What’s the scariest experience you’ve had abroad?

[Itsjustabitofbanter]

So it’s been a good few years since we’ve been to our favourite holiday destination in Egypt (not far from sharm el sheik) . The last time we went we were evacuated as our town was taken over by isis, the local police station got bombed, and as we were waiting in the airport to come home, a Russian airliner that had taken off right before our flight got been bombed just after take off. Thankfully we made it home in one piece. That’s probably my most dramatic story, though I have others. So what’s your scariest/creepiest holiday story?

[THJ8LL]

I've had a few nightmare experiences!

Went on my first girls holiday when I was 16, to zante. Was walking up the strip when two men who were dressed like club security picked up me and my friend and carried us into a night club. We were kicking and screaming and I did think he was just a rep who was trying to get us in, he took us into separate closests which were completely dark and locked us in for around 20 minutes. He then came and unlocked the door and told us we were free to leave, not a clue why he done it

Went on holiday to Spain with my dh he got friendly with the waiter who was serving us at a bar and exchanged Facebook names with him as he said he would keep us a table each night (told dh that was stupid from the start). The next night we were walking back to the room where I collapsed to the floor and started violently vomiting, I was convinced that the waiter had spiked my drink and refused to go back the following night. My partner and I never returned but the waiter had spotted us in a restaurant on the strip taken photos of us at the meal and uploaded them to Facebook captioning them WHY YOU NO RETURN 🤬 ! We stayed in the room the rest of the holiday

I know this is suppose to be bad stories but I got pick pocketed at a Subway in Boston and when I turned around the guy handed me my money back and said a tip for a tourist is never leave cash in your back pocket and showed me how to safely wrap notes around your fingers making it harder to steal

[Bmidreams]

@popandsqueak that's terrifying.

[difficulttod]

At a resort in Majorca aged 15 with my parents. They sent me out on a horse riding trip by myself. A middle aged man came to pick me up in his jeep, took me to a stable in the middle of nowhere. We did go on an actual horse ride but he took us up in some hills where we stopped and dismounted. He then made us sit together and tried to have sex with me. I told him I was on my period, so he then had us ride back to the stable and took me back to the resort but assaulted me in the car on the way back. Only way I could escape was to tell him I'd meet him later that night (of course I didn't). Got back raw from sunburn and in shock and sat in the back for about two hours. Parents totally oblivious.

[popandsqueak]

We were in Calais in 2018 the day the yellow vests started protesting. We were trying to get to the tunnel to get home and followed a convoy of other vehicles. They got through but we didn't. We were then surrounded by protestors and threatened. Despite having two children in the car aged 6 and 5 they tried to let down our tyres. My husband then started to drive off and they smashed our windscreen and kicked the car. We ended up going to the police station and my husband was interviewed as the protestors alleged that his actions were unnecessary, however fortunately I had phoned the police and they were able to hear my call. Two of protestors were cautioned and we were able to return home. I have never been so scared in my life.

[SockYarn]

On a ferry boat from Cozumel Island in Mexico back to the mainland in the aftermath of a hurricane. A 15 minute crossing took 45 minutes. Wee Mexican granny next to me praying the rosary the whole way. Massive waves hitting the boat side on. Not nearly enough lifejackets for everyone on board - and the lifejackets were locked in crates anyway.

Utterly, utterly terrifying and definitely the nearest I have been to a life-threatening incident. After we'd crossed they cancelled all sailings for the next 2 or 3 days and the captain said that had he knows how bad it was he wouldn't have left port. One of the times I wished I hadn;t spoken Spanish and been unaware of how terrified all the locals were too.

[Bmidreams]

I'm sorry but Cococobana made me laugh!

[Bmidreams]

Not so dramatic as these, but shooting inside a club in Thailand and a hotel wall collapsing during the night in Peru!

[user1497207191]

Earthquake whilst on holiday in Eilat (Israel). Very violent movements which caused pictures/mirrors to break off walls and windows/balcony doors to fall out of their frames. Lots of people injured from falling glass from upper floors, atriums, etc. The noise was horrific.

