In today’s world of perfect Instagram photos, it’s easy to believe that travelling is always carefree. But, the reality is that traveling isn't always pretty. It can get dirty, messy and uncomfortable. It's also been known to induce a few tears as well as the occasional tantrum.
My mishaps of my trip in Southeast Asia are solid proof that travelling can go horribly wrong. I’ve been to over 60 countries without having had anything stolen, broken or lost. Southeast Asia changed all that. If I’m going to be completely honest, Southeast Asia kicked my ass.
MISHAPS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: WHEN TRAVELLING GOES WRONG
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MISHAP NO. 1: SOYA FEEL SICK (THAILAND)
Mishap no. 1 happened in a packed minivan heading to the mountain village of Pai.
In case you didn’t know, the road to Pai is very, very winding. Wait, that’s an understatement. In fact, the road has 762 curves! I never get carsick but it didn’t take long for me to feel nauseous. I felt hot then cold then hot again. I started to feel weak and breathless. Then my stomach began to churn and rumble.
Uh-oh.
The rumbling got worse. I began to feel hotter and I was getting sweatier by the minute. Then it happened. I hurled the entirety of my stomach out the window! It was so gross - I could actually see my vomit carried away by the wind.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so embarrassed in my life. I blame the soya drink I had that morning.
MISHAP NO. 2: MOTORBIKE CHRONICLES (THAILAND)
We decided to rent a motorbike in Pai to explore the area. Riding around the valleys was amazing! All was going well - until it wasn’t.
As we took a turn at a busy junction, my husband didn’t see the patch of loose gravel. It was already too late. The motorbike skidded on the gravel taking us along with it. We fell to the ground with a thug. We both scraped our arms but mine was worse. My left hand was also badly scraped. I was a mess of tears and blood.
Fortunately, nothing was broken but I had to wear bandages until the cuts healed properly.
MISHAP NO. 3: WTF IS THAT SOUND? (LAOS)
We found a really nice guesthouse on our second night in Laos. It was one of those places where you just feel good in. The white bed sheets were freshly-pressed. The pillows were fluffy. The duvet was cozy. You get the picture. I was looking forward to a good night’s sleep.
But wait. What the fuck is that sound? Snoring? The wind? The bed cracking? Crazy birds? Mosquitoes? I just couldn't figure it.
My husband decided to open the lights while I stayed tucked under the cozy duvet. No sense two of us getting eaten by whatever was making the noise, haha. Once the lights were on, I immediately screamed! Wtf?!
There were two bats frantically flying above our bed! I hid under the covers while my husband grabbed an umbrella to try to kick the bats out the window. Of course, the more he tried, the crazier the bats got.
After several failed attempts, my husband finally whacked one of them with the umbrella. It fell to the floor with a loud thump. We both felt really bad about having killed a bat but it was them or us, haha.
I think the other bat got scared out of its wits because it flew straight out the window. What a relief!
MISHAP NO. 4: CHASING WATERFAAAALLS (LAOS)
Mishap no. 4 happened on our way to the Khonepasoi Waterfall in Don Det. The hanging footbridge to get across the river to the waterfall was made of loose, wooden slats. There were wide gaps between each slat. Nothing about that bridge was reassuring but I moved forward, nonetheless.
Halfway across the footbridge, I decided to take a picture of the stunning scenery. In that moment of awe, I forgot all about the gaps that freaked me out just minutes earlier. As I turned to take the picture, I fell through one of the wide gaps.
The only thing that stopped me from falling into the gushing river below was my knee. Luckily, it was too big to pass through the gap. A small child wouldn’t have been so lucky, though.
The next day my knee was swollen the size of a grapefruit. It turned purple and blue all the way down to my ankle. Oh, the joy!
MISHAP NO.5: LOSING MY VOICE (CAMBODIA)
Senmonorom is known for its indigenous minority, namely the Bunong. The Bunong live in the small village of Dak Dam nestled in the hills. The people were friendly and curious, and we had a wonderful time. The problem was the unpaved roads.
All the roads were covered in a thick, orange dust which got swept up by the wind. This dust was relentless. It got tangled up in my hair and went down my throat despite wearing a mask. It was so bad that I actually lost my voice the next day.
MISHAP NO. 6: IN THE WOODS I LEFT MY MARK (CAMBODIA)
We had rented a motorbike to explore a few of the surrounding villages in Senmonorom. We rode all over on nicely-paved roads. That is, until we reached a road block. We had to take a dusty, desolate road back to our hotel.
