For you to tell me your worst holiday stories?

[pintsizedblondie]

Sat here feeling sorry for myself 5 days into a two week all inclusive to Mexico. My partner has slipped this morning on a wet floor due to heavy rainfall and has fractured his shoulder and is now in agony in a sling. We spent the morning in A&E, hotel manager very disingenuous and unsympathetic and now facing 9 days of probably quite an unenjoyable break. Am I being unreasonable to ask you to tell me your worst holiday stories to help cheer me up?!

It has to be in the Dominican. We’d booked an adult only hotel and the reviews online were amazing. Our first night there we were wakened by really loud talking from the room opposite us. DH looked out and there was a group of men so we reported it to reception. We found out the next morning this was a regular thing in the hotel - let’s just say they were waiting their turn.

We got settled at the pool and noticed a lot of older ladies with younger men - then we discovered they were commonly called sanky pankies. They were paid by the hour. We decided not to swim in the pool given the drunken goings on in the afternoons. The next day we found. Nice spot on the beach. DH went to get us a drink and I was approached by a young man who said I looked lonely and shoved a card in my hand with his number (I don’t think he understood get to fuck)

Two days later we got food poisoning and on further inspection of the food found the chicken was half raw, flies flew out of fish being cut on the outdoor bbq and were also landing on the bread etc. We flew home 5 days early.

0h and our bathroom ceiling fell in on day 2.

Youngest Ds has given us much holiday trauma. When he was 11 months old we took him to Florida. He developed a gastro bug. He was very ill and one day had horrendous vomiting and diarrhoea. Unfortunately his temp was up too and he ended having a febrile convulsion. We had no idea what was going on and I thought he was dying. Had to ring 911 and had a room full of fireman quite quickly. He wasn't too bad so they didn't take him to hospital. But over the next few days we ended getting the on call hotel doctor involved and then a trip to ER for iv fluids, they also ended up giving him a CT scan.

When he was 4 we took him to Australia. On the way we stopped in LA. Ds was ill again. Some kind of virus but he was floppy and not eating or drinking. Another ER visit but they wanted him transferred to a children's hospital. Ambulance transfer and two nights in hospital on iv fluids again. We pleaded with them to let us take him on the flight to Sydney on the 3rd day. He was still not particularly well but they discharged him. When we phoned the insurance company about this claim, they were still negotiating a price with the American company to pay for the first claim when he was a baby!

He is now a teenager and apart from a chest infection abroad he has not caused us any more issues. The care we received both times was very good. We were asked for insurance details but were never asked for cash or credit cards. It hasn't put us off, we still love to travel although I would still think twice about travelling somewhere without good health care facilities.

10 days in Tunisia, got food poisoning on the second day and had barely recovered by the last day!

One year in Spain, a large family room with DS6 and DS8, myself and DH. DS6 got a (projectile) vomiting bug, which meant he basically painted the room in it for 48 hours. Then DH and DS8 came down with it, so three people, vomiting and crapping in one room with a shared toilet (the sink was also drafted into use on occasion).

I'm emetophobic.

Following year we booked another holiday, paid, packed, 24 hours to go when I glanced fondly at the kid's passport photos. DS6 had expired the day before. Had to fly out solo with elder DS, husband had to do emergency run to the passport office when it opened, spend the day there with DS and get a flight the following day (v last-minute and expensive). Holiday ended up costing almost double and they missed 30% of it.

The year after that we went to Turkey. All good, passports thoroughly checked out. 2nd night in the apartment and we woke at 3am to boiling water pouring through the ceiling. Turned out the tank on the roof had exploded and it ruined all our stuff. Room was uninhabitable for most of our stay and there was nothing comparable to move into. Had to stay in a poxy box room and weren't compensated.

Then went to Devon where we experienced hurricane style wind and rain for a solid week in a chalet with no heat and all got flu.

We stayed home the following year...

Spent week in campervan in Devon with DP & DDog. DDog came into season on Day 1 so couldn't let her run on beach etc. Poured with rain. Day 2 I got raging toothache. Had to travel to nearest town. Tooth had to be taken out. DP went back to campsite to give up & pack up so we could drive home. Awning had blown down and our stuff all over campsite. We sold campervan shortly after.

Family camping holiday circa 1978. It rained. And rained. And rained. Flooded out of tent, had to sleep in car, and the next day we drove through more torrential rain to my great-aunt’s house 100 miles away, as that was the nearest place of refuge. There were ducks paddling in the puddles outside outside the tent so it was pretty soggy.

Spanish island, first ever family holiday abroad.

Drink spiked with acid. Fell of a second floor balcony and ran amok as I was tripping my head off but didn’t know.

Carted off to hospital in an ambulance. Stripped naked and put in a tiled room and had several nurses (male & female) hosing me with cold water. One nurse slapped me across the face.

Woke up in the morning and got out of bed to go to the toilet and staggered into the busy corridor with my front opening gown flapping open flashing everyone whilst desperately trying to find a bathroom.

