us.

By the end of our first interaction, it’s safe to say we were both head over heels for Vittorio, who sang Rihanna at the top of his lungs when he thought we couldn’t hear him (another true story).

After collectively fangirling over our room, we hit the city, armed with a map scribbled with recommendations from our bearded Italian angel. Hence began Operation Romantic Getaway.

It wasn’t until we arrived in the city centre that we realized just how Valentinesy this trip was going to be. Strolling through Verona was like getting punched in the face with red, hearts and chocolate.

The city was brimming with festivities for the annual ‘Verona in Love’ celebration, which meant heart lanterns, an endless parade of couples and chocolate-dipped everything.

While we weren’t quite Romeo and Juliet, we did spend our first day #coupling pretty hard, wandering around Verona’s gorgeous little streets, exploring picturesque piazzas and cozying into cafes for gelato and drinks.

The rain only got fiercer as the day went on. By dinner time, we were a shivering mess of wet boots and numb fingers… which prompted us to seek refuge in the closest restaurant on Vittorio’s recommendations list.

We ended up in Ristorante Maffei, one of Verona’s top-rated restaurants – a place where fancy waiters wore white and we walked in (literally) on a red carpet. The verdict? We left very full, and very bankrupt.

The next day was a maniacal whirlwind of sightseeing. With Verona being a small city, we were able to cover an impressive amount of ground.

In the span of 10 hours, we explored grand churches like San Zeno and Sant’Anastasia , scaled the Torre di Lamberti for incredible panoramic views, got our culture on at the Achille Forti Gallery of Modern Art , soaked in the grandeur of the Verona Arena and walked through the Teatro Romano .

Of course, we capped things off with a mandatory stop at Juliet’s House, where we did NOT rub her statue’s boobs for good luck, in case you were wondering…

… But you know what? We didn’t need Juliet’s boobs. (Now, that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say). Instead, it seemed the magic of Verona was enough.

Throughout the two days of extreme coupling, we had indulged in all the cliches: running through the streets while holding hands, watching the sunset with a bottle of red, eating at fancy restaurants that we couldn’t afford.

Despite this story having all the trappings of a classic rom com, it wasn’t… this was my actual life.

A life that did, against all odds, get more cliched… because the weekend wasn’t over.

We were going to spend Valentine’s Day in Venice.

And it was there that he popped the question.

… to be his girlfriend though. Obviously. Read on for Part 2 of this Valentine’s Saga.

I’m a cheesy person, I really am.

BUT, sometimes, I’ll do things that even I find tremendously cringeworthy.

Spending Valentine’s Day in Venice was definitely one of those things.

A few weeks ago, a boy and I planned an accidental romantic getaway to Italy… ( backstory here ), and yes, if you’re still reading this, it was a genuine accident.

And, to clarify, we did not murder each other.

On the contrary, we decided to embrace the cheesiness of our circumstances, and inadvertently became an official couple in the process. I mean… Valentine’s weekend in Italy. We were kinda asking for it, weren’t we?

A visit to Venice is quite possibly one of the world’s most romantic holidays… I mean, come on. There’s the beautiful canals, the picturesque houses, and enough gelato to feed ten armies. Apart from the kitschy souvenir stalls, this city feels like a step back in time, and yes, it is extremely, heartachingly romantic.

But enough about Venice. You’ve probably read a million stories about it already.

You’re here for the stories of a psycho girl who dragged a guy to Venice on Valentine’s Day.

So how did that play out exactly?

The unreal view from St. Mark's Campanile.

After two days of non-stop red and hearts in Verona, we boarded a train to Venice, only a short hour away.

As far as romance goes, it seemed we had the odds stacked against us.

We arrived to an absolute downpour of rain, with a long drizzly walk from the train station to our canalside AirBNB. Surrounded by poncho-clad tourists and jabby selfie sticks, this was hardly the romantic vision that taunted us from the city’s many postcards…

But, you know how we dealt with it?

Alcohol. No, just kidding – optimism… and creativity! As it turns out, there’s no shortage of romantic things to do in Venice, even when it’s pouring rain.

Sure, you can’t laze out in sunny piazzas, but you can still explore the countless hidden backstreets that make this city so mysterious and wonderful. Along the way, you can still discover the hidden gems that give Venice its inexplicable magic, places like the Libreria Acqua Alta (one of the prettiest bookshops in the world) and the many mask shops that fill the Venetian streets.

And sure, with the rain, at times the gondolas don’t run, but you know what’s perfect rain or shine? The delicious comfort of a perfect, Italian meal.

So I guess what I’m saying is: Venice can be amazing with or without rain… you just need to find what makes it special for you.

And so we spent our time experiencing Venice differently… Instead of trudging around the main tourist sites, we ducked into cute cafes and shops whenever we could, enjoying the simple joy of perfect cappuccinos and crazy masks we could never pull off.

We took a day trip to Burano , rode up to St Mark’s Campanile and ate until we were human blobs. Genuinely, the city seemed void of V-Day gimmicks, a welcome relief from the heart explosion seen in Verona… Although I did have to run from a rose salesman (or ten).

And as for Valentine’s Day dinner? A cozy table for two, in a tiny restaurant where we were the only customers the entire evening. That’s the funny thing about Venice – no matter how crowded and touristic it gets, there’s always little pieces of this city that you can call your own.

And despite the torrential downpours, the rain-soaked crowds and the many many silly encounters with rose salesmen, I had the best time exploring Venice, the most cliched city in the world to spend Valentine’s Day.

… all because of a boy that I invited to Italy by accident.

A boy that, at the end of the weekend, formally asked me to be his girlfriend.

Which I now am.

So you know, sometimes life throws you a curveball, annnndd you get a boyfriend out of a Flixbus seat sale.

Seriously guys, never underestimate how random life can be.

You know what? I have to admit, sometimes I love it when things go wrong.

Tales of misadventure are my favourite because they’re the funniest, and well, like any optimist who hates dealing with their problems, laughter is my coping mechanism of choice.

You see, when things go awry for me (which, I admit, is often), I remind myself that no matter how scary, awful or random things are at the moment, a hilarious new story is waiting at the finish line.

With that in mind, I want to tell you about one of the most ridiculous nights of my first backpacking trip in 2014 – my accidental foray into Berlin’s alternative nightlife scene.

In a single night, I braved a gothic horror bar, a boozey Ping Pong pub, some punk rock tavern and a gay club nestled in an underground parking lot. An epic adventure for sure, which, like all great journeys, began because of a mistake.

This is the story of how I accidentally ended up on Berlin’s 666 Anti-Pub Crawl.

Truth be told, it was pretty much all my fault. As cliched and touristy as it was, I had my heart set on attending at least one pub crawl during my time in Europe.

After all, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it right? When we arrived at our hostel in Berlin, it seemed like it was fate that the welcome chalkboard wrote in bold letters: “PUB CRAWL TONIGHT – MEET IN THE LOBBY AT 8:45”. I figured, of all places, why not Berlin? Despite my travel partner’s reluctance, she gave into my puppy dog eyes.

That was her first mistake, because I should not be trusted with decisions.

A few hours (and coats of makeup) later, I had my party girl disguise on, eager to blend in with the throngs of cool, Berlin partygoers.

We were led to our first bar by a slightly-out-of-it tour guide, who rolled his cigarettes on his lap as we sat on the tram. Ha, oh Berlin, you so alternative.

Our night began at Yesterday , a quirky cocktail bar decked out in a crazy, over-the-top mish-mash of decor. Sunflowers topped the blue ceiling, with assorted knick knacks clinging to the walls.

There was just about anything you can imagine filling the corners of this place – even pinball machines. Our group appeared to be the only ones there, so we took this opportunity to get acquainted with everyone, shouting introductions over the mellow mix of 60s-80s oldies.

So far so good, I thought to myself. I’m so freaking hip! These people have no idea I’m a 20 year old granny.

A few potent cocktails later it was time for us to venture into the great unknown of Berlin’s nightlife. We were ushered outside, and huddled around our tour guides, one of which began with a compulsory spiel on what a great night we were going to have.

But, we knew something was off when he ended this pep talk with “Welcome to the 666 Anti-Pub Crawl!”

Wait, whaaaaaaaat?

That didn’t sound right. 666? Anti? It seemed like there was a simultaneous epiphany on our parts that this wasn’t what we had signed up for.

My group exchanged confused glances… Hmmm, the hostel never mentioned that this was, in fact, an “alternative” pub crawl and that we would soon be whisked away to solely off-the-beaten path nightlife destinations in Berlin.

Full disclosure: I’m not much of a partier. Yes, I’m a huge fan of wine and beer, but even at home in Canada, clubbing and going out is not my activity of choice.

This chronic homebody syndrome was probably a huge source of my discomfort throughout the night. Luckily, I’m a much braver soul when I travel, so I wasn’t too phased initially… I mean, what was the worst that could happen?

We were promptly separated into three groups, our new friends ripped from our clutches as we were dragged separately into the glittery abyss of Berlin’s party scene. With enthusiasm, our tour guide informed us of our first stop: Dr. Pong!

If the name doesn’t give it away, Dr. Pong is a ping pong bar. What exactly does that mean? It is literally what it sounds like – a bar where people play ping pong.

Immediately as I entered, I got the feeling that I wasn’t supposed to be there.

It had a seedy garage feel to it, with bare decor and a single blue ping pong table in the centre of the room. “ Oh my god we’re in a crack den”, exclaimed my travel partner.

She tends to be a worrier, and maybe she was being a little dramatic, but I felt some truth to her words. The bar’s windows were suspiciously covered, and the entire space had a grungier feel than us innocent girls were used to. No doubt, we were out of our element.

But alcohol could fix this right? A minimalist bar was set up in the back, so I grabbed myself a beer and took a seat on a creaky plastic chair. Drink until this feels okay was kind of the motto for the night.

After watching some sweaty men circle around the table playing ping pong, we were whisked off to our next stop. But first, we were treated to some free shots on the sidewalk! No doubt, I wasn’t in Canada anymore… But again, drink until this feels okay , right?

The next stop of our adventure was Last Cathedral, a heavy metal-blasting gothic horror bar.

… Talk about not fitting in.

The decor of this place was crazy. With skulls lining the bar counter and torch lighting on the walls, I felt like I was in Dracula’s basement. I’m pretty sure the locals could smell my nervous sweat from miles away.

Apparently it was singles night too, so yay lucky me.

Berlin’s gothic horror crowd (is that even a thing?) was out in full force, and they sure were singles ready for minglin’. I’ll never forget trying to dance to heavy metal that night, a feeble attempt at fitting in with the lone dancer – an enthusiastic German headbanger who flung his majestic mane like nobody’s business.

To ease my discomfort, I ate nachos here. I like nachos.

I didn’t take down the names of our last two stops, but nonetheless, we journeyed onwards. The first was a tavern featuring a live punk rock band. I think this spot was the most in my element. I love live music, and the band playing was pretty cool.

Save for the eye-stinging smoke machine, I was rather into it.

This stop gave us a chance to relax a bit, especially after braving three bars that were way different from what we were used to.

My travel partner was no doubt ready to murder me for this accidental adventure at this point, but I tried my best to laugh it off.

After all, travelling is your time to live a little and try something different. Even though some of the stops felt sketchy and unsuited to my taste, I learned a very valuable lesson that night:

Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.

After our chill punk rock session, we headed out to our last stop of the night, where we were reunited with our entire hostel group.

What magical place marked the end of this wonder tour, you ask? Of course, it was an underground gay night club! And when I say underground, I mean they literally brought us into a small elevator and lowered us into a smoky parking lot.

Well folks, I guess it doesn’t get more Berlin than that, right?

With blaring electronic music, glittery drag queens and an alarming lack of ventilation, it was a thoroughly interesting end to a crazy night.

As we trekked back home, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself about the last few hours and where I had been. Sometimes, travelling brings you the most random moments and adventures.

Absolutely, I was out of my comfort zone and felt totally sketched out half the time, but there was honestly no reason for me to be scared.

I was in a completely different part of the world, spending time where locals do, taking in new cultures (and subcultures!) that I would have never otherwise encountered.

At the end of the day, isn’t that what travelling is all about? Looking back, I could (and should) have been more openminded… and that’s a big lesson I learned for sure.

And although this little nightlife adventure was a bit much for my prudish, Canadian heart, it is still to this day one of my favourite memories from my Europe trip.

There’s something about Berlin’s nightlife that you just don’t forget. Regardless of whether or not I’d do it again, it’s safe to say: I had my taste of Alternative Berlin, and a great story to toss around for the rest of my life.

It’s 2pm on a Tuesday, and I’m strolling through the streets of Munich in a banana suit.

There are times when I do really question my life decisions, and no doubt, this was one of those times.

Now, before you assume I had some kind of mental banana suit breakdown, let me inform you that there was a reason for my fruitlicious garb.

One of the best things about living in Europe is the many reasons to celebrate and have fun, and this past Tuesday (recognized as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras elsewhere in the world) was one such example of mad celebrations at their best!

I mean, with Lent about to begin, it’s a common occurrence that good boys and girls get together and unleash all their madness before giving something up.

In Munich it’s called Fasching, elsewhere in Germany, it’s Karnevale… Carnival in Brazil, etc. etc. No matter how you name it, it’s a fun excuse to get out, be ridiculous and have a good time. It’s serious stuff though: Bavarians even get a half-day at work for the occasion!

So, eager to get in the Fasching spirit, I zipped up my teddy bear onesie, layered on my floppy ‘too long for me’ banana suit, and clasped the hand of my boyfriend, dressed up as a tropical version of Frozen’s Olaf.

What a pair.

What's it like to celebrate Fasching in Munich? Click through for a fun story of one blogger's 1st time celebrating Fasching in Germany (while of course, wearing a banana suit).

Our plan was to visit Munich’s main square, where we heard there were tons of stages, festivities, dancing, etc. happening.

With a 15min trek to Marienplatz, we couldn’t wait to get out and see everyone’s vibrant costumes and onesies! My mind was dancing with images of all the awesome party photos I had seen from the year prior, and I was certain the streets would be abuzz as soon as we stepped out.

And so, the banana and snowman hit the town.

… and there was nothing.

Well, besides some judgemental German frowns, there was nothing.

It was SO weird! Besides our ridiculous outfits, everyone else was cloaked in the unofficial Munich uniform of black waterproof coats and boots. For the 15 longest minutes of my life, we walked through town to reach Marienplatz…

A number of questions ran through our heads, namely…

“… Did we get the date wrong?”

“Are snowmen and bananas offensive???”

“How quickly can we run if a hypothetical mob chose to attack us?”

Even as we crossed into Old Town, through the (usually lively) Hofgarten, we didn’t see a single soul dressed up. We were 100% sure we had somehow gotten the traditions or dates mixed up, and were already thinking up an escape route that would minimize our public humiliation.

Then, we saw it.

A tiger onesie here, a crazy clown there…

We had found our people!

Despite a shaky (and paranoid) start, we got to Marienplatz and finally found the party. The weather might have been grey and soggy, but the next few hours were an absolute blast.

Even better was the fact that there were all these traditions that we had no clue about, which made things all the more fun. From the many kids aggressively throwing confetti (AT us, by the way) to the red-faced partiers hollering German hits that I didn’t know the words to… it was all in all, a pretty wonderful way to spend a Tuesday.

We ate crepes, chowed down on Hungarian langos, bobbed in the crowd during a bunch of musical performances and in true Bavarian fashion, drank plenty of beer. The periodic rain and dreary Munich grey didn’t seem to deter anyone from being their craziest selves.

I even got stopped for a few photos, because clearly I’m one irresistible banana.

Maybe one day I’ll make it to the big Karneval celebrations in Cologne or maybe (let’s dream big), even Rio!

Until then though, I’m pretty happy with my first Fasching experience. In fact, I’m already brainstorming the costume ideas for next year…!

I need to make it known that I am the absolute worst road trip partner (possibly in the entire history of road trips).

Not only am I an inept driver, it seems I was also born without any inner compass, which means maps are (ironically, as a travel blogger), my kryptonite.

I had high hopes and dreams of exploring Germany’s romantic road last weekend, a plan quickly dashed by my lack of navigation skills and complete inability to stay awake in moving vehicles. You know how children unfailingly doze off in cars? That’s me, except far less cute.

German road trip inspiration! Click through for a funny story of a road trip around Germany gone wrong (then right).

This is how I ended up 100km off course during said road trip. The initial plan was to grab a bus up to Frankfurt, rent a car, take a detour to Eltz Castle and then onwards to Würzburg, where we’d drive along the Romantic Road down to Munich.

These were great plans, except for one fatal flaw: they counted on me being able to accomplish basic tasks … which I am not. After loading up the Google Maps route, I perked up as chief navigator and informed my boyfriend “It’s only 1.5 hours away!”. We got on the ever speedy Autobahn and those were the last words I remember, until I was gently nudged awake about an hour later.

“Are we almost there?” my boyfriend asked. I felt silly (but not surprised) that I fell asleep, but I assumed there weren’t many turns or exits anyway. I picked up my phone and realized that… nope, we were nowhere near Eltz Castle, and were in fact, en route to Cologne, about 100km away from where we had intended to go.

SOOO, I guess we were going to Cologne!

Now, this accidental detour wasn’t my first time in Cologne, but it was the first time I’d seen it so empty. I have to admit – it was really nice to step into the epic Cologne Cathedral without a huge crowd mobbing the front square.

The city was setting up for Karnevale (with big festivities this weekend), but there was barely anybody on the streets. With shops not yet open, and because apparently I hate myself, I decided to climb the cathedral’s tower, which was a thigh blasting 533 steps. A good morning workout to jolt me out of my zombie-like state!

We spent a little while exploring the city centre. I have to say, Cologne’s Old Town is ridiculously pretty, with picture-perfect sights like this that we got to enjoy all to ourselves. Not a bad place to chow down on a pretzel, I’d say. It was a short stop (mostly for a driving break/sustenance) but a pretty happy accident all in all.

After fuelling up with some breakfast and (maybe 10) energy drinks, we made the drive to Eltz Castle, our initial 1st stop.

I have to say: Eltz Castle is a sight truly worth the detour. I mean, hey, after all, this is travel guru Rick Steves’ favourite castle (sorry for that nerd fact), and for a guy who’s travelled a ton and seen (I assume) his fair share of castles, that’s a rather big deal. We visited knowing full well that it would be closed. After all, it’s super off-season for them, but I desperately wanted to prance around, play princess, and see the prettiness for myself.

To reach the castle actually requires a 15-20min walk through the forest (which, I promise, is much less shady than I make it sound). The suspense was killing me. Every time we turned, I expected to see the castle towering above me, Disney intro style. When we finally caught our first glimpse of it, we saw the castle from the side, and I have to admit, I was a bit surprised by how normal it seemed….

It was a very quiet day to visit, with no more than 2 or 3 groups of people there at a time. All the better, since I hate crowds and had lugged a helium heart balloon with me (for a rather cheesy Romantic Road photo shoot I had planned).

As I shamelessly posed #forthegram, I got the craziest surprise ever…

I was almost run over by a van!

Like huh?? Where did it even come from?! It was the most bizarre sight, seeing a regular van pull up to the old wooden door of this fairytale castle.

An old man climbed out of the car, opened the door and proceeded to drive in, worriedly peeking at me to ensure I wasn’t going to follow them in.

Yeah it’s okay man, I’d be terrified of the crazy girl with the balloon too.

Since my boyfriend is more of an athletic explorer type, we went on a little trek around the grounds to get a new perspective on the castle. That’s the thing – Instagram ever only shows you one side, so it was really cool to be able to climb up some hills and dangle my feet off some (very muddy) rocks and see the castle from a whole new perspective.

After bidding farewell to my dream home, we made a quick detour to Frankfurt to visit Chipotle (where all my burrito dreams came true) and then continued onwards (in the night) to Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

Naturally, this didn’t go according to plan either. Thanks to yet another Google Maps disaster, for an hour, we drove towards another Rothenburg that wasn’t actually where we meant to go. For a variety of reasons (including severe sleep deprivation), I lost it.

And I started bawling like a baby.

“I’m… just… so… bad… at… MAPS!!” I remember heaving through the lamest sobs known to man. It was at that point that my tears mixed in with my day-worn eyeliner and I started looking like I’d been dumped at prom.

Some Class A consoling later (gold star for boyfriend!), I picked up the shambles of my dignity and watched Google maps and every sign like a hawk.

By some miracle, we made it to Rothenburg ob der Tauber before midnight, through its epic city walls and into the cozy bed of our guesthouse, strategically positioned above a lovely Italian restaurant.

When in the morning, it was a blue sky day in Rothenburg and I finally got to see the medieval town that we had driven into, I could have cried (out of happiness this time). I’ll have full guides on Eltz Castle and Rothenburg ob der Tauber coming soon, but for now, just take a peek at these picture-perfect photos:

So in all, despite many wrong turns (literally) and more than a few missteps on my part, what started as a romantic weekend did end up being one… with a few unexpected stops, 100% more Chipotle and much less of the Romantic Road than expected. Still, it was one for the books.

It might surprise you guys to know that at one point in my life, I absolutely hated Rome.

*gasp* I know, how could I? Rome? “But Gladiator was suuuuch a good movie!”

Trust me – nobody was as shocked as I was.

Call me a starry-eyed backpacker, but the first time I set foot in Rome, I was ready to be swept away like the heroine of a cheesy rom com. I had all these dazzling images of Rome in my head ( thanks Lizzie McGuire ) and I had my heart set on loving the city as much as I always thought I would.

But, following a mucky week of thunderstorms, sketchy guesthouses, sweaty crowds and one pickpocketed purse… I was done. I shook my fist at the unfair travel gods and left in a huff, vowing never to return.

Gorgeous photos of Rome in the off-season - excellent inspiration for your next trip to Rome, featuring amazing must-sees and attractions.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago: I was swept away in my usual 3am Skyscanner binge (#rowdyFriday), testing all sorts of dates and combos for a quick January escape. Because Munich had turned me into a walking popsicle, I craved a visit to someplace warmer. That’s when a suspiciously cheap flight caught my eye.

… a cheap flight en route to Rome.

It seems my impulsivity outweighed my pettiness, and I decided that Rome was worth a second go. A week and a half later, I had recruited a travel buddy and soon found myself in the mecca of carbs and glorious architecture. And you know what? In an unexpected turn of events, Rome won my heart in four short days.

Here’s how.

Visiting Rome in January was drastically different from June.

For one – you only get stabbed by a selfie stick once every few hours, rather than thrice per minute. Second – the insane heat fizzles out, and you feel much less like a melting slab of dough. For the first time, I felt like I could see Rome for what it was – a glorious city with epic history and sights, rather than a cesspool of fannypacks and tripods.

It’s genuinely incredible how many amazing things you can do in Rome for free .

Our first day was devoted to exploring all the tourist must-sees, starting off with the Trevi Fountain, which recently re-opened after a 2 year restoration.

One of the most bitter moments from my last visit was when I trekked to the fountain, excited as a puppy to see it for myself, only to discover (upon arrival) that it had been drained out, covered in ugly scaffolding and shut down for (literally) 2 years without a word.

For me, this visit was redemption time, and you know what? It was worth the wait.

The fountain was absolutely stunning, and while I felt embarrassed throwing my coin in, I later learned that 3000 euros are collected from the fountain each day, and are then put towards social programs.

So hey, cheesy photo opps for a cause!

After an amazing lunch where we ate our weight in pasta, we rolled our food babies to the Pantheon , Rome’s most famous temple.

The inside was absolutely gorgeous, and substantially less crowded than in June. With bright light flooding through the oculus, the entire temple was lit up with unbelievable golden tones…

Like an idiot, I stood there with my mouth hanging open, trying in vain to capture the beauty on camera. We lingered here for a few minutes, soaking it all in before we pried ourselves away to our next stop: the Piazza Navona.

Absolutely incredible photos of Rome, Italy. If you're looking for stunning travel photography or inspiration to travel to Italy, travel to Rome or travel to Europe, this is it! #photography #rome #travelphotography #italy #europe

Truth be told, it almost felt like the universe was saying “yo Christina, your last visit really sucked. Have a balloon and let’s make this right.”

But actually though, when we arrived at Piazza Navona, it was decked out in gorgeous balloon arches (in heart form, no less) and all sorts of carnival booths with colourful toys and prizes. Coupled with kids running around having the best day ever, it was quite a different vibe to the Rome I remembered.

Sadly, all this hub bub wasn’t actually to appease me, but rather to celebrate Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas. My favourite bit? The live band looking dapper in their matching outfits.

All love’d up from the buzz at Piazza Navona (where we coincidentally ran into a classmate of ours from Germany), we raced to our final stop off the day – Castel Sant’Angelo, the cylindrical beauty at the end of the Sant’Angelo Bridge.

The views at this museum (formerly a mausoleum, fortress and castle) were just ok. No, I can’t lie to you – they were amazing. So amazing that my SD card filled up.

Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome by Christina Guan

When Day 2 came, I had already formed an odd attachment to the city. I just couldn’t believe how much better it was the second time round.

According to my phone, we logged almost 20km of walking on Day 2 alone… but don’t worry – the calories lost were promptly replenished with oversized gelato cones the size of my (already rather large) face.

Our long walking day took us from Termini Station onwards to the Spanish Steps, passing gorgeous attractions like the Santa Maria Maggiore, the Opera House, Piazza di Republica and more along the way. While the Spanish Steps themselves were sealed off for restoration (oh Rome), we were able to walk up to the Villa Medici, where we got the most gorgeous view ever of the city:

As we climbed back down, we made our way past Piazza del Popolo and then to the quaint neighborhood of Trastavere, an amazing subset of Rome with the laidback vibes of small town Italy.

The lovely cafe-lined streets were a welcome change from the heavy tourist bustle, so we decided to rest up in the coziest possible way – sipping foamy cappuccinos while wolfing down cups of panna cotta.

We held nothing back on Day 3, when we conquered Ancient Rome with the agility of badass gladiators. One combo ticket was all we needed for access to the Coliseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

Pro tip: if you purchase your combo tickets at Palatine Hill (which usually has little to no lineups), you can then jump ahead in the queue at the Coliseum.

That alone saved us 1.5 hours in line! If you’re looking for an opportunity to improve your smug face, this would be an excellent one.

The logical reward for all this sightseeing was an unnecessary amount of food.

On this particular day, my waistline was heftily expanded through the following events: a pre-lunch sandwich that ruined me for other sandwiches, a delicious seafood pasta lunch and a post-lunch suppli (a deep fried rice ball oozing with tomato sauce and melted cheese).

Yuh huh. It was as good as it sounds.

Paccheri ai Frutti di Mare at Luzzi Rome by Christina Guan

And rather than give into a food coma afterwards, we lugged ourselves to see the Altare della Patria (the massive typewriter-esque building that Romans love to hate) and the Galleria Borghese, one of Rome’s most well-known art galleries.

And for our final day, we crossed into the world’s smallest country: the Vatican. Our first order of business was climbing the dome ( cupola) at Saint Peter’s Basilica, a feat not suited for the claustrophobic or exercise-averse.

After cramming myself through some pretty narrow passages, I survived the 551 dizzying steps up and came head to head with this stunning view:

And then onwards to the impossible grandeur of the Basilica’s interior…

Even though it was my second time inside, I still couldn’t believe how incredible it all was. For real, I was getting neck pains from staring at all the ceiling’s fine details. I even saw a few people who were so moved, they were crying. If there’s one thing you can’t miss in Rome, to me this is it.

By 2:30pm (after a long lunch of course), we had made it to the Vatican Museum, surprisingly void of crowds. What’s it like getting a massive museum like this all to yourself? Well, it was tough to resist the urge to just slide down this epic stairwell, but I assure you: I kept my cool and acted like a proper adult.

We ended our last night in Rome with a lovely outdoor dinner beneath the twinkling lights of a Roman side street. On our way home, we picked up our final scoops of Italian gelato (dulce de leche and stratiatella to be precise) and headed home, 10 pounds heavier and with the fondness of Rome I always knew I had.

And so, for those thinking of visiting Rome in the off-season, do it. Just remember to pack stretchy pants.

my Travel Update Archive

Once upon a time, this travel blog had a ton of Dear Diary type posts that I eventually phased out. Looking back on these updates though make me smile and realize how far I’ve come, so if you’re also curious to see snippets of my life from years ago, feel free to flick through these old travel stories and updates.

Surrrprise, guys… I’m alive!

Okay, I really have to own up to it… it has been an embarrassingly long time since I’ve blogged.

I could make up a million excuses for this bit of Internet silence, but the simple truth is this: since packing my bags for Munich three months ago, I’ve been caught in a whirlwind of new friends, new experiences and jam-packed days.

I’ve been trying so hard to soak up every single moment that I’ve gotten a little neglectful… erm, lazy even… with documenting them properly for the interwebz.

That said though, with 2016 just around the corner, I figured it was finally time to resurrect this little site of mine… hopefully, for good 🙂

So what’s new?

Well… On September 1st, I left Vancouver to live abroad on my own for the first time in my entire life! I am now more than halfway into my exchange semester at LMU in Munich, where I’ll be studying until the end of February.

After that, I intend to travel around Europe for a few more months before settling back in Canadaland.

I’ve been sitting here for about 20 minutes trying (in vain) to explain how much I love my life here in Munich. Do you know those moments in life when everything seems to just fall into place?

That’s exactly how the past few months have been. From randomly meeting the greatest group of friends to landing an unexpected job, my exchange has been an absolute dream. I have so so many stories to share, and I can’t wait to blog them up for you soon.

Onto more site-related news, some of you might have noticed the name change!

As of now, Hello Guanster is no more, and here’s the simple reason why… You know that cringey feeling you get when you revisit your first email account? (e.g. ahh [email protected] … what was I thinking??)

That’s the feeling I was starting to get about Hello Guanster. It seemed catchy and cute at the time, but I definitely feel like I’ve outgrown it.

My plan is to orient this blog more towards travel in the coming months, and beyond just a place to offer tips and guides, I want it to be a place where I document how my adventures have helped me grow.

My plan is to turn this blog into a space where curious optimists can get together and fangirl collectively at how great this world can be, so here it is…! I think Happy to Wander has a pretty nice ring to it… don’t you?

To sum things up, 2015 was hands down the best year of my life so far, and I’m determined to make 2016 just as great.

With trips in January to Rome, Istanbul and Marrakech, I think I’ll be off to a good start.

And on a more bloggy note, I plan to spend a lot more time working on Happy to Wander, writing up stories, tips and all that good stuff for you. Finding a good balance between ‘living in the moment’ and documenting moments can be tough, but striking that happy medium is undeniably rewarding.

Like all good things, travel blogging takes a great deal of dedication, hard work and patience, and I’m making it my goal for 2016 to really give my all to this site. I hope you’re ready!

I’ll have plenty more posts for you soon. Until then, enjoy the rest of 2015!

With an overflowing backpack on my shoulders and an unshakeable grin on my face, I’m thrilled to announce that I am officially on the road again, and will be travelling full-time for the next 1.5 months.

While I’ve travelled quite a bit in the last few months, this will be the longest trip I’ve taken in a while. Going back into ‘constant travel’ mode will take some getting used to, but it’s a challenge I’m s ure I can handle. With eight new countries in the pipeline, here’s a sneak peek at where I’m headed in the next few weeks:

1. Finland and Scandinavia

I’ve seen quite a bit of Western Europe, but never the North, which is why I am so excited for this part of my trip. I just stopped for a long layover in Riga and am now in Helsinki for a few days.

From what I’ve seen, this city oozes ‘cool’ and I can’t wait to spend a few days museum & restaurant hopping. From here, I’ll get a chance to relax at a friend’s summer cottage near Turku before working my way through Scandinavia. See you soon, Stockholm, Bergen and Copenhagen!

2. Amsterdam and Rotterdam

After wrapping up my mini tour of Scandinavia, I’ll be spending Easter Weekend in Amsterdam at my first music festival! This will be my third year in a row visiting the Netherlands, but hopefully this time around I’ll get to dig into more ‘off-the-beaten-path’ itineraries for both Amsterdam and Rotterdam. If all else fails, I’ll just stuff myself with Dutch cheese and apple pie. I’m pretty good at that.

My excitement for this trip borders on ridiculous. Iceland has been a dream of mine for years, and finally , at the end of March, it’ll become a reality!

From Amsterdam, I fly to Reykjavik, where I’ll be driving across the country with two friends in a cozy camper van.

From the Blue Lagoon to mindblowing nature at every turn, I’m pretty much ready to vomit from excitement. If you want to see why, here’s the video I watched years ago that inspired my Icelandic obsession:

4. Ireland and Scotland

Last but not least, before returning to Munich, I’ll be flying from Reykjavik to Dublin! This part of my trip is still a bit fuzzy on details, but I definitely plan to see Dublin, Edinburgh, and many undecided places along the way. Any recommendations would be much appreciated!

Ahhh… I am so ready to take on these next few weeks! I hope you’ll all follow along by catching updates on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of planning to do…

Apparently I do monthly updates now!

I know this is pretty random, but the past few months have been packed with existential crises, the most recent of which made me realize my blog has been severely missing a personal touch.

While I LOVE writing guides and photo diaries, sometimes it’s nice to remind you that there’s a human potato who’s behind these giggly words, which is why I’m now committing myself to monthly updates that catch you up on what I’ve been up to, AKA which countries I’m currently pillaging for carbs.

And so, for the creepos interested in tracking my movements, this one’s for you 😉

Now, why two months bundled into one?

Well, I just came up with the idea now (#showerthoughts for the win), plus March and April have been absolutely insane months packed with travel, which will make me seem a lot more exciting than I am 😉 I am so painfully behind on blogging about all the beautiful places that I’ve stumbled through in the past two months… but I’m slowly working my way through! For now though, enjoy some highlights!

You know those major bucket list destinations that haunt you from the corner of every Pinterest board and Instagram? Since moving to Munich, that has been Slovenia for me.

No joke – some days I would just stare longingly at a map, daydreaming about how close I was and how easy a weekender would be. Mid-March, I finally did it!

A short road trip later, I was able to do a sunrise hike around Lake Bled, discovered the unreal beauty of Ljubljana and found zen at Bled’s less famous cousin, Lake Bohinj. The verdict? Not enough time at ALL. I’m already plotting my return.

After Slovenia, I took the slow route back to Munich and spent a few days in the all-too-underrated Croatian capital of Zagreb.

I’m a rather stubborn person, so after repeatedly hearing that Zagreb was boring, I set out to see for myself. People, Zagreb is so far from boring !

At the end of March, I headed off to Malta for a press trip and it was absolutely incredible. One of the coolest, most interesting countries I’ve visited in a long time in terms of architecture, history and food. Four days of pure bliss, I came home with a full SD card and a little extra cushioning around the tummy. I guess some sacrifices need to be made eh?

PS: The swishy hotel I stayed at even had a tanning bed in the bathroom (which I did not use) and a Jacuzzi on the balcony (which I used plenty). My lifelong dream of eating chicken nuggets in a hot tub? Fulfilled at long last.

MONTENEGRO, CROATIA AND BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

After catching my breath for a few days in Germany, I headed off again for a week in the Balkans. For the first time in my life, I went in with absolutely no plan, embracing a go-with-the-flow spontaneity that would make any backpacker proud.

This was my first solo “backpacking” trip in ages and was such a great reminder of why I started travelling in the first place. From Podgorica, Montenegro, I had a week to make it to Tuzla, Bosnia. Besides that, no fixed plans!

That’s how I ended up hiking fortresses in Kotor, meeting friends who convinced me to stop over in Dubrovnik for a night, then falling absolutely head over heels with Mostar. So much that I kept extending my stay, leaving only one day in the capital of Sarajevo.

I’ll be writing more in-depth about how this trip affected me, but truly – there is no country in the world like Bosnia. Besides its stunning beauty, it is a genuinely captivating country that will simultaneously break your heart yet fill it up with hope.

Mushy and vague I know, but I’ll elaborate further in some future blog posts. While here, I did some wild things… I climbed an abandoned sniper tower for sunset, scaled a mountain on all fours in a dress and even hitchhiked for the first time. I know, right? Who have I become?!

Hey you guys wanna hear a funny joke? I ran a half-marathon.

For real! Me! I am now officially Christina Guan – human potato / half-marathon runner. My packed travel schedule meant almost zero training, so it’s a miracle that my knees didn’t just snap off. Here are some fun screen grabs of the awful photos they got of me at the finish line. I know, I look like a thumb.

And now, as I type this rambly mess of an update, I’m sitting in a beautiful artsy café in Bulgaria, a country that has challenged and surprised me daily. I’ve been here since the end of April, and will continue making my way through the country until mid-May, when I’ll be in Bucharest, Romania for an awesome event called #ExperienceBucharest!

I’ll be joining over 100 other bloggers, vloggers and influencers who will be storming through the city to experience what it has to offer and showcase the epicness of Bucharest.

It’s my first blogger event ever – can you imagine? I’ve got my business cards ordered and have been practicing being a normal human daily in the mirror, but we’ll see how that pans out. I’ve never been one for networking, but this will be interesting!

SO if you’ve made it this far… congratulations and thanks for reading! I’d love to hear in the comments what your travel plans are. Talk to me, friends! 🙂

When the other day, I had the epiphany that we’re over halfway into 2017, I might have peed a little.

Here’s the thing – I don’t deal well with time passing. It makes me feel old and weirdly vulnerable. I mean, despite my “early 20s status”, there are some days when I feel ready to just procure a rocking chair, learn to knit and call it a day.

That said, after I staved off my existential crisis, I realized how long overdue I was for a monthly update! I have to admit, when I valiantly promised monthly updates back in April, I didn’t expect my plans to unravel so quickly.

To be fair though (as will be revealed in this post), May was non-stop go go go and June was packed in a different way. Hence hello, yet another “monthly update” – 2 for the price of one 😉

May was a month spent entirely on the road, which sounds really cool and romantic, but in reality was just a mix of poor nutritional choices (I’m nursing a prominent #BalkanBulge around my midriff as I type), coupled with wearing the same 4 shirts over and over.

BUT, if that’s the tradeoff for seeing and doing epic things, I guess I’m okay with that.

Here’s where I went in May!

When I first told people I was visiting Bulgaria, initial reactions consisted mostly of “why” and “ where?? ”.

But seriously, I need you to know this: Bulgaria is ridiculously awesome.

I’ll admit, I endured a shaky start travelling solo in a country where I couldn’t even read the alphabet, let alone carry any kind of conversation.

But in spite of initial struggles, Bulgaria amazed me . It is hands down one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever visited. My two weeks took me through Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, and Veliko Tarnovo – the unsuspecting city that completely rocked my world.

It was here that I met the coolest group of friends who adopted my little scaredy cat self and transformed me into a (slightly more) adventurous badass.

With them, I shimmied into abandoned Communist monuments, went night time swimming in waterfalls and hiked trails that would make former-me cringe.

It was the best experience ever, and the biggest “eff you” I could have given to my comfort zone.

I plan to write way more in the future about Bulgaria, but here are some photos of the amazing things I saw. If you get the opportunity, please go. I’ll pay you a good chunk of my savings to bring me back some banitsa and tarator soup. *drools*

Waddling into Bucharest, I felt like the chosen one.

Chosen for #ExperienceBucharest that is – the largest ever tourism campaign the city has ever seen, and run entirely by volunteers to boot. It was my first time at an event of this kind, where I got to rub shoulders with over 100 other bloggers and influencers, many of which I have stalked admired for years .

I mean… business cards were exchanged, so you can imagine how important and fully “adult”ed I felt.

But I bet you can also imagine also the 50 shades of awkward I breezed through, because I am me, and cope poorly in social situations.

Here’s an actual photo of me awkwardly sipping wine at a networking event:

Blue wine aside, the main focus of this trip was about discovering Bucharest, and I have to say: this Romanian capital was a wonderfully unexpected surprise.

From cool hidden cafes to colourful, secret passages – Bucharest was absolutely nothing like I imagined. If you’re looking for a unique getaway that’s more off the beaten path, book a flight to Bucharest and you will be smacked in the face with awesome. I promise!

Plus, despite initial networking anxiety, I met some really cool blogger friends along the way. Woah – I have real (non-Internet) friends again. #bigstep

Straight after Bucharest, it was onwards to London.

Oh, London… AKA that time I went bankrupt. I can’t lie, my budget had ten heart attacks jumping from Romania to England, but in the spirit of “hey it’s expensive anyway”, I decided to go 1000% wild and treat. mah. self.

I’m talking: fancy brunches with ridiculous views, high teas where the pastries looked like makeup (lol) and all sorts of frolicking around neighbourhoods I couldn’t afford.

Here, I met up with some friends from home and just tore through the city’s food scene with Pacman-esque enthusiasm. I have zero #ragrets.

Exploring England by Train

After a few amazing days in London, I spent the next week city hopping around England thanks BritRail . I admit, train travel is not the cheapest option for seeing the country, but I’ll be damned if it ain’t amazing and convenient.

Oxford was my first stop, and it was just as gorgeous as I always imagined. I got the chance to tour a few of the colleges and realized, Hogwarts is REAL. (Well, pretty much anyway). The architecture in this city is both droolworthy and photogenic – a must visit when you’re in England.

After that, I caught the train to Liverpool , a place I now affectionately dub as “my spirit city”.

I always knew I would love it because my Beatles fanaticism knows no bounds, but beyond that – I discovered a buzzing and vibrant hub for food, culture and entertainment.

Plus, it was here that I accidentally went on a date with a 70 year old who grew up in Liverpool during peak Beatlemania. No joke.

We met at a hostel, and with so much excitement, he told me what it was like growing up in the city during such a crazy time. I then asked if he’d ever seen the tribute band that plays at the Cavern Club every Thursday (where the Beatles themselves played hundreds of gigs). He paused, then was like “great idea! LET’S GO!!!”

SO that’s how I spent the entire evening at a (pretty convincing) Beatles tribute concert, while this crazy 70 year old jammed out and relived his youth next to me. He knew every lyric to every song, and kept saying “I’m so glad you dragged me to this!!”

Well, I didn’t, but okay.

My little England tour was capped off with my greatest travel fail to date – or rather, my boyfriend’s (FYI, my actual boyfriend, not the 70 year old Liverpool guy). He was joining me for the weekend and had literally one job: book a hotel.

He ended up booking a hotel in the wrong city.

(And people wonder why I swim in trust issues).

Ending up in Eastbourne rather than Brighton, I soaked in the serendipity of this booking gone wrong. Though my time in the city was brief, I got to enjoy a cotton candy sunset, a pretty walk along the water and a rather unexpected tribute concert for one of my favourite bands, the Killers. Random, but very wonderful.

We did end up in Brighton the next day, where I ate my weight in sweets at Choccywoccydoodah and soaked in the buzzing atmosphere of the seaside, crowded despite the cloudy skies. I’ve always admired the Brits for their optimistic weather outlooks! Brighton was a really cool city – I mean, it was no Eastbourne , but I liked it alright. 😉

[FYI – that was a joke. Both cities were great. You can put those tomatoes away.]

London (Again)

Before flying home, I returned to London for one last nerdy hurrah.

… at a fan convention!

Yes, I’m a geek and I refuse to apologize for it. I mean, a chance to breathe the same air as some of my favourite TV stars? *swoon*

Wrapping up my London celebrity bingefest, I caught John Bodega in Woyzeck, an amazingly powerful play where as a bonus, I had Steven Ogg from the Walking Dead sitting at the end of my row, much to the gleeful joy of my TWD fan-boyfriend. He never mustered up the courage to talk to him, a fact that I am confident will haunt him until the end of days.

A Month Back Home

In June, I returned to my hometown of Vancouver with a sole purpose: vengeance.

No just joking, I really just needed to graduate and get my degree. Or, you know, the pricey piece of paper that tells the world I’m apparently worth something.

I officially walked the stage on June 9th, after a week of rejuvenating naps and eating all the sushi within eyesight. Without a doubt, Vancouver sushi joints have learned the wrath of Guan.

Fun story about my graduation: after years of buildup and moral support, my parents somehow managed to miss the crucial moment they’ve waited so long for – me crossing the stage.

They heard the announcement of my faculty “Communication, Art and Technology”, heard only the “technology” part, thought: “oh she’s not studying that” and decided on that exact moment to take a washroom break and not pay attention.

Oops. I also managed to be the only girl out of the hundreds of grads to receive the wrong hood pinned on her by accident.

We were all properly lined up, ready to walk out when another girl noticed my hood was a different colour. They had (obviously foreseen my genius) and decided to give me a Master’s hood. I had to waddle in heels to get a repin, but made it out just in time. Only me, am I right?

After my grad fiasco, June was mostly a homebody month, apart from…

A Road Trip to Alberta

Father’s Day weekend was a really special one for me. It was the first time in over ten years, I went on a vacation with my dad… and I got to make it ridiculously special by surprising him with his dream hotel, a promise I made when I was a silly nine year old girl.

His reaction was priceless. You can watch it here.

Onwards to a Journey Across Canada

And now, as I type this, I’m on a shaky Canadian train eastbound to Saskatoon, where I have literally no idea what awaits me.

This month, I’ll be crossing Canada by train (a dream of mine for ages) so I’ll be on the road, being ‘interesting’ again.

