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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask for your worst holiday ever?

300 replies

5amisthenew7am · 01/06/2025 06:06

We’ve just got back from what I think was our worst holiday ever.

It rained heavily for 6 days out of 7
The kids fought all day, every day
I had to keep logging on for work because of a crisis situation
We went with my parents who made every excuse not to spend time with us and basically just took themselves off for lovely day trips without us. They didn’t lift a finger to help
Me and one DC both got D&V
The pool at the villa was absolutely freezing with giant bugs in it so nobody wanted to do any swimming
Our flights were delayed there and back

We actually went somewhere really beautiful and I’d been looking forward to it for months. The trip cost so much money and I honestly have never been so happy to get home.

I would love to hear others stories to make me feel better!

OP posts:
CountryQueen · 03/06/2025 13:54

Just had a very enjoyable 5 minutes watching Ice Cube and Snoop Dog on YouTube

If you’re scared mother fucker go to church 🤣

RoachFish · 03/06/2025 14:02

I bet nobody here had it quite as bad a time as Susan though😂 It's a miracle she survived the week! (sorry about the choice of newspaper but it's too ridiculous not to share)

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tourists-nightmare-corfu-hotel-had-35327009?fbclid=IwY2xjawKrzzhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBIY2czRDVXaUNhbEFWQTZsAR6VJ8AKoMoR3OJ-tCw7YG6fWDaLbAqjQ3nWinfy5mWl1hxkIB97ftTnXO-cAw_aem_0pt3QPeYn_yOZOJErsTv1g

MarioLink · 03/06/2025 14:11

My worst was Egypt too! Loved visiting Cairo, especially the museum and tried scuba diving but Sharm El Sheik was a dive and the people native to the area (Bedouin) were treated appallingly by the people from the Nile Valley. The food in the hotel was awful and I got the most horrific diarrhoea I have ever known. The hotel was full of loud and rude people and Peter Andre visited the shopping plaza next to our hotel!

SharpMintUser · 03/06/2025 14:31

Aliflowers · 02/06/2025 22:58

We used the waterpark there one year. It was the nearest waterpark to where we were staying and only realised once we arrived it was part of the hotel complex. All I can say is never ever would I stay there. The trip advisor reviews are enlightening

I’ve never been but it came up as a Facebook advert, which lead me to read the trip advisor reviews. Sounded familiar to OP experience 🤣

Aliflowers · 03/06/2025 16:46

SharpMintUser · 03/06/2025 14:31

I’ve never been but it came up as a Facebook advert, which lead me to read the trip advisor reviews. Sounded familiar to OP experience 🤣

I can confirm that it was indeed as you imagine. We got to waterpark (which was fine to be fair) but the clientele was like something from two pints of lager. Lots of suspect tattoos, drunk at early am parents and scalded children running wild. We’ve been to Majorca tens of times and have never seen the like or returned. Myself and DH laughed a sigh of relief when we got into our rental car and sped back across the island to our hotel

zaxxon · 03/06/2025 18:01

MarioLink · 03/06/2025 14:11

My worst was Egypt too! Loved visiting Cairo, especially the museum and tried scuba diving but Sharm El Sheik was a dive and the people native to the area (Bedouin) were treated appallingly by the people from the Nile Valley. The food in the hotel was awful and I got the most horrific diarrhoea I have ever known. The hotel was full of loud and rude people and Peter Andre visited the shopping plaza next to our hotel!

This made me laugh more than any of them yet! "And just when we thought it couldn't get any worse, guess who turned up..."

LakieLady · 03/06/2025 18:15

The washing machine could be opened mid cycle flooding the place - clearly for a toddler this was such fun 😱too.

This made me roar with laughter.

At least one of you managed to find something entertaining to do...

ChopstickNovice · 03/06/2025 18:46

RoachFish · 03/06/2025 14:02

I bet nobody here had it quite as bad a time as Susan though😂 It's a miracle she survived the week! (sorry about the choice of newspaper but it's too ridiculous not to share)

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tourists-nightmare-corfu-hotel-had-35327009?fbclid=IwY2xjawKrzzhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBIY2czRDVXaUNhbEFWQTZsAR6VJ8AKoMoR3OJ-tCw7YG6fWDaLbAqjQ3nWinfy5mWl1hxkIB97ftTnXO-cAw_aem_0pt3QPeYn_yOZOJErsTv1g

Hilarious. One wonders why she left the UK....

