Best and worst travel memories? (page 3 of 4)

Hossam, my Palestinian host in Damascus, had asked me to bring back some soil from Palestine for his parents, who have been refugees since 1948 and are originally from Tiberias near the Sea of Galilee. When they pass away, they wish to be buried with a little soil from their homeland.

So beautiful. 🙂

Hello everyone!

The best moment of my hitchhiking trip is hard to pin down! But there were so many great ones! In Bouillon (Belgium), I asked an English couple to take my photo. After they did, we chatted a bit (in English, of course!), and after about fifteen minutes of conversation, they said: "We’d like to invite you to dinner tonight!" A little surprised, I replied, "If it’s no trouble, I’d love to." Then the guy said: "No problem—you’re our guest. Meet us at the restaurant (I don’t remember the name!) at 7:30 PM!" Awesome! A great meal, I tried Belgian beers, and met some really nice people! And when I was setting up my tent that night around 10:30 PM, I met a camper and his wife, who invited me for an apéritif! Super cool—I had an amazing evening!!! In Bourg-en-Bresse: it was 7:30 PM, raining, starting to get dark, and I was hitchhiking! After about fifteen minutes, a car stopped and picked me up! We talked, and he told me he was going all the way to Montbéliard! Perfect—I needed to get to Alsace! This guy, so cool, took me about 350 kilometers, invited me to eat at his place that night, I slept in a real bed at his house, and the next morning, I got breakfast and a shower! In short, an awesome encounter that really made my day! 😉

For me, I haven’t had any bad experiences, except for some kids who thought it’d be fun to throw rocks at my tent and nearly hit my head! It was dangerous, but I think when you’re 8 years old, you don’t really realize it, so I just moved and set up my tent a little farther away! 🙂

The worst, uh... definitely my 10 days in prison in Syria—50 people in a single room for 10, one meal a day, all in an underground prison. But it was a really enriching experience; I made a bunch of friends there I’m still in touch with 😏.

The best? Four months in the Sahara Desert—a tent, some bread, a campfire, and those starry nights that make you a happy man every evening.

10 days in prison in Syria, but for what reason? Political? Journalistic?

10 days in prison in Syria, but for what reason? Political? Journalistic?

I was a correspondent for a French website, except it was during the elections of the great Syrian guru🤪!

For my part.... My worst memory.... After staying at a youth hostel on the East Coast of Australia... My boyfriend and I realized we had our heads full of lice... It only happened once in a year across all the hostels.... BUT.... for over 2 months... we dragged those lice around... Every week, we’d start the treatments all over again. But given how thick my hair is, my boyfriend couldn’t get them all out, I guess... So they kept coming back... Scratching your head intensely for two months... while traveling when your car is your home... It’s not always fun.. hihihi...

As for my best memory.... I have so many.... Hard to say.... Probably in New Zealand on the Akaroa Peninsula, where I went sea kayaking.... and we met a pod of wild dolphins.... and while paddling, they came up to me and swam around me for a good 5 minutes!! WOW... Paradise!!

My worst travel memory isn’t really a memory—it’d be not being able to travel anymore 🙁

Some amazing moments: the glaciers in Patagonia and the chunks breaking off and crashing into the blue water with a deep rumble, drinking Chilean wine in the middle of the Atacama Desert at sunset, the Sydney Opera House at dusk, the light in Cape Town, South Africa, the Songzanlin Monastery and the kindness of Tibetans in Shangri-La (Yunnan), the smiles of kids in Laos, a canoe ride on Inle Lake in Myanmar, a little monk dozing off during prayers at a monastery in Bhutan...

There you go, Madame or Monsieur CHIL

hi everyone my best holiday memory is always the same—it renews itself with the same emotion and happiness every time: camping out, the smell and sounds of dawn breaking, the calm breathing of my horse at the moment, and the sound it makes while chewing the grass

worst memory: on a plane, a strong kerosene smell in the cabin during takeoff in San Francisco while the wind was howling like a storm and the plane was bouncing around like a yo-yo

any other memories in a few words, please?