Then, at the end of the month, I’m jetting off to a mystery destination… and I can’t wait to tell you where. HINT: it’s a country I’ve never been to before… and it’s in ASIA!

I can’t wait to submerge myself in noodles.

What can I say? Miracles do happen.

Every once in a blue moon, something truly extraordinary graces the planet with its rarity, an unexpected anomaly disrupting the fabric of existence itself.

Today marks that moment… because Christina’s monthly update is actually on time, and finally for a single month, rather than two.

Please be wary of the flying pigs on your way out.

I apologize for the dramatics, but I am (quite frankly) shocked that I actually published this on time, and I can’t wait to share my crazy month with you… which I spent entirely on the road.

Before we begin, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for real time updates/stories, since that’s my go-to platform when I’m travelling. Wait what? Was that a desperate grab at followers? Shhhh – just let this happen.

July: All about riding the train across Canada

Long story short: Canada’s national rail company this year released a few thousand special edition tickets celebrating 150 years of the Canadian confederation… This meant the lucky fools who got one (me included!!) received unlimited train rides in July for the swoonworthy pricetag of $150.

Ripped straight from the pages of the Willy Wonka playbook, this publicity stunt worked, and when July hit, thousands of bushy-tailed backpackers descended upon the country with blankies in hand and snack-stuffed backpacks.

Truth be told, it wasn’t exactly a glamorous experience.

After all, we had no access to showers or proper beds on board, making dry shampoo and baby wipes the most precious things one could own. Plus there were often delays exceeding 12 hours… but hey who was keeping track? 😉

Luckily, I stopped every few days to explore a new city, particularly ones that I never thought I’d see. This turned out to be the best decision I ever made.

Canada is one beautiful, badass country. Here are some of the places I visited by train. Let me know in the comments if any of these were new to you!

If you’re wondering Saska- where, I feel you. Honestly, Saskatoon, located in the Canadian prairies (read: the middle bit) is a city that I never in my life thought I would visit.

I grew up being told that it was a boring place with nothing to offer. For the two days on board that it took to get from Vancouver to Saskatoon, I had countless travellers laugh at me for stopping there at all.

And so, I skipped into the city expecting a barren wasteland of tumbleweed nothingness.

Instead, I discovered a colourful city with hip neighbourhoods, crazy good food and fun events going on all over the city.

From open mics and DJ shows, to watching a bluegrass twist on Shakespeare, I found myself unexpectedly falling for the underdog. Saskatoon won me over, and is solid proof that “boring” cities are some of the most fun to explore and discover.

Onwards from Saskatoon, I rode a day-long train to Winnipeg , found in the heart of the Canadian prairies.

Similar to Saskatoon, common west coast snobs will dismiss Winnipeg for being flat, boring and uneventful. After 48 hours there, I can confirm that these west coast snobs sit upon a throne of LIES.

I mean, in a mere two days, I saw polar bears, relaxed in a stunning Nordic spa, saw dozens of epic street art murals and visited some truly unique museums (including the world’s only museum dedicated solely to human rights awareness).

I was also given the opportunity to dine like an absolute queen, with a food scene just as diverse as Winnipeg’s multicultural population. 2 days wasn’t enough! Pouty and whiny, I forced myself to move onwards East, AKA…

From Winnipeg, I caught the train through Ontario back to Toronto, where I was given a day to explore and frolic around (with an open heart and even more open mouth).

With only 24 hours to spend, I had a wildly baller time digging into the best of Toronto’s food scene. Among the casualties were a beautiful sushi donut, (more than a few) rooftop cocktails, and a shake-inducing combination of sweet coffees from gorgeous cafes around town.

For a day, I pretty much adopted the life of a socialite, meeting up with friends as I ate my way through social gatherings and overdue catchups. It was pure caloric chaos, but nothing compared to my time in…

I have two words for you about my time in Montreal: poutine pregnant.

Those of you familiar with the glory of Canada’s favourite drunk snack will understand what I mean, and those who aren’t, well…. Imagine a heaping serving of crispy fries, topped with squeaky cheese curds and mounds of savoury gravy. NNNGH. On those days, I thanked the universe a million times for loose clothes.

Montreal for me has always been a city of indulgence.

The last time I visited, it was at frigid winter temperatures during which the air legitimately hurt my face. This time, in the summer sun, Montreal was more alive and buzzing than any city I’ve ever seen.

Every two blocks marked the start of a new festival and with the sunshine on my skin, I couldn’t have been happier just walking for hours, seeing all the sights again in a whole new light.

[Give me a gold star] I also managed to sneak away to get some work done at the coolest concept cafe of all time – the Anticafe, which bills you by the hour rather than by your purchase.

Basically, you pay for the time you spend there (at a maximum of $9 for the day) and then you get to hang out in their cozy living room-esque space, drinking up all the caffeine and inhaling all munchies your little heart desires. Yes, it is as splendid as it sounds. Be sure to go if you’re ever in Montreal!

Atlantic Canada: Halifax and… PEI??

Up until this trip, Quebec was the farthest east I had ever been. This time, hopping on a train, I crossed through New Brunswick and into Nova Scotia… a region known as Atlantic Canada.

My original plan was to spend four days in Halifax, but then spontaneity got the best of me, and within 24 hours, I went from “hi what’s your name” to sharing a car/bed with total strangers.

… wait, that sounds bad, but let me explain!

You see, in travel, things tend to escalate quickly… and you can go from being strangers to family in the matter of days.

Essentially, I met up with some fellow travellers on my train who were keen on the idea of visiting Prince Edward Island, the smallest province Canada has to offer.

Quite simply, this is a place that young travellers don’t often visit, which, for the curious George in me, made it all the more appealing. Some last minute planning later, we found ourselves squished together in a little car, en route to PEI for a night.

It was a gorgeous trip that played out to the background of rolling green fields packed with hay bales and golden canola. It was here in PEI that I had a lobster roll so good, I almost cried, and also where I frolicked across red sand beaches with Grand Canyon-esque rock formations.

I feel so grateful to be from a country with so many unexpected tricks up its sleeve.

After this spontaneous jaunt, I had two days left to #DiscoverHalifax.

… and it was seriously nothing like I expected. In place of a quiet, maritime town, I found myself in a buzzing city crammed with cool museums (the Canadian Museum of Immigration and Maritime Museum were my favourites), awesome sights (like a hill-top citadel overlooking the city) and of course, fresh seafood that could make a grown woman cry. I mean, look at this lobster poutine and tell me it isn’t a true work of art:

And from bright rainbow chairs scattered around town, to comfy orange hammocks dangling by the water, this city showed to me that there’s way more to Halifax than its port. I’m already plotting my return… *ominous music*

And now for the ultimate plot twist: from Canada to… Indonesia! I left Halifax ten pounds heavier and headed back to Montreal, where I caught a ridiculous 24 hour commute over to Jakarta.

Why am I here? Weeelll, for the next two weeks, I’ll be venturing around Indonesia for #TripOfWonders alongside 9 other awesome bloggers from around the world.

I’d love if you followed along on Instagram (and all the better if you turned notifications on because the time difference is killing my reach).

The focus of this trip is on cultural discovery, and I seriously can’t wait to dig deeper and see what Indonesia has to offer across its 18,000 islands…. (though I’ll only be visiting 4!)

I keep pinching myself that this is really happening. I’ve always joked that I’m the only travel blogger in the universe who has never been to Bali, so I am beyond stoked for that to change.

… Just get me one of those big hats and I’ll be a walking cliche 😉

Hello my name is Jetlagged, and I am very Christina.

… wait. I think I mixed that up.

*trembles while sipping 10th coffee*

It goes without saying: August was a ridiculous whirlwind, and I am now one very tired coffee bean. 3 continents, 1 transatlantic move, starting a new business and lots of awkward dancing along the way.

But you know what? Despite the fact that I’ve shoved my inner body clock into a rickety blender, I’m grateful for every second and opportunity. This month was a big game changer for me, so without further ado – here’s what happened in August!

You might remember that last month, I decided to travel across Canada by train. A sensible person would have gone home first to pack up and regroup, but instead, I acted like the overexcited corgi that I am, flying straight from Montreal to Jakarta, Indonesia.

In total, I spent 2 weeks in the country, the first ten of which were exploring the country’s cultural wonders with the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism for their #TripOfWonders campaign.

… and it was SO MUCH FUN.

This was my first time in Indonesia and I loved that we visited so many lesser-visited spots and saved Bali for last. Yes, this deprived travel blogger finally made it to Bali, where all the cool kids apparently hang out. Many smoothie bowls were consumed, I can confirm.

But while I did like Bali, the highlight of my trip was getting to explore the culture and cool sights/history elsewhere in the country.

We started off at Lake Toba, the world’s largest volcanic lake, then moved onto other cultural hotspots like Surakarta (AKA Solo), Semarang, and of course, the epic Tana Toraja (known around the world for their fascinating burial rituals).

After the press trip wrapped, I spent a few extra days in Bali living THE Instagram-perfect life at Alila Villas Uluwatu with Sher from Sher She Goes . It involved a lot of posing, photoshoots and awkward candid laughter.

It was as glam as you’d expect, although I quickly realized just how tough and staged the “IG perfect” life really is. Nothing makes you question your life decisions more than when you call hotel reception asking for rose pedals and extra fizzy bubble bath for the gram.

I am 100% certain the hotel assumed that Sher and I were lovers.

Surprise: I moved to Germany! … again.

After spending less than a week back in Canada, I was on the move again and set my sights on Munich – my new homebase for (at least) the next year while I make the most of my working holiday visa.

I absolutely love it here… the beer gardens, the lakes, the mountains, the beer gardens, the beer….. 😉 Being based in Central Europe is such a dream.

A few hours in any direction and I can be immersed in a whole new culture! Quite legitimately, it’s like unleashing a rabid child into an all you can eat candy shop.

My days have been consumed by 4am Skyscanner/Flixbus binges to see where I should go next. There are too many options, guys! Someone please put a kiddie leash on me.

So, as you’d predict, it didn’t take me long to head somewhere new (48 hours to be exact). My first stop after moving back to Europe was…

Let’s be clear: the first rule of living in Europe is, you ain’t wasting your weekends.

With that in mind, still groggy from 2 major time zone changes, I sped off to my first destination only 48 hours post-landing.

My first adventure? A glamping weekend in Slovenia with BIG BERRY.

An accurate summary of the weekend would be to tell you that I’m well on my way to unlocking Slovenian housewife status. I drank a ridiculous amount of wine (aka a typical Friday), learned to make bread and even had some time to relax with my main girl, Mother Nature.

Because BIG BERRY is located right on the border to Croatia, I actually got to canoe over to a new country one morning, which (trust me) sounds much more impressive than it really was.

I had an awesome time with BIG BERRY. Read more about my experience here:

Hyperlocal Glamping in Slovenia: Soaking in The Big Berry Experience

Plans for September

And now? I’m fresh off the heels of a little family weekend in England (where, no big deal, I kinda won a trophy for trivia despite not technically being part of the family #braggingrights).

I’ll be off to Austria for a weekend of hiking in the underrated Vorarlberg region and soon after that, it’ll be a non-stop flood of guests coming into Munich for Oktoberfest.

It’s going to be a busy, beer-filled month but I’m ready for it. Bring on September!

Talk to you crazies soon,

Sometimes when I think about the past month, my head spins a little.

Part of it might be due to the weeks spent at Oktoberfest, sipping elegantly (lol jk – chugging) on beers the size of my torso. But also, it was a crazy month packed with a lot of life changes.

There were exciting things (like gaining momentum on a new business venture ), fun things (like the many days spent at Oktoberfest) and also very sad things (like losing my best friend, my sweet pup Rodeo who I’ve had since I was 10 years old).

And while admittedly, I did spend many days sulking, soaking in my grief thousands of miles from home, it reminded me that travel and life abroad isn’t always rainbows and comically large pretzels. Inevitably, there will be times when it sucks… like when you’re forced to say your last goodbye over Skype.

But that’s life, with all its ups and downs.

And while I admit yes, it has been a tough few weeks, I’m quickly bouncing back to my usual (caffeine-crazed) self.

This isn’t meant to be a sad, pity party type post (after all, Rodeo lived to be almost 100 in dog years – a legitimate shock as he never exercised, much like me) BUT I just wanted to take a second to let you know that life on the road certainly has its lows, and if you ever need to talk about it, I’m here for you 🙂 <3

With that out of the way, the rest of this post will be wayyyyy more lighthearted! Here’s where the month of September brought me.

My month started off with a quick weekend break in England to visit my boyfriend’s extended family.

As in like… cousins, aunts, uncles, random little children… all in one swoop.

It was a bit nerveracking, meeting so many family members at once, but I stifled my ironic (and phony) English accent for the weekend and tried my best to emit some kind of Canadian charm. According to insider sources, I did alright, and even managed to snag a “FAMILY WINNER 2017” trophy out of it, after getting weirdly competitive at trivia.

My ego was quickly knocked down a few pegs when I tried to be cute and teach one of the little kids my name. At the end of the afternoon, when I asked him “Heyyy Leo, who am I?! his answer was a blunt “nobody.”

It was a big win for my self-esteem.

Travel side-note: I learned on this trip just HOW CHEAP it is to get from Bavaria to London if you plan right. The airport at Nuremburg runs budget flights that literally cost 10 euros if you book early enough. That’s cheaper than a day ticket to travel around Munich. You can bet my UK friends will be seeing me a lot more often 😉

A few weekends after (I needed time to nurse my bruised ego), I spent a weekend in Austria’s stunning Vorarlberg province, specifically in the Bregenzerwald.

I love Austria. I’ve been to Salzburg, Vienna, Innsbruck and a few towns along the Danube during my old river cruisin’ days. It’s a stunning country and I always look for excuses to go back.

Here’s the thing though: Vorarlberg is not at all like the rest of Austria. Bordering Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, this province is known for its modern adaptations of longstanding tradition, which means so many different things, like surprisingly contemporary architecture, an exciting food scene and all sorts of events like you’d never expect from a sleepy Alpine region.

I spent the weekend enjoying an array of cool activities, like culinary hiking (where you hike from course to course in the Alps), doing self-guided scavenger hunts through town, eating my face off and even jamming out to a rock concert in the clouds (or well, at the top of a mountain).

Highlights include zapping my butt on an electric fence and eating cake for breakfast (before a 4 hour hike). All in all, a solid weekend. I would definitely recommend checking this region out if you find yourself in Central Europe!

Wow! Who knew the Bregenzerwald in Austria's Vorarlberg was so gorgeous? Discover this amazing hidden gem in Austria through a series of beautiful photos. #Austria

Oktoberfest in Munich… over and over

When Oktoberfest hits Munich, every resident can expect at least one drunken friend to crash on their couch.

… it’s practically part of the rental agreement.

And this year, I think I maxed out my limit when I fit 9 people at once in the tiny shoebox apartment I call home.

Yes, nine. I was basically running an unlicensed hostel.

Here’s the thing: I’m absolutely rotten at goodbyes. I will literally say anything and everything to avoid the awkwardness of saying a forever-bye to someone.

This applies to friends met while travelling… and last May, when I spent 2 weeks in Bulgaria, I met some ridiculously awesome travellers I soon came to recognize as family. During our sad goodbyes, I inevitably blurted out “COME VISIT ME DURING OKTOBERFEST!”

The crazy thing is: they did. Friends from 3 different continents managed to align their schedules again to come visit… and it was absolutely wild.

Besides my Bulgaria fam, I also had two friends from home visit for a weekend. I think I terrified them a little bit with my enthusiasm for the city. I honestly love living in Munich so much, it borders on weird. I swear the city only gets prettier every time I walk through it, and my “tour guide spiels” pour out more like creepy fan letters. It’s okay though, when your city looks this nice, I reckon you’re allowed.

I had a total of one night without houseguests before I set off for my last stop of the month – beautiful Romania!

Back in May, I spent some time in Bucharest and ended up really falling in love with the country. Every day since then, I’ve been plotting my return, so when I was invited to explore an underrated gem in Transylvania known as Covasna County, I signed up quicker than the Energizer Bunny on steroids.

Covasna is a quiet, undiscovered county in Romania with a lot of different nicknames – Land of Mansions being one.

That’s because there’s almost 200 different castles, manors and mansions in the region, many of which have been restored and repurposed for tourism. We got to stay in one and it was awesome – I felt like I was in some old timey murder mystery!

Over the span of a few short days, we explored the best of what Covasna had to offer, visiting local artisans, soaking in the unspoiled nature and going full Pacman on the wide range of food and drink. Naturally, I enjoyed a cotton candy 4x the size of my head and attended a festival dedicated to cake. We also watched bears and painted gingerbread cookies. What can I say – it was a packed itinerary!

It was also during this trip that I (low key) became a local celebrity. In the span of a few days, I was interviewed for two national TV channels (speaking about cake, of course), once for a local newspaper and I even attended a press conference where I did not realize until we arrived that I WAS SPEAKING AT the conference, and not just attending. Why is my life so strange?

Anyways, take the hint Romania, if you’re looking for a hype gurl, hit me up.

Onwards to October…?

I’ve been more inclined to take it easy these days with travel. Constantly being on the road burns me out, and now that I have a new business to worry about, my main goal is on productivity (shameless plug: check out Slaying Social here!). I do have two trips planned for the end of the month (guess where?!) but that’s still a few weeks away. So, my next (mega-exotic) destination is a James Blunt concert. #wanderlust

I’ll also be partnering with Eurail to discover some of Europe’s most scenic train rides. I have my pass for the next two months, but I haven’t made solid plans yet. Let me know if you have any recommendations for me!

Now, allow me a few seconds to be super basic, but ahhhh, I’m so excited for Autumn! I’ve been watching the leaves change colour from my window while I happily sip tea and bundle on increasingly fuzzy scarves. My life might be a chaotic mess right now, but at least it’ll be a sweet pumpkin spice mess in the coming months 😉

Sorry for that longwinded update. I hope you enjoyed it! Talk soon.

We all have that one ridiculous friend that is fifty shades of pumpkin by the time Autumn arrives.

*awkward wave* Hi, Christina here, and I’m that friend.

Honestly though, October is always a sure recipe for joy in my books, between the chance to throw my boots into crunchy leaves and burrito myself into layers of blankets… Yes, this month I’ve been a happy, happy girl.

Of course, watching the leaves change in Munich (with a stalker-esque intensity I must add) has brought on a whole new set of feels. I feel so lucky to call Germany home, and it’s really hitting me now (2 months in!!) that this is home for the next little while. That doesn’t mean I stayed put too much though. Here’s where the wonderful month of October brought me:

Life in Munich

Let’s be real: this blog mostly shows you the adventurous traveller side of me.

The other side that goes woefully undocumented is the Domestic Human Blanket Burrito side, the one that needs Netflix as much as oxygen itself. This was the side of me that I happily indulged for the first half of October, as I soaked in the cozy colours of Fall and became one with my sofa.

Here’s what I’ve learned: settling in a place for a while allows you to recapture the joy of simple “little thing” type pleasures.

Hence why one of the highlights of my month was a meatball + showroom pilgrimage to IKEA, which in some ways, made me just as happy as hopping on a plane to Stockholm. Hi, broken travel blogger here – reporting for duty.

That’s not to say I didn’t go insane exploring my own “backyard”.

I mean, when your backyard is a bucket list destination in itself, there’s no time to waste.

One of the highlights was doing a (ridiculously gruelling) hike from Heimgarten to Herzogstand, one of the most scenic routes in Bavaria. For me, it meant 8 hours of almost passing out. Still, it was worth it… for extraordinary views like this:

Another highlight was reaching ‘peak basic’ when I found out Germany was home to the world’s largest pumpkin festival. Guys, I am not making this up. This incredible event takes place every year in Ludwigsburg, Germany, only a few hours from Munich by train. Naturally, I sped there like a sugar-crazed child.

You can’t blame me. This festival is hosted on the grounds of a spectacular palace, and pays homage to all things pumpkin – from spectacular sculptures and foods, to delicious products and every shape of gourd you can imagine.

This year’s theme was Rome, which meant tons of Rome-inspired pumpkin sculptures. I couldn’t believe it. Definitely a worthwhile trip if you find yourself in Germany next year! 😉

The Netherlands

After literally rolling around in pumpkins, I took the train up to Utrecht to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Everyone always describes Utrecht as a mini-Amsterdam, happily without the bucketloads of confused tourists.

I can confirm that Utrecht is, indeed, a selfie-stick free zone, bursting with beautiful architecture and charming Dutch streets at every turn. I was sold, and look forward to visiting again sometime soon to explore properly.

I even caught a few rainbows along the way 😉

From ‘dam to ham, I found myself on a short press trip to the Sierra de Aracena region of Andalucia, Spain. This lesser known part of Andalucia (only 1 hour away from Seville by car) is packed with the cutest villages and enough ham to turn one’s blood into pure lard.

… That was not a complaint, by the way.

I had so much fun visiting this underrated slice of Spain, the highlight of which was the spectacular food and natural magic. I can’t wait to share more about this region with you soon!

Wow, incredible photos from Sierra de Aracena, Spain, one of Andalusia's most beautiful hidden gems! #Spain #Andalucia #Travel

Last but not least, I am crushing hard on Mother Nature right now after a ridiculously spontaneous trip to Northern Italy to hike the Dolomites.

Here’s the thing: Bavarians get a ludicrously wonderful number of holidays. This year, two holidays came stacked back to back, with only a Monday between them and the weekend. This meant my boyfriend was able to only take one day off work, allowing us to skip off into the Italian sunset for a magical long weekend.

Hiking through the Dolomites has been my dream since forever, and it was every bit as wonderful as I always dreamed. We hit the road in our tiny Volkswagen, pulling over at every opportunity, hiking for hours until the sun came down… I’ll be writing up more details soon – but for now, enjoy these photos!

Plans for November

And now you might be wondering: what’s next?! Well, I’m typing this from the Nuremberg Airport just before midnight, with my sights set for London tomorrow to attend World Travel Market, one of the biggest travel industry events of the year. Will I fall flat trying to network my face off? Only time will tell. Until then, I hope you enjoyed that update, and I’ll chat with you all soon!

Sooo, monthly updates still count when they’re 6 months apart right?

Hi guys! *awkward wave* It’s Christina, here to claim the title of “actual worst”. Around this time last year, I vowed to write a monthly travel update for you all, and dutifully, no matter how painful, I kept it up.

But then (as they usually do with me), things got a little wacky, and my plans went off the rails.

The truth is, I iced the updates because I thought nobody was reading them. Sometimes it felt like I was typing up all these muddled thoughts, sending them up to cyberspace only to receive virtual crickets and the occasional pity comment from my mom.

But when (from time to time), I started getting questions about my next update, where the personal posts had been, I realized maybe there’s like 1-2 of you that actually read them.

So here I am… for you! If you do happen to enjoy these more personal posts, please let me know 🙂 A quick emoji in the comments… a virtual high five. Something to rescue me from crying myself to sleep, maybe? Thank you!

Desperation aside, if you want jokey, play by play updates of my travels, your best bet is to follow me on Instagram and watch my Stories.

Now, onwards to the update…

An Exciting New Partnership with Omio

First thing’s first, I announced on Instagram a few weeks ago that I have officially joined Omio as their Munich local expert! For any of you travelling in Europe, Omio is an awesome, free site that allows you to compare prices, times, etc. on transport routes all around the continent, which means you can quickly and easily see the best ways to get from Point A to Point B. You can check them out here.

I’ve been using Omio for years (since my first backpacking trip, if I remember correctly), so this partnership is a total dream come true. I can’t wait to produce monthly content with them all about my beautiful city, things like this insanely detailed guide to public transport.

My New Travel Partner

Next, I need to introduce you to my new travel partner: Alphred! He’s dark, handsome, takes amazing photos, and….

Okay, fine, he’s a camera. Alphred is a camera.

But not just ANY camera… My Alphie is a shiny new Sony A7iii , a full-frame mirrorless beauty that takes THE dreamiest photos. It has been a full four years since I’ve bought a new camera, and while my Nikon D3200 (my first ever DSLR) served me well for a long time, an upgrade was long overdue. Friends, say hello to Alphie! 🙂

My 2018 Travels so Far

Okay, now onto this long overdue travel recap. Honestly, sometimes I scroll through all my photos from the past three months and wonder how I survived without becoming an actual coffee bean.

In the past three months, I’ve hopped through three continents. Here’s a quick recap.

February brought me to India for a very exciting collaboration with Incredible India. As one of 60 bloggers invited to take part in the Great India Blog Train , I got a chance to experience one of India’s top luxury trains: the swishy Golden Chariot, which took me through the South Indian provinces of Karnataka and Goa. You can read a full review in this post.

Immediately after that, I did a surf camp in Fuerteventura with Planet Surf Camps . Trading in a sumptuous luxury train for a surfer hostel was interesting to say the least. I think the princess in me withered up and died a little. Overall it was good fun, and you can read my full review here . I survived, but my dignity remains in tatters.

Trading in a wetsuit for a business suit, I flew directly from Fuerteventura to Berlin to attend ITB, the world’s largest travel trade fair. Of course, I arrived ten shades tanner thanks to the Spanish sun, and so my first stop was to buy myself some new foundation that didn’t make me look like a surprised ghost.

To my shock/horror, I was officially the darkest shade offered in Germany: so-called “chestnut”.

For the next few days, I scooted my chestnut butt around ITB, catching up with great blogger friends, getting barraged with “YOU’RE SO TAN?” and making some great business connections along the way. If you’re a fellow blogger, I can’t stress the importance of attending in-person events. It’s so important!

Arriving back in Munich, I had all of two days’ to myself before my best friend from Vancouver flew in for a visit. Basically she decided to like, parachute in while my whole world was in flames.

Sleeplessness aside, it was great to have a familiar face in my new hood, and after showing her all my favourite spots in Munich . Together we then jetted off to Porto (one of my favourites) and Lisbon (a new favourite, despite an unlucky brush with pickpockets ).

We managed to visit during a freakish rainstorm as well, which locals found comically unusual. Oh, and a seagull stole an entire omelette off my friend’s plate. Against all odds, I still had an amazing time.

On the way back from Portugal, I stopped for a quick city break in the beautiful fairytale city of Bruges, where I drank from mugs larger than my face, gawked at a vial of Jesus’ blood and stood over top the world’s first beer-filled pipeline.

Guys, Bruges is cool. You can copy my 48 hour itinerary here , check out some alternative things to do, or read about the top, beautiful must-sees .

I only had a few days after that trip to repair my trust issues, when another friend decided to drop in on a parachute: Penelope from the The Flyaway Girl !

After a whirlwind visit in Munich, we flew off together with AirBaltic to visit Vilnius, Lithuania . There, we partnered up with the awesome team at Travel Addicts Club and they showed us a side to Lithuania I never knew existed. Guys, Vilnius is amazing.

You need to go. Here’s a post I wrote explaining why I fell so hard, and of course a great roundup of things to do in the city.

Now, I can’t lie to you – my main reason for visiting Vilnius though was that I had booked a very very cheap flight deal from there to visit home in Vancouver for two weeks (like, 300 euros cheap), two weeks filled with a non-stop parade of sushi and international eats I can’t get my grubby hands on in Munich.

I also happened to be home just in time for peak cherry blossom season, a happy coincidence that resulted in one of my most popular posts this year – where to find cherry blossoms in Vancouver .

My days were filled with blossom chasing with my parents as co-pilots, and it was pretty darn awesome and after a brief Insta-training, my dad is getting weirdly good at photography.

The blossom trend continued as I returned to Europe.

My flight home stopped in Amsterdam , which made a brief foray into the famous Dutch tulip fields a must. With my spontaneity being costly (what, on a holiday weekend in APRIL in the Netherlands), I looked for alternative accommodation outside of Amsterdam, which is how I found myself in the magical little village of Giethoorn .

It was crowded, but lovely, and staying the night there made all the difference (especially for super vain pics like these):

I then got to meet up with a friend off Instagram, Kristy from Tassie Devil Abroad, who gave me the okay to third wheel a romantic tulip adventure with her and her partner.

We skipped the oh-so-popular Keukenhof in favour of lesser-known tulip fields around the province of Flevoland. It was bliss!

Then came Paris. Spring time in Paris has always been a dream of mine, and so I couldn’t resist a quick break here. Side note: I know it sounds like I’ve been making it rain euro bills all over the place, but travelling around Europe can be SO affordable ( here’s my guide to cheap transportation options ), and I actually hopped on a bus from Amsterdam to Paris for less than 50 euros. Amazing.

In Paris, I was blessed with brilliant weather, spring blooms, and the most perfect few days in one of my favourite cities. For those of you who hate Paris or think it’s overrated, fight me. Yes it’s cliched, yes it’s touristy, but if you know how to do it right, it’s also pure magic. It helps of course that I got to work with Hotel Le Pavillon while there, a brilliant boutique hotel with the most absurdly stunning view. I didn’t want to go home!

My last stop before going back to Munich was a press trip to the amazing butterfly-shaped province of Trentino, a beautiful area in Northern Italy between the Dolomites and Lake Garda. Genuinely, I think it’s one of the most underrated spots in Italy I’ve been to – all the beauty and sights, without the crowds 😉 I can’t wait to share more of my trip with you soon!

So… What’s Next?

I really want to slow things down for the summer. Dial it down to a slow mo, light some candles, yenno, the good stuff. I genuinely believe that travel is best appreciated when there’s balance and ample time to reflect.

I have a few short weekend press trips lined up, but apart from that, I want to make the most of my time in Munich and the European summer… maybe try to get back in shape, because although round is a shape, I’m getting noticeably doughy, a not-so-ideal consistency for bikini season.

This time last year, I had just finished a half marathon, and now this year, the only half I’m finishing is half a cake. Then the second half.

I also need some time to focus on work. I’m a workaholic by nature, so the inability to sit down and get things done is really weighing down on me. I guess you can expect a loooot of content coming your way.

To be honest with you, I’m still struggling to find the balance between travel and work, an especially troubling issue given that I’m a full-time travel blogger.

The issue is this: when I’m in a new place, I always try to do it all, experience it all, often to the demise of my productivity and sleep patterns. The amount of times I’ve fallen asleep, mouth-open in bed while editing photos or writing is far too many… but it’s a 1st world problem I’ll happily take if it means I get to do what I love.

So anyways, another “short” updated that has turned into a novel. I guess I really am back 😉 Talk to you all again soon!

I hope you enjoyed my list of Travel Stories!

I don’t write a ton of narrative type posts anymore, but let me know in the comments if you’d like me to add more.

My Go-To Travel Favourites:

🧳 Eagle Creek: My favourite packing cubes

💳 Wise: For FREE travel friendly credit cards

🍯 Airalo: My go-to eSIM

🏨 Booking.com: For searching hotels

📷 Sony A7IV: My (amazing) camera

✈️ Google Flights : For finding flight deals

🌎 WorldNomads: For travel insurance

🎉 GetYourGuide: For booking activities

2 thoughts on “My Funniest, Cringiest & Most Embarrassing Travel Stories”

Firstly I have to say you are such a great story teller, you had me in stitches from the go! It is so refreshing to read something so different to the usual “Top 10 tips” type of travel blogs! I think I can top your grandad date though…. I inadvertently went to an erotica with my dad. Now that is awkward!

Great fun to watch your Christmas markets guide, and to read some of your stories! I will definitely be coming back for more

10 Funny (and Unlucky) Short Stories from One Year of Travel

I’m so excited to share this one with you! I’ve gathered our top 10 most funny (and unlucky) travel stories from our round-the-world-trip, and put them into short stories in this blog post.

I want to show you that traveling isn’t always as glamorous as it’s set out to be. I’m sorry to break it to you, but that classic Instagram picture where you see someone sit in a bubble bath in the middle of the mountains with a glass of champagne is just not something that the majority of us will ever get to experience.

Traveling can be rough! In fact, two of these travel stories that I’m going to share are about poop, one has a sex worker in it, and another one is about bed bugs.

That’s as glamorous as it gets here on Worldwide Walkers travel blog – Sorry!

But all the mishaps that happened to us during our trip are what created these funny travel stories. And I honestly wouldn’t exchange any of them for a glass of champagne and a bubble bath in the mountains. Although, alcohol might have made some of these short travel stories a bit more endurable…

Anyways, this is our top 10 most funny travel short stories from our one-year trip around the world!

1. Getting bed bugs in Thailand

All right, so let’s start from the very beginning.

Glenn and I took a whole year out of our regular calendars and devoted this time to travel around the world. We left on July 10 2019, and we bumped into our first challenge only one week later in Thailand. I experienced every backpacker’s worst nightmare: Bed Bugs! UGH!

We had spent the first week getting over our jet lag in Bangkok followed by a celebration of Glenn’s birthday in Kanchanaburi. I finally started to adapt to my new lifestyle, and I was excited to go and explore some of the beautiful Thai islands.

So, we jumped on the night bus from Bangkok and made our way towards Chumphon where we got dropped off at 3 AM and had to wait for the 6 AM boat… That’s what happens when you always go for the cheapest option.

A few hours (and a couple of mosquito bites) later, it was finally time to board the boat! Little did I know that this boat would be the source of the next 2 weeks of hell for me. Because I apparently got bed bugs from this boat.

Later that same day, I remember waking up from a nap in our hotel in Koh Tao. My back was completely red and itchy. It looked like a rash, and I naturally started to panic (I’m an anxious type).

But Glenn calmed me down and convinced me to go to the beach and try to relax. And since I was convinced that it was just a rash (or some kind of allergic reaction), I said to myself, “what the heck, let’s go to the beach! The rash will be gone by tomorrow.”

Surprise, surprise – the rash wasn’t gone by the next day. In fact, it had gotten much, much worse! It was so red and fiery that I thought about calling my travel insurance – can someone please get me a doctor?!

I told myself to take a deep breath and just go and talk to the pharmacist around the corner, maybe they could help me. So, I walked into the pharmacy, lifted up my shirt and showed my back covered in the red burning spots. The lady in the pharmacy just said, “Oooh bed bugs.”

Excuse me? Did you say FREAKING BED BUGS?!

NO NO NO, I’d rather just have bad allergies acting up.

Come on, just tell me it’s a rash…

I actually (dumb tourist as I am) tried to convince her that it was a rash, but she just looked at me and repeated, “Bed bugs!”

So, I spent the next 2 days anxiously cleaning all of our stuff and looking for bed bugs, their eggs, and their excrements. It was pure hell! The following days, the swelling continued to get worse and itchier. I actually learned that the reason why my body reacted so badly is because I’m allergic to these small bloodsuckers.

Glenn on the other hand, he didn’t get a single bite…

It took more than 2 weeks for the bites to finally start to disappear. It was such an itchy nightmare!

But today it’s one of my “funny” travel stories. Who’s that dumb that they’d try to convince a pharmacist that they have a rash rather than just admit they have bed bugs? – ME!

If you want to read more about my story and learn what to do if you get these small bloodsuckers on a trip, then go read my blog post about it: Bed bugs in Thailand .

2. Fresh poop-laundry in Cambodia

This is quite the disgusting story… But it’s also one of my top 10 funny travel short stories! Although, it wasn’t much fun for Glenn – but we’ll get into that.

When you’re traveling full-time, you can’t do your own laundry. So, we often hand in our laundry to some locals in exchange for a bit of money.

And at this point of our trip, we were staying in a hostel in Cambodia where they recommended us to go and give in our laundry to the family living across the street. We gave the family $5 and they did all of our laundry – nice deal!

The next morning, Glenn went to pick it up. We were packing our backpacks because we were heading onto a new destination in Cambodia. So, we had to catch the bus and were therefore in a bit of a hurry.

We started packing our “fresh” clothes when suddenly Glenn saw a big brown stain on his toiletry bag. He looked confused – What could this be?

I told him to smell it.

(All right, I know it’s really mean to tell someone to smell a brown stain, but it might as well have been mud?! There was only one way to find out…)

So Glenn smelled it. And then he gagged.

It was poop. Fresh sh*t. From a human.

We looked around to detect the poop source and saw that the plastic, which Glenn had gotten the laundry back in, had a big piece of poop on it. He had put the fresh pack of laundry on the bed – on top of his toiletry bag, which explains how the poop ended up there. So, somehow the family across the street had put our clean bag of laundry onto a poop.

We quickly learned that there were small poop stains on several pieces of Glenn’s clothes.

It was really disgusting… but somehow I couldn’t stop laughing when I learned that it was only on his stuff and not on mine (I know, I can be quite the mean girlfriend). Glenn on the other hand, he did not think it was funny at all – he was so pissed off!

We didn’t go back to the little family to complain because they were living in a small shed, and you could see that $5 meant a lot to their economy. Their small children were running around naked, so we assumed that it was their poop.

We just let go of the incident and instead decided to embrace it for what it was – a funny (and disgusting) travel story to add to the collection.

Poop cake from Unsplash - to show one of my top funny travel short stories

3. Getting spiked in Cambodia

Sooo… out of all the short travel stories, this is probably one of the least funny ones – at least for Glenn.

Glenn and I don’t go out and party hard that often. We are the kind of couple who instead enjoy the bar culture where you can have some great laughs with friends, do a bit of dancing, and play a round of pool.

However, if you ever make it to Siem Reap in Cambodia, then it’s mandatory to go on a pub crawl with your hostel. It’s a pretty rowdy experience where everyone drinks a ton of shots and gets absolutely smashed before waking up the next day with a raging hangover.

Sounds lovely, right?

Anyways, we joined the pub crawl one evening – which was actually more of a club crawl.

When we made it to the last club, we were all moderately wasted, but not completely smashed. So, Glenn and I started playing beer pong with another couple from the hostel. The couple suddenly left, so I saw the opportunity to also leave the table and go play table football with some of the guys from the hostel.

Consequently, Glenn was left alone at the beer pong table. BIG MISTAKE!

A few moments later, I saw that he was suddenly playing with a very tall slim Cambodian woman who was wearing 3 layers of make-up, insane amounts of glitter, and the smallest mini-skirt I’ve ever seen. She also had very broad shoulders, a big jar, and an obvious Adam’s apple… You get the picture now?

I honestly thought it was a pretty hilarious scene. It was obvious that she was some kind of sex worker in the way she was dressed and in the way that she approached Glenn. But what she didn’t know was that he had come with someone else – me!

Glenn and the tall woman was playing against two Cambodian guys who obviously knew the woman. It honestly looked a bit shady from afar. It was obvious that they wanted something out of poor drunk Glenn.

But Glenn isn’t stupid, he knew what was going on. But the reason why he didn’t want to leave the table was because we had paid for the beer, and he wanted to drink it all. So he just kept playing until there was no more beer left… My boyfriend is Belgian and he just can’t let any beer go to waste.

What he didn’t know (until he chugged down a full glass) was that they had swapped out the beer with something else – he said it just tasted like water.

Strange. Where had the beer gone? He didn’t even see them switch around the drinks.

After some time, the whole situation only got stranger, so I decided to interfere – it was time to just leave and go home.

However, the minute we left the club, Glenn suddenly lost the ability to walk. He was all drowsy and he felt like he had to puke. I supported him the best I could and we started to walk home. Keep in mind that we drank the same amount all night, which meant that I was also drunk – but in no way was I in his condition… and Glenn can normally drink way more than me.

So I knew that something was completely wrong with him.

Long story short, Glenn slept by the toilet all night and had a complete blackout. It was obvious that something had been put in his drink – he couldn’t remember anything the next day.

The only time he had been drinking something unknown and different from what I was drinking was when he was playing beer pong with the Cambodian prostitute and her two male friends. They were obviously running a scheme and must have put some kind of tranquilizer in his drink.

If a situation seems strange, then remove yourself from it! Don’t be like Glenn and insist on drinking the last drop of beer – only to find yourself in a strange blackout within the next hour.

What a night. I honestly had a great time! Glenn… not so much. This night definitely deserved a spot in our hall of fame of funny travel stories!

Just a little side note to this story: Cambodians are some of the friendliest people on this earth! I don’t want to scare people off from going here with this story because getting spiked can happen anywhere in the world. To show how nice Cambodians are, I’ve added a picture of Glenn chatting and laughing with 5 friendly monks!

laughing with monks on the beach on Kep Cambodia

4. Learning about domestic violence in Vietnam

This is one of my favorite funny travel short stories!

This story both shows how incredibly friendly Vietnamese people can be towards foreigners, and how we humans can still manage to find a way to communicate without knowing each other’s languages – and in spite of big cultural differences.

This funny travel story takes place in Tam Coc, which is one of the most beautiful places in all of Vietnam! Read my blog post about things to do in Tam Coc , and you’ll see.

We stayed in a guesthouse and one night the owners invited us to join them for dinner. We gladly accepted! They had cooked an impressive feast, and we were excited to try some new Vietnamese food.

The only problem was that we didn’t speak Vietnamese, and they didn’t speak English. So after a while, we ran out of body language, and it became quiet around the table. I mean… you can’t rub your tummy and say, “mhmmm” all night. We had to find something to talk about.

So we pulled out Google Translate – every traveler’s best friend.

And it turned out to be so much fun!

The owner wanted to introduce his wife, so he said something in Vietnamese, which came out in a monotone robotic Google Translate voice like this, “My wife’s name is Bitch”.

We all fell into a coma of laughter!

His wife’s name is “Bich”, but Google translated it into “Bitch”. It was hilarious!

We had so much fun and ate so much fantastic food (which they insisted we shouldn’t pay for). However, the more rice wine we drank, the weirder the night became.

The man started telling us stories about how his wife was being violent to him all the while his wife was sitting right next to him and laughing about it. Then the wife tried to teach me how I should punish Glenn. According to her, I should take his money, so he doesn’t go sleep with other women, and then I should start slapping him – Give him the “100 hands” as she called it on Google Translate.

We don’t condone domestic violence in any way! But we also didn’t want to be rude to our hosts, who were both laughing about this matter. So, we kind of just laughed along…

Even though the whole night took a weird turn, we still had a really fun night! These people were so generous to us. And despite our cultural differences, language barriers, and different views on domestic violence – we still had one of the best nights of our entire trip.

It was definitely one of our best local and cultural experiences, and today it’s one of my favorite funny short stories from our one year of travel.

5. A dog pooped on my seat in Bolivia

Okay, so here goes my second poop story… Apparently one wasn’t enough.

This short story definitely deserves a spot in our top 10 funny travel stories – I still can’t believe the bad luck we had on this day.

This travel story takes place in one of the most incredible places in the world – Salar de Uyuni! Salar de Uyuni is the name of the famous salt flats in Uyuni, Bolivia. It’s an area that doesn’t look like it belongs on earth. It’s honestly one of the most incredible places you can visit in this world! And I’m not exaggerating.

However, we made the mistake of choosing the cheapest salt flat tour that we could find. It’s a habit to look for the cheapest tours when you’re a budget traveler… But word of advice – don’t be a cheapskate when choosing a Salar de Uyuni tour.

Long story short, we ended up sitting with our knees in our faces in the back of a jeep for more than 8 hours with a really rude Bolivian family, a guide who didn’t speak English, and an ugly little dog.

The whole tour was one big mistake from our side. We should just have paid for something better from the beginning!

It was such a bizarre day because we were visiting one of the world’s most amazing places, yet we weren’t really enjoying it because of the weird tour we had gotten ourselves into.

And after several hours of disappointment in our fellow explorers, just before the tour was over and we were about to head home, then the rude Bolivian family’s little dog took a sh*t on my seat.

I was SO mad that I refused to get back into the car. I wasn’t mad at the little dog, but at the irresponsible family who had been feeding the dog candy and other kinds of crap all day.

The Bolivian family started to panic a bit when they saw how mad I became, but their solution was just to hand Glenn a tissue.

So, they wanted Glenn to clean their dogs poop? I honestly couldn’t believe how rude they were, and both Glenn and I refused to clean up after their dog.

The poor tour guide had also had enough of the family, so he just took the tissue and started cleaning the seat.

I was just thinking to myself, what kind of person doesn’t clean their own dogs poop?! They were such bad dog owners. After the seat had been cleaned with a tissue, they even wanted me to go back into the jeep and sit on it… They didn’t offer to change seats.

Glenn and I eventually reached a point where we just started to laugh because of how unfortunate the whole day had been. That’s why today this story made it into one of my top funny and unlucky travel short stories.

If you want to read more about this unfortunate day, then go read my blog post: How (not) to visit Salar de Uyuni

How to not visit salar de uyuni bolivia salt flats worldwide walkers

6. Getting stuck on a mountain in Bali

This funny travel story is one of those classic Southeast Asia backpacker stories that involves a scary scooter fall and a breakdown in the middle of nowhere.

We had rented a scooter from our guesthouse in Bali. It was in a very poor condition, yet we thought it was a great idea to drive to the top of the steep 600 meter high Mount Lempuyang, and visit the famous temple on the top.

But of course it turned out to be a very bad idea…

The hill was too steep for the scooter. I was driving with Glenn on the back, and I turned the gas as much as I could, but we were basically standing still on the hill. So Glenn had to jump off and start walking up.

We decided to take turns in driving and walking up the steep mountain.

It went fine, until it didn’t…

At some point during Glenn’s turn of driving, I heard him scream, “F******CK!”, and then there was silence.

SH*T! Did he drive off the mountain?