DaxieTaxi · 03/06/2025 20:51

None as bad as some of these absolute blinders, but I went on a (low budget) holiday with a girl friend (now no longer a friend) to Alcudía in 2016. We got an AirB&B in an apartment complex with a shared pool. It was great, right next to the beach, restaurants, shops and bars. The first full day, we stayed by the pool. It was August so it was hot, but despite me almost begging her, she wouldn’t wear any sun block or cover her head. She kept saying she’d been sunbathing in her garden back home and had a base tan (she didn’t) so she didn’t need any. I gave up in the end cos, you know, I’m not her mother, and just relaxed and enjoyed myself sunbathing and swimming. Cue the middle of the night I’m woken up by her calling my name. Come out of my bedroom and she’s vomited on the floor, and is collapsed over the toilet throwing her guts up! Yep, she had a serious case of sunstroke. Awesome. I spent the following day in our apartment looking after her interspersed with trips to the pharmacy to get rehydration sachets and stuff to stop her vomiting. She agreed she’d had too much sun and should have realised it’s much stronger abroad (you don’t say…). But then she’s posting on bloody facebook saying how she’s got food poisoning and being all poor me and all her friends were posting sympathy messages! We flew home the following day (not early, we only went for a couple of days), Strangely our friendship survived a few months longer until we were out with some friends and she started talking about that holiday, going for the sympathy vote saying she’d had food poisoning. I had had enough so I said loudly ‘OR you sunbathed all day without any sunblock and had sunstroke’. She left not long after that and never spoke to me again. I can’t say I was bothered.

ChopstickNovice · 03/06/2025 21:15

Eurocamp, 6 years ago. Me, then 18 month old DS, and DH, all came down with d&V. In the confines of a 2 bed static caravan.

sandrapinchedmysandwich · 03/06/2025 21:39

DaxieTaxi · 03/06/2025 20:51

None as bad as some of these absolute blinders, but I went on a (low budget) holiday with a girl friend (now no longer a friend) to Alcudía in 2016. We got an AirB&B in an apartment complex with a shared pool. It was great, right next to the beach, restaurants, shops and bars. The first full day, we stayed by the pool. It was August so it was hot, but despite me almost begging her, she wouldn’t wear any sun block or cover her head. She kept saying she’d been sunbathing in her garden back home and had a base tan (she didn’t) so she didn’t need any. I gave up in the end cos, you know, I’m not her mother, and just relaxed and enjoyed myself sunbathing and swimming. Cue the middle of the night I’m woken up by her calling my name. Come out of my bedroom and she’s vomited on the floor, and is collapsed over the toilet throwing her guts up! Yep, she had a serious case of sunstroke. Awesome. I spent the following day in our apartment looking after her interspersed with trips to the pharmacy to get rehydration sachets and stuff to stop her vomiting. She agreed she’d had too much sun and should have realised it’s much stronger abroad (you don’t say…). But then she’s posting on bloody facebook saying how she’s got food poisoning and being all poor me and all her friends were posting sympathy messages! We flew home the following day (not early, we only went for a couple of days), Strangely our friendship survived a few months longer until we were out with some friends and she started talking about that holiday, going for the sympathy vote saying she’d had food poisoning. I had had enough so I said loudly ‘OR you sunbathed all day without any sunblock and had sunstroke’. She left not long after that and never spoke to me again. I can’t say I was bothered.

What a dick.

Her not you.

DaxieTaxi · 03/06/2025 21:43

sandrapinchedmysandwich · 03/06/2025 21:39

What a dick.

Her not you.

Thanks I did wonder for a millisecond! 😂 Yeah she’s no loss, I saw some mutual friends a while back and they said she hasn’t changed.