Only realised I was exposed when a male nurse grabbed my gown front and held it together whilst it slowly dawned on me why people were staring mouths agape. The whole white of my eye was red with burst blood vessels and my knee was massively swollen and I still had 4 days of holiday left but I just wanted to go home.

I think being marooned on an island for three months wins!

Touch wood generally have lovely holidays. Remember a camping trip when a student. It rained (Wales) and the two friends I went with had a massive row with each other it rained non stop so we drove home.

He will be tired, broken bones use energy to heal, so you might leave him for a couple of hours to swim, shop etc.

Only 2 holidays that were a bit rubbish.

Mini break to North Wales. Hotel adverts and reviews were glowing. It ended up like faulty towers. Wardrobe rail kept collapsing, so clothes ended up on the floor, toilet flush not working (found this out, after my DS had a large poo), sullen staff, mouldy bread and sour milk. My son went to set up the pool table and the whole front fell off on his foot. Pool closed, jacuzzi not working and sauna broke.

Outside was awful - uneven paths, mud and rocks in the car park. We managed a night and I demanded a refund and drove home.

The other was a trip to the US. Had a fabulous first 2 days until my friend went over on her knee and couldn't walk. 5 hour trip to ER and a leg-brace and a crutch. Hotel loaned us a wheelchair. Next stop New York. Ever tried navigating NYC with someone in a wheelchair! It's shocking. I was knackered after 5 days.

On my parents honeymoon they both got heatstroke. I thought that was bad until reading some of these stories!

Dh was V broke. I.found a 2 week holiday in Turkey for not too many pennies.... flew out... no coach. People at the airport were saying "oh your holiday co has gone bust..." no one else was going to our resort so.we just got a taxi.

Thought hotel would be ok.... no. got there... they'd not been paid by holiday co for 6 months. Luckily they had a room free but we had to pay for it again.

Rest of holiday was fine. A few days before leaving I thought how about the flight home??? Called abta who said oh yes ooooppps forgot about you lot theres about 12 of you!!!" So had to fly from Turkey to Ankara to Heathrow (near where we live) then had to get taxi Gatwick to get the car
...fuck sake....

2 weeks later got a parking ticket for the car... had to sue the company for the money
.....

Bloody awful 1😡😡😡

3 days in Serengeti

Was working in Tanzania at the time
Booked the trip lady minute
Travel agent told me it was me and two others
Lied

It was me and two couples
They were not happy at me joining them and the jeep we travelled in was v cramped !!!
They mostly did not speak to me

First day starving - finally got some food
Monkey came along and took the bag out of my hand and ran off with it

Our chef one day tried to rob us - I caught him just in time as he was putting my I pad under his jacket :(
Chef and driver had a massive row as chef stole the drivers tent
Driver had no where to sleep so had to share a tent with me :(
Second night the tent got ripped was freezing cold
Towards the end driver and chef had huge row
Chef legged it with all our food , some of our clothes , sleeping bags etc !! We had no food left to eat and driver was so angry he just wanted to get us home

None of the group spoke a word to me for most of trip
Driver was so peeved he then went silent

Pretty horrendous all in all

Went to the Caribbean with mates we didn’t know well. Turned out they weren’t nice so we avoided them most of the time. We faked tiredness, and went to bed early every night. I came home pregnant - which happily we were v pleased about 😊

@Bridget1983 - Shell Island is a notorious tent killer. My family have holidayed there on and off for 30 years and lost a few tents and seen plenty of other peoples die! We still go back though - must be gluttons for punishment!

Oh and holidays with friends never end well. Seems like such a good idea until you actually get there especially when you're sharing accommodation. I went abroad with an ex and my friend and her now ex partner. My friend and my ex had a row on the first night.

My ex was vile to me, ended up having a big row in the street to the point where local police stopped to see what was going on.

Shared an apartment and there was never enough hot water for everyone's shower each night. Because it was my friends family's place she thought it meant we should have colder showers everyday.

Went on a boat trip and my ex refused to get on because he hadn't had breakfast and said he'd pass out.

The only people who didn't fall out were me and my friends ex 😂😂

Trivial stuff compared with some of the horror stories on here but it's taught me not to go away with friends in couples again, just doesn't work!

When I was five we were 3 weeks in Greece with my parents' best friends, a couple who had three sons who all though girls had cooties. My parents knew this. My DB played with them instead if me and I had noone to play with. When I was 16 I was on a tent tril with mybest friend who had just broken up with her boyfriend. We were supposed to be away fir two weeks vut were back after less than a week as I had taken about as much oh woest me and nothing matters anymore as I could take.

I go on holiday in 20 hours and I’m about to start throwing up with a nasty Norovirus that my toddler has given me < not envy!!

My first holiday (I’m 30) and I’m gutted

@ConfusedKoala oh noooo. Are you still going to go? Are you travelling abroad? I've got to say that travelling by plane when you're in the throes of Norovirus would be logistically very challenging not to mention unpleasant!