In a complete panic, I tried running up the steep hill. I made it around the corner and saw Glenn in the middle of the road. He had fallen with the scooter. But he was okay, and there luckily weren’t any scratches on him or on the scooter.

I was so grateful that nothing had happened to him!

Apparently, my scooter helmet, which was laying between his legs, had rolled off during a sharp turn. So he tried to reach out for it but consequently lost his balance on the scooter. He said that the only way out of the situation was to just let himself fall slowly onto the side.

The only problem now was that the scooter wouldn’t start. The battery was completely dead.

We tried several times, but after 20 minutes we had to admit to defeat. We were stranded on top of a mountain in Bali… At least we had an incredible view over the island and the ocean!

I remember how funny it was when Glenn tried to ask for help when cars were driving by. Glenn waived with his arms signaling them to stop and help us, but they didn’t get the message because the people in cars just smiled and waived back.

After about half an hour, Glenn randomly tried to start the scooter again – and it magically worked!

We were contemplating whether we should continue up the road to the temple (we were only 900 meters away), or if we should just ride back down.

We took the fall and the broken scooter as a bad omen and decided to just head back down the mountain.

So basically, we never got to see the temple… But riding up that hill in the first place wasn’t a complete waste because now we have yet another travel tale to add to our collection of funny stories.

I know so many travelers who have scary scooter stories, and now we have one too! Although, today we find it quite funny and mostly just laugh about it. But please be careful on the scooters in Southeast Asia… A lot of accidents happens.

You can check out some my blog posts about Bali here:

Is Bali still worth visiting?
22 interesting facts about Bali
Best things to do in Sidemen

7. Drunk on rice wine with locals in Vietnam

While writing these funny short travel stories, I find it a reoccurring theme that it’s often Glenn who is the subject of the stupid things that happen… Coincidence???

Glenn is also the main character in this story, which he later that day came to regret.

Long story short, Glenn and I was out exploring Hanoi when we started to feel hungry. We walked around in an area that didn’t have many food options, so when we saw a little local street vendor we decided to just go for it.

It was the kind of place where you sit on small plastic chairs, and you throw your leftover food onto the ground. Not very hygienic, but a great cultural experience.

The local people sitting at the little street food restaurant were excited about two foreigners joining them. One of the men told Glenn to come and sit next to him by slapping the little red plastic chair besides him. Glenn sat down, and he was quickly offered beer, cigarettes, and rice wine.

The man constantly filled up Glenn’s glass and yelled “trăm phần trăm!”

trăm phần trăm apparently means 100% – or bottoms up!

The Vietnamese man made it his mission to drink Glenn under the table. Glenn looked at his watch and saw that it was just past 12 PM, which is the appropriate hour to start drinking in his world according to Belgians, so he accepted the challenge.

The only problem was that Glenn had never had Vietnamese rice wine before, and it’s not unusual that rice wine has an alcohol percentage of 40%. So, I knew that Glenn would get completely smashed from this little game he was playing.

A lot of Vietnamese people started to join in on the scene, and all of a sudden Glenn was chugging rice wine with half of Hanoi’s citizens (yes that’s a complete overstatement! My point is that a lot of people joined).

When the bottles were empty, I decided that it was time to end the show and move on with the day.

Glenn was so drunk that he started hugging the old Vietnamese grandmother who was part of the street vendor family. To my surprise, the grandmother responded by touching and grabbing his biceps. It was such a hilarious scene from my sober point of view!

The street vendors didn’t want us to pay a dime because they were just so happy that we had stopped by to join them for lunch and a drinking game. It’s incredible how generous people around the world can be!

I saw that Glenn’s condition worsened by the minute, so I got a taxi to take us back to our hostel. 20 minutes later, Glenn had his head in the toilet and then passed out on the bed for hours.

Just a little advice; if you’ve never had Vietnamese rice wine before, then take it easy – it’s really strong!

You can watch this funny travel story in our travel vlog beneath:

8. Dehydrating on Roy’s Peak Track in New Zealand

Out of all our funny travel stories, this short story is probably the dumbest one. We absolutely have no one to blame but ourselves for this…

This is the story of when we dehydrated on Roy’s Peak Track in New Zealand.

It’s really dangerous to go hiking without enough liquids, so I don’t know how funny this travel story actually is – but at least we learned from it, nothing happened, and we can just look back and laugh about our stupidity today.

So basically, we thought it was a good idea to hike one of New Zealand’s toughest trails at noon on a hot sunny January day. Furthermore, we thought it was a good idea to do it without enough water.

We completely underestimated how tough this hiking trail was and therefore miscalculated how much water we would need… The hike ends at the incredible 1578 meter high viewpoint, and it was at this point that we officially ran out of water.

The remaining 8 kilometers turned out to be a nightmare.

We were walking back down for more than 2 hours in the blazing hot afternoon sun without any water. We both started to feel really bad – obviously dehydrating and feeling dizzy and powerless.

This just shows how IMPORTANT water or any type of liquid is while hiking. It’s super dangerous to go on a hike and not have enough water… ALWAYS bring more water than you think you can drink. More often than not you’ll end up opening that extra bottle.

We miraculously made it back to our van in the parking lot in one piece and drank everything we could find in the van. The only cold thing we had was milk, so Glenn started chugging all the milk. I didn’t care about cold or hot I just needed something liquid – and a lot of it! So, I took the gallon of water we had in our car and started drinking from it. Although, it was actually more like tasteless tea because it had been standing in the sun all day long.

It was honestly such a pathetic sight! I can’t imagine how stupid we must have looked in the parking lot of Roy’s Peak trail, panic-drinking everything we had…

Today it’s just one of our funny travel stories – “Remember that time we almost dehydrated and died on Roy’s Peak?” – and then we have a laugh. But lesson learned: NEVER underestimate a trail, it can be so dangerous if you start dehydrating because you didn’t bring enough water.

If you want to read the full story, then check our my blog post: How (not) to hike Roy’s Peak

9. Almost missing our plane to Chile

Come to think of it, this short story isn’t actually that funny compared to some of the other travel stories.

But it still deserves to be told because it was one of those, “What the F*CK!”-moments. It’s also one of those dreadful travel stories that many full-time travelers have experienced, and it feels so unfair and unnecessary.

That’s why we just have to laugh at it.

So basically we had paid A LOT of money for a direct flight ticket from Auckland in New Zealand to Santiago in Chile. The tickets were non-refundable, so we couldn’t afford to miss the flight.

Luckily, everything went smooth. Until it didn’t.

As always, I had done my research and checked all the necessary information we needed to know in order to enter Chile. I also researched whether you needed proof of an onward ticket or not, which you should ALWAYS check before going anywhere. After a small hour of research, I concluded that it was okay to fly to Chile on a one-way ticket, so I didn’t think more about it.

That is, until we were standing at the check-in desk in Auckland Airport and a lady from the airline staff asked me, “May I see your return ticket?”

I told her that we wouldn’t return to New Zealand, but instead move into Bolivia afterwards. We just hadn’t planned that far.

…She said we needed an onward ticket to get on the plane, and thus refused to let us check in.

I started panicking.

We had spent so much money on this flight ticket, and it was going to be my first time in South America. And now I maybe didn’t get to go?!

The thing is, you get nowhere in life if you just sit down and cry. So, I picked myself up and we started looking at our options. We looked into buying a plane ticket out of Chile, but we couldn’t decide for how long we wanted to stay in Chile. We also didn’t know which city we should fly out from… There was just too much pressure on us to start planning our whole South America trip in just 1 hour.

So, we found another solution.

There is a website that offers “fake” onward tickets for $12 per ticket… The tickets are actually real, but they automatically get cancelled 24 hours after you buy them. It honestly sounds super shady, but at this point we didn’t care. We just needed a quick solution to our problem.

So, we bought two random onward tickets online and hoped they would arrive in our mailbox before the check in closed. About 20 minutes later, we received our two “fake” tickets out of Chile to somewhere random in the US.

I was a bit nervous to return back to the queue for check-in, but at least now I had the proof they were looking for.

When we made it to the check-in counter, we didn’t get the same woman as before. We were now being checked in by the woman who was standing right next to the woman who rejected us.

We handed in our passports and ticket numbers, but when I asked her if she wanted to see our onward tickets she said, “No thanks”.

So that one lady sent me into a complete panic coma for nothing? Apparently it’s up to the individual to ask you about your onward tickets…

I felt so annoyed that she had to put us through the stress, yet I was super relieved that we were allowed to check in!

It’s just one of those typical travel stories that you only think is funny afterwards… I know that a lot of people have experienced this around the world. And it’s super annoying that it’s up to the airline to ask, and not just a permanent requirement for the country. Because then you can never be sure about what’s right or wrong.

When we arrived in Chile, nobody asked us to see anything. The immigration officer took a quick look at me and my passport and gave me the approval stamp in less than 2 seconds.

10. An uncomfortable hospital visit in Bolivia

Okay, this short story might be a little bit uncomfortable – but it actually turned out to be one of the most funny travel stories from our trip.

It’s not funny because I got sick. But the hospital visit turned out to be rather hilarious!

We started our trip in Bolivia at a 3500 meters altitude, which led to me getting altitude sickness. I was feeling awful, so I decided to call my travel insurance who advised me to go to a lower-altitude city and visit a hospital. They booked me in at a hospital in Sucre for the following day.

When Glenn and I showed up at the hospital the next day, we were the only ones there. So, it didn’t take long before a doctor was ready to see me.

The doctor was nice, but he didn’t really speak English, and we didn’t really speak Spanish… So it was limited how much I really understood of what was going on.

He took my temperature and listened to my lungs. Everything was luckily in order!

Then he guided me into a small room where I didn’t really know what I was waiting for. A few moments later, a woman came to take a blood sample from me. She took out a comically large syringe and just started tapping my arm. I remember thinking, why does she need so much of my blood to do a few tests?

But I just complied.

Then I was sent into another room where I (again) didn’t know what I was waiting for.

Another lady came in with another syringe, and she signaled me to drop my pants. She then give me a jab in the butt and injected something in me… And to this day, I still have no clue what was injected into me.

Then that same lady handed me two cups and a little wooden stick. The items looked like take away dressing cups, and the stick that’s left after eating an ice cream.

Basically, they needed a urine and stool sample from me. And I did what I had to do… Although, it wasn’t easy to do it in a dressing cup.

All there was left for me to do was wait for the test results, which arrived a few hours later.

The doctor told me that I did indeed suffer from a light altitude sickness, but that I also had salmonella. So here I was, battling 2 illnesses at once!

The doctor prescribed me 4 different types of medicine… which I also wasn’t 100% clear about what was.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to such a confusing hospital visit where my whole arm was tapped of blood, I got injected with something mysterious in the butt, and I had to poop in a dressing cup.

But the hospital did help me out a lot, and I was eventually cured for any illness I had – and for that, I’m grateful!

If you want to read the full story about me getting altitude sickness and going to the hospital in Bolivia, then you can find it here: Getting altitude sickness in Uyuni . Or check out my blog post from Sucre, which is the beautiful city where I went to the hospital: Things to do in Sucre

I hope you enjoyed my compilation of these 10 funny (and unfortunate) short stories from one year of travel. As you can see, we ended up in some bad situations on our trip, but we always tried to get the best out of it. The world isn’t as dangerous as you would think, and situations often gets better if we can find something positive in the negative. Laughter truly is the best medicine!

If you have any funny travel stories that you want to share, then feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear them. Thanks for reading and happy travels!

Hi, I'm Cecilie! And I'm the writer behind our travel blog. I only write about places that we've personally been to and want to recommend to you. I'm passionate about creating truthful travel guides, which can help you plan your own trip. When I'm not traveling or writing, you'll find me on a hiking trail, in a coffee shop, or in a shoe store around Copenhagen.

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Nice Post ! I have read your other posts which are really informative for any traveler.

Thank you! Glad you found them informative 🙂

Losing and Finding My Way in Japan

by Norm Williams

For much of my career, I traveled the world as a salesman. Our company hired people in each country we sold in to help with various duties. One year I went to Japan, and the sales agent chose the Kokusai Hotel in Kyoto for my stay due to the efficiency of its proximity to his office. I left early on a calm, bright morning to find my way through a beautiful historic part of the city built in traditional Japanese style. The cute, smiley hotel receptionist had written directions on a map, circled the area of my destination, and wrote out the address in Japanese in case I needed help. Shyly, she said in broken Japanese-English and with her hand covering her mouth, “It’s in this area. If you get lost, here’s the address.” With an early start and a clear sense of direction, I felt comfortable about arriving on time – a business culture imperative in Japan. I thought I found the circled area on the map with ease. I then compared the hand-written address to the kanji characters on the buildings to discern a match. With no Japanese reading ability, I struggled as if trying to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs without the Rosetta stone. I soon realized, “I’m lost, and not just in the usual way when I’m at home in the U.S. I’m lost without local reading or speaking ability, not knowing anyone in the city to go to for help, and a cell phone without reception in this country to call my sales agent.” Bewildered and disappointed that I could not find the way on my own, I began to wander. I looked for help among the passers-by.

I used my ignorant foreigner look, which I had patented around the world — the clueless, helpless, American businessman who is hopelessly lost, out of his element, and pleading for some host country compassion. I tentatively approached a businessman, presumably walking to work. Being deep in thought, I surprised him as a foreigner. But, kindly, he took pity on me. He looked at the address and, after a long pause, said, while shaking his head side-to-side, “Aaannnooo.” To me, this sounded like, “I don’t know.” Later I learned that “anno” is the Japanese form of “mmmm.” We parted with a mutual look of apology. I continued to beg for help as I disrupted Kyoto’s quiet, morning street routine. A coffee shop appeared to be a prospect for a captive audience of potential helpers. A lone, older man, enjoying his coffee and newspaper, sat in the corner, isolated. I cornered him. He had no choice but to help. He took a long, discerning look at the address, then the map, then the address, then the map again. He pointed to a spot on the map with an air of precision and confidence. But beneath his veneer of clarity and calm, I thought I saw a man pinning a tail on a donkey piñata while blindfolded. Time to move on, I thought. I learned later-on that addresses in Japan are codes to unravel. They indicate a ward, a district within the ward, a subsection of the district called a chome, a block number within the chome, and, finally, a building number. In Japan, they number buildings in the order of their construction. They are not in numerical order as in the U.S. The address I looked for could be located anywhere on the block, not somewhere in sequence. In place of a conventional numbered street address, an address in Japan could read like this in the U.S.: “Go down this alleyway, take

a right at the nightclub, continue past the graveyard, and it’s the red door on the right after the old oak tree.” Next, I found a lady pulling boxes on a cart. I guessed that a delivery person would know the area well. After quickly reviewing the address, she waved me hurriedly in another direction as if she knew exactly where to go. We eventually reached her old van in front of a gas station. She took out a map. As she looked at it for a long time, a deep crease began to form in her forehead. Her air of confidence became a look of “I don’t know.” Fortunately, her fellow worker, who sensed the problem, stepped in, analyzed the address and map, and then pointed with the certainty of a commanding general to an area of buildings across the street. My translation of her gesture, however, was: “It’s somewhere over there!” Another pin-the-tail moment. By now, I trusted no one walking the street. So, I waved down an expert – a taxi driver. His response to reading the address was an elongated samurai grunt and finger-pointing fit in Japanese-English, “Why are you taking a taxi? It is around here. We don’t need to drive anywhere!” But I could detect uncertainty in his expressions as he desperately tried to help me. I responded to him in my best, polite international English that I had learned works around the world – simple words pronounced slowly and loudly with a local accent as if the person cannot hear me well enough. In English with a Japanese accent, I said, “Pleeease driiiive meee tooo theee ahdresssss ah. I wiiill paaay youuuu eeeeven if it iiis aaacross the streeeeet.” Then it dawned on me that he did not understand any of my Japanese accented English. So, I resorted to the universal sign language of desperation conveyed with an American G I Joe gusto that said through body gestures, “I don’t want to walk there. I am very late! Please drive me even if it costs $50 to go 10 feet!”

He interpreted my gestures differently from what I meant because he zoomed off with me towards the center of town. He tossed me what looked like a Japanese language guide-book to the city with pictures of landmarks and pages of street maps. It was like he was giving me a tour of the town as he pointed to various places. Perceiving the misadventure ahead, I emphasized my unwavering interest in going to the phantom address by vigorously and repeatedly pointing at the address written on the paper. He responded with more grunts mixed with smiles as if saying, “You can point all you want. You are my prisoner.” After many miles, we arrived back where we began the city tour and parked outside the gas station. A determined and, apparently, a compassionate man, the driver did not want to let me down now. He went to the gas station’s workers and pulled them together for a conference. For what seemed like an eternity, they diligently researched maps, considered directories, animatedly discussed possible locations, and pointed in various directions. Then the gas station workers appeared to bow to each other in a humble celebration. Grandly, one of them stepped forward from the group and pointed to a building directly across the street. In the same direction that the cart puller’s fellow worker had gestured to, and the taxi driver told me about, I wondered, in despair, “Could it be that the building was, all this time, just over there, and I hadn’t listened to them?” The elated cab driver, who dearly wanted to finish the job, eagerly waved me into the taxi. Ecstatic, I jumped in. With a simple U-turn, he would deliver me to the door of the building across the street. But, of course, that would be too simple. We drove in Japan, and the strict traffic laws overrode any sense of simplicity. My cab driver pulled out, zoomed off, took a dozen or so turns down one-way streets, and we finally pulled up to the building that was across

the street. I could have walked back and forth between the building and gas station twenty times while in the cab. Gratefully, I paid the taxi driver a ransom for my release plus a tip for the city tour. As I walked into my sales agent’s office sixty minutes late, his lady assistant graciously approached me, saying, “He is waiting for you at the Kokusai hotel to bring you here.” “Oh My God! What message did I miss that told me to wait there?” I thought in anguish. “I spoke with a half dozen Japanese, disrupted their morning routine, struggled endlessly to understand them, walked many city blocks, traveled unnecessary miles, felt the helplessness and hopelessness of being lost, arrived an hour late, and I only had to wait for the sales agent to quickly and efficiently take me to his office! Feeling quite humble, I entered the meeting room and sat down at the conference table. My sales agent began to speak, and I listened carefully to his direction.

Have just reread this post. Hope you’ll pass through this corner of the world again soon ❤️

I will as soon as I can ❤️

14 Short, Funny Travel Stories Guaranteed To Cheer You Up

We all need some laughter in our life after the year that’s just gone, so to try and cheer you up I asked 14 travel bloggers to share their favourite short, funny travel stories.

There’s quite a range in here, from hot policemen to an angry nun, unintentional nudism to lizard fishing.

And if these funny travel experiences have taught me one thing, it’s stay away from animals!

I hope you you enjoy them, if you have any funny travel stories of your own then drop them in the comments at the bottom.

The Never-Ending Bus Ride

There was this time when we wanted to travel from Puerto Princesa to the tropical paradise of El Nido (Palawan, the Philippines). The journey was around 260 km and I had done plenty of research online to see what would be the best transportation option.

After careful deliberation, it seemed that a trip with Roro Bus company would be the best value for money. In fact, based upon the recommendations and reviews online, my expectations were actually quite high…

The promises made were all very appealing:

The bus would be air-conditioned! (I guess it technically was, if open or simply missing windows count )
The bus would be modern! (It made the Temples of Angkor seem thoroughly modern )
The bus would leave on time! (Forget leaving on time it ARRIVED three hours late)
The bus would take five hours! ( It did. Plus another three. And that’s not including the three hours it was late)
The bus wouldn’t stop to pick up people along the way! (Um, well, no. It stopped everywhere. And I mean everywhere. At one point, there were around 20 school children standing in the middle of the bus, rice bags stowed under every seat and I swear I heard a rooster’s crow coming from a paint can)

No, Roro bus was definitely not what I expected it to be. Despite the fact that our trip journey took twice as long as advertised and I for sure wasn’t too happy about it at that moment, looking back it’s one of my fondest travel memories.

Because who cares that the bus trip was not what I expected. And that I was six hours late. Late for what? I didn’t have anywhere to be! In that moment I learned that, sometimes, you just have to let go instead of getting upset or annoyed. Though needless to say, we didn’t book a ticket back to Puerto Princesa with Roro bus!

By Lotte from GezondWeekmenu

An Aggressive Nun

As an atheist who has travelled to sixty-five countries, I’ve always taken pride in respecting local religions (even if I disagree with them) and erring on the side of being overly conservative when I visit places of worship.

When I was travelling in Armenia I made a special detour to Tatev , a monastery built at the edge of a cliff, at the end of a long aerial tramway.

I made sure to dress very conservatively that day, with my legs fully covered in loose pants, a loose top with long sleeves and a scarf covering my head. I kept my camera and phone safely inside my purse, as per the posted rules and, to respect the actual worshippers, I stayed towards the back of the monastery, sitting silently, even as other groups of local tourists snapped photos with flashes, wore miniskirts and generally caused a ruckus.

So, imagine my surprise when a nun walked past me and gave me a firm slap on the arm!

This was no gentle tap – the nun full-on smacked me, then stood there staring. I tugged at the scarf over my head, thinking maybe some of my hair had slipped loose. It hadn’t. I looked at the bench I’d sat on, thinking maybe I’d missed a sign saying it was off-limits. It wasn’t.

The nun smacked me again, harder this time, and on the leg.

In shock, I shifted my position to move my legs out of her reach, in the process uncrossing my legs.

At that moment, the nun smiled, gave me a sharp nod, and walked away. I realized that my offence had been my crossed legs – an offence not forbidden on the list of rules posted at the entrance, but that one nun apparently so found so horrifying, so distasteful and so vulgar that she had to smack me… twice.

By Carly from Fearless Female Travels

An Eight-Legged Visitor

Sitting in the breakfast boma at Quatermain’s safari camp in South Africa I was enjoying a leisurely breakfast after an early morning safari and chatting to our guide about the animals we had spotted.

My son, who was 12 at the time, casually turned to me and said “I think I’ve just seen a spider run up your leg”.

Thankfully I don’t have even a small fear of spiders, but looking down at my leg and realising it wasn’t there I have to admit to being a tad concerned.

I turned back to him “did you see where it went?”.

I wasn’t expecting his answer, but then who would be? It turns out our little friend had gone shooting up my back, used my hood as a little diving board and was now entwined in my hair.

At this point a dark thought crossed my mind.

Spiders in Africa have the unfortunate nack of being a little bigger than their cousins in England . Whilst my fear of British spiders was non-existent, the beads of perspiration forming on my brow suggested my brain was filling in the blanks on how big this guy would be.

Our safari ranger heard our conversation rushed over and rummaged through my long hair to retrieve my eight-legged visitor. To say I wasn’t prepared for what he showed me was an understatement, this spider made your average house-cat look small.

My eyes must have popped out on stalks and the ranger couldn’t help but laugh. He was nice enough to tell me I had stayed really calm compared to other guests who had had a similar experience – including one who had gone into a frenzied screaming fit and run naked out of the shower cubicles!

It turns out that it was a rain spider and I had been sitting beneath its nest. It had just come out to say hello!

From Angie at WhereAngieWanders.com

Jurassic Lark

It was late in the evening and I was wandering through Sky Avenue in Genting Highlands eating some ready-to-eat noodles before boarding the cable car back to Kuala Lumpur.

Suddenly, I heard sounds of hysterical laughter from behind one of the pillars near a subway kiosk. I decided to approach and see what was going on, but little did I expect to see a giant dinosaur come bursting around the corner snapping its jaws .

“Oh, Jesus!” escaped instantaneously out of my mouth.

Of course, I knew that that the dinosaur wasn’t for real. Malaysia has some pretty exotic wildlife, but even I figured that this had to be some clever trick.

However, by now my heart was beating rapidly and some natural instinct kicked in. I turned, ran and managed to spill the noodles I was eating all over the street. For some unknown reason, I was also laughing uncontrollably!

A far less natural and more modern instinct then took over. This would make a great selfie! I stood in the path of the dinosaur which was now a few feet behind me. It opened its big mouth as if it wanted to take a huge chunk of me for dinner, but I still managed to force out a smile.

As soon as I heard the sound of the camera shutter, I ran away from there without looking back.

This has to be one of the most amusing farewells I’ve had from a place!

From Anukrati at bulbulonthewing.com

Smuggling in the Galapagos

We were on our honeymoon in the Galapagos and had spent a relaxing week sailing around the islands, snorkelling with sealions, and meeting marine iguanas. It was the culmination of a month travelling around Peru and Ecuador, and we were sad to be returning home.

However, as we arrived at the tiny rustic airport and put our backpacks through the scanner, all hell broke loose.

Several armed guards suddenly appeared and marched Hubbie off without a word of explanation. I ran pathetically behind, assuming there had been some sort of mix up, but as they took him behind a make-shift screen, I could see his bag lying forlornly on the ground, surrounded by suspicious officials.

My heart sank. Had we unwittingly been used as drug mules or something?

The guards began barking at my husband in Spanish, who didn’t understand what they were asking. Trying to eavesdrop from outside, I offered to translate but they ignored my pleas. Eventually it transpired they’d found a small bag of white powder in the bottom of his rucksack.

Panic set in.

Not only might we miss our flight, but were we going to jail?

Finally, they allowed him to unpack his bag, and the culprit was revealed.

An innocent packet of salt that we’d purchased at some mines in Peru.

And definitely not Galapagos sand, which was what they thought he’d been trying to smuggle!!

Ironically, after all the effort of getting it home, that salt still sits in our kitchen cupboard 13 years later. Yet another souvenir that seemed a good idea at the time.

Heather Cole at Conversant Traveller

READ NEXT: What Happens If You Don’t Show Up For a Flight?

A Lizard Lasso

I spent a year of my university studies in Malaysia and at the end of this year I went to an island for the weekend with some friends.

We decided to stay in some cute little huts with ensuite bathrooms which were very basic – think student budget!

My first plan when we got to our apparently vacant apartment was to use the bathroom, only to find to my horror that we were not alone. Staring back at me when I opened the door was a one-metre long monitor lizard minding his own business, chilling out on the toilet.

Obviously freaking out, I turned to my Malaysian friend thinking he might be more comfortable and have a clue what to do. He immediately hid behind me – not overly useful!

I went to the reception and tried to explain the situation and you can only imagine their faces when I gestured that they need to follow me to the toilet . The staff had an in-depth discussion and called more and more people to join, each turning up with different tools, implements and devices.

They then created what I can only describe as a lasso to try and it. But by this point, she’d (we’d named her Lizzy the lizard by now) got scared and disappeared down the pipes.

The staff left us with strict instructions that when she came back we had to pull the lasso sharply and fish her out of the toilet and bring her to reception. Sounds simple enough, all part of the normal contract between a hotel and the people staying!

Let’s just say that our lizard-toilet-fishing skills were not up to scratch and Lizzy was still living there when we left. Good luck to future guests!

From El at ElOnTheMove.com

A Stylish Baboon

Cape Town, renowned for its dramatic landscapes, wineries and natural coastline, is also well known for the abundance of animals living in the surrounding region . One afternoon, during a visit to the beach, I had a very close encounter with a group of Chacma Baboons, one of the cities most visible and brazen creatures.

Shortly after midday, with the African sun at its peak, I made my way to the beach. Despite the waters along the Cape Coast being some of the coldest, I decide to go for a swim, leaving my belongings enveloped in a towel on the beach. There was no-one else around and seemed like there was very little risk involved.

I couldn’t have been more wrong!

After about ten minutes in the water, I looked back at the beach to see a troop of baboons rifling through my stuff like a baby with its first bowl of jelly.

I got out of the water as fast as I could and swiftly sprinted up the beach scatterring them into the surrounding shrubbery.

When I finally got to the devastation that was once my belongings, there was not much left behind, including my clothes.

Fortunately, they haadn’t quite got the hang of money so left my money behind, they clearly just needed a new wardrobe ( Homer’s brain: money can be exchanged for goods and services ).

That was small comfort to me though, as I was forced to spend the rest of the day in nothing but swim shorts and an embarrased smile, including a rather awkward trip back to the hotel on public transport.

Rai at A Rai of Light

An Alternative Love Story

After Boys Over Flowers , a popular Korean series, hit Asia by a storm, I got curious about Macau. So when my former employer asked me where I wanted to go for my next all expenses paid vacation as part of my incentives for finishing our biggest campaign to date, I chose Macau.

Days later, I found myself in Macau with our three staff that we chose to join me. Like Jan-di, I enjoyed the free delicious snacks they offered me in Senado Square – jumping from one stall to another, because….. well, free food!

Munching on the best pastéis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts) that I ever had while walking the busy street of Senado, I reflected on my life’s choices.

Food can do that to you, you know, so don’t judge me.

I was 24 at that time, single and a promising young executive who just finished a successful campaign with one of the two major political parties in the US. I should be celebrating and feeling proud but being in Macau made me feel a bit melancholic and realized I wasn’t content with what I have achieved at a young age. With my mouth full of pastéis de nata, I was having an existential crisis, right in the middle of Macau.

Then, someone blocked my way, which disturbed the growing emotional turmoil.

I looked up and boy, forget the existential crisis.

I just found my Gu Jun Pyo!

The hot man in front of me was flashing something at me but I couldn’t understand what it said or what he was saying. It wasn’t just that I can’t speak Cantonese but I was also fairly distracted by planning our wedding in my head .

This is it.

I need a boyfriend.

Then he flashed his wallet in front of me again.

Does he want my number?

A girl can dream.

Oh my god, what’s my number? Why I can’t recall my phone numbeeeers?

These were just some of the thoughts running through my head, alongside cakes, photographers and venues for our future nuptials.

All thoughts quickly disappeared though when one of my colleagues shouted to me, crying and surrounded by scary looking men.

Confused, I turned back to my future husband and realized he was flashing me… a badge. So much for our wedding and two kids – Andres and Damaris Cristina.

My supposed love story turned into a shit-show in a matter of minutes. The hot guy in a black jacket wanted me to give him my passport.

In South-East Asia, there’s a popular scam where people pretend to be police so they can ask unsuspecting tourists to hand their passport over. Once they get your passport, they will then ask you for money or say goodbye to your passport. Yes, passport-napping is a thing. So I told him I wouldn’t give him my passport but I could show it to him.

Due to the language barrier, he misunderstood this as resisting. And then he started giving signals to his colleagues to take us.

There was no way I would allow anyone to drag me in an empty narrow street.

So what a well-respected lady gotta do?

Hug a lamp post of course!

I managed to combine this by screaming petulantly that I wouldn’t be going with them unless I see men in uniform! The hot policeman tried to drag me but I just held and embraced the lamp post like it was my one true love. The guy was getting frustrated as I started getting attention and he tried to intimidate me by showing his gun. I don’t know what kind of demon possessed me that day but I just shot him a dirty look and even had the guts to even tell him not to ever touch me. Ah, the beauty of the language barrier.

Frustrated, he got his radio and minutes later, over 20 policemen with a couple of men from some special units (probably a local version of SWAT) arrived and started surrounding us. Be careful what you wish for, Christine.

They then took us to an empty parking lot. By this point I was co-orperating, as it had become abundantly clear that they were legitimate agents of the law!

But when the hot guy told me to face the wall and raise my hands I lost it and started laughing. It felt surreal I thought I was in the movie. I was surrounded by guys holding MP5 submachine guns, this simply couldn’t be real.

Most of the SWAT team just stood around scratching their heads, probably wondering why they were there in full battle gear surrounding dainty looking ladies in their early-twenties who could barely even open a wine bottle, let alone fight back against what was now a crowd of nearly 30 people.

Feeling secure and more confident, we went with them to the police station and got detained there for more than 4 hours that we almost missed our flight back home.

They interrogated me until they got bored with my answers. Eventually, the hot policeman handed over my stuff and passport and when he mentioned the words “ legal ”, I couldn’t help but do an “ In your face! ” mental note.

If you’re confused as to why they arrested us, don’t worry, you’re not the only one. To this day I still have no idea why.

by Christine Rogador of TheBackPackingExecutive.com

A Needless Journey

It was the 8th January 2020, my birthday, and we were wanting to get from the town of Chefchaouen in Morocco to the city of Fes. We bought two tickets for a 10am departure aboard one of the cheaper buses.

The first sign that our journey wasn’t going to be pleasant was when we were charged double the usual amount by the baggage handler. There was nothing we could do, so we just paid and put it down to experience.

The bus set off late and crawled southwards, stopping frequently and seemingly at random to pick-up more passengers.

Half-way through the journey, the bus stopped at a truck stop. The driver shouted back that we had five minutes to grab food and visit the toilet. As we tried to get off the bus, a flurry of traders selling food and trinkets piled on. It was chaos. I was bursting for the toilet and pushed my way through the throng.

Having been ripped off earlier by the baggage handler, I had no money for the toilet and had to beg a fellow passenger to give me some coins. I made it back to the bus just in time.

The bus rolled on. Without functioning air-conditioning, it was really hot. After several hours, we arrived in Fes over an hour late, tired but relieved.

A couple of weeks after our return from Morocco, I found some files on my computer. As I double-clicked, I recognised the acronym ‘CTM’ in the file name and remembered what they were. A few weeks before our trip, I had pre-booked two tickets aboard a CTM bus, Morocco’s government-run bus company. CTM runs modern, air-conditioned buses that almost always arrive on time.

I’d forgotten about them. Our entire ordeal aboard the other bus had been completely needless and could have been avoided if only I’d remembered these other tickets.

It certainly wasn’t funny at the time, but looking back on the experience now I allow myself to laugh, just a little!

by Matt Morelli of HereToTravel.com

The Scott Gold Incident

I wasn’t pleased to find myself on a layover in the Dallas/Fort Worth airport , only to learn that my flight to Little Rock, Arkansas had been cancelled. So I ran to the American Airlines help desk and got myself put down as number 11 on the standby list. There was a good chance I would still manage to make it to Little Rock that night.

A few minutes later I took a seat and looked at my standby ticket had noticed it had been issued to “Scott Gold”.

I still have no idea how this happened because my legal name is Estella Gold, and the American Airlines employee took my name from my passport. I went back to the same woman, and she apologised and gave me a new ticket.

The only trouble is that now I was 47th on the standby list.

I asked if I could have my original spot back on the standby list, and I was told no.

The conversation that followed felt like the plot of a badly written sitcom.

“So despite the fact that this problem is entirely American Airlines’s fault, you’re going to force me to spend the night in Dallas, at my own expense, and you’ll do nothing to help me?” I said.

“That’s correct,” she responded.

“Why can’t I just have Scott Gold’s spot, since he doesn’t exist?” I asked.

“What if Scott Gold shows up and wants his seat?” the American Airlines employee demanded.

“THERE IS NO SCOTT GOLD! I AM SCOTT GOLD!” I wailed.

A crowd had started to gather around, and I realized there was no point in continuing this conversation.

When the flight to Little Rock started to board, and Scott Gold’s name was called, I went up to take my seat. The flight attendant didn’t even notice that my name didn’t match.

As I boarded the plane, I could hear the cheers from my fellow passengers, “WOOO! GO SCOTT!”.

Their support almost made the whole experience worth it.

from Estella Gold of Around the World in 24 Hours

Smile and Wave

A few years back, I was on a solo trip in Norway, to spend as much time in nature as I could and indulge in some outdoorsy activities. I decided to explore the fjords in a kayak, and joined a 3 day group tour, kayaking each day and camping at night. It was idyllic.

I’m pretty used to roughing it, so the notion of not having a flushing toilet for three days wasn’t too alarming for me. At night there were long-drop toilets where we camped, but in the day, while we were kayaking, you just had to pull over and find a spot behind a bush or something.

By day three, I was pretty used to this and maybe got a little complacent. We were paddling away and weren’t due for an official break for another hour and I really had to pee. I told the guide and he said we could stop on some rocks at the side.

It was a little exposed, and I basically had to ask everyone else in the group to look the other way, as there was nowhere to hide. I was wearing a wetsuit, so in order to pee, I had to take everything off.

In case you already haven’t got this image clear – I was squatting on the top of the rocks, practically naked, with my wetsuit around my ankles. What a look!

Mid-flow I looked up and to my dismay, a cruise ship rounded the bend with about 50 people looking over the side, cameras in hand. Overcome with embarrassment as everyone stared, all I could think to do was smile and wave.

I got a few bewildered waves back as I hastily pulled up my wetsuit.

It was utterly mortifying but remains one of my favourite travel stories.

by Seanna Fallon of SeannasWorld.org

The Flying Huntsman

When I first arrived in Australia I’d, of course, heard a lot about the local wildlife and how almost anything can kill you.

This was at the forefront of my mind when I first came face-to-face with one of the country’s famous spiders. a traumatic experience but also hilarious now that I think about it in hindsight (it took a lot of hindsight to make it funny though, a LOT!).

I was living in my campervan at the time and left the window open late at night. When I returned to the car I found a giant huntsman spider sitting right on the steering wheel. Huntsman, though technically harmless to humans, are bloody huge and are one of those creatures that would make a Great White Shark look cute and cuddly.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know this at the time and was faced with the task of getting the spider out of the car.

It was after midnight with no one nearby to help. I didn’t even have any insect spray.

My first attempt to nudge the spider out of the car with a broom lead to it getting scared and disappearing into the airconditioning vent. Great, as if having a spider in the car wasn’t bad enough, chances were the next time I needed a blast of cold he was also going to become a new species – the Flying Huntsman (not to be confused with a train). Flying straight at my face. No one needs that!

I was already preparing to camp next to the car overnight when the spider reappeared after around 30 minutes. Using one of those most versatile and important of survival tools, a selfie stick, my boyfriend was somehow able to guide it out of the car window and back into the great outdoors of northern Queensland.

I definitely did not sleep well that night in the campervan. I was too worried that he’d come back with his mates, armed with a selfie stick and that would be the last anyone would ever see of me.

by Victoria of GuideYourTravel.com

The Male Sat-Nav

So, you know how, within most travel couples, each person shines at different things? Well, me and my fiancé are this kind of couple. I tend to do all the planning, booking and write the itineraries. He is usually in charge of directions when we get there (if you’ve ever seen me driving a car, you’ll understand why!)

Well, it was summer 2019 and me and my family had gone away together to the Algarve in Portugal . We were staying in the gorgeous little town of Alvor and had decided to travel to Lagos for a day.

It seemed simple.

We’d discussed where we were going, had our backpacks packed and were ready to go. We knew we needed to catch a bus, so we decided to walk to the bus stop in town and catch the next one to Lagos.

Or rather, we thought this was where we were going!

My fiancé was leading and my family and I were following him, completely trusting his sense of direction. Some 20 minutes later, however, we were starting to get a little suspicious. We were in a rather shady looking industrial area with no sign of any buses. Despite this he insisted we were going the right way, so we kept walking.

Another 10 minutes and we stopped in the middle of absolutely nowhere and he turned to us and said “It should be here”

It looked like a housing estate, smelled like a factory and was severely lacking on the bus stop front! We were all boiling hot, had all but given up on surviving let alone finding a bus stop and regretted not letting Google Maps guide us!

In the end, we took a taxi to Portimao and spent the rest of the day chilling by the harbour and exploring the beautiful Praia da Rocha .

The following day we finally took the bus to Lagos, this time asking the hotel receptionist for directions!

by Alice from Adventures of Alice

Cold Feet Campers

Mike and I had gone from living in tents for work all Summer to living in a typical, simple home. You’d think ‘professional’ campers like us would know what we were doing as it was literally our job for years, but you’d be mistaken.

On a windy August day in Swanage, UK, we decided to go camping.

We packed all the necessities like cider, a blow-up bed and a small two-man tent and hit the road. When we arrived at the site, the wind was at a level that even Michael Fish would worry about but as experienced campers thought we knew better than the weatherman and decided to try and put the tent up anyway. 20 minutes of wrestling between nature and canvas, the tent pole snapped in half.

What we lack in skill we make up for in determination, so we headed off to the local camping store to find a solution.

That solution, ladies and gentlemen?

A pop-up tent.

Now, If you’re not familiar with pop up tents, the problem was that such a tiny tent, plus a blow-up bed and two people, doesn’t really leave a lot of space.

In fact, to be quick truthful, it doesn’t leave any space. We didn’t even fit inside.

We spent our week camping in Swanage , surrounded by (actual) professional campers.

You know, the kind who actually know what they are doing, with their big fancy camping kits.

Then there was us, Mike and Brie, really unprofessional campers – so inexperienced that we had to sleep with the tent door open and our feet hanging out at the end. Every morning we woke up with dew-wet socks and confused stares from all the other campers (if you’re looking for quick-dry travel socks then click here ).

It’s safe to say that we’ve come a long, long way since then. However, we’ll never forget it. Our first proper camping trip together.

The trip where the only answer was to get very drunk on cider each night to forget that we were basically sleeping outdoors.

Written by Breanne from Family Camping Europe

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WHEN TRAVEL GOES WRONG: Best Funny & Humorous Travel Stories

In BLOG , FUN CORNER by Clelia Mattana 18 October, 2018 88 Comments

Contents - Open To Read

DO YOU WANT TO READ SOME AWESOME FUNNY TRAVEL STORIES?

Then, my friend, you are in the right place because not only you’ll read some truly funny stories here, but I am actually The REAL MASTER OF DISASTER! They should give me an Oscar for “Best Funny travel story” category. Yes, I’m that bad!

But as someone wise once said:

“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.”

Mark Twain

A good funny travel story is usually the result of something that has gone (terribly)wrong. So there shouldn’t be anything to laugh about right? Except for the fact that you not only survived the accident but now you’re actually secretly proud to tell your friends all about your funny story over and over. I know I’m right…Confess! 😀

Those “Huh oh” moments can be quite unpleasant experiences, but you instantly know that they will make to the collection of excellent and interesting humorous stories for years to come ! Heck, you might even score a date or two if you find an ironic person (Just saying!)

I love funny travel stories so much! They show the less glamorous part of traveling and are an important part of travel itself. They represent the challenge, the adventure, the thrill. The real deal, not those perfect Instagram shots we ALL know are staged. DUH!

Travel-horror-stories-funny-travel-stories

So to quiet them down a bit I started to write a few humorous stories on FB and now I’m trying to collect them all and transfer my funny moments (disasters) while traveling in here too.

I just added the infamous one I had this year (2019 as we speak) when I first arrived in Australia for the first time 😀

But back to this article: I had a mission!

funny-horror-travel-stories-dont-panic-sign

To search and collect all the funny or at least humorous stories related to travel around the web and put them together in a top ten post, easy right? Not quite!

To reach my goal I started extensive researches on blogs and various websites. I even searched the most remote pages of Google to spot them and it wasn’t as easy as I thought!

But, at least, what I found and selected in the end, is definitely worth reading ! Someof the ones I’ve discovered are incredibly funny and humorous stories, others are creepy or beautifully written, whilst some others are quite spicy (stay away if you are a prude).

No matter how different they are, they all have one thing in common: They made me laugh or chuckle a bit . And in any case, if something goes REALLY WRONG, there are legal ways and consultancies services you can count on (which is a release! phewwww).

BEFORE GETTING TO THE FUN STUFF, A SERIOUS NOTE:

As a Master of Disaster other than the funny ones, I have so many horror stories to tell! I got injured and sick during my trips and they stole my possessions during a bus ride in Thailand once (including 1000 euros cash).

So a word of advice is in order: be extra careful when you choose the travel insurance for your trip ! (Click here to see what I use , they literally saved my life and finances more than once).

I never go without it and even if in some of these funny stories it might not be necessary, trust me that in other cases… it most certainly is!

SO BACK TO THE FUNNY STORIES FINALLY!

Yeah, that would be me, with a whole tomato in my mouth in a pub in Amsterdam. WHY? There is no why, I simply like being silly 🙂

For each story, I will insert a quick excerpt to give you a glimpse of what the fuss is all about, and I’ll put the relevant link to the article if you want to read the filthy details 🙂

BONUS MATERIAL:

Scroll till the end to find an article that seriously cracked me up! It’s not technically a story, but it’s definitely travel related!

1| 24 HOURS TO GET TO MELBOURNE (AND ALMOST SLEEP UNDER A BRIDGE)

Category: Funny Stories

“I had dreamed of that moment for hours… That fantastic moment where I was given the key to my room and I would have seen the most precious thing in the world: A BED. What I see instead is a sofa in the living room of an unknown house, located in between the entrance door and the kitchen door. I swear I was about to faint. “

This is a new series of my blog. Given that my friends and followers on Fb love the live chronicles of my horror-funny travel stories I decided to start posting them here.

In this occasion… well, this is how the land of Kangaroos welcomed me on my first night Down Undernight, after 24 hours in the air, lost in space-time and angry like a stray cat 😀

Source Keep Calm And Travel : Humorous Stories turned into horror ones: Me, David & The Taxi Driver

1| ALMOST KILLED BY A TURKISH HAIRDRESSER IN GERMANY

Category: funny stories

“The hairdresser proceeded to shave around the perimeter of my hairline, focusing mostly on the back of my neck. He moved the razor in quick little strokes, handling its edge with feline grace. I made the mistake of picturing how easily he could take my eye out, or how quickly he might give me a Sweeney Todd, and it was then my complexion faded from ‘Eggshell Uncomfortable’ to ‘Chartreuse Sputum.’”

turkish-barber-funny-germany-hairdresser-axe

This is an absolutely brilliant story, reporting how a simple question about politics can change the course of a simple hair cut from magic to tragic.