MorrisseysMisery · 03/06/2025 23:30

WhatASmashingBlouseYouHaveOn · 01/06/2025 18:22

In my best Alan Partridge voice...."they must be sex people, Lynn.....sex people " 😂

I don't want to be part of your sex festival 😁

x2boys · 04/06/2025 08:39

RoachFish · 03/06/2025 14:02

I bet nobody here had it quite as bad a time as Susan though😂 It's a miracle she survived the week! (sorry about the choice of newspaper but it's too ridiculous not to share)

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tourists-nightmare-corfu-hotel-had-35327009?fbclid=IwY2xjawKrzzhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBIY2czRDVXaUNhbEFWQTZsAR6VJ8AKoMoR3OJ-tCw7YG6fWDaLbAqjQ3nWinfy5mWl1hxkIB97ftTnXO-cAw_aem_0pt3QPeYn_yOZOJErsTv1g

Oh bless her imagine having nothing but " forrin muck " to eat all week and no bacardi and coke 😭🤣🤣🤣

amooseymoomum · 04/06/2025 11:11

French holiday company went bust stuck ran out of money no food ended up some bread that was left for the donkeys stabled there in a cargo container
Spain went to a water park, do not like slides etc was quite happy to lie by pool while ex did what rides he wanted but he bullied me into going on something. terrifying went down a slide crying with fear ended up going off the slide and hitting the side of the pool knocking me clean out. came to with a good looking Spaniard peering at me as I lay on a stretcher
years ago the very hot summer of 76 mum and dad hired a flat in Weston as with lots of places it was alive with ants everywhere. nothing we could do had to stick it out

saveforthat · 04/06/2025 11:19

Aposterhasnoname · 01/06/2025 07:17

I’ve posted this before.

Dom Rep in February. Plane going out was delayed for many hours because they couldn’t open the hold doors and get the previous passengers luggage out.

Arrived very late at night and went straight to bed. Got up the next morning and it was raining, heavily. All trips were cancelled due to the weather, and for some bizarre reason the entertainment team cancelled everything too. You’d think they’d arrange games or something in the bar, but nope, they just sat around playing loud rap music all day. Anyway, it was an all inclusive hotel so we went to the bar, along with everyone else. I don’t think the entertainment team spoke great English because one of the songs they were playing contained the lyrics “ if you’re scared mutha fucka, go to church” they obviously liked this one, because they played it frequently. This was a family hotel by the way, we were alone, but there were many families with kids around.

So the first day passed in a drunken haze, and we got up the next day, raring to start the holiday properly. Nope, still raining, back to the bar we went, and back to the mouth fucka song. Next day, raining, mutha fucka song. Next day, raining, mutha fucka song, next day, well, you get the idea. By now people, including the kids were singing along. The entertainment clearly though that this was a popular activity, so played the song even more frequently.

Day five of the holiday was my birthday, so we got up and went to the bar for the daily group sing along. At 5pm everything started swaying, so we thought we’d drunk enough and returned to our room, our ground floor, beach front room, and switched on the tv. The Haitian earthquake had just happened, and the Dom Rep was on a Tsunami warning. We went to reception to ask what we should do, blank looks all around, so we went to the bar and a few told other people and word got round. Don’t forget, everyone had been drinking solidly for six days, so reactions varied from don’t give a shit, to complete melt down panic. We, and a few others, decided to head for higher ground, so squelched out way to the top of the hill across the road, where we stood in the pouring rain dolefully singing muthafucka for about an hour, before realising nothing was going to happen, so we squelched back down and went to bed.

The next day, the rain stopped, but the majority of the staff were Haitian and had relatives there, so were understandably very worried. It didn’t feel right enjoying ourselves while the staff were so upset, so the last week was a very muted affair.

Finally it was time leave, and we boarded the plane. There was a baby screaming just a couple of rows in front of us. The pilot announced we’d have to wait for a doctor to check the baby was ok to fly, this took an hour and a half. Finally given the ok, we started taxiing to the runway, the baby was still screaming. Some bloke jumped up marched down the plane and shouted shut that brat up or I will, or words to that general effect, in the mothers face. The father naturally came to her defence and squared up to him. The plane ended up going back to the terminal for aggressive bloke to be removed.

Never been so glad to get home in my life.

Sorry but this really made me laugh.

saveforthat · 04/06/2025 11:28

A few years ago we had recently bought a camper van and went to a beautiful site in Devon with our dog. Our dog hated the van and whined all the way there. It rained heavily for the first few days. Our dog came into season. I developed toothache and had to get a taxi to the nearest emergency vet where the tooth was removed. While I was in the dentist, it was so windy our awning blew away and it took the help of several helpful campers to retrieve. Partner then packed up, picked me up from dentist in van and we drove straight home.

