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Life is a series of experiences that remain with us regardless of where we move. Travelling is one such experience that is both liberating and refreshing. Imagine sunbathing in Goa or enjoying the fresh, chilling air of Leh; even the idea of travel refreshes our minds to no boundaries.
However, not all travel experiences go as per the plan. Instead of being a once-in-a-lifetime experience, things can instantly escalate to the worst possible scenarios if you are not diligent. Even worse, things are not in your control in some cases, and you have to wait to get the trip over.
It’s always the good stuff about travel that goes viral on social media. Very few people share their bad travel experiences. Probably they are embarrassed, or they want to forget the bad stuff and look forward to better things in life.
But a shady travel experience can happen to anyone, and the more you make yourself aware of its possibility, the more you can be prepared to deal with it in the worst-case scenario.
Check out this list of my shadiest travel experiences that could have happened to anyone.
My first travel experience was that I became sick soon before flying to Europe and got quite incapable of travelling.
On top of that, the crew was horrible to me. I was told that I was fortunate to be offered water, and therefore it was my responsibility to drink excessively – even though I had not had any alcohol. Additionally, I was criticised for travelling alone. I was physically wheeled off the plane by paramedics when I arrived at the airport. It was all quite dramatic and hardly the best way to start a vacation, let alone my first backpacking trip alone.
When I travelled to Hawaii, I felt great. After filling out the USA immigration form, I proudly selected the box indicating that I was in Hawaii for official purposes. However, when I arrived for a passport check, I was told that I couldn’t enter Hawaii without a legitimate work permit. The authorities threatened to deport me on the next plane back home, which would add another 18 hours to my flight time. After convincing them to contact my boss, who managed to resolve the situation, I was finally allowed to enter the beach city.
I had cheerfully spent an evening in a Belize rainforest looking for tarantulas. But while taking a bath in my apartment, I made friends with a cockroach that had emerged from the darkness while bathing – but I am scared of rodents.
When a monstrous rat bolted from the bathrooms of a Mumbai restaurant, I recoiled in horror. “It’s only a bandicoot!” my friend exclaimed. While living in the Himalayas, we had a rodent in our room, which was worse than when a monkey broke into our window and stole our fruit. But, then, the rat ran about in our bedroom’s open-air bathroom — I didn’t sleep all night. And eventually, we had to move to a more expensive accommodation that was more hygienic.
In Rome, on a crowded bus, someone snatched my wallet. When I reported it to the police near where I lived, I was very impressed by the friendly and helpful officer. However, when I returned home to the UK, I found a note from him on my instant message updating the case. It seemed excessive the following day when he contacted me at work, and I became apprehensive when he contacted me once more at home and expressed his interest in taking me to the nearby Coast that summer. As a result, whenever an Italian number appeared on my phone the following day at work, I backed out. The stalking was getting unbearable!
I arrived in Hanoi with friends early the following day after a few ‘buckets’ of beer the night before. We arrived in the colourful city; our first objective was to locate a taxi from the airport. With a slightly foggy head, we were given transport by a kind, albeit insistent, gentleman and his mate who promised us a reasonable price. We had heard that Vietnam was relatively cheap, so we gladly accepted his ride. We climbed into the back of an unmarked black sedan for the 30-minute ride. Here we first encountered Vietnamese hospitality.
We double-checked our statistics and discovered that we had agreed to pay $200 for a taxi. It should have been much cheaper. Negotiation was difficult because of our inadequate knowledge of Vietnamese and the drivers’ limited knowledge of English. Finally, the driver began shouting at us and slamming on the brakes. We deduced that they were not satisfied, based on what we could gather.
Nobody had any idea where we were and what they were up to. It ended well. Fortunately, we persuaded the taxi driver to drop us down in a different part of the city. We were relieved to arrive at our hotel after a second taxi ride in a recognised vehicle running on the government metre.
I had various difficulties while travelling by land to the United States. It began when the Mexican Army attempted to deport us from the bus we were riding, claiming we needed to move out of the country immediately. Unfortunately, it didn’t get any better from there.
We immediately proceeded to a US-Mexico border crossing, only to be denied exit stamps from Mexico, told that we do not require a visa, and given the third degree.
In my last travel experience, we had to return the following day to obtain our Mexican exit stamp, which only served to intensify the anxiety at the end. This is only a quick summary of what we talked about. It was a tense 24 hours and an unpleasant travel experience that I will never forget.
Travelling is an excellent way to learn the ways of the world, grow emotionally and experience the uniqueness of diverse cultures. The different flavours of travelling cultures evolve us as individuals who are curious to learn more. It also prepares us to deal with different challenges and uncertainties that life throws upon us.
In today’s travel scene, many people desire more than just a beach vacation, a crowded tourist attraction, or a visit to a museum. The discerning modern travellers desire more than the standard tourist experience. And to experience something unseen and different, sometimes you have to pay the price of navigating unplanned and uncertain experiences. But real travellers use these experiences to navigate smartly later in life, and they will never get disheartened as they continue to explore the world. Simply put, travel makes our approach to life broader, not smaller, even in the face of uncertainty.
Ans: Travellers tend to look for reliable updates and accurate flight details when they want to find the best travel deals. To find the best deals on flights and hotels, you have to do your side of the homework, namely, browse and research for travel-related details based on your specific requirements. A good place to start before booking is to check Cleartrip.
Ans: Yes, travel charges are prevalent and have infiltrated every aspect of travel, from flights to hotels to rental vehicles. A silver lining is that there are many avoidable aspects that you can easily identify. When travelling, choose an airline that does not charge for standard services such as baggage.
Numerous hotel expenses are avoidable by simply opting out of certain services, such as the contents provided in the minibar or making in-room calls.
Check the fine print before renting a car from your hotel. Analyse easily avoidable fees, such as early return and fuel expenses. On top of that, consider whether you need to purchase insurance and more. Always double-check your choices before moving ahead.
Ans: Whether to buy travel insurance is a genuine question. It’s entirely up to you and your risk tolerance. For the most part, it isn’t necessary if you’re on a short domestic trip and haven’t paid much money for it. Furthermore, most airlines and hotels would issue a refund or permit a rebooking in case of any changes to your schedule from their side.
Flight delays or cancellations can be caused by the airline or uncontrollable external forces. A few aspects to consider:
– Each airline’s policy differs, but most airlines indicate on their official websites that passengers are permitted to rebook on the next flight, transfer to another carrier, or receive a reimbursement for the unused part of the trip.
– Some airline carriers also include lunch vouchers, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation at their discretion.
– Take a look at the airline policies pertaining to flight delay or cancellation for more clarity on the same.