Will our hero succumb under the claws of the Turkish hairdresser?

SOURCE: Oh God My Wife is German

2 |THE MYSTERIOUS EUROPEAN SHOWER

Category: Humorous Stories

“There were no knobs or handles of any kind that I could turn to get the water running. There was this little console inside, which I tried to use. At first, it seemed self-explanatory. It had dials for water temperature and water pressure, and a start/stop button! Plus, it was all in English ! Surely I could figure this out, right?”

The mysterious shower

A very Funny insight on how an innocent European shower can become a mysterious sinister object for the poor American Tourist.Will Geraldine figure out how to handle a “highly technological” European Shower? Click on the link below!

This is a must-read tale from a super talented writer. Geraldine would be able to make you laugh even by writing on how she drinks her coffee!

Source: Everywhereist

3| CULINARY EXPERIMENTS

Category: Funny/Quirky stories

“While in Vang Vieng, Laos, two other travelers and I decided to visit the local market one evening. The idea was that we would each purchase some kind of food item to bring back to the guesthouse and share with the group for a nice local dinner”

The post I’m linking to is a collection of stories from Derek Baron. He decided to put together a list of the dumbest things he did during his 14 years of extensive traveling.

The result is a quite hilarious post where, among other funny experiences, Derek tells us how he decided to eat a Rat, in an attempt to try the local cousin. How did the experiment go? Read on to discover it!

Source: Wandering Earl

4| THAI MASSAGE OR THAI TORTURE?

Category: Humorous stories

Her black eyes examined me closely, wrinkles forming in her chestnut brown facial skin as she visually assessed me prior to my massage. “You big boy. I think you need two hours.” “No, I’m good with one.”

Would you like a massage??!

Beware of who you put your trust in. A relaxation massage turned into a Karate match against an old Thai lady. Who is going to be the winner?

Source: One dad one kid

5 |CHASED DOWN A MOUNTAIN BY SOME LOCAL WOMEN

“Wow, these people are so friendly!” I thought to myself. This is exactly the kind of cultural encounter every traveler hopes for – walking down a mountain en route to a rural village, water buffaloes munching away on shrubs, women from a local hill tribe joining for a walk. Why this is the kind of stuff makes the feature story on the National Geographic! Right?

We’ve all been there: captured by the innocent smiles and kindness of the locals in a foreign land… Be careful when putting your pink glasses on, as you will also probably need a good pair of shoes to run away as fast as possible! Click below to read Audrey’s escape plan!

Source: That Backpacker

6 |DEATH ON THE BOAT

Category: Black humor / quirky Stories

“I immediately felt my chest tighten and my heart began to race as my mind replayed the events of the past few days – had I been using insect repellent? Had I been covered up? Had I been bitten? I was suddenly convinced that I was about to die too”

Lauren Smiling before the nightmare begins

What would you do if you find yourself trapped on a slow boat with a poor dead body lying next to you? This is obviously not a funny story, but a rather creepy adventure on the Mekong river. Lauren has an entire anthology of weird and funny-tragic stories on her website.

There I am, bumming at the airport before my flight and reading Lauren’s book!

A must-read! And now she has a book! Well actually I also have her book because her stories are just super fun, I totally recommend it, check it out in here !

Source: Never ending Foot Steps

7 |”MONKEY BUSINESS”. ON A CHICKEN BUS…

Category: Spicy Travel Stories

“As the bus ride progressed and the chicken bus going like crazy everyone sliding back and forth in every direction I noticed something weird. I kept feeling his leg purposely touching my leg so I, of course, started making my leg touch his as well”

Warning: Spicy Adventure ahead! 🙂 Some travel bloggers are quite adventurous and brave enough to tell us all about their hot encounters…

This story is probably one of the most popular spicy tales of the past few years. No need to get embarrassed tough. I actually admire those people who can be very open about their life, and the story is pretty hilarious! want to know more? Put the kids to sleep first 🙂

Source: Breakaway Backpacker

8| FLATTERY GOES A LONG WAY

“Hello! You are beautiful,” he began. While my first reaction was to keep on walking, I stopped to listen anyway. Because you have to admit, the man had a valid point.

Honestly? I didn’t know which post to choose from Sally’s dozen funny stories! She just drags you into her clumsy funny world so easily!

This time, she writes about how flattery seems to be her weak point. Apparently, she can’t resist a compliment and she was convinced to join a group of Chinese tourists, that treats her like the star of the hour!

Do you want to know how she ended dressed like a local on a rice terrace? Click on the link to read about her adventure!

Source: Unbrave Girl

9| FUNNY STORIES: OUTRAGEOUS PICTURES

Category: Visual Funny stories

Instead, I’ve decided to share some of the more quirky, bizarre, outrageous, outlandish, humorous, funny, ridiculous, absurd & truly off-the-charts moments I’ve experienced while traveling over the years, as summarized in a photo essay.

Indian-Man-Cleaning-Genitals

In a post about funny/weird stories, I couldn’t certainly forget to add a photographic essay on some funny/irreverent pictures from around the world! Get ready to chuckle! 🙂

Source: Nomadic Samuel

10 |SPANKED AT A FISH MARKET

Category: Funny /spicy /Humorous stories

“It was hot. Korean summer hot. Melting makeup hot. Seriously, summer in Korea gets up into the 30s and feels like plus 40s with 100% humidity and not a drop of rain. I had undone the top of my shirt to let a little air in and I suppose I should mention my breasts”

This is a funny short travel story on how you need to be extra careful whilst traveling in a different cultural environment. Especially in terms of clothing! 🙂

Source: The Escapism Artist

THE MOST HILARIOUS LIST OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ANNOUNCEMENTS

1) “Flight attendant on a Virgin Australia flight “And today we have someone who is celebrating their 21 st birthday, please stand up xxxxxxx……Fancy that, 21 and never been in a Virgin.”

2) “Please feel free to leave behind any of your items in the overhead compartment; I’m having a yard sale this weekend.”

3) “Hi, I’m Captain Amanda Smith. Yes, I’m a female pilot and as a benefit, if we get lost on the way I won’t be afraid to stop and ask for directions.”

4)On an early morning flight, “I noticed a few ladies who forgot to put on their makeup this morning. I’ll be dimming the lights for your convenience.”

5)“How about that landing? Not bad for his first day.”

Do you want to read more?! Check out the full article, to die for!

Flights and Frustration

So here they are, the 10 of the funniest/weirdest travel stories I found on the web and let me tell you, It’s been a real challenge to find them!

Why is that? don’t people write enough about their weird adventures? am I a bad researcher or it’s just Google trying to hide them really well??

Whatever the reason, it’s a pity because these are the kind of stories that transform the average traveler in a real Indiana Jones!

If you have a very funny or humorous Travel story to share, please leave a comment with your link or a quick recap! I’d love to discover other Crazy adventurers out there! Come out from your shell and share your stories with us!

Superb and valuable knowledge information because of useful updated for me, thank you so much for share this wonderful article.

this is freaking funny but this is common hacks everyone faces thanks for this interesting article.

Oh God My Wife is German :p What was it???

Hahahah That story is pretty hilarious 😀

Wow, wonderful weblog format! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The total look of your site is magnificent, let alone the content material!

Thanks Sonia, I’ve been blogging for 7 years and it’s not easy at all especially considering that English is not my native language, but I try my best 🙂

What a nice experience when traveling !

A Great Info about to travel and so Funny. Happy to share this info to my friends which are very useful. Thanks for sharing

Sooooooo funny! Great share!

Thank you! Glad you liked it 😉

It is truly a great and useful piece of info. I’m happy that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.

Such a Great Information about to Travel I really liked your article, your article is very frightened me in the learning process and provide additional knowledge to me, maybe I can learn more from you, I will wait for your next article, I’ve really enjoyed reading it throughout. Thanks for Sharing.

Thank you for your kind words! here is always something new to learn when traveling, even for veterans 🙂

This was an awesome post. it inspires me to send it my mother whenever I decide to travel overseas alone. She freaks out everytime.

hahahah I’m 41 and my mother still freaks out! No matter that I left my parents house at 19, we are always kids for them 🙂

Nice post! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Anna! Glad you liked it!

This makes my day. I enjoy every single story in this post.

ADMIN NOTE: Please don’t include any link to commercial websites in the comment section as they will be removed. Thank you!

Loved every single story! I’ll have to write down some accidents that happened to me while travelling as well.

Hey Vincent, thanks for your comment! I’m sure you’ll have plenty of travel story, everyone has them and they are the best part of the trip 😀

Your post had gave me ideas that how to share funny video. Thanks for sharing

The index is really helpful. I love how you edit the post Glad you find the information useful. Thank you very much for share this great helpful information with us.

Uhmm there is no index? maybe you should read the article first 😉

I’d love to travel too! Thanks for sharing your experience.

Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Dear Lord! 4 years since the post was published but the comments just keep coming and for a good reason! Thanks for putting together this list and interesting read! The accident on the boat is truly a creepy experience!

Ahahah yeah, Travel gone wrong is an evergreen topic! 🙂

Superb and funny post..! Really loved it… Keep posting….

Thank you 🙂

Hey Hong, you’re so right, these are the stories people want to hear 🙂

I’ve had so many crazy experiences travelling. Once in Cambodia I was caught on a bus where the drivers were smuggling drugs behind my chair! Just last week I was hitch hiking and I got caught up in the middle of a street race on a single motorbike with two other people, two bags and no helmets. You can read about it on my blog

Admin note: Please avoid linking to articles (even if they can be of good quality, it allows spammers to do the same and it would become a real nightmare). People can already check out your website by clicking on your name in the comment. Thank you for your understanding! Clelia

Thanks for adding your own travel nightmares! 🙂

Brilliant stories! If you’re doing anything similar in the future, hit us up, we have a lot to tell from our worldwide experiences! Great site by the way 🙂

Thanks Katie!

Yeah, Thank you for sharing, greating..:)

Thanks for stopping by!

I can totally relate about the European showers. During my trip to Europe, I was flummoxed by them.

Ah Sophie! I didn’t realize that the European shower could be so complicated 🙂

Nicely put…i like the MYSTERIOUS EUROPEAN SHOWER 🙂

ahahah Is it a mysterious tool for you too Vicky? 🙂

Hello my name is Daniel I’m a stand-up comedian from Edinburgh Scotland.

Admin note : I removed the link as I don’t allow them in my comments as per my comment policies. If you want to help another user, please leave your email and ask to be contacted directly.

Thank you! Clelia

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I love the way you interpreted other people’s blogs with yours. Not only it is smart for your website but it gives a link to other website giving that person more followers. My blog is about traveling but in my eyes and the events that have happened to me during vacations.

Hey Tailor, thanks! I actually wasn’t thinking about my own website when I wrote this piece. I just loved the stories and wanted to share them all in one place 🙂

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Between last minute visa cancellation and getting stuck in a cave with a cobra I had my fair share of bad experiences, but I can see that I’m in good company! LOL!

Oh, and that announcements are hilarious! Ahahah

Gettin stuck in a cave with a COBRA?! Oh my!! 😀

Your style is very unique in comparison to other folks I’ve read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark this web site.

Thank you for your kind comment! 🙂

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I thought travel always goes wrong. Maybe that’s just me…

Not always..it depends on how much risk are you willing to take!

Even tho I’m European I can totally relate to European shower trouble 😉 Love this post!

European showers rock! 🙂 glad you liked the post Anna!

Is that a rat? Ewww!

Yes it is! I have to say Earl was very brave to try it 🙂

Funny stories and unforeseen mishaps are always part of traveling. This is what makes it more memorable for us. Despite these, I know we can all say that without these funny stories, your travel wouldn’t be as fun as it was.

Hey Helen, if you have any funny story to add, feel free to do so 🙂

I love funny travel stories – and writing about them. My favourite lately was called the Perils of Potties in Japan – or something like that – featuring a hitech toilet that wouldn’t stop spurting water all over the place.

Hey Anabel, i’ve heard tat Japanese toilets are deadly.. I will search for the article, must be quite something!

I went on a road trip in Iceland in June and absolutely loved it! I would tell people (and did in a blogpost) to register with a free app that alerts search and rescue people if you vanish. Register at http://www.safetravel.is and download the free 112 Iceland app before you go. It could literally save your life – a lot of people wander off and get themselves in bad situations every year but if you use this they will save you from yourself (for free but a hearty donation should be considered if it’s your own fault!).

Thanks for the tip Kay!

Thanks for collect these stories.Will subscribes to get more story from you.

Glad you enjoyed it Louis!

Cool tales. I only travel so I don’t run out of dinner party conversations.. ;P The things that don’t go quite right are often the best stories!

true…people are more interested in the accidents than our amazing travel tales..

Love this blog…the main reason being is as travelers we ALL have something happen during our adventures. Regardless if they are truly bad or bizarre my thoughts on these events turn out to be some of our biggest highlights! These are the stories we will find ourselves repeating to eager ears back home and on the road. Of course they seem devistating as they are happening but we always have to look for the best in these situations and the most positive way out of these awkward moments. Cherish them – One Life, One Planet. @monkeyslick

Hi Evan, Very true…these are the best stories to showcase upon our return home!

We’d got our own funny travel stories following experiences close to home. Here’s one from when we visited a hotel in the south of the island: http://www.puretravel.com/Guide/Travel_writing_competition/Travel_Writing_Competition_2012_Entries_Page2/Cock_and_ball(s) . After reading, you’ll be relieved to discover that there are no photos.

ahah i’m actually pretty relieved yes 🙂

Thought you might be.

I saw your request in our FB group and was sorry I couldn’t contribute any! These are hilarious though; the image of Talon and the old lady cracks me up 😀

Hei Aleah, pity you couldn’t contribute, i was hoping to have a top 20 but was quite difficult!

I appreciate the mention above and link to my post!

My pleasure!…Eating a rat is not something you see everyday for sure!

Thanks for featuring my story Klelia!

These are a great collection of quirky tales.

Great finds! I love these quirky stories and that could well be me trying to figure out how to use that shower!

Yeah some of them are really brilliant, it surprised me that i couldn’t find more of them on the web!Oh and for the shower…even if i’m european, i struggled with it at first too!

Thanks also for including my funny quotes article, they certainly make flying more enjoyable.

As for the Thai massage I can certainly vouch for that. I had a one hour head massage and was screaming pain with every touch. I promise you, never, ever again!

hahaha tell me about the Thai Massage, I totally understand why you don’t want to try again! I also had some quite unpleasant experiences…now I only go for a more relaxing oil massage 🙂

Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooollll…when finished barking loudly with laughter, I might share a story or two…

Fire away! You can’t imagine how difficult has been to find these stories around! 🙂

45 Funny, Heartfelt, Unforgettable Travel Stories

Adventurous Kate contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

I tell travel stories for a living. I do this because I can’t NOT tell travel stories — every experience I have is shaped in the moment and waits in anticipation to shoot out of my fingertips.

And I live to share those stories with an audience. As humans, we’re hard-wired to be influenced by storytelling, and I feel like stories are what inspire people to actually book a trip.

To be honest, though, compelling stories are what’s missing from most travel blogs today, where SEO-driven travel planning posts make up the majority of the content.

We have SO many great travel stories to tell. But we’re not telling them as often as we should. So I decided to share some of the best stories in one place.

I reached out to my travel blogger friends to share their most entertaining posts of all time. Nothing travel planning-oriented, nothing keyword- or affiliate-stuffed — just fun, entertaining stories that would make a stranger smile or laugh. And did they EVER pay off!

Each of these stories is a treasure. I hope you enjoy them.

Note: Due to COVID-19 and a dwindled demand for travel worldwide, travel bloggers have lost significant portions of their incomes. Between people not researching or booking travel and advertisers reducing their spend, many travel bloggers will be making a small fraction of their usual income for months.

The best thing you can do right now is find a story you like on this list and visit several pages on their blog. It costs you nothing, but your eyes on their display ads (no clicks necessary, we get paid by views!) will earn them some much-needed cash in a difficult time.

Want to help out even more? If you love one of these blog posts, sign up for their email newsletter. You can find mine here.

Table of Contents

Kate has a worried expression in front of a giant table filled with around 15 dishes of food for her

Funny Travel Mishaps

Are you looking to read about crazy mishaps that happened on the road? Here are some good ones!

Possibly My Favorite Travel Poop Story Ever

Nomadasaurus

OMG. I had never read this one before but this is one of the funniest travel stories I’ve ever read!

Jared tells the story of when diarrhea hit at the worst time ever — on a Chinese bus — and where he ultimately ended up pooping!

Embarrassing Stories From My Travels

Legal Nomads

Jodi is well-known for being pooped on while traveling — 14 birds and one bat so far — but this post shared plenty more of those stories.

If you’ve ever wanted to know the most embarrassing way to ask where to catch the bus in Argentina, here it is.

Hooked on the Cook Islands: My Giant Wedgie

Neverending Footsteps

Lauren is well-known for her extensive list of disastrous “travel incidents” around the world.

This one involves a snorkeling trip where she accidentally flashed her vag to an entire boat of people, including a family with young kids.

I Have a Confession to Make

Journalist on the Run

Imagine being a travel writer who gets paid to stay in a luxurious resort in the Maldives. Dream job, huh?

Now imagine that you get hit by the worst diarrhea of your life while pretending that everything is normal as the staff gives you a tour! Janet lays out her experience in excruciating detail.

When a City Girl Goes Camping

Suitcase and Heels

I may be a city girl who took her first steps in a tent — but not all city girls take to camping so easily.

Melissa shares a camping adventure in Newfoundland that did not go as planned! (NEVER forget the bottle opener!)

An Ode to Señor Frog, The Worst Car in Cozumel

Emily Luxton Travels

What happens when you rent a weird pea-green car that looks like an emaciated Volkswagen Beetle? Well, you definitely get an adventure out of it, Emily shares.

Know this before you rent a tiny car on a Mexican island!

How to Have the Worst Day Ever in Phuket (and How to Turn It Around)

Why Wait to See the World

Sometimes you have a travel day when you hit disaster after disaster after disaster — and sometimes it’s when you’re on your first full travel day with your boyfriend, ever.

That happened to Steph in Phuket, but soon she found a way to turn it around.

The Time I Got Pissed On in Manila

Aussie on the Road

Continuing the bodily fluids theme, Chris shares a rather disgusting late-night incident in a hostel dorm.

This proves that sometimes fellow backpackers are the most horrifying thing you could run into on the road!

Terrible Travel Tales: Mishaps, Setbacks, and Comical Foibles of Globe Trotting

Year of the Monkey

From missing a flight at the last minute due to a nosebleed to getting mistaken for a child at the age of 32, this is a big list of stories.

Paroma shares her favorite travel mishaps she’s collected over the years, all in excruciating detail.

That Time We Got Held Hostage by Monkeys in Ubud

Bridges and Balloons

And I thought I was terrified in the Monkey Forest in Ubud — Victoria and Steve got TRAPPED in a house surrounded by monkeys and couldn’t escape!

One of my worst nightmares. They seemed to handle it well.

My Embarrassing Driving Experience in Ourzazate

Norbert had never driven stick before in his life — so when the car he rented in Morocco turned out to have a manual transmission, he figured he could just wing it and learn to drive stick that day. NOT SO MUCH!

As a fellow driver who has never driven stick, I felt this one.

Ayurvedic Massage, Not for the Modest

Jessie on a Journey

If you had the chance to get a massage for just $16 in the heart of Kerala, India, you would go for it, wouldn’t you?

Then Jessie found out that this massage was done naked. COMPLETELY naked. With lots of oil and boob massage.

An unmarked gray van in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Scary Travel Mishaps

Sometimes mishaps can be on the dark side — though often you’ll find aspects of them humorous in retrospect. Either way, you won’t want to miss these posts.

Disaster Strikes

Escape Artistes

When horseback riding in rural Mongolia, Theodora’s son fell and severely broke his arm…in the middle of absolute nowhere.

This kicked off a breathless emergency of trying to find healthcare in one of the most remote places on Earth. It’s a gripping read.

When Traveling Sucks: A Hospital Visit in Fez, Morocco

Foodie Flashpacker

What’s worse than getting bitten by a bunch of bugs in the night? Getting bitten by giant mutant insects whose bites swell up enormously…right in the middle of your forehead.

Nathan details the story of his medical incident in Morocco and a doctor’s office that looks straight out of Chernobyl.

When a Man Comes Knocking

Borderline Crazy Bloggers

One of the scariest things while traveling is when a man has fixated on you — and because the culture is so different, you’re not sure whether you should be afraid or not.

In this story, Marieke shares the story of an Indian man who showed up at her door and kept refusing to leave.

Tales of Romance and Love

Do you love stories about love? I bet you do!! Here are three stories that will make you believe in finding love on the road.

The Last Time I Saw You (Part Five)

This Battered Suitcase

This is an ongoing series on Brenna’s blog where she tells the stories of the loves she’s met while traveling.

This is a short story that feels like it’s much longer — an incredibly romantic dalliance with a French man on a tropical island, then how it all crashes down once returning to real life.

10 Love Stories From My Travels

Adventurous Kate

It’s been years, but this is still one of my favorite posts I’ve ever written. I share ten different love stories from my travels, and tell you the ten locations where they took place — but you have to use logic and deduction to figure out which location matches with each story.

Nobody has ever guessed all 10 correctly. Maybe you will.

Nacpan and Calitang Beach: One of the Last Starry-Eyed, Lovestruck Journeys of the Previous Chapter

Nomadic Experiences

Looking back to days on one of the most beautiful beaches near El Nido in the Philippines, Marky tells the story of a special girl and the sweet moments they shared on one of the most idyllic islands in the world.

They’ve long since broken up, but he gently holds the experience in his hand, frozen in time.

Four backpackers standing on the edge facing Kaieteur Falls in Guyana, no safety rail whatsoever!

Unforgettable Travel Experiences

These are the moments that got us out of our comfort zone, introduced us to memorable characters, and turned us into better travelers — and people.

How I Met Gunther, The Best Taxi Driver in Vienna

Budget Traveller

Every now and then, you meet someone who restores your faith in humanity. Gunther the taxi driver was one of those people.

Not only did he defy the odds to get Kash to his bus on time, he was unbelievably kind about the dilemma that happened next.

The Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Done: Two Weeks Hiking Japan’s Kumano Kodo Iseji

Adventures Around Asia

The Kumano Kodo hike in Japan is one of the most famous spiritual pilgrimages in the world. Richelle was excited to get out of her comfort zone — then ended up doing the hike in convenience store waterproof pants.

Despite a very tough start, it turned out to be a fantastic experience.

Hiking in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Inside the Travel Lab

Sometimes the most magical travel experiences take place in the most remote areas.

Abi extols the romance and beauty and culture of these isolated villages of Morocco, yet wonders if bringing more travelers here would be a good thing.

What I Learned From Giving Up Meat, Alcohol, and Complaining in India

Ashley Abroad

When Ashley went to Rishikesh, India, for yoga teacher training, she went out of her comfort zone by staying sober, sticking to a vegetarian diet, and giving up complaining.

Did it work? In some ways, yes, and she learned a lot about herself from the experience.

The Thrilling Adventures of Super Boyfriend

No Place to Be

So your girlfriend has dropped her camera in the Nam Song river in Laos. Surely a lost cause, isn’t it?

Not for Poi — a.k.a. Super Boyfriend — who leaped to the rescue, underwater among the sharp rocks.

Alaska Road Trip: Our Top 12 Adventures

Alaska is a destination that so many travelers dream of — but the reality ends up looking different from what you pictured.

Mike and Anne share gorgeous photos and stories from their multi-year honeymoon.

Tokyo at Sunset from the Park Hyatt, lit up in lavender.

Controversial Takes

A lot of bloggers swear that controversial posts are the way to get traffic. I agree, as long as you go about it the right way. By that, I mean make a point, be fair, and defend it well. And PLEASE don’t trash the Philippines just to get crazy traffic.

5 Reasons to Stop Hating on “The Instagram Girl”

Follow Me Away

It seems so fashionable to hate the “Instagram girl” with the popular travel account — after all, who really wears a ball gown on top of a mountain?

But in this post, Victoria points out why the hate is misguided and the reasons why we should be supporting women with unconventional careers.

8 Reasons Why You Should Never Go to Wales

A Dangerous Business

Sure, Wales is beautiful and fun and interesting to explore, Amanda writes — but do they REALLY need all those castles and myths? Come on, now.

(Let’s say some people didn’t quite get the sarcasm.)

5 Reasons Travel Just Totally Isn’t Worth It

travelingmitch

I’m sorry, why are we even traveling, anyway? It’s so annoying, Mitch says!

What if people don’t speak English? What if you’re forced to challenge your preciously held views? WHAT IF YOU GET LOST AND CAN’T GET UN-LOST?! Better stay at home.

Is a Backpack Just Another Word for “Female Mid-life Crisis”?

GrrrlTraveler

Turning 40 and continuing to backpack around the world as a single woman with no kids. It’s what Christine enjoys — but is this what she really should be doing at this age?

For her, the answer is yes — and this post really shows how deep our cultural norms can set.

8 Reasons Hiking Sucks

Food Fun Travel

When people love food and wine and music as much as Tommo and Megsy, it’s not surprising that they’re equally passionate about what they hate: hiking.

Who needs to go back to nature? Who likes going somewhere without pubs? Is it a bonding experience? Bonding in misery, maybe!

A zodiac full of people in red jackets is caught by several crew members in a gray, violent surf.

How-To Guides You Never Thought You’d Need

Travel blogs are a great place to learn something new! And often it’s something you NEVER thought you needed to know…

How to Throw Out Your Garbage in Germany

Ali’s Adventures

Who knew just the act of throwing out your trash was so ridiculous and complicated in Germany?!

Ali shares what she’s learned as an expat in Berlin. Also, the comments are a gold mine.

How to Use the Toilet in India

BreatheDreamGo

Worrying about stocking up on toilet paper? Indians don’t use toilet paper at all!

India expert Mariellen shares all the tips for using the toilet in an unconventional (better?) way, and shares a hilarious video from Wilbur Sargunaraj.

How to Survive a Power Outage like a Puerto Rican

Indecisive Traveler

Reese spent years living in Puerto Rico, and during that time she went through quite a few power outages, including a four-day outage in 2016.

Step one? Immediately buy all the cold beer you can and take it home!

Big on Bidets: How Do You Use a Bidet and What is a Bidet For?

LL World Tour

Have you ever stopped in your tracks at the sight of a bidet in a bathroom in Italy or France and not known exactly how to use it?

Lisa shows you what you need to know. Because there’s nothing better than a clean anus!

Fiery Viking boat at Up Helly Aa in Shetland

Quirky Stories from the Road

All of us love to travel for the unusual things we discover on the road. Here are some of the best stories of unusual discoveries while traveling.

The Peens of Pompeii

Domestiphobia

Did you know that the ancient ruins of Pompeii are filled with penises? WELL, YOU DO NOW!

Katie visited the ruins for a day and was struck by how you can find a peen outline just about everywhere you look.

The Funniest Farm Market Sign in Southwest PA

Around the World L

Proof that there’s lots to be loved here in lesser-known parts of the US.

I love this sign that Lillie shared from a farmer with a side of sass!

Pictures of Cats and Dogs in Naples, Italy

2 Food Trippers

Naples is one of the greatest food cities in Italy — if not all of Europe — so it’s no surprise that the felines and canines of this city are as plump as they are adorable!

A cute post from Daryl and Mindi.

Sheep Driving Distractions in the Lake District

Raulerson Girl Travels

The Lake District of England is a wonderful place for a scenic drive…if it weren’t for the kamikaze sheep who leap right in front of your car!

I didn’t believe how fearless the sheep were until I saw Heather’s crazy photos.

How Creepy is the Ringling Brothers Circus Museum in Sarasota, Florida?

My Wanderlusty Life

You don’t have to be afraid of clowns to be creeped out by this weird museum, Ashley opines.

If you’re a hardcore circus fan, sure, knock yourself out! Other people? You don’t know what you’re getting into…

Lady Fails at Grocery Shopping

A Lady in London

Who knew it was so hard to grocery shop in the UK as an American? (Me. Boy, do I know that.)

Turns out none of the items are the same as what you would look for in the US (no tomato sauce ANYWHERE!) and Julie struggles to find normal items she just wants to cook.

Transportation in India: What the Tuk-Tuk?!

Traveling Canucks

Tuk-tuks are one of the most common forms of transportation in India — and they can be TERRIFYING.

Nicole and Cam vividly share every detail of a typical tuk-tuk ride, from near-accidents to carefully maneuvering around cows, and you’ll be white-knuckling it along with them.

That Time Angie Made Us Stay in a Sex Motel

Living the Dream RTW

When Jeremy and Angie had to spend the night in a Colombian border town, Angie chose a nondescript hotel.

Well. Turns out it was filled with a wide cadre of “hourly” guests all night long — and the walls were paper-thin.

Kate stands in front of a small boat on Lake Atitlan named "Titanic." Kate points to it with an incredulous expression on her face.

You know…these funny posts don’t fit anywhere else, so here they are.

50 Amazingly Achievable Things to Do Before You Die

Fevered Mutterings

Forget those usual bucket list items — go skydiving! See Machu Picchu! — and focus on things that you CAN do. Trip on a shoelace. Use a leaf as a bookmark. Walk into plate glass.

Mike makes sure you’ll finish this post with a smile on your face.

8 Places to Travel in Case of a Zombie Apocalypse

Amateur Traveler

So once the zombie apocalypse actually hits, where should people be going? Chris shares his favorite spots, including Louisville, home to the famous baseball bat.

I have to admit, the isolated Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha is an inspired choice.

8 Funny Facts About Traveling With Your Twin

Slow Spirit

Guilherme and his twin brother Gregório are identical twins who travel together — and they are VERY distinctive-looking. They get photographed nonstop, people who meet them individually refuse to believe there are two of them, and yes, they play a lot of pranks.

I laughed out loud at their hostel prank!

Thanks for reading! We loved sharing these posts with you.

Which one of these stories was your favorite? Share away!

The Unknown Enthusiast

19 Funny and Crazy Travel Stories From My Own Personal Travels (The Misadventures of Traveling)

I love traveling! The new places, cultures, and people! The food! (Oh, the food…) It has the potential to be more than just “time off”; it so often feels like an epic adventure! That is… until something goes awry and your idyllic vacation starts morphing into one of those unexpected or crazy travel stories.

Then you’re scrambling, adjusting, and hoping things don’t go from bad to worse. And yet, sometimes those MISadventures make for EXCELLENT stories later on!

The 19 Funny and Crazy Travel Stories

These are my best and more unexpected crazy travel stories over the past several years of traveling. Some of these are funny stories of cool and unexpected things that happened on vacation. And many of them are crazy travel stories about some kind of misadventure we experienced.

Several relate to some kind of physical illness on vacation. Others are from our own mistakes – things that looking back on, we could have avoided with maybe a little more precaution. And others are just plain ole bad luck.

However, all of them make for a funny travel story now, and are certainly things that we have learned from!

Here are some of the memorable crazy travel stories we’ve experienced while globetrotting:

1. Got an Infection in Iceland

Oh boy, this was a crazy travel story that was definitely stressful. We were doing our big Iceland road trip , and I woke up from a quick nap in our campervan to the unmistakable (I’m unfortunately no stranger to this situation– TMI?) burning feeling of a UTI. Craaaaaaap.

It was particularly bad timing because we were about to go on a 5 hour guided glacier hike , where we would be on a glacier, in a small group, with a harness on. So, no place to pee and definitely no privacy.

I was stressed and literally praying like crazy that I could make it through the hike okay. I went to the bathroom several times and chugged a ton of water to help flush things out as best I could, and then we just went for it. And, I made it through the hike with absolutely no problems (and it was one of the coolest experiences, ever).

A woman in a yellow jacket on an Iceland Glacier. Falljokul Glacier.

However, within a day it was a BIG problem (the classic UTI stuff of needing to go to the bathroom every 2 minutes) so we stopped in the city of Höfn and found a doctor’s office to get a prescription.

Not my favorite experience ever, but I also definitely feel like a boss for managing that while on vacation.

2. Puked out the window of our car in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco

I find the older I’m getting the more I’m becoming prone to carsickness (NOT COOL, INNER EAR!)

When we started our road trip through Morocco , we quickly learned that there are basically no straight roads in the whole country, they wind and swing back and forth constantly. Those first few hours out of Marrakech and into the Atlas Mountains I got nauseous – really nauseous.

After moaning for a while, I finally got to the point where I knew I was going to hurl. We were in the tight switchbacks of a rather steep mountain road at that point, with no shoulder and definitely no place to pull off. I ended up rolling down my window and puking out the car while we were going up and through the mountains – the first and only time I’ve ever had to do that!

At one point as my head was still out the window, we passed a road construction crew and the only thing in my mind was “don’t throw up in front of the crew. Don’t throw up in front of the crew.”

While I obviously felt pretty awful during those couple hours, and no one wants to upchuck out the window of the car, for some reason it was also extremely funny to me, even in the moment. As in a “I can’t believe I’m throwing up in AFRICAAAAAAA! WOOOOO!” moment. I was just super stoked to be on the continent, I guess, ha!

A woman tries to clean vomit off the side of a car with a water botte.

It also helped that even though we continued to have winding roads, once I threw up, I was fine from there on out. Thankfully, this was one of the crazy travel stories that resolved quickly and was a really funny story to me, even as it was happening!

3. Took 9 Covid Tests Solely for Travel

As soon as countries began re-opening their borders to travel following the covid-19 pandemic, Matthew and I were chomping at the bit to explore.

Generally speaking, this period of travel was fantastic – we enjoyed much lower crowds and the accompanying lower prices.

It also meant, however, that we had to take a lot of covid tests. Some countries required testing upon arrival at the airport, some required a covid test to be taken in the US prior to boarding the airplane, and we always had to test for re-entry into the United States.

It was a decent number of tests, but SO WORTH IT.

4. Car Was Towed in France

While most of the crazy travel stories in this article are just due to bad luck or circumstances beyond our control, this one was definitely the result of a not-so-smart move on our part. This experience happened during our European Christmas market tour, where we traveled through Germany , Luxembourg , Switzerland , and finally France , hitting up a new market every day.

We were trying to maintain a really tight budget on this trip and were looking for ways to save money, so we were always on the hunt for free parking.

In the little village of Colmar , we parked next to a church that had free parking, and was about a 10-15 minute walk from our VRBO. Well, it was indeed free every day, but… on Saturday a local farmer’s market set up shop and the lot was closed. There were signs at the lot saying you couldn’t park there from 6-12am on Saturday, but they were very small and not obvious at all, and so we showed up Saturday morning around 10 to get our car, and found a market there instead.

Luggage awaits a non-existent car. Food trucks in the background.

We talked to some of the vendors there about the situation and they said it’s actually pretty common to have cars towed because of the poor signage. They were also super, super nice and really helpful with helping me figure out where to go and what to do to get our car back. I was also particularly proud of myself for having that more technical conversation in French!

It took us several hours to get our car back, which involved walking back into town and to the town hall to get some paperwork at the police precinct. This actually took us several hours, because, being a Saturday, a lot of things were closed. It took quite a while to figure out where the police precinct was and how to get in.

Then it was another chunk of time to walk down to the towing company, pay the fine ($120), and collect our car.

A charming Christmas market scene in Colmar, France. A large Christmas tree stand before a pink, decorated half-timbered home.

We got delayed several hours and definitely did not end up saving money on parking in Colmar, but we were just incredibly grateful that we got our car back on a Saturday in France.

I’ve only heard bad things about French bureaucracy, so while it sucks to get your car towed anytime and really sucks to get your car towed in a foreign country, I’m SO GLAD we came out of that situation as well as we did.

Funny Travel Stories #5. Took Some Hilariously Bad Photos

One of the fun parts of running a travel blog and Instagram account has been learning how to take better pictures. We’re not professionals at all and are still learning a lot!

We take a lot of pictures specifically with blog posts in mind (horizontal, capturing the area more than the people in it) but we’ve also tried to get better at taking cute pictures of me or Matthew and me together.

Usually we end up with a whole bunch of not great photos and then FINALLY one or two good ones, but the most epic fails we had were in the Sahara desert of Morocco . I had seen this awesome inspo picture on Instagram that I wanted to copy and didn’t look too hard – we could totally do it!

View this post on Instagram A post shared by DIANA | Travel Tips✈️💃🏻 (@dwanderess)

We tried for the same type of sand flipping picture. Here’s what we got (my face LOLOLOL):

A beautiful woman fails to throw sand properly.

This memory is such a funny travel story to me – I legit cannot stop laughing at my faces!

6. Inexplicably Bruised My Big Toenails

What’s funny to me about this travel story is that I don’t even know how I got injured! I’m still a little baffled even looking back at it.

We were in Disney World for a week and I was wearing some cloth sneakers around. The first couple of days were totally fine, but then on day 3 and 4 my toes, in particular my toenails, were really hurting, which seemed… weird .

The very last day, I noticed a little bit of bruising on my toenails. The bruises got darker over the next couple of days and then stayed bruised for the NEXT 9 MONTHS until they finally fell off.

The whole thing was so bizarre, partly just because I had dark blue toenails for the better part of a year, but mostly because there wasn’t any specific injury to them, and my feet had felt fine walking around those first days!

Crazy Travel Stories #7. Crossed the German Border in an Unexpected Way

Like the story of getting our car towed in France, above, this story also comes from our tour of Christmas markets where we were on a budget and trying to minimize parking expenses.

For this story, though, we were arriving in Basel , Switzerland. Basel is a unique city because its right at the intersection of the borders of 3 different countries: Germany, France, and Switzerland. Basel is really close to both Germany and France – in fact, if you arrive at the Basel airport, different airport exits lead to different countries!

Anyway, if you are driving into Switzerland from another country, there is a 40 franc (about $40 USD) fee you will need to pay as you enter the country. Then, parking in Basel is extremely expensive – as we were researching ahead of time, the least expensive option we could find that was at all close to our hotel was going to be around 30 CHF a night (and we had two nights)

. So we were looking at 100 CHF just to be able to drive into the country and park, so we could spend one full day in Basel!

Basel, Switzerland. A church rises over homes along a river bank.

We were feeling extra frugal at this point, and were just not enthused about what felt like a crazy high cost just to drive literally a couple miles across the border.

Knowing that Basel is so close to the German border, and learning that there are, in fact, free parking lots on the Germany side of the border, we thought – hey, why don’t we just park in Germany at the free lots and then take the free tram across the border?

That was the plan, except we ended up arriving at the parking lot very late – at midnight. There were no more trams for the day.

No worries! It’s only 50 minutes on foot, we’ll just walk!

So, to paint the picture, we are crossing the German border into Switzerland, on foot, at midnight, to avoid paying a fee. The situation hearkened back to many a World War 2 novel I’ve read (except, for the small point that our lives weren’t in danger and the border wasn’t actually guarded. Details schmetails!)

Thankfully, it worked out totally fine, the route felt safe and straightforward, and we arrived at our hotel in good shape after the refreshing late night stroll. It ended up being a pretty funny travel story!

8. Regularly Exceeded our Initial Travel Budget

As someone who kind of makes it “my thing” to travel on a budget and get great travel deals, and I almost always write a “travel budget” post for our destinations (see Colombia , Morocco , Iceland , Rio de Janeiro , Vietnam , and Costa Rica ), it is a little embarrassing to admit that we do regularly end up spending over our budget when we’re in a destination.

I will say though, that I don’t really regret those extra dollars spent (especially since it’s usually not more than a couple hundred, and not like we’re blowing our budget by thousands of dollars), and they are almost always spent on fun experiences we decide to do in the moment.

A WWII aircraft carrier and destroyer sit at the end of a pier.

A few examples? Well, doing the Patriot Point museum in Charleston ended up being a highlight of our time there, going ATVing in the Sahara was wicked awesome, and parasailing for the first time in Costa Rica , with a running beach start, was so fun and rather unique for parasailing.

These costs were all late additions to our budget and EXCELLENT uses of our money. And okay, okay, this may not really qualify as one of the “crazy” travel stories, but I think its definitely a relatable experience (ha!), and for sure are times when things don’t go exactly as planned.

9. Frequent and Very Long Road Trips

As people who like having control over their schedule, and as a couple who has four kids, we end up roadtripping A LOT!

A selfie of a mom and four daughters in a packed car.

The amount of time that we spend in the car, and in particular the amount of time we spend in the car with our kids sometimes baffles people! We really think nothing of an all-day driving expedition, regularly doing 15-20 hours in one day.

This summer we did a massive road trip around the US with our kids, which involved over 100 hours of driving time, and 24 hours in the car just to reach our first destination!

We’ve also regularly done international road trips, like our 7 day Iceland road trip (still one of my top 3 travel experiences, ever!), my southern Spain road trip , driving around southern France , and even our smaller Costa Rica road trip . We love getting on the road and checking out new places!

10. Got Tear Gassed in Rio de Janeiro (Our Funnest Crazy Travel Story!)

As far as crazy travel stories go, this one was actually, beginning to end, the COOLEST experience and one I feel extremely lucky to have had.

But let’s set the scene. We’re in Rio de Janeiro and going on a favela tour (an activity I found enriching and incredibly interesting).

While on that tour, our guide was wearing a Vasco de Gama shirt and talking about how excited he was to go to the big game tonight – apparently there was a big rivalry match between two of the biggest clubs in Rio: Flamengo and Vasco de Gama.

We had REALLY wanted to go to a futbol match in Rio since Brazilians love their soccer, and the Maracana stadium in Rio is a pretty big and famous spot for futbol/soccer. However, we had had a really hard time finding information about tickets, or even a schedule, online, and had given it up as not possible.

So I jumped at the opportunity to get information from a local who clearly knew things, and asked him if he could give us any information about how to get tickets for the game.

He immediately invited us to go with him – he said he was going to scalp tickets there for himself anyway and could definitely find 2 more for us. At first, we were like, “Um are you sure?”, but then happily (but cautiously optimistic- would it really work out?) accepted his offer. We exchanged numbers and made plans to meet up at the stadium later.

At the Stadium

When we got to the Maracana stadium about an hour before gametime, there were big crowds of people congregating, singing songs and getting SUPER hyped up before the game, setting off firecrackers, and getting absolutely plastered (ha!).

We met up with our new Brazilian friend and in fact he had gotten us tickets! We were golden! He introduced us to all his friends and in we went. Going in was an experience unto itself, too. We go in with a big crowd of people and as we’re entering someone sets off another firecracker right in front of us, everyone backs up really fast, and we get pushed back and against the walls.

Then we had to find the rest of the group, since we had to go in at different entrances. We were with a couple of the Brazilian friends, who were all really nice to the foreigners they had just barely met that night.

A rowdy crowd at a Brazilian soccer game.

However, it was REALLY crazy because there’s no assigned seating and we were going into the area behind the goals, where the most intense fans sit. Everyone is crowded really close together.

People were standing in the staircases so we had to wind our way up and really squeeze past people. Then almost everyone was standing two 2 deep in the rows – meaning someone was standing on the seat and another person standing on the ground in front of them.

People were super sweaty as we were squeezing past them (but everyone was also really, really nice about it) and beer was literally flying as people tossed their cups in the air as the game started.

Normally, I am not into this kind of vibe, but we were at MARACANA so it was all just part of the fun!

During the match, the fans literally were singing songs nonstop. There were massive flags being waved in our section, and a group with drums playing beats. I’ve been to college and professional sports games in the US and fans are intense here too, but this was a whole different beast of nonstop singing, cheering, and yelling the whole game. We loved it!

We don’t speak Portuguese really at all, so we just clapped and jumped and cheered with everyone and sang along to random words with their songs. It was awesome and just such a fun and crazy travel experience!

A view of the Maracana stadium during a Vasco de Gama match.

After the Game

So then, the match is over (the side we were with, Vasco de Gama, lost to Flamengo, which was pretty much expected because Flamengo is known to be the better team), and we figured we would just walk out and grab an Uber. Easy peasy.

Oh, no no no.

We hung out in our seats with the group for a while after the game to let the crowd dissapate, specifically to avoid most of the troublemakers, because fights can and do break out after games.

Still, as we left, we heard some more bangs, like the fireworks that were going off a lot before the game, but we were told afterwards there wouldn’t be fireworks and that was not a good sign.

As we left the stadium, our Brazilian friends were keeping us close and making sure we stayed together, and they were more serious and intense than anytime up to that point. At the street corner, we found out what the bangs were – not firecrackers, but tear gas that the police were using to disperse some fights and troublesome crowds.

We got the tail end of that tear gas (it spreads a lot), so everyone in the area just huddled and covered noses and eyes for a few minutes. Even not being in a direct hit area, that tear gas stung!

Then we carefully skirted by a Flamengo fan holding a handgun and walking menacingly (the only part of the night where I actually felt nervous).

Then we hustled by a whole bunch of riot police looking threatening, in full-on riot gear, including some on horses, and into the metro station. Of course, here some Vasco fans began hurling insults down at Flamengo fans. The police came running by and decided to break up that ruckus with more tear gas as we got on the train, and we got part of that tear gas, too.

A woman uses a face mask to try and block tear gas.