[Cakestandkitchen]

This was all in the same holiday to Greece

1. I ended up in hospital. Public hospital on the Island was frightening.
   
2. Massive bush fires at the back of our hotel.
   
3. Aborted take off when going home.

[ThickFast]

That’s so weird cheese. NYC taxi one is so creepy too. And sorry to hear about the person who got raped three years ago

[KoalasandRabbit]

We also had an interesting trip to Brazil for Dhs work. First hotel we heard what sounded like gunshots whilst eating, another diner asked what it was and the waiter said it's normal its Saturday night at the favela, people always shoot each other dead then.

Then we had got a transfer to Paraty. Lovely man picked us up and others but he kept closing his eyes whilst driving and nodding off and several of us where concerned he was going to crash on the motorway. We discussed it and an rgentinian man with us offered to drive but he refused, that guy wished us luck when he got dropped off. Thankfullty arrived OK.

Final hotel go to breakfast and a man is discussing buying prostitutes at table next to us. He is after 1 but the woman is insisting he take 10. for a suscipiously cheap price on a boat ride.

Then DH goes out for a business meeting and I have to check out so I have to stay in hotel bar. Very nice rooftop bar overlooking beach. A man then says he's alone can he sit with me. I said OK. He then starts discussing housing and health and seems OK but a few odd questions included like how did I give birth and did I have any scars and saying that he doesn't use prostitutes, how many boyfriends have I had, and a wierd comment about him and his girlfriend leading separate lives. He then suggests we go for a walk along Cococobana beach - I agree, he then tries to hold my hand on walk, then he tries to push me in the sea and grab my waist. I tell him to stop and tbf he does but he's grumpy but agrees to walk back. Trouble is the beach is full of people selling prositutes so no really safe option. I arrive back at hotel and husband is there. So then I have husband cross I'ld been for walk with this man and this man cross I wouldn't go to hotel room with him. I just left them both.

But generally the only bad things I've had happen to me have all been in London.

[OhTheRoses]

Chicken feed compared to some of these.
On a Cornish beach with friends - one of their boys on some rocks - DH caught sight of a huge wave from the corner of his eye and shot towards boy and grabbed him just in time.

Driving home from South of France and there was a car smoking with some licky flames at the side of the road. In a split second had to decide did I hit the brake or the accelerator. Hit the accelerator - heard and felt the bang seconds later. It was a long time before another car passed us. Phew!

[bathorshower]

One trip, returning home at night travelling at 50mph in the dark towards a bridge over a ravine when the lights on our vehicle failed; cloudy night and no street lights. We stopped on the bridge, but it could have easily been in the ravine.

Or perhaps the shootout (resulting in multiple fatalities) at the shop 5 minutes walk from my flat - I wondered why they were letting off fireworks in the middle of the day....

[MrsGrindah]

Don’t keep us hanging Sunflower!

[Sunflowers2020]

I went to

[Thisbastardcomputer]

We traveled from San Diego to Los Angeles and a police helicopter landed on the freeway about a quarter of a mile in front of us. On the opposite carriageway was a police shoot out, a man had shot someone just higher up from Los Angeles and hijacked a car, police had been chasing him and man was shooting at them and other motorists, police had backed off and let him run out of fuel.

When the car did eventually stop, police ordered him out with hands up, he didn't and was shot dead on the freeway.

Saw a full recap later on 'eyewitness news'

[notangelinajolie]

@LizzieBennett70

I don't enjoy flying, but made myself go on a dream holiday to New York for a special anniversary. Coming back, on a very cold November morning into Heathrow we had an aborted landing (plane in front hadn't cleared the runway) and I swear to God we went back up almost vertically. It was terrifying, people were screaming and being sick. And we had to circle for nearly an hour to come back down.

Never flown since, it's put me off for life.