I started to feel queasy about halfway through the wooded area. It got worse with every bump on the road. My stomach made awful gurgling sounds. I started to get cramps. Something was desperately trying to get out of my stomach.
I couldn’t keep it in anymore. I yelled at my husband to stop! I jumped off the motorbike and ran to the woods. Please, please, please don’t let me crap my pants.
I frantically looked for a spot to do my business. You know, like a dog, haha. I crouched, pulled down my pants just in time and left my mark in the woods. Thank goodness I had toilet paper and wet wipes. I can’t imagine the disaster that would’ve ensued if I hadn’t.
The moral of the story is: always carry toilet paper when you're traveling.
MISHAP NO. 7: ANOTHER STRANGE SOUND (CAMBODIA)
When we went on the island of Koh Rong, we stayed in a wooden hut. The room was utterly basic with a bamboo ceiling and walls. One night, a strange sound was coming from inside one of the walls. I already knew the sound a bat made but this sound was completely different. I stayed in bed (yet, again) while my husband searched the room.
He finally found the culprit behind the bamboo wall. It was a huge gecko! The gecko came and went the whole time we were there. It was disconcerting trying to sleep knowing a gecko was in the room but it was harmless.
MISHAP NO. 8: IN MANDALAY I LAY (MYANMAR)
The last of my mishap happened in Mandalay. The town was small enough to get around on bicycles. We really enjoyed Mandalay but the stifling heat was exhausting. It was way too hot to be riding around on bicycles in the middle of the afternoon.
The result? I believe I had a sunstroke. I spent the whole night tossing and turning in a pool of sweat. I see-sawed between chills and a high fever all night long. I could hardly eat anything except for some refreshing watermelon.
I was exhausted but finally felt better after 5 whole days spent in bed.
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I’m the founder and creator of Life Untraveled. I quit my corporate job, sold everything I owned and have been traveling full-time since 2018. I hope to inspire you to travel differently on a budget.
More about me here.
46 Responses
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Anthony Jury
I love South East Asia but it can be easy to see why so many mishaps happen in the region. All well, end well. but great stories.
travelscout
This is great! As long as nothing terrible happens it is great to look back and laugh on the mishaps. We would’nt be travelers if we didn’t have any adventures.
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So true! 🙂
Ellis Veen
Wow, so many bunfortunate situations. I had a bat once in my shower. Imagine being still half asleep without my glasses seeing something black in the corner of the shower. Just in time before I actually turned it on. I asked the guesthouse owners to remove it alive and release it, but I don’t think he survived their attempts to catch it in the bathroom.
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Wow – in our shower!?!? That’s crazy! It reminds me of all those times I couldn’t see properly because I wasn’t wearing my contact lenses or glasses. I must say I don’t miss those days – I’ve had laser eye surgery and it was the best thing ever (especially for traveling)!
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Couldn’t let those things ruin our travels but I admit after our motorbike incident, I was uneasy every time we rented one (which sucked cause I love riding on a motorbike!). That road to Pai was brutal!
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Most of these we find quite funny ourselves – they sure make for great memories! I actually DID have toilet paper (never leave home without it)! 😉
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Being sick while traveling is the worst but, fortunately, nothing was too serious. I’m ready for more! 🙂
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Don’t feel bad….it was meant to be funny (I also laughed at myself while writing this post)!
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Not weird at all! I guess it’s different when you expect bats to be present. Not so in our hotel room…lol!
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Glad it made you laugh! My boyfriend has been a life-savor many times! 🙂
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Exactly…..gotta take the good with the bad if we want to fully experience the world but I would gladly forego one or two of these mishaps! 😉
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SEA seems to want to kick our travel asses….lol!
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Getting sick is one of the worst aspects while traveling but, ironically, it makes us appreciate our travels more! The bat’s squealing was definitely creepy!
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Thanks Raymond! Whoa…..a bat inside your friend’s jacket is intense!!! Traveling is all about embracing the good and the bad – or else we might as well just stay at home! 😉
Ana Ojha
Oh boy! So many series of unfortunate events! But glad that it didn’t turn worse and you and your boyfriend were safe! Traveling seems lucrative but that’s not reality always!
Andreea Bujor
Your writing is very sparky and funny, i actually laughed. I feel like checking my room for bats now and listen to any strange noise. It good also to show sometimes the not so good part about travelling, cause everyone thinks it’s only glamour :). Great post and photos .