Then, the metro started and we rode back to our stop in peace and calm. The whole thing was one adrenaline rush to another, and one of my craziest travel stories to date. Despite what was definitely a tense situation after the game, we actually felt pretty safe – the Brazilians we were with were super nice about watching out for us and got us out without incident.

Four people in Vasco de Gama gear ride a metro.

When we were on the train and going, we asked them, “so, was that actually dangerous?” And they just laughed and said oh, no it’s always like this (REALLY?!) and it’s usually fine as long as you aren’t in the middle of the main, crazy group.

That was our baptism by fire into Brazilian football! It was seriously so fun and wild and such a different and authentic experience that just fell into our laps. The guys we were with were unbelievably nice and welcoming – we loved having that experience.

When we got back to our hotel, we just looked at each other and laughed – a night like no other, to be sure.

11. Last Minute Food Poisoning

The crazy thing about this travel story is that we had been very careful in Morocco, in particular paying attention to the food preparation techniques at the stands in the famous Jemaa el-Fna square (where accounts of getting food poisoning are common).

But then in the very last hours of the very last day we spent in Morocco, we visited the stunningly blue city of Chefchaouen. And there we bought a cup of freshly squeezed orange + lemon + sugar cane juice.

A stunningly blue stairway and alley in Chefchaouen, Morocco. Flours pots line the alley.

I drank some of it, but Matthew drank most of it. Now, you wouldn’t normally suspect juice to be a food poisoning culprit, but it is the only thing we had that day that makes any sense of giving us food poisoning. Perhaps the fruit or sugar cane was unwashed, or the guys hands, or maybe it was the water mixed in. Either way, our insides were soon unhappy.

We flew from Morocco to Paris for the next 3 days. My stomach felt a little off for a little bit in Paris, but Matthew got pretty sick basically the whole time we were in Paris – boo!

Thankfully, he was not throwing up all the time, but he was also not feeling great a lot of it, either. Oh, and news flash, Paris does not have a lot of public toilets! At least the juice tasted good.

12. Kidney Stones at an Incredibly Unfortunate Time

Back in 2006 my parents surprised my brother and I with an international senior trip to France! This was the first time I would be leaving the country, I had been studying French in high school, and had been wanting to go to France.

They surprised us with the plane tickets about two months before departure, leaving enough time for me to plan basically everything else (which they knew I would love to do!)

So, after all this anticipation for this big, international senior trip, literally the morning we were supposed to leave, my dad starts getting severe stomach pains and quickly ends up in terrible, terrible pain and in the ER. Diagnosis: massive kidney stones.

In fact, these kidney stones were so big that he had to go to surgery to get them blasted out. As our plane that we were supposed to be on was leaving, he was in surgery. While we were most concerned about my dad’s wellbeing, all of us were absolutely devastated about the trip.

By some miracle, Dad actually got to go home after surgery that night, took some pain pills, and was seemingly better in the morning. We were, very surprisingly, able to rebook our tickets for no additional cost for the next day, and ended up going on our big France trip after all.

A father and daughter stand on a street in La Rochelle, France.

We had THE best time together, although there were some definite adjustments we had to make to accommodate my dad (he had a stent put in as part of the surgery, and had to be careful to walk slowly and eat and drink very, very small amounts to prevent the stent from moving). We actually had a few scares while we were in France!

This was really my very first crazy travel story and one that actually had some unexpected benefits for my dad! A client who my dad had worked with heard that story from another co-worker and said, “That guy has six kids and went around France with a kidney stone? He’s too tough for me.”

That street cred actually helped my dad negotiate some really favorable contracts with the client later on – who would’ve thought?!

13. Lost a Cell Phone… and a Remarkable Ending (TWICE!)

We were on our way to a cooking class (one of our top favorite activities in Marrakech ) and had taken a taxi to the meeting point. After we got out and had walked down the street, Matthew reaches into his pocket to double check the map only to realize that he doesn’t have his phone – it was gone.

The Koutubia mosque stands tall over a park in Marrakech.

Cue STRESS!

We frantically searched the square and the spot where we had gotten out – no phone. We figured it had either gotten left in the taxi, or had dropped on the ground and someone had scooped it up already.

We tried calling the phone, but it rolled to voicemail – Matthew hadn’t been getting great cell service in Morocco, and we figured if someone had grabbed it, they would’ve turned it off or taken out the SIM card. We tried calling it many times with no success, and finally just had to accept it: the phone was gone .

We tried to put it out of our heads and enjoy the cooking class. An hour or two later, I got a text on my phone from a friend back home, saying “Matthew left his phone in a taxi.” I responded with, “Yes, I know… but how do YOU know???” Apparently the taxi driver had found the phone, and been calling contacts, trying to get a hold of someone to return Matthew’s phone to him, and had been able to talk to this friend of ours.

With that information and a spark of hope, we tried calling Matthew’s phone again, and long story short, with the help of the cooking class instructor, we were able to get in touch with the taxi driver and meet up with him to get Matthew’s phone back (and give the driver a very big tip).

Losing the Phone Part II – Medellin

Then, less than a year, later, we did the exact same thing in Medellin , Colombia.

The Palace of Culture in Medellin, Colombia. The building is made of alternating black and white stones.

We got out of a cab and 30 seconds later Matthew realizes he doesn’t have his phone. Again, we just thought it was gone, no hope of getting it back.

We do start calling his phone from my phone non-stop, and after several calls, the taxi driver picks up. He doesn’t speak English, and we don’t speak Spanish, so Matthew says a little bit in English, and then just keeps repeating the name of the place where we got dropped off, over and over.

The driver said “uno momento” and then a few minutes later we see him pull up, Matthew’s phone in hand. We thank him profusely, give him a big tip, and say goodbye. After that, every single time we got out of a cab or Uber, we always did a “okay, you have your phone, wallet, and keys?” check before I shut the door of the taxi.

In my opinion, the main reason these experiences qualify to be on this list of crazy travel stories isn’t even that we lost the phone, it’s that we actually got the phone back. And twice! We got so incredibly lucky both times that the taxi drivers were both so honest and helpful, going above and beyond to make the situation right for us.

Crazy Travel Stories #14. Blustery Days in South Dakota

The setting was the beautiful Badlands National Park – a spot that was rugged and gorgeous. We were loving the striated hills, watching the prairie dogs run from hole to hole, and the wild bison sightings. Everything felt so raw !

…Including the storms.

We spent 2 days and 3 nights in the Badlands and were camping just outside the entrance to the national park. When we arrived at the campground, we were warned that the winds can get strong and to stake down our tent really well, which is exactly what we did.

However, that night, when the winds started picking up, our big family tent was not able to withstand the 40+ mph gusts. The stakes kept getting pulled out of the ground, the whole tent was just billowing in the wind, and on particularly strong gusts, half of the tent would just collapse into itself.

We were working on the tent for over an hour in the middle of the night before we finally realized there was nothing we could do at that point. We moved our 4 kids out of the tent and to the car, pulled our suitcases out, collapsed the poles, put the suitcases on top of the now flat tent to weigh it down, and slept in the car.

Certainly not ideal, and thankfully the next night the wind was much calmer and passed without incident.

The Last Night

HOWEVER, on the third and final night of our stay in the Badlands, we arrived back at our campsite at 10pm after a long day of hiking, exploring, and star watching, to see that our tent had been basically destroyed in the afternoon thunderstorm that had rolled through.

All of the poles had snapped in half and the tent was totally collapsed in.

We had unthinkingly left the windows unzipped that day, so rain had gotten in and soaked all of our things. In fact, there was actually a good 2 inches of standing water inside the tent. Our sleeping bags and pillows were floating in water and absolutely sopping.

To put the cherry on top, we had also left our suitcases open and all of our clothes we had brought for this multi-week road trip were soaked.

We got out and just kind of stared at the collapsed, flooded tent, and said, “Well, crap.”

We pulled all our things out, spread them out to dry the best we could on the picnic table and threw some things in a dryer (so thankful for the camp laundry at that point!). We were almost laughing about it, because at this point it was either laugh or cry.

The funny thing about this was that even after all that, we still went back into the park at midnight to watch the stars (it was a clear, dark night with no moon and almost no light pollution – you can’t miss out on that!), came back to camp to sleep in our car (minus any pillows or blankets since they were all still dripping wet), and then woke up a few hours later to head back into the park to go watch the sunrise.

I don’t know if we otherwise could’ve pulled ourselves and the kids out of the tent to get in the car and drive into the park at 5am, but since we were already all in the car, it was easy to just drive in and park by a great sunrise spot. I’m so, so glad we did, because the sunrise by Big Badlands Overlook was absolutely spectacular.

A beautiful sunrise over Badlands National Park. The sun rises over red and white striped rock formations.

This is also really the only of my crazy travel stories that involved the kids and a pretty difficult situation. I think it was a really good learning experience for them too! The younger two were asleep, but the older two got out and helped take care of unloading the tent and spreading all our wet things out to dry.

Definitely a character-building experience, and one that we can now always look back on and laugh about together as a family!

15. Got Hustled in Marrakech and Scammed in Bogota

Encountering scams is, unfortunately, a part of travel, particularly in certain destinations. Here are 2 that we somewhat fell for, one in Marrakech, and one in Bogota.

Alright, so we encountered a lot of scamming attempts in Morocco , mostly in the form of people on the street trying to take you places or give faulty directions. We knew what to watch out for, but we still fell for a scam our first full day in Marrakech. We were looking for the El Badii palace and the map seemed to indicate we could cut through a particular side street.

A friendly young man stopped and told us that “oh, that way is closed” and ostensibly, it did look closed. Then he said “El Badii closes for lunch from 12-3 each day,” which sounded weird, but, hey, maybe it did. He kept chatting with us and then convinced us to let him take us to this “super great artisan market.”

El Badii, as we double checked later, was certainly not closed from 12-3 each day.

El Badii Palace Marrakech. Trees fill a courtyard in a ruined palace.

Our second mistake was going to the “artisan” market with him, which was a huge warehouse of goods where the locals get a kickback when they bring customers. To underscore that point to us, he saw us again later, asked if we liked the store, and when we were like “meh” he said oh, you should go back later (and buy something so he could get his commission).

We wised up a lot after this encounter, however, and the many other times we encountered a similar type of scam in Morocco, we just ignored them and continued on to our destination.

One of the days we were in Bogota , we decided to take a daytrip to the Zipaquira Salt Cathedral, that’s about 1.5 hours from the city. To do that, we took a taxi to the main bus terminal and caught the bus to Zipaquira.

The taxi we picked up outside our hotel decided he was going to try to take advantage of the international, non-Spanish speaking travelers. First, he took us to a spot that was nowhere near the bus station. It was a taxi terminal and he said, “oh, here you’ll get another taxi there to the bus station.” Wait, what? This is not what we had agreed to.

A street with yellow and orange buildings in Bogota, Colombia.

Second, Matthew noticed him messing with the meter as we were driving, but he didn’t register it as something to weird at the time. So, as we arrived at the spot where he dropped us off, he pushes the button that has the meter give the final cost, and the meter said 45,000 pesos (about $10).

Matthew, passed him a 50k bill, and the guy did some fancy handwork, and showed us a 5k bill. At first Matthew just reaches for it, as that should be the change, but the guy says “No, you gave me the wrong bill.”

We both recognized here that something funny was going on, both with the handwork, and his actual claim. Matthew was like “No, I gave you a 50. Plus, see, look, all my bills are creased from my wallet. That 5k bill you’re saying I gave you has no crease – it couldn’t come from my wallet.” We went back and forth with him about this for a bit (using Google translate), and then finally just got out of the car.

At that point, we realized the extent of the scam – not only was he trying to get us to pay an extra 50k, there was no way that the ride we took actually cost 45k pesos (we checked an Uber-type app which said the trip should have been about 14k). And of course, this was all to the wrong spot!

Even though we could tell things were getting weird on the ride, we didn’t put the whole thing together until about 1 minute after we got out of the cab. And by then, we were mad . We were real mad!

It’s a little crazy because we’ve traveled quite a bit and have encountered plenty of people trying to take advantage or be dishonest. Usually we’re quite good at avoiding getting scammed. And yet, there can still be situations that catch you off guard.

This is definitely one of those travel stories that I really wish didn’t happen, but that we’ve definitely learned from!

16. Days So Windy We Basically Couldn’t Go Outside

It was 2019 and Matthew and I were having a delightful time traveling around southern France.

However, we arrived in Marseille to strong winds, and the next two days we basically couldn’t do anything in the city – those winds were actually 50+ mph and were literally blowing us over. We tried to do some things, but halfway through the second day we just called it quits and spent the rest of the day in our rental apartment.

A traditional French apartment. Large windows light a tiled room with a large rug.

Thankfully, we were staying in an adorable AirBnb that had all this old French architecture and a view over the water, so we bought groceries, cooked a meal, and hung out in our French apartment (unfortunately this apartment is not available to rent anymore).

It actually ended up being a really fun afternoon and evening and one I actually have very fond memories of, despite some of our plans being cancelled.

In general, I try to not get too bothered by less than ideal weather and go with the flow rain or shine, but this was one time we really had to just ditch our plans for the day!

Crazy Travel Stories #17. Was Homeless in London for a Night

During my sophomore year of college I did a 3 month study abroad in Paris, and it was one of the most magical times of my life! I went with a group from my university, and we lived in pairs with French families around Paris.

During these three months, we took advantage of living in Europe and did several weekend trips to different spots. We visited the Loire Valley chateaux and Normandy with our entire group, and then I went with a small group of friends on separate occasions to visit Brussels, London, and Rome.

It’s pretty funny to me to look back on those trips, because we did so little prep and research before taking off for the weekend. (In contrast to the massive amount of planning I do before trips now!)

In fact, a few days before we spent the weekend in London, we were researching hostels to stay at that were less than $20/night – we were on a pretty shoestring budget and anything more than that felt exorbitant!

For our last night in London, we couldn’t find anywhere that felt appropriately cheap to stay, so we just put off booking anything, saying, “We’ll figure it out when we’re there.”

Spoiler alert : We did not, in fact, figure it out.

We kept avoiding thinking about that pesky little fact all through the weekend, and when 9pm on that final night came, we just said, “Well I guess we’re not going to stay anywhere tonight.”

A view of London looking pasts statues of lions toward Big Ben.

So what did we do?

We ended up wandering around London for quite a while. Around 1am, we started riding busses. We rode the bus to the end of the line, and then would turn around and ride the bus back the other way to the end. At one point, I think around 4am, we ended up falling asleep on the bus and woke up an hour or two later to the bus driver saying “HEY! You can’t sleep here!”

Apparently while we fell asleep the bus driver finished his route for the night and drove back to the bus depot, where all the busses were stored and maintained, and we had slept through until he realized there were still some stragglers in the back.

We were jolted out of sleep and like “oh, sorry” as we stumbled out of the bus and made our way out of the bus station… to walk across the street and catch another bus back into London, ha!

This is one of those crazy travel stories that was pretty funny to us at the time (and I mean, I still think it’s a funny story), but also, we could have just paid $50 and actually gotten a good night’s sleep!

18. Our First Meal in Costa Rica

The first night that we were enjoying our meal in Costa Rica , my parents’ bill for dinner came to about $72. My dad gave our waitress his credit card and told her to run it in colones, which is the currency in Costa Rica. A few minutes later, he got a text from his credit card company that his purchase was denied because it was over his credit limit.

He understandably had a short heart attack before figuring out the issue – $72 is 23,000 colones, and our waitress had mistakenly run the bill as 23,000 DOLLARS!

Several plates of traditional Costa Rican food.

We really believe it was an honest mistake and everything got sorted out just fine, and we never had this problem anywhere else in Costa Rica. But WOW that dinner got real bougie real fast!

19. Getting Lost in the Wilderness on a Snowmobile Trip

Back in 2010, Matthew and I went with my family (my parents and four of my brothers) on a snowmobiling trip in northern Minnesota. My family has lived in Minnesota for years – I was born and raised there! – but this was our first time snowmobiling up north. We couldn’t wait!

We stayed in a cabin in the middle of the forest and rented four 2-seater sleds to drive around. It was exhilarating zooming along the snow covered trails, with the pine trees coated in white snow.

Two snowmobiles, with two people on each, sit on a frozen lake.

One day as we were snowmobiling, Matthew and I were on a sled together at the back of the pack, and we had to stop real quick for me to adjust my scarf. The scarf had shifted, and the cold was hitting my neck and was absolutely freezing. I toughed it out for a while but then just had to stop and fix it.

While we did this, we got way behind the rest of the group, but figured they would notice and stop for us a little bit up ahead.

Well, we kept on going…. and going… and going… and never caught up to them. In fact, we reached the point in road that was a turnoff point and they weren’t there (which was extremely surprising because my dad would always regroup at any trail junctions).

Two people sit on a snowmobile with a cabin in the background.

We weren’t sure what to do. We were in the middle of nowhere, so we had no cell reception. We weren’t sure if they just made the turn, forgetting to check for everyone, or if they had just kept going straight. We decided to keep going straight for a while and see if we could find them, but after several minutes we still couldn’t see any sign of them.

Stumped about what to do, we decided to go back, make the turn, and continue on the planned route. The plan was to go to Hungry Jacks, an isolated restaurant up in the woods. We figured that wherever they had gone, they were also heading to Hungry Jacks, so we’d find them there.

Well, we show up to Hungry Jacks and… no family. We talked to an employee about if they had seen a family come through (maybe we had missed them? no luck), ate dinner, refilled our snowmobiles with gas, and made the 2-3 hour journey back to the cabin, thinking FOR SURE they’d be back at the cabin. It was night at this point, and the stars were bright overhead, light reflecting off the snow. It was beautiful!

But, when we got back, there was still no family. This was honestly the first time we were concerned — this whole time we had figured they were fine and had changed plans! About an hour later, the rest of the family pulled in. My mom walked in with this concerned expression on her face, saw us, and said, “OH THANK GOODNESS.”

My Parents’ and Brothers’ Side of the Story

The rest of the family had had quite the adventure. They were cruising down the straightaway, and because it was open and straight, everyone was just going full speed. Finally, they came to a point where there was a stop, and they were waiting for everyone to catch up.

Well, they were waiting and waiting for us to catch up, thinking “wow they are going really slow.” But of course, we never showed up.

So then mom and dad figured they should go back and try to find us. Some people stayed where they were, and some went back for several miles, realizing as they did how far ahead they had gone. They never ran into us though, and so they were really confused about just where the heck we had gone.

Four people with two snowmobiles in the woods.

My parents were starting to get nervous for us, because we weren’t anywhere on the trail, so they thought we had made a wrong turn and were lost in the woods by ourselves somewhere.

They started going down some random trails, thinking maybe we had made a wrong turn somewhere, but then those trails became impassable, so it was obvious we hadn’t gone there.

Things Get Really Rough

Then, my dad’s snowmobile got low on gas while they were all still out on the middle of nowhere. It was weird because it was the only snowmobile running out of gas, while the other gauges were still high. Well, it ran out of gas, and now they had 2 people stranded on the dead snowmobile and two people (Matthew and me) who were separated from the group.

It’s starting to get dark now and Mom actually was starting to feel panicked, knowing that I have type I diabetes and was pregnant at the time, and what if I had a medical emergency while being lost in the woods by ourselves.

At this point, the three snowmobiles were split up: Dad and one brother were with the dead snowmobile, my two teenage brothers were still on the side of the trail (in the snow, alone, as it’s getting dark, so they could grab us in case we happened to come by) and my mom and 5 year old brother went to go find help somewhere, praying they could find something somewhere that would be open.

Thankfully, a little farther down, the trail ended at a road and on the road they found a B&B with the owners at home.

This couple was so nice and helpful – they had an extra gas can they brought back to my dad’s sled so he could drive again, they gave some directions to Mom and Dad, and they called around to the other resorts in the area – including Hungry Jack’s, who told them that yes, we had been there, gotten dinner, and had headed home.

It wasn’t until this point that mom and dad realized that they were, in fact, the ones who were lost, and Matthew and I were on the right trail. (In their defense, the maps of the trails were absolutely terrible. They were truly incredibly difficult to read – Matthew just happens to have an excellent sense of direction).

Mom and dad were incredibly relieved to know that we were okay. When they showed up an hour or so after we arrived back, I was really shocked to hear how crazy their afternoon and evening had been – it made ours feel so much tamer!

How to Prepare for When Travel Goes Awry

There’s a lot that we do to try to avoid bad, trip-interrupting experiences. We plan our itineraries instead of winging it, we download offline maps, and we bring some back ups of essentials.

We also practice good safety measures (e.g. keep our valuables secured, don’t wander into dangerous situations, learn about common scams in a destination ahead of time, etc.), and generally, that has served us really well! None of these crazy travel stories in this post have ruined our trips.

We also try to be pretty laidback and flexible when we’re on vacation. Have to make a detour to the doctor’s office in Iceland? It’s fine, it’s fine. Lose a phone in Morocco? Don’t stress, we can make it work. Tent collapsed and all our clothes, pillows, sleeping bags, and gear is sopping wet? Just laugh and shake your head at the absurdity of it all.

Always Have Travel Insurance

However, one of the biggest things we always do before any trip is get travel insurance. Securing some travel insurance is an important part of prepping for any international trip – you really never know when something might happen, and your regular insurance generally won’t cover you overseas.

Costs for a medical emergency on vacation can add up extremely fast, so it’s just better to be safe than sorry. (If life, and especially covid, has taught me anything, it’s that you never know what could happen!)

I like booking insurance at Insure My Trip, as they offer a variety of plans with different coverages to choose from, so you can find the right option for you. Plus, they have great customer support if you need help before, during, or after your trip.

Check rates at Insure My Trip here!

Final Thoughts on Experiencing Those Sometimes Funny, Sometimes Crazy Travel Stories

I’ll admit, many of these experiences were not exactly ideal, to say the least. They were often stressful or frustrating. But some of these were just really funny travel stories!

However, learning how to handle curveballs has definitely helped me a lot in life! Things happen, even (and especially) on vacation. Being adaptable to what happens, taking it in stride, and not letting it sour the entire trip has been a valuable lesson to learn (over and over again, ha!)

And I’m sure I’ll be adding more crazy travel stories to this list regularly in the coming years!

Stephanie is the author of The Unknown Enthusiast. She's visited 21 countries and 37 of the 50 US states (but her first love will always be France). When she's not traveling, she enjoys reading, taking naps, playing games, eating popcorn, and spending time with her husband (Matthew) and 4 daughters. Stephanie lives in Alabama, USA.

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Travel Tips

Best Short Travel Stories – Crazy, Funny & Inspiring Anecdotes

Published: September 8, 2023

Modified: December 27, 2023

by Leontine Child

Plan Your Trip
Weird & Amazing

Introduction

Traveling is an incredible experience that allows us to explore new places, immerse ourselves in different cultures, and create lasting memories. From witnessing breathtaking landscapes to indulging in delicious local cuisine, every trip has its own unique charm. However, it’s the unexpected and unforgettable moments that truly make travel special.

In this article, we present a collection of the best short travel stories. These stories range from crazy and hilarious anecdotes to inspiring and heartwarming tales, all shared by fellow travelers who have embarked on remarkable journeys. Whether you’re a seasoned globetrotter or someone who dreams of exploring the world, these stories will entertain, inspire, and remind you of the incredible wonders that travel has to offer.

So sit back, relax, and prepare to be transported to different corners of the world through these captivating and entertaining tales. From mishaps and misadventures to serendipitous encounters and life-changing experiences, these stories encapsulate the essence of travel – the joy, the excitement, and the unexpected surprises that make each adventure truly remarkable.

Whether you’re seeking a good laugh, a sense of wanderlust, or a boost of inspiration, these travel stories have got you covered. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the world of crazy, funny, and inspiring travel tales.

Crazy Travel Stories

Traveling can sometimes lead to the most unexpected and bizarre situations. From encounters with wild animals to navigating through challenging terrain, these crazy travel stories will leave you in awe of the incredible experiences that happen on the road.

One traveler found themselves in a remote village in Africa when they stumbled upon a traditional tribal ceremony. They were invited to participate in the festivities and were amazed by the vibrant dances and cultural rituals. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse themselves in a completely different world.

In another crazy story, a group of friends went on a hiking trip in the mountains. Little did they know that they would encounter a rare sighting of a majestic snow leopard. As they cautiously watched the elusive creature from a distance, they couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of awe and wonder.

For those seeking adrenaline-pumping adventures, one traveler decided to go skydiving in New Zealand. As they soared through the clouds and experienced the rush of freefall, they couldn’t help but feel an exhilaration like never before. It was a heart-stopping moment that will forever be etched in their memory.

Another traveler shared their crazy experience of getting lost in a bustling city. While wandering through the maze-like streets, they stumbled upon a hidden gem – a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that served the most delectable local cuisine. It was a serendipitous discovery that turned a moment of confusion into a delicious and unforgettable gastronomic adventure.

These crazy travel stories remind us that sometimes the most extraordinary moments happen when we least expect them. Whether it’s stumbling upon ancient rituals, encountering rare wildlife, or getting lost in a foreign city, embracing the unexpected is part of the magic of travel.

Funny Travel Stories

Traveling often leads to hilarious and lighthearted moments that become the stories we share with friends and family. These funny travel stories will leave you in stitches as you imagine the amusing situations that travelers find themselves in.

One traveler found themselves on a crowded train in Japan during rush hour. As they were standing amidst the sea of passengers, a sudden jolt caused their backpack to accidentally open, sending their belongings tumbling onto the floor. Embarrassed but quick-witted, they started doing a makeshift magic show with their scattered items, turning an awkward moment into a laughter-filled spectacle.

In another funny story, a traveler attempted to order a meal at a local restaurant using a language translation app. However, the app misinterpreted their request, and instead of ordering a traditional dish, they ended up with a plate of fried insects. With a mix of surprise and amusement, they decided to give it a try, discovering that it was surprisingly delicious and became a memorable culinary adventure.

For those who have traveled with pets, there are often comical moments that arise. One traveler shared the story of their adventurous cat who managed to escape their hotel room and was found perched on a rooftop, seemingly enjoying the view. It took some creative problem-solving and a bit of embarrassment to safely retrieve their feline friend.

Another funny travel story involves a traveler mistaking a sheep for their tour guide in the Irish countryside. They followed the sheep, believing it to be leading them to the next point of interest, until they realized their mistake and had a good laugh about it.

These funny travel stories remind us that even in the midst of the unexpected, laughter is often the best response. From language mishaps to animal antics, these humorous moments contribute to the joy and entertainment of our travel experiences.

Inspiring Travel Stories

Traveling has a way of touching our hearts and inspiring us to see the world in a different light. These inspiring travel stories showcase the transformative power of travel, the connections we make with others, and the profound impact it can have on our lives.

One traveler shared their experience of volunteering in a remote village in Nepal. They helped build a school for the local children, witnessing firsthand the resilience and determination of the community. The gratitude and joy they felt in seeing the children receive an education touched their heart and left a lasting impact on their perspective of the world.

In another inspiring story, a traveler embarked on a solo backpacking journey through Southeast Asia. Along the way, they met incredible people from diverse backgrounds and forged deep connections. These encounters taught them the beauty of human connection and the importance of embracing different cultures.

For some, travel becomes a transformative experience that changes the course of their lives. One traveler shared their story of leaving a corporate job to pursue their passion for photography. They traveled to remote corners of the world, capturing breathtaking images and sharing the stories of the people they encountered. Through their experiences, they found purpose, fulfillment, and a new sense of self.

Another inspiring travel story involves a traveler who set out on a journey of self-discovery. They hiked the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage trail in Spain, facing physical and mental challenges along the way. This grueling journey led to profound introspection and personal growth, reminding them of their inner strength and resilience.

These inspiring travel stories serve as a reminder that travel has the power to broaden our horizons, ignite a sense of purpose, and foster deep connections. It encourages us to step outside of our comfort zones, embrace new experiences, and discover the transformative beauty that the world has to offer.

Travel is not just about exploring new places or ticking off bucket list destinations. It’s about the moments that take our breath away, the laughter that fills our hearts, and the inspiration that sets our souls on fire. The best short travel stories capture the essence of these extraordinary experiences and remind us of the magic that travel brings into our lives.

From crazy adventures to hilarious mishaps and inspiring journeys, these stories showcase the diverse range of emotions and encounters that await us on our travels. They remind us to embrace the unexpected, find joy in the humorous situations, and let travel change us for the better.

Whether it’s witnessing the vibrant dances of a tribal ceremony, experiencing the adrenaline rush of skydiving, or finding ourselves in a serendipitous gastronomic adventure, these stories highlight the beauty of stepping outside our comfort zones and immersing ourselves in different cultures.

Moreover, travel stories connect us through shared experiences and inspire us to explore the world with an open heart and a curious mind. They remind us of the transformative power of travel, the connections we make with others, and the personal growth that comes from venturing into the unknown.

So, the next time you embark on a journey, keep your eyes and heart open to the possibility of creating your own travel story. Whether it’s crazy, funny, or inspiring, these moments have the power to shape our lives and leave an indelible mark on our souls.

With each travel story shared, we pass on the gift of inspiration and encouragement to others to embark on their own adventures. So, let these stories inspire you to explore, to connect, and to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Remember, the world is waiting – so go out there and create your own incredible travel story.

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The Funniest Travel Stories You’ll Ever Read

Did you hear the one about the woman who boarded her plane and discovered she'd been assigned a seat in the bathroom? Or how about the guy who was scheduled for a 47-year layover? And what about the toddler who publicly called out a woman on his flight for having stinky feet?

If you've been around the traveling block enough times, then you know how quickly things can go wrong when you least expect it. But every once in a while, something ridiculously funny can happen to turn a situation that started out stressful into a moment you vow to never forget.

In this list, we've compiled some of the most hilarious travel-related stories ever. Who knows, maybe one of these wacky scenarios has happened to you.

Flight Has 47-Year Layover

Layovers can be nothing short of annoying, but they are a necessary and in some cases unavoidable inconvenience. But imagine booking a flight only to learn your layover was scheduled to take, no joke, 413,786 hours — aka 47 years.

That nightmare scenario is exactly what happened to passenger James Lloyd when he tried to book a flight through Skyscanner from Christchurch, New Zealand to London, England, and was told he’d be spending nearly five decades in Bangkok.

Hilariously, Lloyd reached out to Skyscanner on Facebook to see if they had any suggestions on what he should do in Thailand for the next 47 years. The customer-service rep, Jen, responded in kind, suggesting Lloyd spend his time outside the airport terminal becoming a Tai Chi expert or booking a cruise on the Chao Phraya river. Users on Facebook were so amused by the rep’s cheeky response that one created a #TEAMJEN t-shirt .

The man, alas, did not book the flight.

Dad Tries to Film Vegas, Films Close-Ups of His Face Instead

Is there anything more amusing than dads not understanding technology? We think not.

Take, for instance, the story of the Irish man who borrowed his son’s GoPro camera to document his first trip to Las Vegas — and ended up filming his entire trip with the camera pointed the wrong way . Instead of capturing shots of the famed Strip, the man filmed close-up footage of his own face.

As the hapless videographer’s son put it bluntly: "...my dad being my dad…didn't know which way to point the f------g thing.”

Naturally, when the son posted his father’s botched footage to YouTube , it became a viral sensation, garnering nearly 10 million hits as of press time. Sample comment? “Classic dad move.”

Cat Hitches a Ride on Plane’s Wing

Cats are known for their stealth and cleverness. And no cat has exhibited those qualities more than the cunning feline who landed herself a free plane ride .

In 2015, a cat dug her claws into the wing of an ultra-light, two-person plane in French Guinea before it took off. The plane flew for a while before she slowly crawled into view of the pilot, blowing her cover and shocking the people flying.

Don’t worry: When the pilot uploaded footage of the misadventure to YouTube, he made sure to note that the cat was doing well and was “still our mascot.”

Watch the video to see the pilot’s expression when he notices the cat for the first time. It’s truly priceless.

Man Finds Doppelganger on Plane

When a Glasgow man went to take his seat on a Ryanair flight to Galway, he was shocked to find someone already sitting there: a guy who looked identical to him .

The uncanny resemblance caused a stir on the plane, and the men took a photo to capture the moment. When the photo was posted to Twitter, it swiftly garnered thousands of retweets.

And that’s not all: Later, the two men later realized they were staying at the same hotel, and then ran into each other at the same pub.

The world works in mysterious ways...

Man Tries to Board Plane Wearing His Entire Wardrobe

There was drama at Iceland's Keflavik airport last year when Ryan Carney Williams, aka Ryan Hawaii, tried to board a British Airways flight to London wearing the contents of his carry-on — which included eight pairs of pants and 10 shirts. Williams wasn't cold or confused, he just didn't want to pay the extra baggage fees.

Unfortunately for Williams, he was denied boarding and arrested for causing a disturbance at the gate. The following day, when he tried to board an alternative flight with EasyJet, he was refused entry by the pilot, who knew of the mess he caused the day before.

Eventually, Williams made it back to London, but with an even bigger dent in his wallet because both British Airways and EasyJet refused to offer him a refund.

Still, we kind of respect the hustle. Baggage fees are the worst!

Man Puts Himself Through X-Ray Machine

Every novice traveler makes mistakes the first time they go to an airport and try to navigate its myriad rules and security measures. So let’s cut the guy who put his entire body through a baggage X-ray machine some slack, ok?

In 2016, after a newbie traveler was asked to put his bag through the scanner, he instead proceeded to crawl onto the X-ray belt, lay down and go through it himself. As “The Sun” reported , when he arrived on the other side, a security guard was there to greet him “with his head in his hands.”

Well, sure.

Man Posts “Mom, I’m Fine” Photos to Instagram

Parents worry; it’s kind of their thing. And a lot of parents worry in particular about their kids traveling abroad.

To appease his typically fretful mother, Jonathan Quiñonez, a model from Brussels, took to posting photos to Instagram with a sign reading, “Mom, I’m Fine.” The pictures feature him riding ATVs in Saudi Arabia, hot-air ballooning in Turkey, participating in Dia de los Muertos in Mexico, and more. He even partnered with Volaris to have the words emblazoned on a plane .

“She is still worried, like every mother,” Quiñonez told “Bored Panda.” “But in the end, she is happy because she knows I’m having the time of my life.”

Student Fakes Bomb Threat to Derail Parents' Visit

Back in January, a 23-year-old French student was arrested for allegedly making a bogus bomb threat to an EasyJet flight traveling from Lyon to Rennes. When apprehended, the suspect admitted his guilt, confessing he didn't want to hurt anyone, he only wanted to stop his parents, who were aboard the plane, from visiting.

Shortly after takeoff from Lyon, the flight was forced to turn around after the captain learned of the anonymous threat. Upon landing, the passengers disembarked, the plane was searched for explosives, and everyone was relieved when they realized there were no bombs aboard.

If found guilty, the student could face up to five years in prison and have to pay $85,000 in fines. Wonder if mom and dad will help foot the bill?

Woman’s Airplane Seat is in the Bathroom

In September 2018, passenger Stalkier Ika boarded a Lion Air flight in Palembang, Indonesia, headed for Jakarta. Her boarding pass listed her seat assignment as 35F, but as she moved to the back of the plane, she realized something alarming: The last row stopped at 34.

After a few minutes of confusion, Ika discovered she'd been assigned an imaginary seat in the plane's bathroom.

After taking to Facebook to complain about her, ahem, crappy seat assignment, Lion Air's corporate office responded with a viable explanation: At the last minute, the flight's original aircraft, which had 39 rows, was swapped out for a smaller plane, which only had 34.

Ika was promptly assigned a new seat (one with out a side of toilet paper) on the same flight, and she landed in Jakarta as scheduled.

Toddler Calls Out Woman’s Stinky Feet

Four-year-old Rodney Small from Houston, Texas, is not allowed to put his feet up on the furniture at home. So when a woman sitting behind him on his first round-trip flight set her bare feet up on his armrest, Small wanted to know why she wasn't following the rules .

Luckily, Small's father had his phone nearby to catch his son's hilarious reaction live. "There's stinky feet behind me!” he said in the video before turning around and asking the woman with allegedly stinky feet, “Why does somebody have … feet behind me? Why do you have your feet behind me?”

The woman in question took Small's reaction in stride and promptly removed her feet from his arm rest. His father, on the other hand, was taken aback. "His reaction just caught me by surprise," he told Good Morning America . But it "ended up being the highlight of our trip."

Man Flies 1,400 Miles in the Wrong Direction

When wildlife photographer Christopher Paetkau boarded his flight in Yellowknife, Canada, he thought he was headed north for the town of Inuvik. But what Paetkau didn't realize, as he adjusted his seatbelt, was that he’d mistakenly boarded a flight headed to the city of Iqaluit — 1,400 miles east of his desired destination.

Turns out the two flights boarded around the same time, and attendants didn’t catch Paetkau’s mistake in getting on the wrong plane because of a downed computer system.

Fourteen hours after landing in Iqaluit, Paetkau, with the help of an apologetic flight attendant, touched back down in Yellowknife and boarded a flight headed for Inuvik. When asked if he was angry over the mix-up he said, "Well, I had two choices: am I going to be upset about this or should I just roll with it and have fun?"

Paetkau chose the latter — and ended up with a great story for future dinner parties.

Woman Goes on Solo Honeymoon

Last we checked, honeymoons kind of require both newlyweds to attend. But when her husband was denied a visa to visit Greece, Huma Mobin rolled with the punches and went without her new hubby by her side .

Not letting it get her down, Mobin turned the trip into an opportunity for hilarity, posting pics with her arm wrapped around no one as she visibly pouted.

But what we find most interesting about this story is the fact that she reportedly brought her in-laws with her instead. The horror!

Plane Gets an Inappropriate Paint Job

In 2008, UK airline Thomas Cook decided to shake up its image with an aircraft fleet makeover. And so, it painted "I Love Cook's” in black and yellow across the body of its planes.

Sounds innocent enough, but thanks to a passenger's pic, the airline quickly realized how its tagline changed once the aircraft’s emergency door was opened and slid to the side. Upon opening, the second “o” in Cook's became a “c” and, well... you can see from the photo what happened next.

When asked about the botched paint job, the folks at Thomas Cook took it all in stride, telling The U.K.'s Sun , "It goes with out saying it's an accident, but it is one way to highlight where the emergency exit is.”

Pilot Tells Co-Workers He's Bored at Work

An Australian pilot was stuck in the air for three hours while testing out a new version of an aircraft engine. As he looped and swirled through the air, he got bored and decided to ditch the original flight plan to create his own instead.

And so he flew a new path that sketched out the message, "I'M BORED," which wasn't visible from the ground and could only be seen by his colleagues following the aircraft's flight via radar.

We can’t help but wonder what message the pilot sent when he needed a bathroom break.

Tourist Discovers Surprising Lookalike

According to legend, the island of The Pregnant Maiden in Langkawi, Malaysia, wields special powers. Locals believe the waters around the island can reverse infertility. As a result, the location has become a popular destination for couples struggling to conceive.

But for one tourist, the Pregnant Maiden has taken on an entirely different meaning.

While lying supine on the beach, a young man realized his body's profile perfectly matched the bumps and curves of the island in the distance. So he did what any traveler would do: He took a pic and shared it on social media, where one clever commenter on Reddit captioned it with , "Some peoples bodies are a temple. My body is a whole island.”

Mother Names Baby After Airline

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow named her firstborn Apple; Frank Zappa named his kids Moon Unit, Dweezil and Diva Thin Muffin; and rapper Cardi-B calls her baby girl Kulture. But celebrities aren't the only people who give their children bizarre names. Case in point? A woman who gave birth on an Emirates flight named her newborn boy EK — after the first two letters of the flight code.

To be fair, she did have a pretty sweet reason for doing so. During a flight from Dubai to Manila, the woman went into early labor. Luckily, there were two nurses onboard who helped her give birth in one of the plane's bathrooms. The pilot made an emergency landing in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, after which mother and baby were rushed off to a nearby hospital.

Despite popular belief , it's not mandatory for an airline to offer free lifetime travel to a baby born mid-flight, but for EK we hope they made an exception.

Artist Pretends to be Dead in Vacation Selfies

Artist Stephanie Leigh Rose became fed up with the proliferation of what she refers to as "airbrushed, circle light enhanced, prop centric...selfie stick-Kardashian-YouTube-Photoshopped-mememememe sh*tshow" pics that have taken over social media.

So, in response to the self-aggrandizing selfie, Rose created the stefdie , a style of photography featuring the artist lying belly down on the ground in public places while pretending to be dead.

Rose has taken her idea on the road and snapped stefdies at icons like the Golden Gate Bridge, The Eiffel Tower and Buckingham Palace.

While she finds the work satisfying, Rose does admit it comes with hygienic hazards. According to an alarming piece in the U.K.'s Metro , “her mouth definitely touched urine while laying down in a public loo in San Francisco, and she’s definitely touched dog poo more times than she can recall."

Pork Pie Causes Airport Security Alert

Word to the wise: Never try to sneak a pork pie on your flight.

This lesson was learned the hard way by a guy in Manchester, England, who thought he’d bring along a pork pie, purchased at a pub the night before, as a mid-flight snack.

Much to the man’s embarrassment, the pie triggered the scanner’s liquid detector , leading to a truly surreal security shake-down. “It must have been a very juicy pie,” the man’s brother told “The Guardian.”

Happily, the man was let through with his pie intact. We sincerely hope it was good enough to be worth the shame.

Commenters Lose Their Mind Over Impromptu Plane Push-Ups

A lone guy in a pair of rainbow Crocs caused quite a stir on a fight last year when he was spotted at the back of the plane banging out a quick set of push-ups. Of course, a nearby passenger caught his mid-flight workout on video, and it ended up on a popular Passenger Shaming Instagram account.

The incident elicited a mix bag of reactions.

Some people were instantly dismayed, wondering why anyone would willingly place their bare hands on a dirty airplane floor. Others thought it was disrespectful toward the flight attendants.

But surprisingly, most people were simply appalled by the passenger's footwear. "I'm not sure if it's the Crocs or the push-ups that's worse!" one commenter stated. Another added, "The Crocs are the shameful thing here. Not the push-ups on the plane.”

The lesson: Doing push-ups on a plane is not that big of a deal. But never, ever wear Crocs, or you will be judged.

Skydiver Catches Shoe Mid-Air

Impressive.

That’s our response to the man who lost his shoe while skydiving in Central Texas, caught it mid-air and slid it back on, all while plummeting toward the Earth. Reportedly, 3,000 feet of altitude was lost while chasing down the footwear.

The man’s pithy response after landing? “Lost a shoe. Landed with a shoe.”

Yep. Impressive.

Thoughts on a life well traveled

Funny Travel Stories

7 travel tips to avoid funny travel stories.

I recently laughed so hard with my best friend when I realized a huge travel mistake I had made; something that to me seemed so out of place that it felt like I was telling a travel joke instead of a funny travel anecdote. My funny travel stories had previously involved my dad making booking mistakes, or some fall from a canon. Never had they involved me getting to the airport and missing a flight.

Following these travel tips will help you have positive travel experience stories. But honestly, when things go wrong and you can laugh about it, they become the best travel tales.

Travel Tip #1: Check the Date and Time

This short travel story started with me asking my husband for a separation. In the midst of the chaos and him leaving Rome for Mexico, I decided to visit my best friend in Barcelona. Aline sent me a screenshot of the ticket she was about to buy, from Saturday to Wednesday, as I was supposed to move back to Mexico on Friday. I approved the selection, she bought it, and I packed. I checked in the night before, and made sure my dogs were taken care of. The next day I headed to the airport, a little later than planned.

When I got to the airport with only my carry-on bag and 35 minutes until the gate closed, I headed directly to the security checkpoint. The electronic machine marked a big fat red X and told me to see an agent. I obediently went to stand in line at the Ryan Air counter, while one of the only two ladies available left. My heart was racing as I kept looking at the clock. A man, Italian, loud, and rude, arrived with an airport employee and cut ahead, screaming at the lady and taking a whole 10 minutes of my precious time.

By the time I arrived to the counter it was 8:02 and my flight closed at 8:05. The lady asked me what was wrong, I told her, she continued asking if the machine had said anything else. No. She then scanned my ticket and told me the problem was that the gate had closed. I complained and told her I had arrived earlier.

“Where were you then?”

“In line, waiting for you.”

She didn’t say anything else, except to wait for the ticketing agent who arrived in an hour to change my ticket. I didn’t panic but went into action mode. Aline texted me she had dreamt I missed my flight. Yup, I told her I would let her know about my next flight. I searched for other flights, just one more on Alitalia that left in 35 minutes. I was already at the airport. Click, bought. Tried to check in: check in closes 40 minutes before the flight.

Shit.

I stopped running around, grabbed a cab home, and bought a ticket from Sunday to Sunday, extending my stay. I wasn’t going to let my anxiety get out of control, so I breathed deeply and chucked my lack of attentiveness to depression . My parents called to bother me about missing the first flight in my life. We all had a laugh about it. I have always been super responsible, a perfectionist, and even flew more than 100 segments in a single year most of them as a solo female traveler , and had never missed a flight. EVER. But I also know to laugh at travel mishaps and be flexible when I travel. I need a good amount of travel humor to keep my anxiety under control.