This happened to us landing in Tenerife. The pilot made an announcement once we back up in the air and said 'apologies for that, the pilot of the plane who landed before us decided it was a good idea to park across the runway - we will be trying again and hopefully next time we will hit him'
I swear this is what he said - I think he was in shock as I can't believe he would have said that otherwise.

[LunaNorth]

@CantRememberHoliday I’m sorry that happened to you.

[Cheeseandlobster]

@ThickFast

OMG *@Cheeseandlobster* what do you reckon that was about?! That’s terrifying. As are some of the others but the fact it was with your son is horrible

@ThickFast I have no idea. A kindly mumsnetter was really intrigued last year when I mentioned this on a post and she spoke Greek so I pm'd her the hotel name at her request and my name and she called the hotel for me. They had no idea what it could be either and said it was a very unusual occurrence. I don't think I will ever find out now sadly.

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

Probably being cut off on top of a mountain during a hurricane in the Caribbean.
The scariest part though it was the 7th July 2005. The only TV channel the hotel could pick up was Spanish CNN. Watching the news from London, where my parents are brother were commuting to work was terrifying.

When I was living in Cyprus, we had a bizarre situation that felt almost normal and non scary to us... But the news reports our families were hearing were scaring home. But at the time the kids school needing armed guards seemed sensible... And the Turkish coup was surreal and inconvenient. (This was a few years ago, and I believe passed most of the British public by)

[ThickFast]

OMG @Cheeseandlobster what do you reckon that was about?! That’s terrifying. As are some of the others but the fact it was with your son is horrible

[notangelinajolie]

On holiday in Kenya. We went to a night club with another couple we'd met who were staying at our hotel. The hotel had armed guards on the gates and didn't recommend anyone going out of the grounds - never mind night clubs.
It was not the kind of club I would ever want to go to again. Even going to the loo was terrifying and I made DH stand guard outside. The other couple thought it was great enjoying the local nightlife.
We said we should leave but they wanted to stay so me and DH made our way outside and we spotted the taxi that we'd arrived in still parked outside.
It was a genuine taxi because it was the one our hotel had ordered for us but OMG he had a gun on the dashboard.
We are not proud of our stupidity and I dread to think of what could have happened to us. If he hadn't been outside I'm convinced DH would have suggested we walk.
Next morning we saw the other couple and they told us we missed a great night - um no thanks

[CantRememberHoliday]

I was raped in magaluf 3 years ago when I was 18

[LizzieBennett70]

I don't enjoy flying, but made myself go on a dream holiday to New York for a special anniversary. Coming back, on a very cold November morning into Heathrow we had an aborted landing (plane in front hadn't cleared the runway) and I swear to God we went back up almost vertically. It was terrifying, people were screaming and being sick. And we had to circle for nearly an hour to come back down.

Never flown since, it's put me off for life.

[itsgettingweird]

Caught in tornado whilst camping in France.

Caught in storm when kicked out of ferry port at 4am with another family. We were lucky to stay until then as closed at midnight but the security guard took out on us!

Caught in a huge storm in Greece. Boat taking us back to mainland broke. Got on a non keeled fishing boat which we had to turn back in as storm got into the Port before we did - it nearly capsized. So then went back on 40ft yacht with waves crashing over front.
Arrived home 30 minutes before work and we made it

Getting caught in turf war in Greece with machine guns.

Worked abroad for few years and had a number of guest die.

Managed to take off to Lapland in December storms and found out Gatwick shut after we left. Flight home fine and just about to descend when diverted to Glasgow!

Caught in Icelandic ash cloud same year. Extra few days holiday (not complaining!) but then 2 day trip home via coach ferry and train. At one point up at 2am to move and coach drivers refused to drive so checked back in and up again at 5!

Took ds to fathers country for a visit. Ended up in hospital. Persuaded them I was fine (did improve on antibiotics) and they agreed to discharge and fit to fly following day and see in England when I returned. Was in and out of surgery 5 hours after that appointment!

Holiday this year cancelled due to covid. Perhaps looking above I'd be better off not travelling again