Paula - Gone with the Wine
This was fun to read, a little bit different from regular travel experiences. I am usually most worried about getting the motion sickness in a bus or a boat. So far, I have been lucky enough with the foods not to get food poisonings. I am pretty adventurous in what I eat, however, I was extra cautious in Egypt. Great post!
Sandy & Vyjay
Bat inside the room was hilarious, but I would be scared to death if anything like that happened to me. I felt sorry to hear about the other mishaps, but hey you have loads of memories and stories to share now. Can’t wait for more!
Taiss Nowrouzi
hahaha!! sorry I don’t mean to laugh at you, just that yes, I believe in ALWAYS having toilet paper with me ( I lost a good pair of undies once when I didn’t have any with me). Also, I puked ALL THE WAY to Pai once (my husband kept passing me bag after bag and I just kept filling them up!) oh man the things that happen when traveling —not Snapchat appropriate, but they add to the fun! Not to mention, the stories you can tell like this one!
Mike
This is a great post. I’ve actually had two bats fly into our flat in “Vienna, Austria” and it was an absolute nightmare trying to get them out!
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Haha….they’re quite stubborn!
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No food poisoning but lots of other stuff….lol! The bats did freak me out – I was so scared one of them would get caught in my hair!
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Thanks Phil! So much happens when traveling I thought it would be funny/interesting to show the ‘bad’ side. We were very lucky our motorbike accident was minor. We did have travel insurance but we didn’t need to use it that time.
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Good to know about the gecko – thanks! 🙂
Chrysoula Manika
Don’t take it wrong but your post was so funny epecially the bat inside the room. I think I could never sleep in case another one appeared. Generally I am really careful of what I eat when traveling abroad.
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We laughed hysterically after we got rid of the bats….lol! After I got sick from the soya beverage, I looked at the ingredients and noticed a bunch of weird things (including milk….in a soya beverage!?!).
Jenna
Oh no! Sorry to hear about all the mishaps! That soya story sounds horrible–not much worse than getting sick like that. We haven’t had any really tragic incidents, but I do always seem to minority injure myself, lol! Happy travels and thanks for sharing the other side of travel that doesn’t get talked about as much!
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Turns out there was milk (!!) plus a bunch of other weird things that shouldn’t be in a soya beverage (which is usually organic). Luckily nothing serious happened and now we can laugh about our mishaps. Happy (& safe) travels to you too!
Sabs
Wow! Those are not good experiences. The good and bad always go together, but we learn more from the bad experiences!
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Nothing serious but, like you said, travel is made up of all sorts of stories and experiences, good and bad. But it’s still the best thing ever! 🙂
Melissa Kiely
You poor bugger – but hey they all make a great blog post!!! I’ve been pretty lucky in my travels and have not had too many dramas. The good thing is it appears you have managed to get back up again and continue on with your travels.
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I was lucky nothing serious happened but every time I thought to myself “Why is SEA so hard on me?!” lol
Drew Seaman
I learned one very important lesson reading all of these – always carry Wet Wipes!!! Always, always, always. And have them readily available on you at all times (maybe even more important). Like you, I’ve traveled extensively and never had any dramatic ‘incident’ – save for a few small ones – and this is a reminder that we’re all human.
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Don’t leave home without them! 😉
John & Heather
Wow, you’ve certainly had some crazy mishaps! The story about your fall when visiting the waterfall must have been terrifying. That’s one of my biggest fears is slipping and getting an injury. So glad to hear that you were ok and you even managed to not loose your cell phone. Thanks for sharing your crazy experiences!
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Falling through the cracks on the foot bridge was definitely terrifying but I think I was very lucky nonetheless!
Tamara Elliott (Globe Guide)
Oh my goodness it really did you in! I had some similar experiences in Asia- just the nature of the place I guess. Those bats would have really thrown me for a loop!
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We traveled for 4 months in 4 different countries so I guess when you move around so much strange things are bound to happen. Good thing nothing was too serious! 🙂
Bhushavali
First of all, good to know that you didn’t face any major troubles! Touch wood!!
OMG, you had 2 bats in your hotel room?!!! That’s pure crazy! But I had one in my own home in the living room!!! I just ducked and opened all windows, so it would find its own way out!!! I mean, it finds its way by sonar right?!!! Yup, it took a couple minutes, but worked!!!
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Believe it or not, years ago I also had a bat flying all over my apartment!!! I took my dog, went to the dining room, shut the doors and slept on the table until my boyfriend got home….lol! I live in Montreal (a big city) but there are still lots of bats.