I was having an amazing time in Barcelona, when I get an email on Friday to check-in for my Ryan Air flight the next morning. Laughing so hard, I handed over the phone with my ticket on it so Aline could check the date. I did in fact not miss my flight, but instead arrived A WHOLE WEEK early. That is why the machine didn’t let me through. After laughing for ten minutes straight, I immediately called my family to let them know this funny travel story, that I in fact had not MISSED my flight.

Travel mishaps may lead to amazing trips

Travel Tip #2: Double Check the Year

This travel mistake is only second to my dad’s one a couple of years ago. This story is our favorite funny Christmas story and we don’t let him live it down.

The best travel stories starts with a mistake, like mixing up the year on your reservation

On December of 2015 we were supposed to embark on a cruise ship that circumnavigated New Zealand, leaving from Auckland and disembarking in Sydney, Australia. Our flight tickets were booked arriving to Auckland leaving from Sydney. My dad kept pestering us to look at the tour options to chose from. No one could find the cruise and there were no options, even as late as November. Only when my dad provided the link could we find the cruise, but no updates. A week before we were set to leave, my brother’s ex called my dad to tell him something was wrong with the cruise reservation, it said there were still 370 days to our cruise.

Instead of booking the cruise for December 2015, my dad booked it for December 2016!

We laughed it off as we planned activities in Auckland and Sydney for our impromptu land-locked trip. He got a whole refund as it was a year in advance, and so we set out to Auckland.

I think my dad, the smartest, most dedicated man I know, has booked the most wrong date trips ever. It’s not because he doesn’t pay attention, just has so much on his plate.

Again, we laughed off this funny incident and had a blast in New Zealand, visiting Hobbiton, Waitomo Caves, Waiheke Island, abseiling in Piha, and eating delicious food.

Travel Tip #3: Always Check Visa Requirements

On December 22, we packed our bags, said goodbye to the hotel staff, and headed to the airport for Sydney.

Everyone was so excited to visit Australia for the first time. But, then some dreaded words came out of the agent’s mouth, “Where are your visas?”

Blank stares. We need visas?

Most of us had passports on which we could get online visas, but my mom and grandma couldn’t. Change of plans, once more.

We headed back to the hotel, greeting the staff, laughing, and asking for our rooms back. Meanwhile my sister’s ex was complaining about the change of plans, and my ex calling from the US making a huge deal about it. The rest of my family just tried to make things work.

Traveling to Australia was out of the question for my mom and grandma as the consulate was closed for the holidays. So instead we headed to Christchurch for a zip line trek and a haunted mansion on Christmas Eve. I even got to see one of my best friend’s from boarding who I hadn’t seen in years! On Christmas day, the family separated into two groups, those leaving for Sydney to catch our flights back and those staying in Auckland with a new flight back home.

Always check visa requirements. Do not assume that because you can go into one country (New Zealand) without a visa, you can go into another (Australia) without one.

Travel Tip #4: Double Check the Weather

When you think of Hawaii, don’t you picture Luaus on the beach, sunny white beaches, bathing suits, and snorkeling?

We did, too. That is until we arrived to the wettest, coldest side of the Big Island. The west side or Kona is where the Hawaii of my dreams was, the east side or Hilo was the one my dad chose for our eco-adventure filled with walking on lava, zip lines, volcanoes, hiking, and being cold in short shorts.

It was an amazing vacation, one that I cherish to this day because of the memories, the places we visited, and the anecdotes. We went to see Les Miserables in a small theatre that wasn’t sound proofed so we could hear the whole gun scenes from the movie next door. Or the time we took the longest route to the green sand beach through dried lava in a 15 passenger van with a 3 month old, only to realize there was a highway on the other side – I’m glad my dad always gets the rental insurance!

We did have to buy some warm clothes and a waterproof jacket. The first pictures of the vacation, I’m standing in a short short and tank top, freezing my ass off as my dad had not informed us that we were not going to use our cute dresses and bikinis. Always double check the weather of your travel destination, so you don’t look like my grandma trying to reduce the weight of her bags for a Ryan Air flight, wearing everything she owns.

Funny travel story Picture of when we went to Hawaii and needed warm clothes even to walk on lava

Travel Tip #4: Do not climb objects or trees with your sister

My sister and I tend to climb stuff and get stuck, they make for pretty funny travel moments. On my sister’s XV birthday trip to Ireland we went on a hike and found this tree with amazing climbing branches. I decide to get up on the tree and get a cute picture for my album – this was before IG – but hadn’t realized that this particular branch had another smaller branch coming from it an an angle. My butt wasn’t as big as it is now, but that didn’t stop it from getting stuck. I could not move forward or back, I couldn’t turn, so of course I decide that my way to get down is like a scared cat holding on to dear life rotating until I was hugging the branch facing up. Then I was able to let go.

Why not, my incredibly smart, over achieving sister climbs the tree in exactly the same way – I promise she is smart- and gets stuck… for longer than I did. In the meantime there are other tourists passing by, taking photos of her stuck in a tree while we film her and laugh. She eventually discovered that the only way to get down from that position was, in fact, my panda cling.

There are other times when I swear that those who try to help sometimes end up pushing you over the edge. There wasn’t any edge as it was the barrel of a canon, but as I was trying to climb a canon for again a cute picture on top of it – this time for Instagram – my amazing sister decides to help me up by pushing my legs over the canon. Again, I used my cat cling to hold on for dear life while I laughed and my mom filmed.

So if you have a sister like I do, avoid climbing stuff for that picture unless you are okay with your funny travel video being played by the family multiple times.

Travel Tip #5: Always keep your bag with you, unless you are clumsy

On our trip to Costa Rica, we did not do the thermal pool fancy spas. Instead, we followed our guide down to the side of the highway and entered the river from an underpass. Here the water barely reached our ankles. From there we walked up the river, past a little wall that made a super slow waterfall into a beautiful area with less people, more nature, and some candles our guide had brought. After enjoying the nice warm water in darkness, we headed back to the underpass. I had mine and my ex’s things in my backpack, my sister had hers in our friend’s backpack. Mid walk, my sister decided to carry the backpack back right before the knee high wall.

As our friend swings one leg over, she immediately swings the other one without properly stepping down first, making her dive into the cemented river like an ungraceful penguin on the ice. I stepped out of the way as she kept sliding further down, until she finally stopped. It was definitely one of the highlights of the night as her funny fall makes us laugh especially because the cameras, clothes, and phones were kept dry by my sister. If you have a clumsy friend with you, never trust your bag to them!

Travel Tip #6: Whatever you do, do not get on a bike

It might seem like a great idea with your Oxford Summer School crew to rent some bikes to go to Woodstock along the River Thames, but it isn’t, trust me and Lauren . There was a sort of Elvis convention as the boat houses were filled with Elvis impersonators as we rode along. Some ten minutes into the drive, I start to lose control of the bike. My two options were, falling into the river or into the bushes – I had my period so the bushes it was.

After a bit of commotion, I managed to stand up, hold back tears and embarrassment as I picked out thorns from my left arm and left leg. I brushed dirt off my shorts and got back on my bike, prideful as ever as I assured everyone I was in fact ready to continue on. I managed to make it to Woodstock and back without any other complications – or falls! My family now makes fun of me every time I get on a bike!

A couple of years after this incident, on that same fateful trip to Costa Rica, we rented some bikes. I was determined to not fall this time, and our small group managed to stay on our bikes the whole time, that is until the end. When turning on the street where we were supposed to return our bikes, my friend started zig zagging. Her feet down, trying to catch herself, she was stopped by a parked car. She looked at the guide in horror as he hurried towards her to check on the car. No scratches. He told her to not look back and ride as fast as she could. We didn’t look back.

Do not ride bikes while on vacation! They make for a very funny story of you falling In Oxford

Travel Tip #7: Learn to laugh at yourself and be flexible

Something I’ve learned over the years and through all of these experiences, is that you need to be able to laugh at yourself and your misery. Sometimes it’s all you can do to keep yourself from crying, or to not ruin an amazing trip. I have anxiety, so I know how hard it is for things to not go as planned, for little things that seem to ruin a trip, when in reality they just make for the best travel anecdotes. Even if you can’t laugh at them today, maybe you can in a couple of days or months, or at least learn something.

Breath deeply, maybe you didn’t get on THAT flight for a reason. Maybe not being able to go to Australia led you to Queenstown and to one of the best family experiences (and pictures) as we all, even my grandma, headed into a haunted house! And, actually, missing out on those days in Sydney allowed me to see one of my best friends from boarding school who I barely see on Christmas Eve.

You cannot connect the dots unless you look back, so remember that when you are freaking out about something going wrong. Maybe it’s for the best, even if it isn’t, if it’s out of your hands go with the flow!

Haunted house on Christmas Eve because of a mistake became an amazing funny travel story

Follow these tips or be prepared to tell your funny, sometimes embarrassing, travel stories to your friends. Or even better, they will remind you of them, constantly.

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Tips to avoid travel mishaps that make for the best funny travel stories and anecdotes.

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77 Short Travel Stories from around the World

We love good travel stories! We want to keep it simple and to the point. Therefore, every Short Travel Story is written in less than 200 words.

Real-life Travel Stories (less than 30 seconds)

Every traveler has their own unique story he or she loves to share. It is one big, important part of the travel experience.

Whether it is a funny or special story about a hostel experience, or an interesting adventure on the road. Hostelgeeks features unique stories from backpackers and travelers from around the world.

Hardcover Books with Crazy and Fun Travel Tales

A great story belongs in a book. We had a look around and found a bunch of very fascinating travel books you will love too.

How not to travel the world
A Thousand New Beginnings
Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World

Especially “ How not to travel the world ” by Lauren Juliff will make you want to travel the world even more. With little to no life experience like never riding a bus or even eaten beans, she goes out to explore the world. She shares her failures, her travel mistakes of full of bad luck and near-death experiences. Lauren was scammed, assaulted, caught up in a tsunami, had the brakes of her motorbike fail.

How Not to Travel The World is about following your dreams, no matter how many curveballs life throws at you. It is about learning to get out of your comfort zone, finding the humour in messed up situations, and falling in love with life on the road.

How Not to Travel the World: Adventures of a Disaster-Prone Backpacker

Funny and Crazy Travel Stories

When travelling the world, you will live beautiful, weird, unique and other experiences you would not believe. Bring your own travel journal and take your notes. Get your own travel journal sketchbook and simply use an app like Polar steps. Find here our guide to best travel apps in 2024.

Leather Writing Journal Notebook, MALEDEN Classic Spiral Bound Notebook Refillable Diary Sketchbook Gifts with Unlined Travel Journals to Write in for Girls and Boys (Sky Blue)

And now: Keep scrolling.

Read all those great stories around the world. You can instantly share them as well if you enjoy them on facebook and instagram .

Best Short Travel Stories

From hell to heli-pads.

From monkeys climbing on my head to sleeping on train floors to cocktails on top of the world… Travelling gives you the greatest opportunities and the weirdest lessons, both teach you a lot about who you are (and what you can handle). One night it’s an overnight bus with jagged metal arm rests, A/C in your face and two Asians crammed on one seat watching you sleep and the next night you’re being taken for cocktails on a helicopter pad overlooking Kuala Lumpur.

12 hours can make a big difference .

One night we were sleeping in a floating bamboo shack on the River Kwai, no electricity and completely at peace with nature – until a cockroach crawled on my face at 4am with no light available to find it, so while my buddy Hannah is screaming I’m shooting the toilets “bum gun” blindly all around the room. The next morning and we are bathing an elephant called Wandii in the river, bliss! The Thai trainer asks me, “Are you brave?” Daring me to ride Wandii (with her permission) and I decide I am brave, and I climb into the new situation as nervous and excited as the day I boarded the plane.

Take the bad with good, it pays off as memories last longer than scars.

I have been to Merlin’s Camelot – Château de Pierrefonds in France

I’m a HUGE film and TV fan! It’s why I work in the industry for goodness sake! So when I was able to visit Château de Pierrefonds in France I was thrilled! Many of you may know it from the TV series ‘Merlin’ where it served as Camelot . Let me tell you, it is as magical as Merlin himself! I was just in awe of the castle! It’s tremendous and magnificently beautiful!

Tucked in a small town in France, it’s not a big tourist attraction so I felt as if I had the castle to myself. I’d love to go back again some day!

I have been to Merlin's Camelot - Château de Pierrefonds in France

In a Mosque we discovered the Silence of Cairo

When I first visited Cairo with an old friend of mine, I immediately fell in love with its noise, food smells, and sense of identity. But it was almost too hectic at times, and in the afternoons when we were tired from having merchants constantly calling to us and children tugging at us , my friend and I would duck into one of the many mosques in the “City of Minarets”.

Our regular haunt was the massive al-Azhar Mosque in the center of the city. We stayed out of the way, often just sitting in the shade, journaling quietly, people-watching, or praying to ourselves. I loved that the mosque was a place where people lived their everyday lives , it didn’t feel separate from daily errands or social visits. We were welcomed in the mosque, to enjoy the peace and recharge before diving back into the city.

Read: 13 Crazy Travel Stories – when the Hostel burns down

The little Asian Spot in Orsigna, Italy – Tiziano Terzani

Tiziano Terzani was a famous Italian journalist and writer . He traveled across Asia and he witnessed important historical events like the Vietnam War and the coup d’etat organized in Cambodia by Pol Pot. Old and ill, Terzani decided to spend the last years of his life back in Italy, in the ancient town of Orsigna.

Here, in the woods, he found a big tree, decided to attach two small eyes on it and called it “ the Tree with the eyes “, in order to teach his son that the trees are alive and they have a spirit . Nowadays people come here and bring souvenirs and letters to thank Terzani for his inspiring books and teachings.

The little Asian Spot in Orsigna, Italy - Tiziano Terzani

First 24h in Hanoi – an introduction to the city by English-Students

“ Are you busy? “, she asked us, and 6 more pairs of eyes were looking at us.

We arrived in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam. We just slowed down from our first wander around the old town of iconic Hanoi. We got a first glance of the city, and tested the waters for buying a motorbike in Hanoi. After all, this is the plan: getting two motorbikes and drive them from the North to the South of Vietnam.

We just bought a soft drink, and sat down at the famous Hoàn Kiếm Lake, when these 7 young Vietnamese approached us.

“ Are you busy? “, she asked. “ Well… “, we replied only hesitantly, looking into the excited eyes of young men and women.

“We are students, and we want to talk with you. In English. We are looking for foreigners we can talk to.”

“ oh, yes, sure “, we replied. They sat down next to us, and we started to chat about so many topics. Hanoi, food, our heritage, their heritage, their language school, motorbikes, and they even shared the legend of the Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

Our travel tips Vietnam here: 27 Best Things to do in Vietnam – including motorbikes, tractors and monkeys

I found my favorite Café in Barcelona – thanks to a book!

I dislike entering bookshops . Every time I walk into a bookshop, I will end up buying one.

I entered an international bookshop in Eixample, Barcelona, while looking for some cool things to do in Barcelona . And as expected, a book named “ The dead alleys of Barcelona ” got my attention, a crime novel. Long story short: I bought it, went home, and started reading.

In this book, the author Stefanie Kremser talks about a special part of El Born, downtown Barcelona. She describes this magical square, this narrow street the main character lived in.

I didn’t know this exact street, and I was curious. I went downtown, wandered around the square and saw this café with the few tables on the terrace. Until today, 7 years later, it is still my favorite café in Barcelona – thanks to this book!

This Short Travel Story was written by Matt, the guy behind Hostelgeeks. Here at Hostelgeeks we award and collect 5 Star Hostels around the world.

Fancy more coffee?

Find the 13 best coffee shops in Barcelona here.

Barcelona is our home. You can find our best-kept secret tips for Barcelona as well as 23 fun things to do . It also includes our favorite Café in Barcelona.

We also compare the 7 top bike tours of Barcelona .

I found my favorite Café in Barcelona - thanks to a book!

The very last moment changed my Impression of Saigon, Vietnam

The city of Saigon, Vietnam was tiring to all five senses, and I was looking forward to an escape.

With a few hours to kill before our overnight bus, my friend and I wandered the streets in search of food. It wasn’t long before we were approached by two young, fresh-faces students who wanted to practice their English.

Suddenly enthusiastic Vietnamese surrounded us and the next two hours flew by so fast that we almost missed our bus. Our exchange may have been brief, but I walked away with a brand-new outlook on the city – I hope they can say the same about the UK.

The very last moment changed my Impression of Saigon

The Cathedral of Notre Dame for Two

My daughter and I spent a week in Paris together with my cousin and a work friend. We splurged on an evening boat ride on the Seine to celebrate my cousin’s birthday, we shopped, we walked, we ate croissants, and I took photo after photo of the City of Light.

On our last day, my daughter and I woke up just before dawn, so I could photograph the sunrise at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. It is absolutely my favorite spot in Paris. We arrived at 7:00 a.m. just as a janitor stepped outside the massive front door to smoke a cigarette. We chatted briefly with him, and then he just stepped aside and asked if we wanted to go in.

The church was completely empty except for a lone woman on the altar with a carpet sweeper. I was so awestruck that I forget to take out my camera.

Heading to the French capital? You can find +24 fun things to do in Paris , collected by us. Rollerblading, boat party, and pizza picnic – enjoy! Also, make sure you enjoy one of the 3 best hostels in Paris .

Fat-Bike with Ninja – my 3h Stars Tour in the Italian Alta Badia

Spending an entire winter in the mountains has its perks; an invitation to fat-bike through the snow being one of them. Ninja, as he is known, is notorious in the Italian Alta Badia region for his outdoor skills.

During our 3hr Stars Tour, my friend and I experienced cycling on a frozen lake, holding on for dear life as we sped down a piste and learned what it takes to control wheels as thick as tree trunks. After cycling home in the thick, falling snow, we smiled and huddled up with a hot chocolate to toast our unique, thrilling experience.

Read: Short Adventure Stories from around the World – Machu Picchu to Sandboarding

Fat-Bike with Ninja - my 3h Stars Tour in the Italian Alta Badia

Our morning traffic was a herd of goats – Rural Petrich in Bulgaria

Having spent 6 weeks in the small village in Petrich, Bulgaria , I must say that it was the biggest cultural shock I have had to date. We went there (11 other students and I) as part of our university course, with the aim to create a geological map for our dissertations.

We were staying with a Bulgarian family, who didn’t know any English. Hence, the past few weeks before our departure was spent learning the Bulgarian language. The Bulgarian community in Petrich were lovely, and we were warmly welcomed upon arrival. One lady came up to us and hugged us all , which was a bit of a relief as we all felt a little nervous.

A humble, old, Bulgarian lady who we called ‘Baba’ (Bulgarian for Grandma), cooked our meals, 3 times a day for 6 weeks . We were shocked, to begin with, to learn that her house was made from chipboard, only had two small rooms, and she cooked from her stove located in her bedroom. Amazingly, she produced lavish 3-course meals for dinner and we were always full!

After a few weeks, we all felt really settled; we were used to the morning traffic – a herd of goats equipped with brass bells trotting down the road ; we had gotten used to the strong taste of the locally-made Rakia and used to the way of life in Petrich.

It was a sad day when we had to leave Petrich, but I will always remember my time fondly, with the hope of returning one day.

Our morning traffic was a herd of goats - Rural Petrich in Bulgaria

Freezing Christmas Sea Swim and I survived

The annual Christmas sea swim has been taking place for almost 60 years on Clacton beach, Essex, United Kingdom. The low mumble of excited folk, showing off their Santa hats whilst sipping mulled wine, increase the tension as everybody stands, half naked and raring to go.

Without much warning, hilarity sets in and the crowd go storming towards the calm sea’s chill – the low-risen sunshine flickering on the tide, screaming his invitation to jump right on in. Arms flail and cameras click; toes hit the water, and it is now or never, keep running or quit? Within what feels like seconds, it is all over.

Looking out to sea it’s hard to believe anybody had disturbed the water this morning. Except for that one head I can see still bobbing around, his body now comfortably numb; he must look back at me and my quick escape, and think by god how incredibly boring.

Freezing Christmas Sea Swim and I survived

The Sleeping Dragon – Dalai Lama, Salzburg, and Me

I can feel the snowflakes softly falling from the sky. They land gently on the tip of my frozen nose. At the top of this mysterious peak, famously called “sleeping dragon” by the Dalai Lama, I am alone . It is just me and the mountains. Okay, that’s not exactly true. It’s just me and a dozen yapping crows soaring through the mist. Up here on Untersberg, as I look down at Salzburg below, I know that it’s me against the world .

That it’s just me and the silence that threatens to engulf me whole.

Getting Lost on Purpose in Tokyo – Discover Hidden Tokyo

When we headed over to Japan, we wanted to totally immerse ourselves in this wonderful country we had traveled half the world to experience.

With awe and wonder, we decided instead of being intimidated by the complexity and challenges of this new land, that we would embrace its exhilaration.

We set off to wander, with no particular destination in mind other than exploration.

To see the details, to come across the unexpected and to embrace the idea of being totally lost and the thrill of expectation.

Getting lost is part of the adventure, it is when the city takes you on a journey where you are never sure of what you might find or where you may end up.

We wandered the winding streets, jungle crows cawing from the tangled wires above. This was a Tokyo we hadn’t expected and loved discovering.

Little electric cars buzzed around us at the beat of a monk’s drum, and the smell of incense filled the air. Amidst the glowing signs and the melody of sounds, we found the wonderful hidden world of a tiny, ancient Shinto shrine.

We watched as locals came and went, wafting themselves with the sweet smelling smoke, washing their hands and clapping before bowing in the ornate temple.

We took our own turn to pay our respects, writing out our own “Ema” plaque and sending our wishes for continued travels and peaceful wanderings up to the “Kami”.

Furthermore, we discovered the quiet passion of Tokyo beyond the technology and modern metropolis, we sat and learned the ways of a new culture and shared someone else’s daily routine with wonderment and appreciation after stepping out of the safety net of certainty.

Traveling to Tokyo? Check out 3 best hostels in Tokyo .

Getting Lost on Purpose in Tokyo - Discover Hidden Tokyo

Cycling to a hidden Waterfall in Baños, Ecuador

It was a glorious afternoon in Baños, Ecuador, so we decided to rent bikes to cycle to a waterfall. We headed out of town and turned off the main road onto an impossibly steep track, following signs to “la cascada” (the waterfall). We pedaled past tiny houses with children playing on the front steps. Furthermore, we heard the thundering sound of water falling down a sheer drop, and a beautiful waterfall cutting through the thick vegetation came into view.

We hid our bikes in some bushes, took off our shoes and climbed as far as we could up the rocks at the side of the waterfall . I love getting off the beaten path, and the views across the valley in the bright evening sun were breathtaking.

Read: best hostels in Baños

Cycling to a hidden Waterfall in Baños, Ecuador

Rishikesh, India – meat, eggs and alcohol are forbidden

Located at the foot of the Himalayas, crossed by the river of the Ganges, Rishikesh is an important pilgrimage city. From here the Ganges heads to the Himalayas, and from here pilgrims start their voyage to the holy places in Garhwal Mountains – like we did on our trip “ On foot to India” ( originally in German: Zu Fuß nach Indien ).

Like in many sacred places in India, meat, eggs and alcohol are forbidden in Rishikesh – an absolute dream destination for vegetarians and vegans.

Lakshmana, this lion among men, one of three brothers of Rama, whose deeds are written down in the epic Ramayana, once crossed the Ganges here in Rishikesh by just using a rope made of jute. At this point they built the bridge called Lakshman Jhula.

Not far from this bridge, one morning we sat down at the rooftop of a temple to eat some delicious fruits while enjoying the beautiful view to the Ganges.

Spontaneously, some gray languor joined us for breakfast, and we decided to share our food with some more primates.

We wrote up a big new guide to the best hostels in Rishikesh .

Rishikesh, India - meat, eggs and alcohol are forbidden

Trying Aperol Spritz for the first time in Venice, city of Refuge

This short travel story is an excerpt from the new novel Exquisite Hours by Joshua Humphreys. Set in New York, Bangladesh, Bangkok, Venice, London, and Vietnam, Exquisite Hours is the story of Anaïs Spencer, a beautiful young woman who travels the world lying to men.

‘What brings you to Venice, then?’

‘I, Octavian, have always felt that I would end up here. And somehow I have, ended up here. ’

‘Is this the end?’

‘Do you think it is?’

‘How should I know? Taste that.’

She pushed the skewer back with her finger and drank. ‘That’s amazing.’ Astonished, she broke into a smile. Then she moaned with pleasure. ‘That…’ she sipped again. ‘Oh. … It tastes like sunshine. You could drink that all day.’

‘And so we shall,’ he assured her.

‘What’s it called?’

‘ Spritz Aperol ,’ he said with a very attractive Italian accent.

From within was brought a large plate arrayed with every deliciousness that Anaïs had yet tasted from the lagoon. ‘The fish and chips are cold,’ she said, touching them with the backs of her fingers. Then she had some. ‘ That’s amazing. It’s delicious .’

‘You just ate mermaid tail.’

She cackled and then tucked into the grilled vegetables.

‘All mermaid stories aside, you’re in Venice, why?’

‘Yes. How did you come to be sitting at Paradise Lost? ’

‘Well you walked into that gallery today didn’t you?’

‘Not today. I mean, how have you ended up here? What have you fled? All strangers who come to Venice have fled something . The city was founded by refugees. You’ve fled something, no? Was your heart broken, Anaïs? Declare everything.’

When heading to Venice, make sure you take a look at our tips to discover the hidden Venice . Does it still exist? Yes, and we will help you find your own piece of Venice.

Here is our guide to eat on a budget in Venice .

It covers 22 restaurants to eat like a king without paying a million euros.

Trying Aperol Spritz for the first time in Venice, city of Refuge

In The Footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi and Napoleon

They say that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

When you walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the journey begins with a day-long hike through the Pyrenees, starting in France, ending hours later in Spain. Most pilgrims continue to Santiago de Compostela, another 790 km away.

My son and I wanted to be like most pilgrims, even though our plan was just to walk for another two days, ending in Pamplona. We climbed high into the mountains and came down through a thick forest, arriving late afternoon. But my feet were covered in blisters, and I was sunburned to a crisp . We hailed a cab to Pamplona.

Even though we didn’t keep walking, for the rest of my life I can tell people about the day I walked through the Pyrenees with my son: in the footsteps of Charlemagne, St. Francis of Assisi, and Napoleon.

In The Footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi and Napoleon

Are there wolves in Umbria? Nicola did not reply

“ Are there wolves in Umbria? ” Just silence from Nicola while the howling was still coming from the valley. We were alone, sleeping in a tiny tent in the wood along Spoleto – Norcia, Italy abandoned railway. We had been too adventurous, cycling along the hills and camping in this isolated spot. Maybe we (and by we I mean Nicola) could have learned how to light a fire to protect from the animals; maybe we were going to be attacked by a pack of wolves.

“ Nicola ?” He quietly answered, “ A few ”. Wolves sounded far from us , but I felt frightened and could not sleep for hours.

Howling stopped only before dawn when hunters started to shoot in the valley. Waking up, we smiled as we felt like little red riding hood saved by the hunter.

Are there wolves in Umbria? Nicola did not reply

10 Hours of Big Boys fighting – Sumo in Japan

Japan is not only the land of cherry blossoms and sushi: it has also the home of sumo, a traditional fight that resembles more to a sacred Shinto ceremony rather than to a wrestling sport.

We arrived in Fukuoka, Japan during the November tournament and bought a ticket to see some Sumo fights. We ended up spending a full day at the stadium and over 10 hours watching big boys practicing ancient ritual gestures and fighting against each other to be the last one standing on the Dohyo (Dohyo is the ring in which sumo wrestling bouts are hel d).

When you see them on the ring they look so cold and powerful , but if you meet them in the corridors or outside the stadium, you’ll be impressed by their humble and sweet smile more than by their physical stature.

This is exactly the way Japan looks like: strong, fierce, noble but also kind, gentle and with an unbreakable inner strength .

10 Hours of Big Boys fighting - Sumo in Japan

Travel Memories as a Child vs. Adult – different world in Milan

I’ve travelled to Italy several times with my parents as a child but, until now, haven’t returned by myself. On the plane I couldn’t wait to see it all again: the old men sitting on the street, beautifully dressed ladies strolling around, laundry drying in front of the windows, gelato everywhere.

When I reached Milan, I was confused: Where were the people who had been sitting on the streets? When did the ladies stop wearing nice dresses? All these pictures in my head – I couldn’t find them.

Then, on my third day, I walked into a supermarket to buy some water. And there they were, right next to my water in the fridge: these tiny bottles of coke I’ve never seen outside of Italy .

I saw my mother standing in front of me in her bathing suite, handing me this very special treat I was only allowed to have on vacation. Colorful umbrellas on the beach right behind her, the feeling of sand stuck to my skin with layers of sunscreen.

The Italy that probably never existed the way I remembered it, a little part of it was still there, hidden in the fridge of a tiny supermarket in Milan .

Psst! Check out our 5 Star Hostel in Milan, Combo Milano .

Travel Memories as a Child vs. Adult - different world in Milan

Hitchhiking in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands

No transport, no rush!

Hitchhiking: the golden answer to budget travel! It doesn’t cost a dime, plus you can meet interesting people, and get a sneak peek into their lives.

In Fuerteventura, we were hitchhiking from Lajares to the beach in El Cotillo. It’s only a 10 km ride, and hitchhiking is very common across Fuerteventura and the Canary Islands. However, it was our first time ever.

The very first cars had big yellow and white corporate stickers on them. The tourists that were driving them looked at us with big scared eyes…” No, dear tourists, we are not planning to kill you, we just want a ride. ”

After a few minutes, a beautiful camper van appeared. Anna said, “ This one would be fantastic! ” The camper stopped and gave us a lift . It was a woman from Berlin. Together with her two kids and husband, she was spending two weeks of holidays on Fuerteventura.

This beautiful old camper van had come with their apartment rental. They explored the island of Fuerteventura and even hopped over for a night to Lanzarote.

It’s an old saying, you always meet twice in life. The next day we ran into each other on the beach in El Cotillo . This is when we took this photo of her beautiful automobile.

Hitchhiking in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands

Meeting a new friend while Hitchhiking in New Zealand

Our first attempt at hitchhiking was from the suburbs of Wellington, New Zealand, into the city . Almost immediately, a car pulled over to pick us up and as we climbed in, full of elation, we met our (Saint) Helen; who insisted on driving us ALL the way to our destination. We left the car, thinking our paths would never cross again.

However, the very next day, on Christmas Eve, while enjoying our picnic of chips, guacamole and Pico de Gallo—along the Hutt River— when our Saint Helen strolled by! We eagerly invited her over to join our picnic. While talking naturally, as old friends would have, she invited us over to her friend Clive’s. Claiming she didn’t want us to be alone on Christmas. We sat in Clive’s Jacuzzi, drinking in the city view, and some wine! Helen came to our rescue a week later, letting us crash at her place before our 2am ferry to the south island, and even paid for our cab too!

Read: best hostels in New Zealand

Short travel story lesbinomadic hostelgeeks

The power of spontaneity – College, friendship, and travel!

I live in Fullerton, California and attend CSUF with my friends. None of us knew each other before coming to college, but we were all brought together by sheer luck. Our friendships have blossomed, and we have been on so many adventures together throughout the first semester of school. It was sad to be heading home for winter break, but when we returned to school it felt too good to be reunited!

Our first weekend back, we decided to take a trip to Santa Monica, which is about an hour away from Fullerton (depending on traffic). We found a parking spot, and strolled to the pier to find florescent lights and ocean smells . I am a videographer, so naturally I filmed some of the fun moments with my friends and later turned it into this video.

We had dinner at Urth Café, and took pictures at sunset with the beach in the background.

This night of spontaneity is now one of my favorite memories with the girls, and I will cherish it always.

To Lauren, Lindsey, Jessica, and Naomi – You have made my freshman year so unforgettable, and I cannot wait for the adventures and great times to come. Love Always, Nevada

The power of spontaneity - College, friendship, and travel!

We smiled and laughed with Children in Zimbabwe

Walking 1 mile down a straight dirt road in the blistering 40 degree heat would usually cause most people to grunt, especially when it had to me, trudged twice a day. But not here; not in Zimbabwe. Instead of a monotonous route where you’d expect to walk head down, hands in pockets, primary school children brought color to the picture.

Sure, they were cheeky asking for sweets and stroking my freckled skin , but all they wanted was interaction.

Each day we’d bring something new to entertain and by far the simple game of passing a rugby ball between them was the favorite – generating smiles so big, their faces could barely contain them.

We smiled and laughed with Children in Zimbabwe

A clean beach is a good beach – Nyang-Nyang Beach in Uluwatu, Bali

“ Can I take a photo ?”, I asked the street beach vendor.

“ How much do you pay me? “, he responded, smiling friendly, his white teeth showing.

“ I buy cold water from you, ok? ”

We hiked down the rocky trail to Nyang-Nyang Beach, near Uluwatu in South Bali. Only experienced surfer come here to enjoy the thrill of a wave ride.

Here, at the beach with the colorful name of Nyang-Nyang Uluwatu, we met Bagus. Since a couple of years now, he comes to the beach to sell cold drinks and snacks. The surfers trust him, leaving their belongings with him while catching waves.

We are not experienced surfers, but experienced beach-goers. So, we sit down and watch the surfers doing their job. Bagus constantly picks up the trash at the beach. Once he’s bored, he sits next to us and starts chatting.

“ I always have to clean up. Nobody else does. The trash comes from the sea, some tourists forget their trash as well. It’s annoying, but I do not want to have this beautiful beach dirty. ”

Find more than 180 Short Travel Stories with Hostelgeeks. We visited Nyang-Nyang when reviewing Bread&Jam Hostel in Kuta, Bali.

Read here our complete guide to the best hostels in Ubud .

Also, read our guide to the top hostels in Canggu with Boutique and Luxury Hostels.

Coronavirus Travel Stories from the Community – Hostels and Traveller

In March 2020 and during the ongoing crisis due to Coronavirus, we asked our community on how they were holding up.

10 Months Backpacking cut short – we will all be back

I was in the middle of a 10 month around the world journey when C*v** began to effect countries around the world. I was in Southeast Asia when the world began to find out about what now has become a travelers nightmare.

I somehow managed to get from Thailand to Vietnam to Trinidad and Tobago to Curacao to Colombia before the worldwide lock down and border closings. I was heading into month 8 of my journey before I decided to go back to the States.

I am grateful for all of the help I received in getting back home, only 1 day before the Colombian President decided to stop all entry and exit from the country. I hope to finish my journey one day but for now I am truly blessed to be back home with family. I will say that being on stay orders in my country was the best decision for me, but my hats go off to my travel friends who are sticking this out in other countries. The world is a beautiful place, can’t wait until we can explore again!

Stuck in a Hostel in Quito

I flew to Quito, Ecuador the beginning of March.

I was here for about a week before the quarantine started. I’m staying at this really nice hostel called Community Hostel , really great food and staff.

They kept up to date with cleanliness procedures, and always made activities so we wouldn’t go stir crazy.

Read : 3 best hostels in Quito including Community Hostel

Last Minute Flight from Bali to Berlin

We had to catch a last minute flight from Bali to Berlin. It was not easy, and the flight was full up to the last seat. We thought it would be half empty. The stewardess were our heroes. Although they were overworked and not as friendly as usual, you could tell they were giving their best.

The atmosphere at the airport was strange. People were nervous. Some were wearing masks although they are not sick at all. We are now home safe, happy to be back.

Trying to find a job in New Zealand – when C*v** hit

Hey fellow travellers,

I’m a young female from Czech Republic.

I came to New Zealand with Working Holiday Visa, thinking I’ll travel a little and then find a hostel job. I manage to do the first part and travel around the North island of NZ. While I was living in my van I was constantly dropping my CV’s around the country, but didn’t have any luck with finding any hostel position.

Another factor was that hostels in NZ are not a really big thing ’cause everyone travels in their vans.

Anyway, I decided to settle in one of the towns I really liked and admitted I might have to lower my expectations and find another job.

I lived in a hostel for while tried to impress few more mangers but no luck again. At that time things got really bad in Italy and people started to talk about C*v** much more.

I printed approx. 20 CV’s and dropped them personally in almost every cafe, bar, restaurant and diner in area I moved into. Luckily I found a job in a Burger diner just 2 weeks before the lock-down. I got a job, moved to a house and everything seem to be on a stable path at that moment. After a week working first cases of C*v** showed up in NZ and that was the start.

I just finished my second week of working when the PM of NZ announced that we will move to Alert 4, meaning everything apart essential businesses have to shut down. So after 2-month long hunt for a job and only 2 weeks working I was unemployed again. Luckily I had a house to stay in and amazing people around me.

NZ’s government also released a wage subsidy for those effected and that was another lucky moment that allowed me to stay in this amazing country. But the money I received barely covered my rent. SO job hunt again!

Before I came to NZ I said that I really don’t want to work in any kind of farm or orchard. Where do you think I work now? Yep the universe gave me a lesson again and here I am working as a kiwi picker.

Let me tell you it’s a hard job, I don’t like it at all, but what I realized is that I should be grateful for all of it. There’s so many people out there that have no chance of any kind of income that would do anything to accept any kind of job.

I complain, I cry but I also consider myself lucky at this stage.

Zagreb hit by Earthquake and Corona Crisis

by Swanky Mint in Zagreb

***Support your favourite hostel and plan your future trip now***

From now on you can buy a voucher in any amount you want and use it any time in the future. Depending on the amount chosen, we’ll give an extra thank you present – discount, swanky souvenir, free breakfast, free cocktails, free tour or a dinner at our restaurant. 🍹 🍕

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Contact us directly to mint[at]swanky-hostel.com with subject ‘ Voucher ‘ and we’ll send you info about the payment via email and you’ll get your voucher and our staff’s eternal gratitude 🤗

Airbnb in New Zealand

Currently working remotely in New Zealand, I’ve been moving between housesits, volunteering placements and hostels for the past 6 months. The day after the announcement of a 4-week ‘lockdown’ in NZ, I was set to head to a new Workaway to help build a winter veggie garden.

Luckily for me, I happened to be staying in a VERY posh Airbnb and the owners came round to offer my partner and I a chance to stay for a very reasonable price.

Thanks to the generosity of strangers, I now get to enjoy my own space and unlimited WiFi so that I can continue my online work. I am full of gratitude and have no doubt that this situation will bring people together rather than pull them apart.

Helping each other out – Free Self-Run Hostel in Iran

by Golnar from HI Tehran Hostel

This story is a bit different since we weren’t stuck ourselves. But we had many guests who were stuck in Iran. In Hi Tehran Hostels , we stopped accepting new guests immediately after hearing about the start of epidemic in Iran to play our part in reducing the risk for everyone.

Yet, we continued monitoring the new chaos, and acknowledged the remaining foreign travelers, who were confused and clueless about when and how they could fly out, were facing many difficulties.

Unfortunately, with the closure of borders, frequent cancellation of flights, and poor support from many embassies in Iran toward their travelers, we started to notice there were still numerous travelers in Iran who couldn’t fly back home any time soon and they were very tight on budget or out of money since they didn’t predict such a long stay.

Of course it wasn’t our job to take care of that and the related offices should’ve managed these conflicts to control the risks.

However, we decided to stand up and provide a help by offering a FREE SELF-RUN accommodation to tourists who were still in Iran with cancelled flights till they can fly home. There were of course, safety protocols which was and still is checked by health ministry that the residents should follow seriously.

Otherwise, staying with us would’ve been meaningless and not different from staying in individuals or Couchsurfing!

Hostel in Delhi, India helping out

by Aakash Ahuja

As part of the hostel community, we run Podstop Hostel in Delhi, India.

Due to the C*v** 19 situation all over the world, many travellers are either unable to go back to their respective countries or don’t want to move from their current location. We have hosted people from 18 countries since Delhi/India went into lockdown.

We’ve been accepting and inviting any and all travelers from around the world who need a friendly, safe and secure place to stay.

Following WHO guideline, we are monitoring, actively checking each of the hostel resident under supervision of trained staff. Although delhi is under complete lockdown, we are arranging for food and other supplies through our network to provide basic food for our guests. Please let us know if anyone in Delhi/surrounding reaches out to you.

We’ll be happy to accommodate. We do charge each guest just enough to cover our basic cost at this time. This means we put down our prices for accommodation by 30% and for food by 50%. Every 4night the travelers stay for free at the moment.

Flights cancelled

by anonymous

Our flight has been cancelled, no surprise there, but KIWI.com is guaranteeing a 20% refund on our flight costs. This is seriously taking advantage of the current events in 2020 and because of this paltry refund policy, we will never use the service again and will not recommend to friends.

Staff helped us out in Cartagena, Colombia

We stayed at Life is Good Hostel in Cartagena . All the staff members stand out as fantastic members of staff – my friend and I had a nightmare with trying to get back home due to coronavirus and they both went out of their way to do everything they could to help us – could not be happier with the service!

Our Scary and Risky 3-Day Journey from northern Philippines to Berlin

by DJ from Dreameurotrip

I am at a loss for words on how to describe what we are going through at this moment. We are currently on the 2nd day of our 3-day journey back to our home in Berlin. The riskiest part of our journey. We’re waiting at NAIA airport to board this rare direct repatriation flight from Manila to Frankfurt sent by the German government.

There are only 350 seats and almost 500 registered people trying to get into the flight. We arrived at the airport at 1PM and got thrown into the middle of the chaotic crowd managed by only 1 guy from the embassy. It’s a super risky hot mess. I wanted to cry. Everything we planned to do to protect ourselves from being exposed is thrown out the window.

We were unsure if we will get in. The guy is using a “prioritization” system that is unclear. I don’t have a German passport. Even Filipinos holding German passports are asked to line up with other Filipinos. We worried that he would let my husband board the flight and ask me to stay.

After four hours of waiting surrounded by hundreds of people who act like social distancing is a foreign idea, we got in. Finally. A big sigh of relief. But super stressed with the hours of exposure we had outside.

We’ve been at the airport for almost 10 hours now, exhausted and a bit scared. We try to keep it positive. We talk about recipes we will cook and shows we will binge watch on our projector. We online grocery shop in Rewe to deliver food to our apartment in time for our arrival. This is happiness for us now.

We should be boarding soon. We can’t wait to sleep and recharge. Lord knows we need all our energy for this 14 hour flight and the 6 hour train ride to Berlin after.

Send us protection as we make our way back home. We hope you’re all healthy and safe at home.

Hang tight! We will survive this rollercoaster.

Update: We are safely in Berlin now and feel fine.

Coronavirus Travel Stories from the Community

Moroccan Street seller in Granada

This was a simple dialogue with a street vendor in Granada, Spain.

“Which photo do you like? I have the most beautiful posters from all over Spain!”

“I love this one with Felicidad (Happiness). How much is one photo, though?”

“Sorry, here are the prices. The police just passed, and I had to put everything away.”

Sharing Rum with New Friends in Cuba

I tell time by looking at the sun’s position. Spanish, Italian, French, German are my mother tongues for a beautiful moment.

An island of poetry in every wave that crashes on the Melecon. Humble and proud, humid and alive. Pilgrimage of Hemingway, home of heroes, this is Cuba. Don’t hesitate to share the shade of a palm, don’t hesitate to pass around the rum with strangers – now friends. Get on the bus heading anywhere and stop where it pleases you, you will be welcomed. I came filled with stories of precaution, and left, left my heart in Cuba.

What’s not to like about Texas? I laughed

I stared out the window as the bus crossed the state that had the most pride. I tried to like Texas. Not only that, but I wanted to see why Texans were so proud of Texas. But I saw nothing but empty, parched land .

I headed to the Backpacker Hostel in Irving. I saw an overweight girl with Texas stars dangling from her ears, wearing a Texas T-shirt that clung to her spare tires.

At the hostel, I talked about it with my new friend Gabrielle, from Holland. She pointed to signs on the walls of the kitchen: “ American by birth, Texan by the grace of God ,” and “ Texas, it just feels right ,” and “ Don’t mess with Texas .” I marveled at the attitude: it just didn’t add up with what I had seen of the state.

Gabrielle said, “You have to laugh at the Texans because they take such a militaristic pride in their state.”

What's not to like about Texas? I laughed

Stumbling across Live Piano Music in Matanzas, Cuba

There is always noise in Cuba. In the countryside cockerels crow and dogs bark, in cities drivers honk their horns and reggaeton blasts from the bicitaxis.

Strolling through the busy streets of Matanzas, I glimpsed the sparking of sun on the surface of water and I went to the bay hoping for quiet . The noise of the car engines seemed to die down as beautiful piano music drifted out of an open window . I laid on the wall, closed my eyes, basked in the afternoon sun to the wonderful sound, and said to myself again that I love this country.

Stumbling across Live Piano Music in Matanzas, Cuba

The Triangle of Life, my food in Japan

Move over, Elton John! Japan just proved that life is a triangle. Anyone who has been to Japan knows how good the food is. No matter where you go. Whether it’s a Michelin restaurant, a hole in the wall place, or a convenience store, you can never go wrong with food when in the land of the rising sun.

My three weeks in Japan were packed with travelling from one city to another, which is why I was able to see 9 different places. You know those days when you just don’t have time to sit down and eat while travelling, and you pack your bag with energy bars? Well, my three weeks in Japan were all about that, and I found this great replacement to bars – these triangles shaped rice snacks stuffed with meat or fish and wrapped in seaweed.