BlackeyedSusan · 04/06/2025 11:45

Aposterhasnoname · 01/06/2025 07:17

I’ve posted this before.

Dom Rep in February. Plane going out was delayed for many hours because they couldn’t open the hold doors and get the previous passengers luggage out.

Arrived very late at night and went straight to bed. Got up the next morning and it was raining, heavily. All trips were cancelled due to the weather, and for some bizarre reason the entertainment team cancelled everything too. You’d think they’d arrange games or something in the bar, but nope, they just sat around playing loud rap music all day. Anyway, it was an all inclusive hotel so we went to the bar, along with everyone else. I don’t think the entertainment team spoke great English because one of the songs they were playing contained the lyrics “ if you’re scared mutha fucka, go to church” they obviously liked this one, because they played it frequently. This was a family hotel by the way, we were alone, but there were many families with kids around.

So the first day passed in a drunken haze, and we got up the next day, raring to start the holiday properly. Nope, still raining, back to the bar we went, and back to the mouth fucka song. Next day, raining, mutha fucka song. Next day, raining, mutha fucka song, next day, well, you get the idea. By now people, including the kids were singing along. The entertainment clearly though that this was a popular activity, so played the song even more frequently.

Day five of the holiday was my birthday, so we got up and went to the bar for the daily group sing along. At 5pm everything started swaying, so we thought we’d drunk enough and returned to our room, our ground floor, beach front room, and switched on the tv. The Haitian earthquake had just happened, and the Dom Rep was on a Tsunami warning. We went to reception to ask what we should do, blank looks all around, so we went to the bar and a few told other people and word got round. Don’t forget, everyone had been drinking solidly for six days, so reactions varied from don’t give a shit, to complete melt down panic. We, and a few others, decided to head for higher ground, so squelched out way to the top of the hill across the road, where we stood in the pouring rain dolefully singing muthafucka for about an hour, before realising nothing was going to happen, so we squelched back down and went to bed.

The next day, the rain stopped, but the majority of the staff were Haitian and had relatives there, so were understandably very worried. It didn’t feel right enjoying ourselves while the staff were so upset, so the last week was a very muted affair.

Finally it was time leave, and we boarded the plane. There was a baby screaming just a couple of rows in front of us. The pilot announced we’d have to wait for a doctor to check the baby was ok to fly, this took an hour and a half. Finally given the ok, we started taxiing to the runway, the baby was still screaming. Some bloke jumped up marched down the plane and shouted shut that brat up or I will, or words to that general effect, in the mothers face. The father naturally came to her defence and squared up to him. The plane ended up going back to the terminal for aggressive bloke to be removed.

Never been so glad to get home in my life.

Agree with a previous poster.. definitely a way with words.

ArtemisiaTheArtist · 04/06/2025 12:14

I’ve written this before, but exDH (married at the time) was an emotionally abusive dick towards me for years. This particular holiday he started to bully DD too (for being a moody teenager) and I stood up to him. He didn’t like that. It was the holiday that split us up. I hope to go back to this place and make happy memories again, to erase the bad ones.

hellohellooo · 04/06/2025 12:15

Serengeti safari

Booked last minute while working in Tanzania

Already two couples booked on the trip and they didn't know one more would be joining

They were so rude to me

We had a chef who came with us
Stole our drivers tent and expensive camping gear
Ran off and left us with no food

One night we had very few things left for camping so the driver and I had to sleep in. Tent with a huge hole in it
We had one sleeping bag
He was a great tour guide but my god

On the way back we stopped at some shops

Our 'chef ' walked by
Totally drunk

Could barely walk

Had to laugh afterwards 😳😳😝😝😝😝

Crunchymum · 04/06/2025 12:54

I've posted mine before, was a good 25 years ago now but it's never been outranked.

Decided on an island of the coast of Venezuela (after lots of research!) due to huge amount of trips and excursions available. We figured we'd spend some of the time relaxing and the rest doing things like piranha fishing, sailing, trekking and we booked an expensive trip to the Angel falls.

Due to unseasonal weather It rained for 11 days out of 14 and all of our trips were cancelled. The hotel became unsafe to walk around in the rain due to the slippery flooring. Everyday someone new would appear in a sling or with a crutch due to falling / slipping over.