Hope you feel better soon Confused!

And OP Hope your husband isn't in too much pain and gets to enjoy some aspects of your holiday.

My dad booked us a holiday to Portugal in the 1970s, days after a military coup which developed into the Portuguese revolution.

He said he thought it was a bit quiet in the local town then realised there was a curfew every night and all the locals were inside!

Armed Military would stop us and routinely ask to check our passports.

The hotel was changed at the last minute and was in the middle of nowhere.
In the end we stumbled upon a fisherman's hut thing on the beach with a bar and all the locals would stay in there eating and drinking and singing songs. So we went there most nights and ended up having a great time.

Another holiday as a kid - I was walking round the pool in flip flops and fell on my chest on to the edge of a diving board sticking out. So winded apparently my face went blue and then eventually I breathed again. I remember a lot of Italian ladies gathering round and making a big fuss of me and calling me Bambino.

On holiday in Malta as a teen being walked back to my hotel by a nice enough lad I wasn't the slightest bit interested in , and as we approached the front of the Hotel seeing a drunk man fall off his balcony and land on his back in front of us. I had to go to his room and get some personal effects and they took him to hospital! It got rid of the lad though!

Went to Turkey to an AI hotel which, unknown to us, was taken over months before by new management who proceeded to overbook the rooms. All the staff walked out so they had to recruit young students from Istanbul who worked ridiculously long hours. We were moved to three rooms in three days - the first being a cellar covered in damp and the second being the offices where the staff sometimes slept over. I'd never seen so many people with fractures in one place outside a clinic.
The hotel was caught up in a big food poisoning thing where the restaurant ended up being closed for a deep clean by people in those white suits. We realised it was eerilly quiet round the pool in the middle of August because everyone was ill, including the majority of one poor wedding party.

None of these come close to some of the horrors on here though!

My friend, while travelling the world, got malaria, recovered, had a bike accident, recovered, and then got bitten by a potentially rabid dog and had to have the VERY unpleasant rabies treatment (which partly involved a huge needle being stuck through his body into his stomach while he was awake).

My h and I went to Goa over 20 years ago. As I usually seem to, I caught a nasty cold on the flight, so I wasn't feeling my best. He then came down with food poisoning. He had a really high temperature and was delirious, along with d and v. He is never ill, so I was v. worried and asked for a doctor. He was elsewhere, so the hotel put us in a taxi to the local hospital, which was run by nuns. As we walked in the power went off ( which happened regularly.) We stood there in the dark, listening to moans and cries from patients in the ward. It was unearthly. Then a nun appeared with a torch. Shortly after the power came back.
We waited in a room that had glass jars displayed on high shelves. When I looked more closely they were human bits, presumably in formalin, some obviously internal, some recognisable as fingers, feet, eyes etc, and, most amazing of all, a foetus.

Anyway, my h was examined and they said they would give him an anti sickness injection. I had been warned that some hospitals re-used syringes and needles for the sake of economy, and I actually had taken a sharps kit on holiday with me in case of such an eventuality. However, they did produce new wrapped kit. My h though, being delirious, became very anxious that he was about to get a dose of hep.c or similar, and it took all of our powers of persuasion to get him to drop his pants. He was also given antibiotics and rehydration sachets. All this cost the equivalent of 60p. (We did go back when he was better to make a donation. They were so kind).
Meanwhile I had developed a horrendous cough, so returned to the chemist (where I had easily found tissues, Vick vapour rub and paracetamol) to get some cough mixture. The chemist rummaged around and produced a bottle of neat codeine syrup. I was desperate, so I did try it, but it was vile. Quite a kick though! I poured it away before we left.
That is the only holiday I've lost weight. We both lost over half a stone. I have a photo of us shortly after we came back and we look so thin!

We went to Turkey a few years ago.
Day 1 - laid in the sun loungers round the pool while the kids are playing on the littlies slides and splashing around. Watched my DS who was then 9 gonto go down a slide and a kid behind shoved him so hard in the back he went face first. He came struggling through the water with blood pouring out of his chin. Thank god the lady next to me was an English trained nurse as my legs went to jelly as soon as I saw how deep the cut was you could see through the layers of fat and muscle almost down to bone. He was taken to hospital by ambulance. I realised when we got there that my sun dress is thrown on over my bikini wasn't as all covering as I thought which really really didn't go down well. He was then pinned to the bed while they injected directly into the cut to stitch it
He spend the rest of the holiday with a bandage on his chin that we weren't allowed to get wet... on holiday in a hotel that had its own water park.

The same day I was harassed by a group of men outside the hospital waiting for our taxi because I hadn't had chance to dress more conservatively before the ambulance arrived.

DH was threatened by 2 men in the market for trying to barter.

Towards the end of the holiday I was sexually assaulted by the Male cleaner in the ladies toilet. Pinned up against a wall while he had his hands everywhere and trying to force his tongue in my mouth, to be fair the hotel dealt with it and sacked him on the spot.

That was a pretty shocking holiday!!