These triangles (I still don’t know what they are called) became lifesavers; they were quick to grab, easy to eat, and filling thanks to the rice. I may have missed out on some great restaurant food, but at least these snacks kept me on my feet in what was once-in-a-lifetime-dream destinations.

Lost in Translation? Not in Japan!

We’ve all heard about the kindness of strangers, but you’ll never experience it in quite the same way anywhere in the world as you would in Japan. During my one-week stay in Tokyo, my brother and I ended up in the over-crowded Shibuya district looking for a well recommended restaurant by our friends. Now, anyone who has been to Shibuya will know that finding a specific restaurant is tougher than finding a needle in a haystack.

Needless to say, we were lost, and what’s more worrisome in Japan is that you are always worried that your request for directions from strangers will get lost in translation.

We had no choice but to stop someone, who already seemed to be in a rush. We asked him about the restaurant, and he had no idea what we were saying till we showed him the name on our phones. He had no clue where it was or how to get there. At this point, most people would apologize and walk away, but not this stranger. He started to walk around asking people about where the restaurant was; and once he figured it out, he actually walked us to it! Only in Japan do people treat tourists like guests to a home.

So don’t worry about the language barrier if in Japan – the people there know how to break those walls.

Lost in Translation? Not in Japan! The Short Travel Story from Tokyo

Lanquín, Guatemala: Home to the Sacred Waters of Semuc Champey

We arrived in Lanquín, Guatemala, after being packed like sardines on an 8-hour bus trip from Tikal. The scent of burnt foliage from the ubiquitous slash-and-burn stung our noses as we exited the bus onto the orange mud road that had led us into the depths of the Mayan jungle.

We’d come for Semuc Champey (Mayan for Sacred Waters). The clear, turquoise lagoon flows from an underground cave in the middle of the jungle, beckoning visitors to bathe with the fish. Colorfully-clad Maya sat at the water’s edge, observing us with reluctant fascination as we graciously explored their sacred oasis.

Find all the best hostels in Semuc Champey here.

Lanquín, Guatemala: Home to the Sacred Waters of Semuc Champey

Stealing a Shower on The Roadtrip to San Francisco

It was four in the morning, my friend and I were driving through endless towns on our way to San Francisco. We had been crashing in my car the last 3 nights and at the start of our third day of driving I had only one condition.

“ Wherever we end up tonight, it has to have showers .”

My friend had begun making phone calls that afternoon. But it was a home game in San Francisco and everything was booked solid. It looked like another night of restless sleep in the car, and even worse, no shower.

Suddenly fate intervened. We drove past a sign that read “RV Park, laundry and showers.” I didn’t hesitate. Grabbing our towels, we stole like thieves across the RV Park, giggling quietly. I took the longest shower of my life that night , terrified of being caught breaking in yet reveling in my rebellion.

Stealing a Shower on The Roadtrip to San Francisco

100.000 Crosses at The Hill Of Crosses

Breathtaking. That’s the only word that came to my mind when standing on the hill of crosses in the middle of the Lithuanian nowhere. Wherever I looked, there were crosses tucked in the ground, on top of each other, with rosaries dangling from them in all colors. Not being religious, this place still overwhelmed me simply by the number of crosses people have brought there one by one. Tiny ones stacked on top of each other and huge ones, several meters over my head.

No one really knows who started it and why it’s there, but it keeps growing, and there must be a hundred thousands already on the hill and on the surrounding fields. And all I can really say is: Breathtaking.

Shooting Stars in Wadi Rum (pun intended)

Jordan is a strange country. There are big cities, forgotten majestic mausoleums, mountains and depressions, but most of all there are deserts. My boyfriend and I traveled around Jordan in August (not so hot as people said) and we lived for more than ten days in a Bedouin tent camp in Wadi Rum desert , southern Jordan.

We put ourselves in some awkward situation with our guest Kaled, who is quite a notable person in Bedouins village, especially struggling to eat with a single hand and annoying him with our Italian chitchat, but he was so kind not to kick our butts out of the house…

Anyway, Nicola is a photographer, and he immediately fell in love with desert starry nights and shooting stars. Kaled took him to a quiet place near the camp and, with his tripod, Kaled taught Nicola how to take unbelievable pictures of the night sky and stars . When we saw the photos, it was a blast! It felt like looking right into the universe! If you look closely, you can see that Nicola captured some shooting stars scratching the sky above the tents. Of course, we made a wish…but it’s a secret!

Shooting Stars in Wadi Rum (pun intended)

Welcome to Remedios, Cuba – a small Concert at a tiny Square

We trudged through the streets of sleepy Remedios*, Cuba, our rucksacks feeling heavier under the midday sun.

In search of a Casa Particular*, we stumbled onto the main plaza, where the town’s band was playing a slow march under the dappled shade of the band stand. The loud brass felt like a regal welcome, as though we were being rewarded for making it to this tiny place that tourists don’t bother with. The music was wonderful, and I smiled at the thought that some experiences cannot be planned. They just happen and you have to simply enjoy the moment.

Good to know about this Short Travel Story:

Remedios in Cuba is located in the northern east coast in the center of Cuba. This town is famous for their “parrandas”. This is Christmas festivity where – and get this – 2 different districts compete with each other showing off the best fireworks the all night long.

*Casa Particular : A Casa Particluar is the Cuban answer to a guesthouse and budget accommodation. This property is managed by a local family. Beside finding mostly private rooms, they also offer home-cooked meals, and sometimes even more like events, and tours! Staying at a Casa Particular can be easily seen as the Cuban version of AirBnb and Hostels.

Welcome to Remedios, Cuba - a small Concert at a tiny Square

We visited the old witch bath house – Miyazaki’s Animated Film

We were walking in the narrow streets of Shibu Onsen, a Japanese village in the mountains near Nagano. A lot of people going around after having thermal baths. We stopped in front of a big old hotel, with a few people taking pictures. We looked at the hotel, illuminated in the incoming night, and it was that bath house from Spirited Away anime (a famous 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film)!

Actually, in Japan it is recognized as the inspiration for Miyazaki, the director, to create the old witch bath house of the anime and you must visit it if you are a Miyazaki fan!

Here you can find the best hostels in Japan .

When a Movie turns into Reality - this old Hotel in Japan

Losing my Shared-Taxi at the Togo-Benin border

Usually, problems crossing borders involve corrupt officials, visa troubles, or unexpected closures…

I’m not sure what the locals thought when they saw a tall hairy white man running barefoot from the border in the morning sun, with no luggage, clutching his chest pocket to ensure his passport didn’t fall out – asylum seeker or drug dealer maybe.

Truth was, I’d managed to lose my shared-taxi . I was traveling from Benin to Togo, and being a ‘foreigner’, I’d had to be stamped in/out of both countries, rather than doing as the locals do & showing ‘ID’ in the form of small-value local currency. I’d left my luggage in the taxi & jumped out at the Beninese post – but by the time I’d been processed, got my Togo visa, and crossed over, the taxi had disappeared.

I wasn’t too worried at first – I hadn’t paid him yet – but it meant I had nothing on me other than a shirt, trousers, my passport, and a small amount of money; even my sandals were in my backpack. After waiting for 15min, the border officials suggested that my taxi might be waiting at the car park some 200m up the road. Turns out, it wasn’t.

Several thoughts crossed my mind; I’d lost pretty much everything – tablet, phone, clothes, power leads, debit card – & figured I’d have to go to the British Embassy in Lomé to plead my case, then realized there wasn’t one. Was I going to be stuck in a country I was only visiting because it was ‘in the way’?

Luckily, within fifteen minutes my taxi returned – he’d been waiting for me to get through immigration, got bored, & dropped off his other passenger before coming back to find me. Crisis narrowly averted, I headed on towards Lomé.

Loosing my Shared-Taxi at the Togo-Benin border

Sunrise at Worlds Deadliest Mountain Annapurna, Nepal

Full of the crowd, waiting for that moment and then finally click after click… Yes, that was the scenario of Sarangkot in Pokhara, a most popular tourist spot to view the spectacular sunrise of the world’s deadliest mountain, Annapurna.

All are looking at the sky, it was very cold. But who cares?? I have never seen such crowd and love for the sun and the sunrise among peoples before. Nobody wanted to miss a single moment of the beautiful sunrise view and capture. I was amazed, I was blessed and I was super happy for being able to view my dream mountain sunrise for the first time in Nepal. Miss you SUNRISE!

My love to Nepal I never thought and still can’t believe what happened recently with Nepal (Earthquake 2015). This natural disaster made me speechless and decided to dedicate this story to entire Nepal and people around there. I wish to see my loving Nepal once again like before. Let’s pray for the best. – Nafisa

Sunrise at Worlds Deadliest Mountain Annapurna, Nepal

Speechless in Khao Sok: No WiFi, No TV, and electricity for only a few hours at night

After spending four days in the craziness of Bangkok, we set off on the very long and smelly train journey to Surat Thani, Thailand.

I was so glad to arrive in Surat.

The smell from the toilets and even though we had pull down beds, I was constantly whacking my head off the top of the bed (if anyone reading this has done the journey and they are over 6feet tall they will understand) every time the train hit a bump. And trust me there are a lot of bumps.

When the train arrives, it is not like at home.

There was no call of which stop you were arriving at. You had to do a quick run to find a worker on the train, hoping he understood what you said, grab your bag and jump off.

After a quick snack, we jumped on the minibus and headed to the National Park Khao Sok.

On arrival, we jumped into a long tail boat, within minutes of the boat setting off I was sat there in amazement.

It’s not often I have been left speechless, but Khao Sok had done it.

While on the way to the floating raft houses I must have taken about 50 photos.

As soon as we arrived, our bags were straight in the room and we went for a swim in the fresh lake. Going from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok to this place made you appreciate it even more: no wifi, no TV and electricity for only a few hours at night.

And the food, let’s say, the fish is very fresh. A paradise!

Find all the best hostels in Thailand here . We wrote up complete guides for

best hostels in Bangkok
best hostels in Phuket, South Thailand
best hostels in Chiang Mai , North Thailand

Speechless in Khao Sok: No WiFi, No TV, and electricity for only a few hours at night

1 1/2 Month of Travel and Work in France

I was studying abroad in Strasbourg, France and wanted to do the travel around Europe and find myself deal. While I was planning, a friend in the programme introduced me to HelpX, a network that lets you work internationally for room and board. You typically work 4 days out of the week and travel for the rest. After some searching, I decided to go for it!

For a month and a half, I worked at an organic hotel and restaurant in the tiny village of Tichville, France. Population: 10 people and hoards of ducks, chickens and cows. I worked as a waitress in the restaurant and general garden help. I picked tiny strawberries, fed chickens, made elderflower syrup, laughed with guests as they helped me with my French and had colourful conversations drinking cider and staring at the stars.

On our days off, we could go wherever. I biked to Camembert (where the cheese is from), couchsurfed in Caen, had our hosts’ friends show us the D-Day beaches and swam in the river. I just went with the flow and it worked out fabulously! Sometimes less is more.

Read : How to work and Travel with Worldpackers

Volunteering France working eco-friendly restaurant

Walking a Waterfall and Meeting Up with Local Students

One of the best moments of our trip to China was in Dehang, a traditional Miao Village in Hunan. There we met a Chinese couple who led us along a trail to the tallest waterfall of China, and we walked behind it: so exciting!

Back to the village, we were looking for something to eat, but nobody could speak English. Seeing us in troubles, a class of students dragged us in a traditional restaurant with them: they ordered tons of food we never could have been able to, they were so friendly, and they offered us some local rice wine as well. Definitely the best lunch of our trip!

Walking a Waterfall and Meeting Up with Local Students

Warned about the Children in Cambodia

Be careful and judge each situation for yourself! We were warned about the children of Cambodia asking for hugs and stealing your watch, yet we saw none of this.

The children we’ve met so far are blind to prejudice, race, gender, religion …

They simply wanted attention, and we spent afternoons in Sihanoukville, Cambodia throwing them around the ocean, chasing them up and down the beaches, we taught them card games, and they smiled proudly as they practiced their English. They had little but were content, it was beautiful to see. I don’t know what’s next, but I’m so happy living in the moment and am very lucky to meet someone new and interesting every day.

Read : the best hostels in Cambodia

The monk who didn’t want money but silence

We were visiting Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, surrounded by hundreds of pilgrims all dressed in white. Suddenly we noticed a Buddhist monk staying silently close to a Stupa : he was still, his eyes to the sacred monument in front of him, at his feet a handwritten sign:

“ Do not give me money, it’s no use for me. If you want, you can take a picture, I don’t mind. But please do not speak to me “.

We had the camera in our hands but decided to turn it off and respect this monk, his silence and his faith. His message made us think about the vacuity of our lives and the depth of the message he was trying to convey.

Read : our guide to best hostels in Sri Lanka and unique things to do

The monk who didn't want money but silence

You are not a man if you haven’t been on the Great Wall

As they say in China, you’re not a man if you haven’t been on the Great Wall. In November 2011, during my honeymoon, I visited the Mutianyu site , which is 90 km from Beijing. Mutianyu is one of the best choices to see the Great Wall because it is beyond the tourist circuits, but good for everyone that would like to see the famous bastions and 22 control towers.

The part of the Great Wall in Mutianyu is 2 km long. Even if it seems to be short, it could be very difficult to climb it at all because there are a lot of steep sections. Take your time and enjoy the magnificent view (especially if you’re there very early in the morning): the Great Wall looks like a dragon hiding in the fog!

At the end of your visit, take the Toboga , a slide that runs down the mountain, to reach the end of the valley. I promise you an exciting experience!

You are not a man if you haven't been on the Great Wall

Chasing Koalas on the Great Ocean Road

We were quietly eating breakfast in the morning sunshine at a picnic table at our Great Ocean Road campsite. We’d hired a camper van for a few days, and it had been our first night on the road.

All of a sudden, a fluffy ash-coloured koala walked across the grass in front of us without a care in the world. It was our first sighting of a wild koala, so we left our brekkie and followed the cute creature across the woods, where it decided on a new tree to climb. He loved the attention!

Free Henna Tattoos For 100 Dirham – Marrakesh Travel Tip

“ Lovely lady, let me give you a present from me to you. ”

I’ll admit, my friend and I were both skeptical as the two Moroccan women grabbed each of our hands and began painting. As I hesitated and attempted to pull away, she reassured me it was a gift. Within minutes, what was once plain, white skin had now been transformed with beautiful black swirls which supposedly resembled my name. It is not something I’d desired to get on my trip to Morocco, especially as I was starting a new job only one week later, but you can’t turn down a freebie, right?

As we began to walk away, the woman’s tone suddenly changed: “ That will be 100 dirhams! “

Free Henna Tattoos For 100 Dirham - Marrakesh

This Self-Educated Highway Builder in China impressed me…

While taking a 20-hour train ride on the perimeter of the Taklimakan desert in northwestern China, I had the kind of humbling, education, and above all else, wonderful encounter with a local that all travelers crave. A young Han Chinese man approached me on the train . My new friend spoke virtually no English, so I gleefully relished this chance to practice my Chinese.

Over several hours, he would tell me about how he had attended a two-year professional school to quickly find a job building highways in order to help pay for his younger sister’s school fees. She was going to start college the next year. Perhaps most remarkably, however, was the fact that this man spent hours studying every day after hard manual labor. Without batting an eye, he would quote a translated Emerson passage before asking about the literary prestige of American writers as a whole. “And what do you all learn about Russian authors?” I recall him asking at one point.

It would have been easy to rely on my preconceptions about this fairly dirty highway builder who had never been more than a couple of hundred miles from home. But this highly informed, self-educated, and admirable person prevented me from doing so, and in the course of a couple of hours showed me just how much one has to gain from traveling with an open mind, and a willingness to engage locals from all walks of life.

This Self-Educated Highway Builder in China impressed me

3 Travel Stories from the famous Camino de Santiago

What is the first thing that pops in to your mind when you hear „Santiago de Compostela“? This smallish city in the North-West of Spain, is the final destination of thousands of pilgrims every year. They walk the Camino de Santiago, the world’s most famous hike.

We, Anna&Matt from Hostelgeeks, went to Santiago de Compostela, and beforehand we were not really sure what to expect. But we knew many pilgrims will arrive at „kilometer zero“, the spot right in front of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. The place where people from around the world will come together, to celebrate their victory with the new friends they found along the trail.

Update: Movie about Camino de Santiago

STRANGERS ON THE EARTH, a documentary film about the Camino de Santiago.

This “deeply moving” (NOW Magazine) and “marvelous” (Globe and Mail) documentary film about Europe’s most popular pilgrimage, el Camino de Santiago, debuts in the US after storming across the international festival circuit to much acclaim. A tapestry of pilgrim narratives, STRANGERS ON THE EARTH examines the inner life of the myriad intrepid wayfarers who walk the ancient path in search of meaning, notably including Cleveland Orchestra cellist Dane Johansen, who ventured to walk the 600-mile path with his instrument on his back, performing Bach for his fellow travelers along the way.

Wondering what is the Camino de Santiago? Here is an extended guide to Camino de Santiago .

We sat down at the „Plaza del Obradoiro“, watched and listened .

It is the end of October, and the weather is getting cooler.

This time of the year „only“ hundreds of Pilgrims arrive every single day to visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. It is very emotional! As we are talking with many hikers, it turns out it is not necessarily emotion brought on by religious beliefs.

Many of them teared up a little because they had succeeded in finishing a long, painful but joyful journey.

We talked to some of the pilgrims, and what we heard is inspiring and impressive .

Here we are keen to share with you three Short Travel Stories by Pilgrims from Santiago de Compostela and the Way of St. James.

Walking the Camino for the 3rd time – Alex from Montreal, Canada

3! That is the number of times Alex has done the Camino. „ Every time the path is the same, but the experience is different. “

Back in 2001 and 2009, he walked the path with a friend during summer.

This time in 2015 it has been different. Alex was not satisfied with his job in Montreal, Canada, so he quit. He needed time to slow down and to think, and before long the camino started to call.

Alex decided to go by his own, and instead of summer, it became autumn.

„When you walk, sometimes you do think a lot and sometimes you don’t think at all. Which is also a relief.“ – Alex

„ What is the difference between the other two times and now? “

„Technology! Back in 2001 internet access was very limited and every now and then you could find a computer with slow access. Nowadays it can happen that someone walking next to you calls the office giving instructions.

Also, now it is way more popular.

This time I tried to sleep in smaller towns outside the bigger towns on the trail. This way I had more time for myself. Sure there were days I joined the groups in the bigger cities, as human contact is also part of the journey.“

Walking the Camino for the 3rd time - Alex from Montreal, Canada

Changing a young life – Joao from Portugal and Holger from Germany

In front of the famous Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela we met Holger, a social pedagogue from Osnabrück in Germany.

Holger works with teenagers in the need of help due to family issues or general problems teenagers have nowadays.

The most common problem: not finding their way and place in society.

Instead of talking theory, Holger decided to take the next step. He started the initiative to walk the St. James’s Path with his teenagers . It is the perfect metaphor, and as it turns out a great way to teach teenagers valuable lessons in life.

“You have to undertake the journey on your own, nobody will walk the way for you, but many people along the way will be there to help you! You have to take different steps, face several challenges, and walk towards one big goal: Santiago de Compostela.” – Holger

One of the teenagers from Holger is Joao, 18 years old with a Portuguese heritage, speaking perfect German.

He and Holger started the Way of St. James together in Pamplona.

They hiked side-by-side for 7 days until Holger had to take a flight back to Germany, so Joao continued his journey by himself. Three weeks later Holger and two more of his teenagers took a flight back to Spain.

They walked the last part of the Camino de Santiago, and met Joao on the path.

775km later Joao stands with his certificate in front of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, clearly proud and happy.

Holger tells us the story of Joao’s biggest challenge along St. James’s Path .

The day before he had to walk up a mountain with a height of 1500 meters, he came down with a serious fever.

He was feeling weak and tired but kept on walking instead of resting.

He climbed up the mountain and prayed. A fellow hiker passed by and as Joao did not look too well, he gave him some colorful pills. Joao took those pills, and feeling better he continued his hike – but not for long.

Luckily a German bus tour came his way and helped him.

They would be happy to take Joao with them in exchange for a favour: if he would talk to the bus about his experience on the Camino de Santiago.

So, what did he do?

He took the microphone, stood up in front of a big group of strangers, and started talking about his biggest adventure of his very young life.

We asked Joao about his next plan.

He wants to do Work&Travel around Australia and maybe New Zealand.

We didn’t know Joao before, but the confidence he gained from walking the Santiago de Compostela spoke through him.

Changing a young life - Joao from Portugal and Holger from Germany

Finishing High School, and then Walk – Ireland and the Netherlands

Sitting in front of the cathedral, and enjoying the sun and view to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

We talked to these two girls from Ireland and the Netherlands who have just finished the Route of Santiago de Compostela.

„We met on the Camino de Santiago.

When walking you keep meeting people along the trail, and the last steps before arriving to Santiago de Compostela we went side-by-side. Now that we have arrived, I feel both very happy and sad at the same time.“

„ Would you walk again? “

„For sure, but maybe not now. Maybe at the age of 50. It would be the most amazing thing if we could walk again with all the people we met this time.“

„ Why did you walk the Camino de Santiago? Are you religious? “

„More spiritual. I just finished High School in Ireland and I wanted to travel.

The trail is very safe for a woman traveling alone. All my friends are already working, or not up for this adventure. So I thought, why not go on my own?!“

„Same goes for me! I started with a friend who is currently in the Hostel. We finished High School in the Netherlands, and we wanted to travel before starting university.“

Summary Short Travel Stories from Santiago de Compostela:

The Plaza del Obradoiro is a very emotional spot for people around the world. You will see people crying loud, crying silently, feeling sad and happy at the same time, hugging, laughing.

Every single pilgrim has its very own story, background, motivation, but they all have something now in common: they are all unique, and have found new friends whilst walking the most famous path in the world!

Keep on walking!

3 Travel Stories from the famous Camino de Santiago

Falling in Love with Paris, these moments are forever

One evening, my husband announced that we were going away the next morning. At the departure gate, people gathered for two flights: Birmingham and Paris. And then of course I knew.

We arrived in Montmartre and started exploring its cobbled streets. I looked over the Parisienne roofs, thinking about Lautrec and other artists who walked the same paths .

Around sunset, I spotted the Eiffel Tower on the horizon. The skies were cloudy and reflected the sun in shades of the palest peach and pink. I looked at the view for a long time, wanting to memorize it forever.

Heading to the French capital? You can find +24 fun things to do in Paris , collected by us. Rollerblading, boat party, and pizza picnic – enjoy!

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Reverie Chaser

Journeys near and far, 20 best absolutely real funny travel stories that will make you cry from laughter.

Some of the best memories from travel are about all the mishaps, hilarious stories and adventures. You may not remember famous statues or museums, but you will always remember accidentally getting locked, yelled at or proposed to by a stranger! I have prepared a collection of funny and sometimes even a bit scary travel stories from my own experience and that of my friends, and some of them asked me to keep their names out, as they felt a bit shy! Yet – all of these stories are true!

If you ever have any funny stories happen to you while traveling, be sure to write those in the comments!

The first complication of funny travel stories can be found here: 15 unusual and funny travel stories

1. The Royal Flight. Story of P.

I used to travel frequently between Europe and USA for work, sometimes even several times a month, and there was this specific British Midland Airways flight I used to take. It was especially hard when I was pregnant. On one of those occasions I remember being severely jetlagged, tired from the workweek and hormonal, and nearly bursting to tears from it all, when I boarded the flight. Turned out, I was the only passenger in business class, so the crew took extra good care of me – one was massaging my feet, another was combing my hair, and the third gave me a manicure! I have never ever flown with such class again!

2. If navigation tells me, I go! Story of Linda

We drove with a colleague from Latvia to Poland. It is not too close, and I didn’t know the road, so I turned on my sat nav and we went. After a while we see a line and realize it is a border crossing. Ok, strange, as the road to Poland goes through Lithuania and it is all Schengen, so there should not be any borders! The border patrol asks us for our passports and visas. What visas?! Turned out that our navigation decided to take the shortest route… through Belarus. We obviously didn’t have the visas, so had to turn the car around. As the other cars were really close behind us, the border patrol had to go ask everyone to move back so we could turn around.

3. The dream about the blue sea. Story of R.

I used to work as a model in China, it was long hours of photoshoots and even longer castings, and there was never time to do any sightseeing. At one of those casting days I was waiting in line with 100 other girls to see the client. While we were waiting, one of the employees walked in the room and said:

-who wants to go to the blue sea?

Of course, I jump at the opportunity and yell at the top of my lungs – me, me, me!!!

Then I notice all the girls looking at me funny. Turns out, the man had said – who wants to go to the WC [ wee see] .

4. I wish I could see Meryl Streep. Story of K.

I was flying to the Middle East in business class. Once boarded and getting comfortable in my chair at the last row in business, I overheard crew talking about how Meryl Streep is on the same flight. I am a huge fan, so I jumped and pressed for details – where, where is she? As everyone else was seating and I couldn’t see her. The crew told me they absolutely can’t tell me or show, and if I can promise I won’t tell anyone, as they can get into a lot of trouble for even saying she is here.

The flight was over and I hadn’t seen Meryl, so as I was walking out of the aircraft, when the crew says goodbye, I said – but I wish I could see Meryl Streep! I saw them looking funny at me and then behind me – I turned back and there she was. In a puffy coat, no makeup, and she didn’t look too happy to be mentioned like that. She looked at me and said – here I am, so what?

5. Friendly Sri-Lankan. Story of Yolanta

We met a friendly local guy while visiting Sri Lanka, so the three of us were walking down the beach – me, my husband and the guy. I was holding hands with my husband, so the guy decided to do the same – and grabbed my husband by his hand!

6. The Chinese Power Bank. Story of Zane

When I arrived to China, all my luggage was checked by customs and security, item by item, I have no idea what they were looking for, but then the customs/security officer found a power bank in my bag, and asked me what it is. Unfortunately, all the employees barely spoke any English. Soon there was a crowd of them around me, but none could understand what I was saying. After a long conversation I tried to explain by showing how I plug in the phone, and how it starts charging, but without any comprehension from them. I saw how employees already got angry with me, some were whispering and showing to me, someone started telling to someone something on the walkie talkie, and all are looking at me, discussing something, and so the conversation continues

– What is this?

-This is a power bank for charging

-What is this???

Finally I got really angry, and was showing to the power bank and yelled – “MADE IN CHINA!!!” The employee looked at the little sticker on the power bank and said – oh, yes! And all of them turned around and left.

7. The real life Viktor Navorski (“The Terminal”). Story of Santa

I had a business trip from Riga to Kiev, where I needed to do an important presentation. To be fresh and ready for the challenge, I even flew the evening before to get a good night sleep. I arrive to Kiev airport, show them my ID card and the guard says – but where is your passport? What passport?! I had forgotten it at home, having been so used to travelling in Schengen with my ID card only. And somehow none of the people who checked my documents in Riga airport, noticed that. The airline was immediately involved, as they can get a serious fine for transporting a passenger without valid documents. In the end, it was agreed that my passport will fly the next morning on the next flight to Kiev. Good thing my boyfriend could bring it in the morning to the airport! I slept the night at the airport in some border guards office! Finally, the next morning my passport arrived and I could deliver my talk. Not as fresh as I had hoped to be…

8. There, I fixed it! Story of Linda

One evening at our hotel in Egypt, something happened to the pipes in the bathroom and the stench became unbearable. We called the reception and asked for a technician to come and take a look. The dude arrives, takes a sniff. Leaves. Comes back with an air refresher, sprays it around, smiles at us and leaves!

9. The teeth. Story of Aija

I was a guide to this nice group that had all become good friends during our quite long trip. So this one time I feel that some commonition begins at the back of the bus, people running there to take pictures. I go to take a look and see – one of the guys has fallen asleep, his head tilted back, mouth open – but teeth closed! The prosthetic teeth had fallen off!

10. My independent son. Story of Janis

It was last spring, as me and my 14 year old son were on a biker tour in USA. We stopped in Austin, and took a bus to the city center, as our hotel was a bit on the outskirts of the city. I go to the bar, but they won’t let my son in with me, so we agree that he takes the map, some money and says he’ll be fine on his own to take the bus back. In the meantime, I drink 1 beer, and then get a cider by accident, drink it anyway, but the feel really sick, so head back to the hotel quickly. I am shocked to find that my son isn’t there and I can’t reach him! I call the head organizer of our trip, what should I do? He says, call 911! I still decide to wait a bit. Mere 5 minutes later my son shows up, surprised that I am there before him and sober from worry by then! Turns out, he went to the bus stop, saw the schedule and realized he’d need to wait really long, and decided to … walk back. Which wasn’t as near, as he had expected, but he still saw a lot of interesting things. A woman had approached him asking him if he had gotten lost, but he had said no.

11. If you don’t need to… better don’t go! Story of Baiba

My boyfriend is a huge football fan, so we decided to go to a football match in Tenerife. All is nice, the game is nearly over and soon we will need to go to catch the last bus to the other side of the island, where the hotel is. He tells me why don’t I go to the ladies room just in case, as it is a long ride. I don’t really have to, but decide to go anyway – as it is a long ride.

As soon as enter the stall, I realize that the door and the lock are so old, that it has permanently closed, and I can’t open it anymore. I start yelling, but noone hears me, as the last moments of the game go on, and everyone is cheering. All my things are at my boyfriends, so I can’t call anyone either. I tried calling for help in all the languages I knew, finally, a cleaning lady shows up and tells me in Spanish to stay calm (thank’s God for those Spanish soap operas, so I understand her!). While I am waiting to get rescued, the game is over and my boyfriend comes to look for me, and sees there is police, an ambulance at the bathroom, everyone talking in Spanish and noone can explain what has happened. In the end, a man jumped in the stall and pushed the door out with his foot. It opened up with such a force, that tiles from the wall went down with it!

Luckily, we still made it in time to the bus!

12. No fear. Story of Andris

Soon after 9/11 I was flying between two European countries. A felt a bit nervous. I got especially nervous when a nervous looking Middle Easter man sat next to me. Our plane hit big turbulence and it was shaking violently, as the man looked at me and asked if he could hold my hand, as he was very scared. And so we sat, holding hands…

13. A special spa. Story of Iluta

We drove through Holland as we came across this nice spa hotel and decided to stay there. It was incredibly nice, and as we were checking in, the receptionist told us in broken English – no big swimsuits! I just waved and said, yes, yes , as some pools don’t accept large swim shorts.

So we walk in the spa, and it is magnificent, all new, shiny and smells wonderful. But then we look around – everyone is naked.

14. The House of Rock. Story of Alina

We stayed at this roadside motel in the USA. After a long drive, we arrive very late in the night, go to the room – it is pitch black, as curtains are closed. We find the light switch at the door,brush our teeth and go to sleep, switching off the one switch at the side of the bed. A few hours later I wake up from this absolutely horrible, very loud man’s voice yelling in my ear, with some sounds of static in the background. Turns out, the previous inhabitant of this room left the alarm for 5:00, and it automatically turned to some rock radio station, the radiowave reception wasn’t good either, so the sound effect was just out of this world . I try to find the off switch on the alarm, but it is too dark to see, and I don’t have a light switch at my side of the bed, meanwhile the horrible noise continues so loud that it hurts my ears, I try to pull out the cord from the wall, but turns out that the cord goes behind the nightstand… which is screwed on to the wall. Somehow we found the light switch at my husbands bed side, got the light and switched off the shrieking alarm. With such adrenalin in our veins we couldn’t sleep anymore!

15. The smell of Maldives. Story of Linda

We arrived to our hotel in Maldives and are greeted by cleaners spraying the air refresher in our room. We think – how nice, they want to make sure it smells nice! Turned out, they were spraying bug spray so that cockroaches don’t come in the room! Which was without any result, as they kept crawling out of the bathroom sink!

16. Armed robbery. Story of Martins

Now I can laugh about this, but back then it wasn’t funny at all. Me and my friend got arrested in Cyprus for an armed robbery we didn’t do. We had an alibi and it all got cleared up, but before it was sorted, I spent 2 weeks in a detention center in Cyprus. It’s a good thing that I am 2 m tall, weight over 100 kg and have tattoos, as well as was detained for armed robbery, as I had a lot of interesting cellmates in that detention center….

17. The party crowd. Story if I.

More than 20 years ago me and my school dance group were on a dance performance tour in Europe. We stayed one night in Amsterdam, and were split into 2 groups. To our big surprise, the next morning our group was waken up by the police, put in the bus and we had to leave the country, with the stamp “deported” in passport and all. Turned out, the “hotel” the other half of our dance group stayed at, was actually a brothel. The other group, that had only girls, had encountered some men during the night, who tried to get in their rooms, some regular customers. The girls got really scared and of course called the police… and all of our dance group got deported. Imagine the surprise of my parents when I showed up home a week earlier, back then there were no mobile phones to let them know what was happening, and they only had read in a newspaper about a dance group deported from Holland, but had no idea it was us.

18. Identify. Story of Alina

I was flying home from Hamburg one week, after a long week of work. Super packed plane and then I hear crew announcing on the loudspeaker:

“ Mrs Alina Andrusaite, please identify yourself by pressing the call button”

I press the button. As I was in the middle of the plane, I see ALL of people turning around to see what is happening. A few seconds later the crew brings me food box and says: “ here is your pre-ordered salmon !”

Turned out, I was the only passenger who had pre-ordered a meal, something had gone wrong in the system and they didn’t know in which seat I was seated in. The crew apologized for putting me on the spot and that normally they don’t announce the names like that, but said they had no choice.

19. The climb. Story if Ieva

I was in Marseilles with my friend, visiting 26th Centenary Park , as we got locked inside. A 2 meter fence all around it, and before the fence – a ditch! This was the only gate we thought we might be able to climb over. After some minutes a few semi-drunk locals noticed us and helped us climb over! We even had looked for the opening hours of the park before entering, as we knew parks get closed in France, but didn’t see it written anywhere…

20. The suspicious Latvian. Story of Uldis

I am not too experienced traveler, and I had lived in Denmark already for some time when I deiced to drive to Switzerland. It was a sudden idea to go, so I packed quickly and drove off. Visited some friends in Germany and here I was, on the border with Switzerland. The border patrol asks me:

What’s in the car?

I had a couple of beers at the back. Then they asked me to pop the trunk and as they started pulling out what I had there, more and more questions appeared. A knife (one needs to cut the sausages, as I was saving the money and couldn’t eat out!), head lamp (my car isn’t new), gloves (what if I need to change a tyre?), a duck tape (once again, car isn’t new), garbage bags (I don’t leave trash out), and wet vipes (after cutting those sausages, how will I clean my hands?). They detained me and started questioning me, showing all my belongings on the table. Stripped me naked, took pictures, fingerprints, DNA. And told me they will put me in a database for 5 years as a possible suspect. When I started laughing, they then asked to blow in the breathalyzer.

Have you ever had anything funny happen to you when travelling? Be sure to write those in the comments!

What a great and hilarious collection of stories. I especially enjoyed the top one, it just goes to show how friendships can be made so quickly and last a lifetime. Thanks for sharing!

LOL! These stories made me laugh, thanks, I needed that today. Particularly love that the guy just held your husbands hand too!! It is stories like these that make me love travel so much. It is never the destinations that stick in my mind but the experiences we have along the way!

I am glad you enjoyed these stories 🙂

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Best Short Travel Stories: 15+ Bloggers Share Their Favorite Travelling Story

Table of Contents:

Every tourist has at least a few interesting travel stories to share. The more you are exploring the world, the greater the chance that you have experienced something unique. We’ve asked our blogging friends to share their most memorable experiences. Check out these awesome short travel stories and get inspired!

Best Travel Stories Including Romance

Love at first lettuce.

by Juliette from Snorkels To Snow blog

4 years later the hunky builder became my husband.

Adventure With A Stranger In France

by Barbara from Jet Settera blog

After our short meeting, we kept on chatting for about a month on Facebook and then we decided to meet up in Florence in a hotel room and explore Tuscany together.

We agreed on the itinerary and he flew in from Vienna and I arrived from Milano. We rented a Fiat500 and we traveled all around Tuscany for a long weekend.

We visited some of the most romantic cities in Italy , such as Siena, Lucca, Pisa, and Cinque Terre. It was an amazing adventure together.

We had lots of fun on the trip and we went on more trips after that. The conclusion of the story was that sometimes it is good to come out of your comfort zone and take a chance on a stranger, maybe he will be an excellent travel partner.

Scary Travel Stories That Will Give You Chills!

Jumped by an adult puma in the bolivian jungle .

by Aaron from The Dharma Trails blog

Cheap, Bolivian vodka . That’s what got me there. Isolated, deep in the Bolivian jungle, with an apex predator wrapped around my body (and hot breath on my face).

Volunteering at a Bolivian animal sanctuary I saw all kinds of monkey bites and scratches. It was common for backpackers to show off their fresh wounds at the end of each day. But no one had a story like this…

The weekly volunteer party got out of hand (the night before). Those with the appropriate big-animal training didn’t wake up or sign in to the morning’s meeting. I was there. Hungover, but there. So, I agreed to help out with the puma (even though it normally requires months of training and animal integration/familiarity).

After an hour of trekking through the jungle, one of the team members and I reached the puma’s enclosure. The huge cat growled at me with a distinct sense of dislike. But that didn’t stop us from continuing our task. We entered the caged area, attached two ropes to the puma’s “collar” and begun to walk him through the jungle.

The puma, completely unpleased with my intrusion, stepped forward hesitantly. After only a couple of minutes, he stopped, looked back at me, and growled directly into my eyes. I watched helplessly as the puma leaped 10ft into the air towards me. In a split-second, his powerful legs wrapped around my waist, arms wrapped around my throat and fangs pressed into my forehead.

I heard my team member scream. But I couldn’t move. Completely still, I assumed the worst. Yet, somehow it felt completely natural. The circle of life. The scream faded as I began to lose consciousness. Then, all of a sudden, I was released. The animal let me go and stepped backwards.

After swearing profusely, my team member yelled “stick your palm out towards him”. For some reason, I did. The huge cat stepped back towards me and licked it. And, that was it. He knew that I knew, who was king of the jungle. After that we were friends.

Volunteering with animals is a great way to give back while you eco travel . Just be sure to pick places with adequate training if you don’t want to have bad travel stories like mine!

Getting Arrested in Gansu, China

by Wendy from the Nomadic Vegan blog

My short story about my travel experience is from Asia. On our first trip to China , one of the destinations my husband and I were most looking forward to, was visiting the Labrang Monastery. Located in remote Gansu province in the west of China , Labrang is a holy site and a place of pilgrimage for Tibetan Buddhists.

At that time, neither one of us spoke any Chinese, and we were finding it frustratingly difficult to get where we wanted to go. We didn’t understand why all the bus drivers were refusing to let us get on the buses heading towards the transport hub from where all onward transport to Labrang left.

When one of them finally did let us on, he then forced us to get out on the outskirts of town, well before we reached the bus station. Confused, and not knowing what else to do, we started walking in the direction we thought the station was in. We didn’t get far before two police cars skidded to a halt next to us, and we were suddenly surrounded by six cops wearing S.W.A.T. badges on their sleeves.

They brought us to the head of the prefecture, who luckily was a very friendly Tibetan man who spoke enough English to explain what was happening. Unbeknownst to us, the Chinese government had recently made that part of Gansu off-limits to foreign tourists in light of protests by ethnic Tibetans in the area.

After treating us to a tasty lunch of vegetarian Chinese food , the head of the prefecture drove us back across the prefecture border himself and made sure that we got on a bus back to where we had come from.

We never made it to the Labrang Monastery on that trip, but at that point, we were just happy not to be in a Chinese jail. As I write this, we are in Mongolia, planning to cross back into China in a couple of weeks. We have been told that Labrang has reopened for foreigners, so 10 years later we are going to give it another shot. Hopefully, we don’t get arrested this time and we will only have amazing travel stories to share!

Snake Attack In Vietnam

by Lina from Divergent Travelers blog

We were just about to take a final stretch of country road and head onto highway 1 for the next leg when we saw something in the road ahead of us.

It was up ahead of Jon and it was the kind of thing you couldn’t really tell what it was until you were right on top of it. In an instant, we saw Jon whip his legs up as a huge snake lunged at his leg when his scooter sailed next to it. I was mortified as I am very afraid of snakes. The last thing I wanted was to have this thing striking at me as we cruised by.

We pulled over, laughed, and discussed the size of it while noticing a local man running down the road with a long stick. He was hollering at us excitedly and pointing at the road. Apparently, snakes of that size are worth well over 1.2 million dong and the man was bursting with excitement about catching the venomous beast.

Asking where it went, he moved into the grass at the edge of the rice field in pursuit. The movement caused the snake to flee into the rice paddies and the local man immediately gave chase into what became a dance between him and the snake. Each challenged the other until the man lept to the opportunity and seized the snake by the head with his bare hands.

He smiled proudly as he came back to the road, showed off the snake then as swiftly as he appeared, left us standing there while he made his way down the road back to his house. Snake in hand. You don’t see that every day! It was definitely one of these fun travel stories that we will never forget.

Dangerous Night Trip In Peru

by Danielle from the Like Riding Bicycle blog

Not every travel story is fun. I have many scary travel stories to share, including the one from Peru. Many years ago, when I’d just started traveling , I took a bus going through parts of the Amazon… at night. Apparently, this wasn’t the best call. Around 3 am I was alarmed to wake up to the bus stopped, and a man in a black mask with a huge black gun pointed at us all. He yelled in Spanish and everyone’s hands went up into the air, so I flung mine up following suit. Before long the men were marched off the bus, leaving us women, hands still in the air, to wait for what would come next.

I had a moment in which I thought: “What are they about to do with the men? What are they about to do with the women? What are they about to do with me, the only foreigner on the bus?” I was far from rich, but they didn’t know that.

After some time another man came on the bus, this time with a small silver pistol which he pointed at each of us as he robbed us blind. No one was physically harmed, though I knew that people who weren’t as fortunate to be a Westerner like myself lost more than they could afford to replace, which was a hard thing to realize. I couldn’t help, only sit there with my arms in the air.

So go to Peru – it’s amazing! – just don’t take a night bus through the Amazon!

Mutant Bugs Attack

by Nathan from Foodie Flashpacker blog

Although at the time it happened I wouldn’t have called it my best travelling story, now, looking back on it, it’s one of the best/funniest stories of my nearly three years of traveling. This all took place during my visit to Fez , Morocco in 2016.

The time I survived a direct attack to the face by killer mutant bugs from outer space. And then visited a vagina doctor with the world’s oldest x-ray machine to put my face back together again.

Long story short- one day I woke up with a face full of bug bites. The concerned guest house owner sent me to a pharmacist who then sent me to a doctor.

More specifically, I later learned, was that I had been sent to a gynecologist. We established that some large insects had attacked my face and I was in need of multiple medications. And, for reasons still unknown to me, an x-ray. At least I think he x-rayed me.

Being A Suspect In The Disappearance Of Girl In France

By James from The Portugal blog

One of the funny adventure stories that I have is from the time I found a 5-month housesit in the middle of the French countryside. It sounded idyllic, and perfect for me and my girlfriend at the time who had just started out as digital nomads.

In reality, it wasn’t quite as idyllic as advertised. The biggest issue was the lack of internet; something which was supposed to have been installed by the time we arrived. But, we made do. We bought French sim cards with 3 GB of internet each (the max we could get at the time) and vowed never to look at YouTube or anything that might use lots of data for the entire 5 months.

It was all going perfectly until one day there was a knock at the door and two local French policemen were standing there. They began asking us what we were doing on the property and where the owners were. In the best French, I could manage, I explained the concept of house-sitting but I could see it wasn’t going over.

Then, they showed us a picture of a girl who was missing. We hadn’t seen her and, in fact, didn’t know anyone in the town. We apologized that we couldn’t be of more help, thinking that was that.

It wasn’t. One of the policemen then pulled out a printout of a forum conversation between the missing girl and someone who they believed was her biological father. Then in the forum conversation, they showed me a mobile number: my French mobile number.

I didn’t know how to explain it apart from to say that it must be a typo, but that wasn’t good enough. They asked to see my computer and began looking through the search history. Then, obviously not buying my house sitting story, they asked where the owners were again.

Unsatisfied, they told me to come into the station that afternoon for more questioning at 2 pm. I didn’t know what to do. There wasn’t enough time to find a lawyer or even a translator as they would probably have had to come from the nearest city. I opened Google Translate and tried to come up with as many useful sentences as I could, but it was hard to concentrate.

At 2 pm on the dot I walked through the doors of the police station and when the policeman saw my worried face he burst out laughing. “Lucky for you, she showed up,” he said. And that, amazingly, was the end of that. I’ve never heard any more about this again.

Lifechanging Short Travel Stories

Stepping out of a comfort zone in dubai.

by Michaela from Awe Inclusive blog

In 2014, I was scrolling through a Facebook group when I spotted a post claiming $200 roundtrip tickets to Duba (btw if you want to save on your next trip, check out this trip com coupon ). As is routine in that group, I confirmed the deal, checked my calendar, and booked tickets – no asking friends, no waiting for job approvals, and no overthinking. It would be my first trip alone.