The beach on the complex was lovely on the days it didn't rain but it was patrolled by security and there was strict boundaries you couldn't cross in case so you were robbed by "the banditos"

We saw a lot of drink driving, including 2 police-man having a beer in their patrol car! At least two taxi drivers seemed to be half pissed when we ventured out.

The "capital city" was a shit hole but we went 3 times as there literally nothing else to do.

It was a nice enough 4* AI place (bar the deathly tiled floors) but the hotel lost power several times a day, often delaying food or closing a restaurant completely and of course by that point all the food in the main "buffet style" restaurants would gone so we had a few evenings with no proper food.

Most of the time was spent pissed on cheap vodka and coke. Some days we started at noon.

We made friends with another couple after a few days, they seemed nice enough. Until they asked us if we fancied spicing up the holiday with a spot of "wife swapping". Thankfully they left that delightful request until 2 nights before we flew home. DP ended up sitting with them on the plane home!

DP had a milestone birthday whilst we were there and we'd booked into the fanciest restaurant in the complex (you could only use it twice during your stay) but that had a full on power outage on birthday night so we had left over bread and cheese (and vodka) for dinner.

Horrendous holiday!

NotSoSlimShadee · 04/06/2025 15:48

In Bangkok we fell for a tourist scam. We’d gone to see the temple and this bloke - who looked like he worked there came over telling us the temple was closed until 3pm but they were taking tourists to see another free temple until it opens - he then gestured towards a tuk tuk as if it was a given that we’d go … we did. No idea why as in hindsight it was bloody stupid but his confidence gave the impression that there was absolutely nothing untoward about the whole thing! So we set off … we arrived at our first destination - a suit shop 🙄 we said we didn’t want to go shopping but he convinced us somehow to go in to “look around”. We did as we were told … eventually got back in tuk tuk … on we went to our next destination - another suit shop 😂 we told him no - he told us we had to go in as that was part of the tour - we said we just wanted to go to the temple - he got arsey and said if we didn’t go in we would be “abandoning the tour” and would be liable for all the petrol money he’d spent. We went in whilst telling him we wouldn’t be buying anything. We were then shouted at in the shop and told it wasn’t a museum, either buy or leave!! So we told “tour guide” no more shops. Either temple or we’re out. (We didn’t know where we were, hence why we didn’t just walk off!). Got back in tuk tuk - and arrived at a tiny temple with a bloke sat praying. “Guide” ushered us to go in … he then got back in tuk tuk and drove off!!

So now we’re in this temple in the middle of nowhere. The bloke praying suddenly springs to life and told us the guide was a scam artist - he claimed to be a tuk tuk driver himself and said he’d take us back to the original temple. Showed ID. We got in his tuk tuk and made our way to … another shop! He was part of the bloody scam. At this point we finally decided to walk. We were then threatened and told we owed petrol money. DH refused, we flagged down a proper tuk tuk … got in and finally got back to the temple (which had never been closed) 🙄 idiots abroad me and DH

racierach · 04/06/2025 16:22

Egypt on my own with two teenage ds a few years ago.
couldn’t go out of the hotel without being harassed.
some drunk old Dutch bloke by the pool attacked my youngest who was 12. Hit him round the face with his crutches
hotel were less then helpful. I demanded the police be called. All they kept asking me was where was my husband. They don’t want to do anything and the hotel wouldn’t remove him.
they bought him into the room where I was and he tried to shake my hand. I told him if he saw me coming in the hotel he had better walk the other way because I couldn’t promise to control my temper. told him he was a vile horrible man.

spoke to a female member of staff who was English but spoke Arabic and had lived there for years. She spoke to management and they removed him from hotel.

just horrible place.

SpryUmberZebra · 06/06/2025 01:00

Changingplace · 01/06/2025 06:42

Went to Vegas with my soon to be ex ‘D’H, he went on a bender and disappeared for 12 hours, was with friends and we were literally calling the police station and hospitals.

He was doing coke and god knows what else, disgusting pig.

reminds me of the hangover movie lol

Paperweight7 · 06/06/2025 05:00

@Aposterhasnoname I'm sorry but this made me laugh so much! 😂 I hope you have better holidays in the future.

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