I met Jibri during the layover. She got my attention and started chatting about travel deals and groups. During our small talk, I considered putting my earphones back in or making up a reason to excuse myself. Instead, I decided to embrace a new person and see where it could lead.

Not only did we exchange contact information to meet-up in Dubai, but we joined other travel group members who rented out a yacht for an afternoon cruise along the Persian Gulf.

It was totally outside of my comfort zone and totally what my comfort zone needed – to be stretched out of shape! I met amazing people and forged exciting friendships.

Dubai was life-changing. I learned to trust my abilities and instincts even when I had to improvise. I learned that strangers are just friends who haven’t met you. Most importantly, I learned that my suitcase was much lighter when I didn’t fill it with fear.

This year, I took a solo trip to Thailand and it was the absolute best. More solo trips are in my future as I continue to challenge myself to get uncomfortable and do more than I thought I could.

See also: Best travel stories from Thailand .

Beautiful Travel Friendship

by Viki from Chronic Wanderlust blog

I’ve been in Playa del Carmen, Mexico for a few weeks now for my divemaster training. I spent every day in the water with customers and my instructor. I loved it! We shared the boat with another dive shop and I started to notice that they were also training a divemaster to be.

She seamed to be my age and so I started talking to her. Janice is from Canada and also madly in love with the ocean and all things diving. We started to hang out more and more and even became very good friends then.

She left Mexico a few days before I left, but we managed to stay in touch. For almost two years now we talk several times a week, she helped me through many things as a stupid breakup.

Last year I told her I was going back to Mexico for a few weeks and if she wanted to meet me there. She told me that she couldn’t manage with work. I had wanted to see her so badly! And I knew she wanted to be in sunny Mexico with me as well.

I remember the 30th of December when she told me that she had just bought the ticket and will be in Mexico the next day! I was beyond happy, I was going to see my best friend again. I was going to see her for the second time in my life and yet she knows more about me than any other person that I see more often.

I love how friendships can last over distance and time zones. Meeting Janice is definitely one of the best solo travel stories that I have.

Best Adventure Travel Stories

Hawaii adventure.

by Carole from Berkeley and Beyond blog

carolecoconut-water-drink-nyc-chinatown-c2013-xx-dup

Even though I have many short stories about traveling the world, I want to share the one from Hawaii. I’ll never forget the time I landed on the remote Hawaiian island of Molokai and was told, “We have a wedding and two funerals on the island, and so we have run out of cars.” It was at about the same time as a popular movie with a similar title was out, so the statement had a humorous overtone.

However, since this was hang-loose Hawaii , I was assured by a mellow employee that all would work out and so there was really nothing I could do but relax into it. The car agency arranged for (and paid for) a cab to deliver us to our condo so we could check-in, and told us that the next morning someone would pick us up and deliver us to the mule ride.

Done, though we did almost miss our morning ride due to confusion regarding the meeting spot, but the point is we didn’t miss it, and we were told by that driver that our car would be waiting in the parking lot for us after our ride.

And there it was! Pure Molokai magic.

Visiting A Real Quechua Village

by Gabor from Surfing the Planet blog

Quechua family in a village in the mountains of The Andes over Ollantaytambo, Peru

Although Machu Picchu is simply indescribable, it turned out that a totally improvised adventure left a much stronger mark on us. When we were staying at a Couchsurfer’s place in Cusco, we asked him whether it would be possible to visit a real Quechua village.

He said we could try, although we would have to find it out ourselves since these Quechua communities live quite far in the Andes and there’s no public transport to get there.

In the end, we got very lucky, since looking for transport in Ollantaytambo, we found out that the local doctor and other social workers were going to visit some of these tribes and they let us join them.

We were really happy because we had the chance to stay in a Quechua community, learn about their traditions, see the colorful clothes they wear every day and take part in their daily routine for some time. We often had to use hand gestures to communicate, since most of these people don’t speak Spanish, only Quechua. This is one of our most interesting travel stories and a real heart-warming experience that we will never forget.

Funny Short Travel Stories

Mistaking a brothel for a massage spa in china.

by Talek from Travels With Talek blog

Ah… cultural confusion. One weekend I was in a part of Beijing I was not familiar with and decided to get a massage. I remembered what appeared to be a massage spa nearby. The location didn’t look exactly like a typical spa, but I went in anyway.

The inside of the location had all the spa-like features which reassured me. However, when the hostess approached me, she appeared apprehensive and asked me something in Chinese. I pantomimed a massage. She disappeared into a dark room behind a beaded curtain. I could hear her and another woman speaking animatedly.

After some uncomfortable moments, the woman returned and lead me to a dimly lit, rectangular room with a massage table in the middle. I positioned myself as I normally would. A different woman came in and gave me a lackadaisical massage for about an hour. I paid and went back to my hotel.

The next day my colleagues and I discussed our weekend. I mentioned my massage at a location next to the Wanda department store. “Oh! That’s a high-end brothel” they said. They’re probably still laughing.

Crazy Travel Stories

Free helicopter ride.

by Kris From Nomad By Trade

My favorite travel story is from a business trip I took to a small town in Kentucky. One morning, my co-worker noticed that there was a helicopter parked out on the hotel’s lawn, which we thought was odd but pretty cool.

That week, we ended up befriending the helicopter’s pilot and his wife and talking to them at breakfast and the evening periods of light snacks.

He somehow offered to take us up for a free ride, so one morning before work, we each took a turn hopping in his helicopter and flying up and over town. He banked, dipped, and shot up to the sky like a rocket during our jaunt through the Kentucky skies.

I still find it funny that I wouldn’t get in a car with a stranger, but I had no qualms about hopping in a helicopter with one. I’ve been traveling on an almost weekly basis for work for six years and that’s still one of the coolest things that I’ve gotten to do on the road.

My Birthday In A Private Castle Near Prague

Crazy Flight With A Hyperactive Child

by Alexis from World Travel Adventurers blog

We’ve had our fair share of unforgettable and funny travel stories as parents traveling with a spirited 2-year-old and 4 years old, but this one still takes the cake. We think every parent who has ever flown with young children can relate.

We were on our way home from Salt Lake City to Baltimore, which is a 5-hour flight, so my husband had the brilliant (or so he thought) idea to sedate our energizer bunny son (whose nicknames include Taz, tornado, hurricane, wrecking ball, the destroyer) to make the long flight easier.

Having a wild toddler restricted to a seat for 5 hours is no fun for anyone, but a sleeping toddler sounded much more appealing.

We had given him Benadryl before when he was sick and it put him right to sleep like a charm, so we thought we were in the clear. It turns out, some kids have the opposite reaction to Benadryl and turn into hell on wheels.

Well, our son turned into that kid. I think everyone on the flight, especially the person sitting in front of him, wanted to kill him or at least put him in a straightjacket and a muzzle. The flight attendant, who used to be a nanny, could tell early on that something was up and had a hunch it was from Benadryl gone wrong.

In the midst of his craziness, I took him to the bathroom at the front of the plane to change his diaper. When we headed back to our seats, he took off running down the aisle full speed ahead. He was so fast and agile (being much smaller than me and able to maneuver through the narrow aisle like a star football player) that I couldn’t catch up to him until he had run the entire length of the plane.

My husband said he saw a flash go by his seat, and then saw me running after yelling my son’s name. He thought it was hilarious. I did not. We can both laugh about it today and will NEVER make that mistake again.

So to all my fellow parents of traveling youngsters, beware and never use Benadryl for a stress-free flight unless you’ve tested it a few times and are sure that your child will not turn into a Tasmanian devil. Unless you want to add something to your funny holiday stories collection, then go for it.

Meeting The President Of Ecuador

by Dane from Holiday From Where blog

My best travel story is from a time I was in a small city called Salinas on the south coast of Ecuador . I was just hanging with a local friend and surfing every day before I started to head north. I kept hearing about this wave that was really good and you couldn’t surf because you had to sneak through an air force base to get to.

One day my friend was telling me it was going to be really good, so, we decided to try and sneak in. In hindsight, it was really stupid. We were crawling on our hands and knees through some bushes on the bad side of a shooting range while they were actively shooting. We made it to the beach got changed and ran for the ocean.

We were in the water for all of 15 minutes when two large me with AK-47s appeared on the beach and started to yell and whistle. We got a few more waves and went in. The men were extremely un-impressed and very angry.

We knew we were doing the wrong thing but obviously played dumb. As we were about to get dragged off a man and his wife came over a small dune and just walked up to us. The man asked us how our day was and if we had a good surf we replied we did and he just smiled at us and walked off.

As he did my friend informed me that it was the President. Everything happened so fast and in no time we were in the back of a military vehicle being taken to a small building. I was out a short time later with a stern warning never to return.

Pin For Later:

Did you enjoy reading this post? Share your best travel story in the comments below!

72 Responses

Love it! Thanks for including our story. Traveling opens you up to so many incredible (sometimes hilarious) experiences so it’s great to hear about other memorable moments from fellow travel addicts!

It’s our pleasure, Alexis! Your story is great, thanks for sharing it :)

Pinoy TV is one of the few international channels that provide high-quality entertainment.

These stories are great. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Thanks for the inspiration Karolina! Traveling the world is something I’ve always wanted to do, but have found it hard to make the leap.

Hey Karolina,

Very inspiring travel stories! Makes me want to book a flight now and create an amazing travel story ever told! ;) There is nothing more gratifying than traveling, yes you spend but you learn more. Been to many places and every story is just different and amazing!

These stories are inspiring and it makes me want to travel more. Cheers!

Some amazing stories in there! It’s amazing what opportunities can present themselves when you are travelling abroad.

There’s some incredible stories in there. It’s amazing to see what opportunities can present themselves to you when you are travelling abroad. We’ve got a lot of great memories and stories from our time abroad, can’t wait to get even more!

Getting arrested in China must have been an exciting experience. Luckily, no jail. So happy end.

Thanks for the inspiration Karolina!……,! great story

Glad I enjoyed the post! Thanks for sharing this.

You’re welcome!

The only way to achieve happiness is to cherish what you have and forget what you don’t have

I really liked reading your post! Very high quality content and useful information. With such a valuable blog I believe you deserve to be ranking even higher in the search engines.

Thanks for your comment, Maria.

Wow, interesting crazy stories! good stuff!

Incredible stories. Frankly, I envy people who travel freely, I hope that I succeed.

Such a kind of knowledge give by this stories.

Much Appreciated! Get your travel and tourism guide of top tourist places, attractions about travelling and exploration of the world.

Hey really Incredible stories.Appreciated your blog.Such interesting travel story.The details are very informative.I also love to travel.This stories inspires me to travel to my dream place.Looking forward to see more from you.

Thanks for your comment!

I’ve got no idea what I’d do if a snake lunged at me while on a scooter! Hopefully, I’d have the commonsense to hit the accelerator and keep going. Even non-poisonous snakes can be dangerous. And I’m guessing that the snake ended up as someone’s dinner or that seems be have been implied :/.

I also love to travel the world. Your story inspires me a lot

Your travel stories are awesome. I love to travel to other countries and experience every culture.

Wow, interesting crazy stories! good .

thanks for sharing this info superb

Wow this is very interesting and amazing article for all travellers and I hope they will get lots of information from this article. It will also helpful for all beginners. Thanks for sharing this article to us..

Hey, it’s amazing way for our time . Thanks for sharing.

These short travel stories always teach me something new.

Its really amazing post for me. Thanks for sharing

Excellent post with rich knowledge for travelers. Thanks for sharing

Amazing stories! Thank you so much for sharing them. As a traveler it is exciting to hear new stories. It certainly makes you want to go out and travel again.

It was nice to be inspired by you, Karolina! Although I have always dreamed about traveling the world, I have struggled to make this step because it seems so risky.

Hey, I think it’s a great way to spend our time these days. That’s great that you shared that with us.

I love your all content keep share with us, keep shared with us.

thanks for sharing this info, superb article

I have been wondering where to travel across Europe. And getting exposed to this amazing stories has energised my travelling plans and the countries to visit. Thanks so much for sharing such a wonder and useful stories. Looking forward for more stories.

I am really happy with the quality and presentation of the article. Thanks a lot for keeping great stuff.

Travelling is one of the best way to create memorable stories.

What a great idea for a post and a wonderful collection of stories!

Thank you for this great sharing!

Thank god! The housesitter did not have to go to a Chinese prison. The whole incident was quite amusing.

Thanks for this site i like it.

Article was very lovely and all stories are great

All stories are lovely and amazing.

There is no better way to create memorable stories than by traveling.

Traveling is one of the ways to create and be a part of stories. The travel stories in the blog are all interesting. I have also read stories on how travelers are set up by placing drugs in their luggage at airports.

Yeah however I am not sure if it’s true.

Thanks! i loved this site thanks for recommending.

Excellent post with rich knowledge for travelers.

Unforgettable

Such a great post thanks for sharing this with us and keep posting these are soo amazing.

There is no better way to create memorable stories than by traveling. :)

thank you so much

Thank you. you have explained almost everything.

Great post.Thanks for sharing. You have explained almost everything.

all the stories shared are good and well explained.

Thanks for sharing this article it was quite insightful.

Thanks for sharing such information. I appreciate your hard work

Great post, Thanks for the information provided! Your post is so awesome. Keep it work and share your amazing post with us. Thanks again!

Thanks a lot for sharing this post. Your travel story is so amazing.

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks!

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90 Sweet Friendship Quotes You Need to Share With Your Best Friend

True friendship is hard to find, so make sure you honor them with these sweet and funny messages.

woman with arm around female friend leaning on car

Some of these lines are funny, and others are sentimental, but they all ring true to the bond of friendship. Share them with your besties, your gal pals, your “ride or dies” and your day ones. You all can laugh over the accuracy of some of them, and even shed a few happy tears when you think about how much you all have seen each other through.

Plenty of these would also work as captions for your next girls trip photo dump, serve as well wishes to fill a birthday card or a “just because” text to let your closest friends know you’re thinking of them.

Tennessee Williams

“Time doesn't take away from friendship, nor does separation.”

Sylvia Plath

“There is nothing like puking with somebody to make you into old friends.”

Sarah Dessen

“Life is an awful, ugly place to not have a best friend.”

S.E. Hinton

“If you have two friends in your lifetime, you're lucky. If you have one good friend, you're more than lucky.”

Richard Bach

“Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“When friendships are real, they are not glass threads or frost work, but the solidest things we can know.”

P.G. Wodehouse

“There is no surer foundation for a beautiful friendship than a mutual taste in literature.”

“If you have good friends, no matter how much life is sucking , they can make you laugh.”

“No friendship is an accident. ”

Muhammad Ali

“Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything.”

Morgan Matson

“Real friends are the ones you can count on no matter what. The ones who go into the forest to find you and bring you home.And real friends never have to tell you that they’re your friends.”

Mindy Kaling

“One friend with whom you have a lot in common is better than three with whom you struggle to find things to talk about.”

“By chance we met, by choice we become friends”

Michelle Obama, Becoming

“Friendships between women, as any woman will tell you, are built of a thousand small kindnesses... swapped back and forth and over again.”

Margaret Lee Runbeck

“Silence makes the real conversations between friends. Not the saying, but the never needing to say that counts.”

Marcus Tullius Cicero

“Friendship improves happiness, and abates misery, by doubling our joys, and dividing our grief”

“Two things you will never have to chase: True friends & true love.”

“A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.”

Khalil Gibran

“Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.”

Jennifer Wilson

“A messy house is a must - it separates your true friends from other friends. Real friends are there to visit you not your house!”

preview for Good Housekeeping US Section: Life

@media(max-width: 64rem){.css-o9j0dn:before{margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-right:0.625rem;color:#ffffff;width:1.25rem;bottom:-0.2rem;height:1.25rem;content:'_';display:inline-block;position:relative;line-height:1;background-repeat:no-repeat;}.loaded .css-o9j0dn:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/goodhousekeeping/static/images/Clover.5c7a1a0.svg);}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.loaded .css-o9j0dn:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/goodhousekeeping/static/images/Clover.5c7a1a0.svg);}} 100+ Quotes For Any Occasion

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Jessie on a Journey | Solo Female Travel Blog

20 Embarrassing Travel Stories That Will Make You Laugh & Blush

Looking for embarrassing travel stories ?

Then you’re in the right place!

Recently, I asked some of my favorite travel bloggers to share stories of embarrassing moments from the road.

Get ready to laugh, blush, learn some important lessons, and be reminded that travel isn’t always perfect. In fact, sometimes it can be downright hard.

Additionally, travel can be quite a humbling experience and, in my opinion, is best enjoyed when the traveler removes expectations and rolls with the punches.

Table of Contents

Ultimate Travel Planning Kit

Before we dive into the embarrassing funny stories , I want to invite you to grab access to my free Ultimate Travel Planning Resource Library .

The resource library features planning printables, travel quizzes, trip guides, Google Maps, and spreadsheets that make travel planning a lot easier — and even fun!

Grabbed access?

Then let’s dive into the list of embarrassing true stories from the road.

Embarrassing Travel Stories That Will Make You Blush

1. an embarrassing moment on an italian train.

If you enjoy short funny travel stories , you’ll love this.

My now-husband and I were at the end of an Italy road trip , and were dropping off our rental car in Naples, where we would board a train to Milan.

Because Naples is known as the birthplace of pizza, we decided to get some before our departure.

A few locals recommended L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, so off we went, thinking we could grab a quick slice.

We waited over two hours for a small pie and then had to race for our train. It was our first time taking the train in Naples, too, so we weren’t even positive where the station was.

Luckily we made it, though I was extremely sweaty once we got to our seats. In an attempt to cool down, I went to the bathroom and changed into a dry bra and t-shirt, throwing the drenched clothing in my backpack.

Because we were disorganized from our mad dash, I started rummaging through my backpack and moving items around once I got back to my seat.

I must have been really disoriented, because a few minutes later after I had sat back down the man in the seat behind me tapped me on the shoulder.

“Umm…I believe this is yours.”

It was my sweaty bra and t-shirt, which had somehow fallen into his lap.

Turning bright red, I took the garments, turned around, and stayed silent for the rest of the trip.

Talk about stories of embarrassing moments!

-Jessie Festa from Jessie on a Journey

2. That time I fell into a fountain in Australia

If you love crazy travel stories that are also funny, here is one of my hilarious embarrassing stories from when I studied abroad in Sydney, Australia.

It involves me making a fool of myself in front of my brand new friends and also showing them how terribly uncoordinated I am.

My most embarrassing travel story

I’ve shared the story in video form (above) for a fun twist.

This is one of my favorite short travel stories , and one my friends from study abroad still bring up to this day. Luckily, we laugh about it now!

I’m not going to lie, I momentarily contemplated hopping on a plane back home to New York, as this truly is one of my most embarrassing stories.

-Jessie Festa of Jessie on a Journey

embarrassing funny stories on a tokyo metro

3. No touching in Japan

One of my favorite travel experience stories takes place in Japan.

The Japanese are the most polite, civilized, and obliging people we’ve ever met. Everything is done with a sweet smile and a polite bow.

We also noticed that in Japanese culture, personal space is a big deal, as is touching — or should I say, no touching!

Whereas quite a few Western cultures are docile with each other when it comes to general greetings — such as a kiss on the cheek in France and Italy, or a hug or handshake in the USA and UK — in Japan, this is a big fat no!

I learned this the hard way, and it turned out to be one of those funny embarrassing moments in public.

During a packed Tokyo metro journey one morning, I gave up my seat to an elderly Japanese woman who was standing up. She warmly accepted my offer and was very grateful to me — so grateful that she began to perform a series of very dramatic bows to me.

I wanted to tell her it was no big deal and did this by reaching out to pat her shoulder (this was pre-Covid days!).

This would be a natural thing to do back home to someone who had done something sweet to me and I wanted to express gratitude.

But as soon as I did this, the woman’s smile disappeared and the bowing stopped!

She gave me a look of concern, then cringed and briskly took her seat. Honestly, she looked at me like I was some kind of perpetrator but quickly stopped when the confused expression on my face showed that I meant her no harm.

I later learned that in Japan, touching is a big no-no, especially with people you’ve never met.

As such, the traditional form of greeting someone in Japan is to bow to each other with around 1 meter of distance so as to respect personal space.

In hindsight, I should have reacted to the woman by smiling and bowing back to her.

– Stefan Arestis and Sebastien Chaneac of Nomadic Boys gay travel blog

Real life embarrassing stories in a Las Vegas casino

4. Aussie slang confusion

We were two Aussie travelers experiencing some of the highlights of the USA.

I had been around the block traveling for a few years and knew some of the language variations between the two English-speaking countries.

My friend however, was a bit of a novice when it came to this.

After arriving in the bright shiny city of Las Vegas, we ventured out to explore. A popular choice was watching one of the stage shows available at nearly every casino on the strip.

As I had booked most of our activities before leaving Australia, we were asked to come and collect the tickets for our show earlier in the day.

Now, let me preface what comes next with this:

When it comes to Aussie slang, the best words are the ones that sound like something familiar but mean something completely different.

So when picking up the tickets from the booking clerk, we were trying to understand the signage and dress code suitable for entering the theatre.

My friend then proceeded to ask:

“Can we wear thongs?”

There was a blank stare and a cheeky smirk from the booking guy and I instantly replied to him that my friend wasn’t asking him if she needed to wear “underwear,” but was in fact asking if we could wear flip-flops.

When understanding what he thought she meant, my friend’s face turned bright red. The booking guy then started laughing loudly while saying it was okay to wear that kind of footwear.

It didn’t take my friend long to walk away in embarrassment. There were no more questions to ask after that.

– Chris of The Aquarius Traveller

Stories of embarrassing moments on a Mexico beach

5. Naked and afraid in Mexico

If you love funny embarrassing stories, here is when I ended up naked at the beach in Mexico.

I learned the hard way that the beaches in Mexico are not to be trifled with!

I’d been swimming at a local beach on Mexico’s Pacific Coast almost every day without any problems, floating lazily in the waves with the sun on my face and not a care in the world.

Until one particular day everything changed. The water looked much as it always did — there were no red flags flying or other beach warnings — but within minutes I found myself drifting further and further from the beach.

I wasn’t alone, either. Many other people were looking at the shore and attempting to swim in, only to get pummelled in the cresting waves.

Just as I started to really tire of treading water, there appeared to be a lull in the wave action so I decided to make a mad paddle to shore.

It didn’t take long before I got caught in a breaking wave. It churned me around in the surf like a washing machine then tossed me onto the sand at the water’s edge.

I clawed my way up the sand and away from the incoming waves. Even though my mouth was full of sand and my hair twisted like a corkscrew on top of my head, I was so grateful to be alive. I just lay there on the sand gulping for air and staring at the sun.

Until I realized that in the turbulent wave action both the top and bottom of my bikini had been ripped off my body and were nowhere to be seen. I was stark naked.

The only saving grace was that the same thing had happened to an elderly man and there were actually two of us in the buff in the sand.

Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers , as some kind onlookers ran over to help and provided us with some towels so we could find our beach umbrellas. I was grateful to be alive but very embarrassed!

– Michele of A Taste for Travel

embarrassing stories in Istanbul Airport

6. Sick in Turkey

Unfortunately, I’m all too familiar with throwing up in airports and on planes. I tend to push myself to my limits and on my honeymoon in Turkey, I was no different.

After a week of whirlwind wedding activities, which included chauffeuring a car full of Argentinian in-laws all over Texas, my husband and I boarded a 15-hour flight to Istanbul.

I ignored my mother-in-law’s advice to only take one sleeping pill and popped a second confidently. It had been eight hours since the first; surely, I was fine.

I was not fine.

“Do you see ants?” I remember asking my new husband.

He did! We may have been in bad shape but at least we hallucinated together. Talk about a romantic travel love story !

We landed with zero rest. Did it stop us? Of course not!

Ant hallucinations and exhaustion be damned, we were going to explore Istanbul.

And explore we did. We squeezed every minute out of that 20-hour layover before we found ourselves back at the airport, even more exhausted than before.

We got into the massive queue to check-in for our flight. Immediately I realized all was not well. I told my husband that I didn’t feel quite right but leaving our spot in this long line was not an option.

“Suck it up, Erin,” I told myself. “It won’t be too long.”

In the meantime, I scoped out the room, searching for the closest bathroom. I saw the iconic sign in the distance, the triangle dress that tells everyone everywhere that there’s a restroom here. I kept my eye on it, my oasis, for the entire wait, plotting my route to salvation.

A short eternity later the gate agent handed me back my passport.

I was off; power walking to the restroom with everything around me a blur.

Barely making it, I barged in — in the clumsy way that only a loud American in Europe can do — grabbed the closest trash can, and got sick.

That is, until I raised my gaze and felt immediate shame.

I was not in the bathroom at all, but a prayer room!

Devout Muslim women from around the world were knelt down in prayer. I had desecrated their prayer room.

Mumbling apologies I can only hope they understood I slinked out of the room vowing never to exhaust myself in such a way ever again.

– Erin of Sol Salute

7. When nature calls in Greece

I had just landed in Athens from Santorini. Before leaving Athens for my next destination, I had about nine hours to kill.

As I was backpacking, I did not want to go to a hotel. Instead, I planned to explore Athens on foot.

I had a heavy backpack with me, though even so, I was happy to see the ruins and architecture of Athens.

It was a warm day, but I tried not to drink too much water to avoid needing the bathroom.

After five hours of walking, I could not resist any further. I was both hungry and thirsty.

I did not have much money left as I was approaching the end of the Euro trip; however, I entered a restaurant and ordered some food. I don’t know how many bottles of free tap water I drank, but it was the tastiest water I ever had!

When I left the restaurant, I had about three more hours to catch a flight.

Before going to the airport, I wanted to have one last look at Athens.

All was going well, until about 30 minutes later when I felt immense pressure in my bladder.

I knew at that very moment that I couldn’t wait until I got to the airport. Thinking back to how much water I’d drank at the restaurant, I wanted to kick myself — though instead started looking for a toilet.

I was in a place surrounded by historic buildings, so I was sure that I could find a toilet inside of any of them; however, after storming into one of them I found that it was closed.

Time was running out.

I could not think straight. The Greek letters listed everywhere only made me more puzzled. I searched for a place on Google Maps, but no luck.

Then I saw a large green park; the National Garden.

Entering it, I knew it was not right, however; I didn’t have any alternative. All that I needed was a dark, quiet place.

Luck was not on my side that day; the garden was well lit with plenty of people jogging.

I didn’t care.

I unzipped, and stood in the middle of the garden, with shouts of disbelief around me making my ears warm and red with embarrassment.

But the only thing that mattered at that moment was the heavenly pleasure I felt in those 30 seconds (yes, you read it right; it was more than a liter, I guess!).

I ran away as fast as I could afterward!

– Fuad of A Walk in the World

embarrassing moment stories in a California porn studio

8. That time I ended up in a porn studio

I normally organize my own adventures and am not great at paying attention when other people are in charge.

So, it’s no wonder that I accidentally ended up on a porn studio tour.

I blame Alvin.

You see, Alvin runs an urbex photography group that I’m a member of.

We go out and shoot things like tunnels, ghost towns, and abandoned buildings. For such a pretty city, you’ll be surprised to know that there are quite a few places like that in San Francisco.

Alvin arranged a shoot in San Francisco’s Mission District , which included a visit to the historic Mission Dolores cemetery, an outside art studio, and The Armory.

When Alvin described The Armory, here’s what I registered:

A historic military building that was used as an arsenal during WWI. The building is cool because remnants of the now-covered Mission Creek rise up from the ground and flow through a channel in the basement.

Here’s what I didn’t register:

At the time of our tour, The Armory was owned by a porn magnate and was used as a film studio and S&M event venue.

My friend who had previously done the same tour swears that she told me, but all I heard was blah blah cemetery blah blah creek in basemen t.

I showed up on the appointed night to learn that our tour guide specialized in a very particular kind of Japanese rope bondage and that she was sponsored by a rope company from Texas that also supplied rodeos.

I also learned what BDSM stands for — prior to the illuminating tour, I had only heard of the S and M parts.

Additionally, I learned that robots can be configured with very insistent motorized prosthetic devices.

And also, that the studio provided worker’s compensation insurance and deployed a sophisticated database that housed all of their freelance talent, tagged by skill.

The creek in the basement was pretty cool, too.

– Carol of California Crossings

most embarrassing stories in Southeast Asia

9. Getting a bit too drunk in Cambodia

On my first ever backpacking trip I went to Southeast Asia .

Just like most budget backpackers, I loved to have a few drinks in the evening — especially when they were cheap!

However, when I visited the island of Koh Rong in Cambodia, that’s when the cheap drinks didn’t work out so well for me.

Koh Rong is the perfect place for backpackers who want to party.

This tiny sandy island is full of bars and lively hostels. I managed to pick up a 750 ml bottle of rum for only $1 USD and I was thrilled! After a big day in the sun, I was going to really enjoy some rum, and that’s exactly what I did.

My sister, boyfriend, and I all went to a friend’s hostel that night.

Long story short, I ended up drinking nearly the entire bottle of rum all to myself! I don’t remember getting back to our hostel, but my boyfriend tells me he had to pretty much carry me there and lift me into bed.

I was staying in a dormitory room and had the top bunk. As with many hostels, my bunk bed didn’t have a railing. Me, in my drunken passed-out slumber, actually rolled off the bed in my sleep!

Thump!

I hit the concrete floor hard and woke up startled only after feeling the pain, which is when I also began screaming.

I’d pretty much belly-flopped onto the floor. The thump was very loud and so were my screams and drunken cries.

Besides my body being bruised, my ego was, too.

I woke up the entire 10-bed dorm room and strangers were actually laughing at me. Talk about a travel fail !

Needless to say, I got made fun of by other travelers for the duration of my stay in Koh Rong, and my sister and boyfriend still bring it up today.

I did learn a lesson, though:

Never sleep on the top bunk without a railing, especially if you’ll be drinking rum!

– Bailey of Destinationless Travel

10. An embarrassing bathroom moment on a coach

It was a sunny summer morning, and I was super excited to finally take my mom to explore London. I was a student and lived in the southeast of England.

We woke up early and headed to the bus station to get onto the two-hour coach to London. We sat at the front of the bus, and straight away I regretted eating that dodgy fish the night prior.

My stomach was cramping, and the feeling of needing the toilet was building up. The coach was already on the motorway with no scheduled stops until London.

You know that feeling when the physiological need is so strong you know you won’t be able to ignore it, and you must go?

Well, that’s how bad it was.

Luckily, the coach had a toilet, so my mom suggested I use it. I really had no other option, so I went.

The cubicle was tiny, and it was not easy to use the toilet inside a moving bus. When I got out and walked back to my seat, I noticed everyone was covering their faces and either looking away or giving me a disgusted glance.

When I got back to my seat, my mom told me the whole bus received the “toilet waft” through the air conditioning.

I was so embarrassed I wanted to disappear, and my amused mother could not stop giggling. She still brings the story up on family gatherings.

– Mal from Raw Mal Roams

11. Flash flight

The year was 1999, and my significant other suggested we ring in the Millennium in Hawaii.

On our final day in Hawaii, we planned a trip from Oahu to Maui. We leisurely drove the Road to Hana, keeping track of the time to get to our reservation at the fancy restaurant for dinner and making the last flight out back to Oahu.

In typical fashion, we were running late. I rushed to change into my super cute summer dress and strappy sandals that I bought specifically for this occasion.

And we barely made it on time for the reservation!

After scarfing down dinner and dessert, we headed to the airport for the last flight out with no time to spare. We swiftly returned our rental car and then sprinted to the gate.

Of course, we were easily 10 minutes too late for the last flight out. We rushed anyways to the gate to see if, by chance, we could make it. After running by a line of people about 30 deep to our empty appearing gate, we asked frantically, “Can we still board?”

She replied that our gate had changed to that one, as she pointed to the gate with the line.

Whew! We made it.

At this point, I was extremely embarrassed, though my S.O. — who was trying to calm me down — didn’t really know why.

After we boarded and settled in, I confessed that my cute little summer dress had tucked up under my backpack while running to the empty gate.

He says, “So what? They saw your underwear. Whatever.”

That was the kicker.

When we rushed to change to get to the restaurant on time, I could not find my underwear! My derriere was in full effect for the entire line waiting to board the flight.

I will be forever grateful (and mortified) for the multiple beers sent my way during that flight. I guess they won’t forget it either.

-Jennifer Bhatia of Traveling Party Of Four

12. Queen of the ice

My family and I were on a cruise vacation when my husband, my daughter (who was 14 years old at the time), and I decided to try out the onboard ice skating rink on one of the sea days.

I grew up in Minnesota — though hadn’t ice skated in years — and my family had never ice skated before, which made me the most experienced in the group.

As we were going around the rink, I decided to go backward to look at them and help guide them on their skates.

Big mistake.

As I was turning, I stumbled and fell, banging my head on the ice rink wall.

Even though I was wearing a helmet, I still ended up with a concussion and barely remember the next three days of our trip!

-Adrienne Bibb of Addy and Terry

funny travel stories on an airplane in the sky

13. When planes almost collide

My embarrassing story happened in the air!

After an extremely hectic week of back-to-back travel, I was terribly tired and all I wanted was a comfortable bed to crash into.

But here I was, standing in a long immigration queue on my way to another destination. By the time I cleared every hurdle including waiting to board my flight, I could hardly keep my eyes open.

I fell fast asleep on the plane as soon as I put on my seat belt — even before the doors were closed. The flight was in the evening and as usual, I had my window seat.

After dozing off for a few hours, I suddenly woke up to some announcements made by the captain. Probably we were passing through turbulence. It was night time and most of the passengers were fast asleep.

With groggy eyes, I looked out of the window and was horrified!

I saw a small plane flying parallel to ours. The plane was neither slowing down nor changing its direction — it was as if it was participating in a race with us.

At that moment I thought the two planes were quickly going to collide. Seriously, this was quickly becoming one of my most dangerous travel stories !

I also thought it was my duty to inform the captain. Perhaps he hadn’t noticed that this tiny plane was so close to ours! I shook my sleeping co-passenger to let me out and called the air-hostess, too.

When I told them the situation, my co-passenger leaned over my seat to look out. And then he laughed out loud. I seriously thought he had lost his mind.

What I was told next made me go very red in the cheeks:

It was actually the wing of our airplane and not another plane. I wanted to vanish from the scene.

Moral of the story:

Sleep well before taking a flight.

– Nisha & Vasu of Lemonicks

14. The unexpected power of women’s panties

One day, during our backpacking trip in Myanmar, we decided to go to quite a distant and non-touristy area in Rakhine State to visit the beautiful temple town of Mrauk U.

When we arrived at our accommodation, a kind elderly lady greeted us. She spoke just a few words in English.

Noticing that there was a washing machine for guests at the reception, we decided it was time to do laundry. We brought a bag with our clothes and the woman pointed to her husband and told us that he would take it.

And then it happened.

The man and woman started a very loud Burmese conversation. We didn’t understand a word.

Her husband threw the laundry bag back to us. And the angry woman started pointing to us, first to my boyfriend and later to me, but we still didn’t understand the situation, so we just took our clothes and went back to the room. Well, we were surprised and also very curious about what had happened, so we did a few Google searches and immediately discovered the reason:

Burmese people are very superstitious and believe that a man can’t touch a woman’s underwear because this will “sap them of their power.”

So the poor lady thought we wanted to hurt her husband!

– Adriana of Czech the World

travel writer and photographer had an embarrassing moment in Zambia

15. Getting fined for public indecency

While traveling Africa along the east coast, I made friends with the crew and passengers on an overland truck at a campsite in Malawi. The group was on a tour through several African countries.

Everyone on the truck agreed it was okay for me to get a ride with them from Malawi to Zambia.

It was a hot day and I drank a lot of water on the way. We arrived on the border with Zambia after a long day of driving, which is when I urgently started looking around for a toilet.

It was not much of a border post and I headed for a tree not far away on this barren landscape, thinking it was far enough away, and that nobody would really spot me behind the tree.

Unfortunately, I was very wrong and the Zambian police took “public indecency” in the middle of nowhere very seriously.

On the way back I was met by an officer with a gun who took me to his superior. He told me that I broke the law, it was seen as a serious offense, and that he was going to charge me with public indecency.

Ultimately, I was issued a fine — that I had to go and pay at the magistrate’s office in the nearby town.

It was an uncomfortable situation since I was not even a paying client on the tour I was hitching a ride with. I was very grateful that the tour leader did not just leave me there and that the truck took me to pay the fine with a police escort.

Overall, I was quite embarrassed that the guests had to drive the detour to town and wait for me in the truck on an extremely hot day while I paid the penalty at the government office.

– Campbell of Stingy Nomads

16. A massage in Cambodia

Angkor Wat in Cambodia is undoubtedly one of the world’s most iconic destinations and deservedly a bucket list item for many.

However, my overriding memory of our fabulous day exploring Angkor Wat is unfortunately not the sunrise reflecting in the lily pond but a massage, a pair of pajamas at least three sizes too small, and an unwelcome appearance.

Following our incredible Angkor Wat tour, the complimentary massage from our hotel would be just what we needed.

Two young local women greeted my wife and me and provided us with the garments we needed to change into.

My wife went to the sole changing room so I stayed in the massage room and disrobed.

As I removed the garments from their packaging it was clear that the extra-large I’d requested to cover my 6’2″ frame was far too small.

Somehow I managed to squeeze myself into the three quarter length linen trousers and decided not to breathe deeply for the next 45 minutes.

As I bent over to place my clothes neatly in the corner, the door to the room opened, and in walked the two massage therapists and my wife. This noise and their greetings covering the unmistakable sounds of ripping cloth from my crotch area.

Believing this could not be too bad I laid down on my front next to my wife as instructed and started to relax as the oils were applied and the massage began.

I remained very conscious of the rip but thought if I stayed in that position there wouldn’t be any issues. Unfortunately it was only a couple of minutes before I was asked to roll over and move into a variety of new positions.

Almost immediately both therapists started whispering and sniggering — with my wife completely unaware of my predicament and the difficult situation unfolding.

The massage finished with a vigorous neck and head massage, so the therapist asked me to sit with my head down between my legs. As I moved into position the cause of the laughter was literally swinging beneath me. I was gobsmacked and clueless as to how to react.

Suffice to say I tipped rather generously that day and was incredibly relieved that my wife found the funny side when I answered her question as to why I thought they were laughing throughout the massage.

On our various travels through Asia I’ve always been careful to ensure we follow traditions and not mistakenly cause offence.

Well, that afternoon I completely ruined years of hard work!

– Paul of The Two That Do

17. That time my clothes were stolen by baboons

I spent the summer of 2018 in Cape Town, well-known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It’s famed not only for its natural setting and dramatic coastline but also for the wildlife living in the surrounding region.

Little did I know I would be having a very close encounter with one of its most visible and intriguing animals, the chacma baboons, on a day out at the beach.

The city’s good weather year-round makes it a popular destination for beach lovers.

It was almost midday when the African sun is at its peak, so I decided to go for a swim, leaving everything behind and wrapping myself in a towel on the beach.

The waters along the Cape Coast are some of the coldest and I couldn’t have been away for more than 10 minutes before noticing a group of these baboons grabbling through my belongings.

A quick dash towards them and they scattered — though unfortunately they did not leave much behind. My clothes were missing and those that remained were left tattered.

The good news:

The baboons hadn’t shown much interest in my wallet, but I was forced to spend the rest of the day — including my way back home on public transportation — in nothing but short swim trunks and an embarrassed smile.

Following the incident, I heard that the baboons of Cape Point are the only ones in their species that mine the beaches for seafood. And being protected under environmental law, they have become brazen in their attempts, raiding houses and belongings, and even mugging people.

Lesson learned.

– Rai of A Rai of Light

18. Lost menstrual cup

One of the unglamorous things female travelers have to think about is our menstrual cycle. It is not a fun topic, but it is our reality.

Over the last few years, I made the decision to switch to more eco-friendly sustainable options that do not involve plastic.

This particular story starts with my family’s big move to Mexico, during the pandemic.

My cycle decided to show up two days before the big move, so that was fun. I headed to the airport confident in my menstrual cup because it hadn’t failed me in several months.

While on the flight I had to remove the cup and couldn’t get it back in. The passengers could hear me rattling and moving things around in the lavatory, as I tried to get the menstrual cup inserted.

After almost 10 minutes I gave up and decided to return back up to my seat, and use my back-up protection.

When I exited the lavatory, I could see everyone staring at me, wondering why there was so much commotion.

After sitting down I realized I didn’t have my menstrual cup. The first thought that came to mind was that I accidentally flushed the cup.

I started to panic. Did I drop it on my way back to my seat? What if someone finds it?

After 15 minutes, I returned to the lavatory to see if my cup was on the floor.

Finally, it hit me. I went through the trash in the lavatory and found my menstrual cup. I was so relieved to find it still wrapped in the paper towel.

Although it is funny now, at the time I was freaking out.

– Corritta from My Eco Flow

stories of embarrassing moments in Las Vegas

19. Dropping my underwear in Vegas

Before I get into the nitty-gritty of how, one faithful hot and sweaty August day, I displayed my panties to the world, there are a few details you need to know.

The last time I had been to Vegas, in 2015, all of the hotels on The Strip had free parking. Fast forward to 2017, I had flown to Vegas for a quick and cheap weekend trip.

My Vegas crew got me free entrance and drinks to the day club at MGM Grand, so after I landed, I hopped in my rental car and drove to the hotel.

Only to find out that parking at the MGM Grand was now paid.

And expensive.

So, in the name of being a budget queen, I drove to the very far away Venetian Hotel because they were one of the only hotels left with free parking.

But that left me with another problem:

I was now going to be late for the party.

Free entry — but most importantly free drinks — was only available for a limited time, and I now had only 45 minutes to get down The Strip and into the pool of the MGM Grand if I wanted to secure my free wristband.

I quickly changed into my swimsuit in the car, throwing a dress on top and a change of clothes — aka what I had been wearing on the plane — in my mini backpack as I dashed out of the parking lot.

Practically jogging down the strip in the blazing summer sun, I shuffled around in my backpack for my sunscreen. After half-hazardly sloshing it over my arms, face, and parts of my leg — I had to do a little hop to get my ankles as I walked — I slung my backpack to the side to plop the sunscreen back in.

A few seconds later, someone tapped me on the shoulder:

“Um, Miss…”

I turned around and spotted what everyone was now looking at. A lump of colorful (worn) underwear.

My worn underwear.

Just as I was about to pretend I had never in my life seen that panda MeUndies print before, the person who tapped me added, loudly, “It fell out of your backpack.”

I snatched up my underwear and ran into the nearest hotel lobby. I never made it to the pool party.

– Kay from The Awkward Traveller

20. The locked hotel room in Hong Kong

One of my most embarrassing travel moments was the time when I was locked out of my room in Hong Kong during Chinese New Year.

After a long flight from Auckland, New Zealand, I was exhausted and just wanted to get to my hostel as soon as possible.

Because it was Chinese New Year, I had already booked a room as I didn’t want to run the risk of ending up on the street because everything was full. I had booked a room in one of the countless hostels in the Chungking Mansions complex.

That was a mistake. A big mistake. Don’t go there. Ever!

It’s a maze — and not in a fun way. My husband and I walked around for an hour after we finally managed to find what was supposed to be our room; however, when we arrived, there was nobody there.

So I called the number scribbled on a piece of paper pasted on the door and was told my reservation was canceled.

Just like that.

There I was, on Chinese New Year, bone-tired and without a place to stay.

But wait, it gets worse…

Out of thin air, a guy emerged and told me he had a room for me. As dodgy as I found this, I was too tired to care so I went with him.

He showed me the room and I quickly agreed. So far so good.

But then I made the monumental mistake of leaving the room to see the parade — because I couldn’t justify being in Hong Kong during Chinese New Year and not watching the parade that passed in front of Chungking Mansions.

I mean, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Tired as I was, I pulled myself together and went to see the parade. That was the only fun part of this disastrous night.

When I got back to my room and put the key in the lock nothing happened. I pushed and wriggled and cursed and tried and finally burst out in tears because I couldn’t get the door to open.

Luckily the people in the adjourning room came to check out the noise of me trying to break down the door and gave me the number of the guy who had shown me to the room.

So, I called him and after an hour he finally arrived and opened the door. Needless to say, I changed hotels the next day.

– Lotte from Gezond Weekmenu

Bonus Short Travel Stories

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

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

17 True Short Adventure Travel Stories To Inspire Your Next Trip

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

Do you have any embarrassing travel stories to add?

What are your craziest travel stories from the road.

Enjoyed these embarrassing travel stories? Pin them for later!

Jessie Festa standing in front of grafitti wall

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I loved reading these stories! I always have at least one embarrassing story from my travels so I’m glad I’m not alone!

What a crazy collection of stories! I would be so mortified to wind up naked on a public beach!

Such a good post! Thanks for sharing. Really very useful and informative post.

Today is very meaningful when I read your article, it helps me to know more things, very useful to me, thank you for your dedication to write such a good article.

I’m a conscious solo traveler on a mission to take you beyond the guidebook to inspire you to live your best life through travel.