Hi everyone, and sorry in advance for any spelling mistakes. So, one of my worst memories was in a small resort in the Alps. The morning started with beautiful weather, so I decided to hit the slopes with my snowboard—something I’ve been doing for 15 years. Around noon, I decided to grab lunch at a little mountain chalet and from there, I wanted to explore some unmarked trails. After about an hour, the weather really took a turn for the worse. It started snowing so hard you couldn’t see a meter ahead, and the fog rolled in. They call this a "whiteout" there, and suddenly, I had no idea where I was. I couldn’t even see the tip of my snowboard—visibility was zero. I decided to walk to be extra careful, but then disaster struck: the snow was up to my waist. I spent a good two and a half hours trying to find my way back to the resort, and night was falling. But then, a miracle—off in the distance, I spotted the headlights of a snowmobile. I headed in that direction, and thankfully, at the bottom, I could see the lights of the resort. When I finally made it to the bar, everyone stared at me like I was a ghost. "Where the hell did you come from? The slopes have been closed for four hours!" Since that day, I always check the weather conditions before heading into the mountains.

One of my best memories that will forever be etched in my mind was in the Dominican Republic. There were four of us friends, and we wanted to do the excursion to swim with dolphins. We decided to do it the next afternoon, but while we were goofing around in the water at the beach, suddenly, far from the shore—I should mention—we spotted a dolphin. We swam toward it, thinking it would swim away, but to our surprise, it stayed. We were able to touch it with our fingertips, and it played around us for at least three minutes before leaving. I’ll never forget that moment, and thanks to that dolphin, we each saved $90!

Another misadventure in Tunisia—my whole trip went perfectly: beach, sea, meeting locals—basically the vacation I’d planned. But on my way back at the airport in Tunisia, at customs, a grumpy customs officer asked for my passport. Nothing unusual there, but then he asked if I had a visa for France and started speaking to me in Tunisian. I told him I didn’t understand the language and didn’t see why I’d need a visa since my passport is French and I’m French through and through. He started getting angry, saying I shouldn’t mess with him. Then I realized he’d misread my last name. My name is NOURDIN, but in Tunisia, there’s a similar surname, NOURDINE, and there’s also a Moroccan soccer player who played for Nantes, I think, whose name is Nourdin (but pronounced Nourdine). Phew, I almost ended up in a Tunisian prison!

Another bad memory, this time in Spain. I was with a friend, and the vacation had gone amazingly well—until the return trip. At customs, driving back, a Spanish officer stopped us and asked us to open the trunk, suitcases, bags, etc. He then asked me to follow him to the station for a document check. Suddenly, five officers showed up with a drug-sniffing dog. They searched the car and even started taking it apart. I got angry, asking why, and he told me a Spaniard had reported me for transporting a large quantity of drugs hidden in the vehicle. In the end, I spent eight hours at customs, the car was completely dismantled and then put back together—of course—and all I got was a "Thanks, goodbye, have a nice trip," with no apology. Needless to say, I wasn’t carrying any drugs at all.

Another moment I’ll never forget was in Morocco in the summer of '94. I had just turned 18 and was on my first trip without my parents. I was on a wild beach and decided to go for a swim toward a cove. There, a young Moroccan woman was swimming far from the men’s gaze—modesty required. When she saw me, she didn’t want to get out of the water, and I quickly understood why: she was naked. Others might have taken advantage, but I didn’t. I held out my towel, but she refused. She asked me to leave so I wouldn’t come off as a creep, so I moved to where our eyes couldn’t meet. Fifteen minutes later, she came over and told me I could go to the cove if I wanted, which I did—the water was as clear as the Caribbean. She followed me and started telling me a bit about her country’s customs and some stories. The next day, I went back to the cove around the same time, and there she was again in the water, but this time, she was dressed. I was able to stay near her, and we started laughing, swimming, and just having fun. Every day after that, we met at the cove. On the last day, I told her I was leaving the next day, and she told me she was glad to have become friends and that she’d like to stay in touch. She was 24, and I was 18. Our last hour together, we spent kissing—nothing more, I should clarify—and we kept in touch for a year. We had plans to see each other again, but she was forced into marriage, and I never heard from her again.

Worst expat memory: Condom issue in sub-Saharan Africa in a country with high HIV/AIDS prevalence... and the guy’s terrible joke a few days later, telling me he’d gotten tested and was HIV-positive. Obviously, I didn’t find the joke funny at all... And then, I didn’t know what was true anymore. I panicked for months before finding the courage to get tested myself. Fortunately, it was negative.

The best...: no single best, but so many best moments... renewed with every trip... Listening to tropical rain and smelling the wet earth, lying in a hammock with a purring cat on my stomach, alone in the middle of Guinea - a sunset at the top of Angkor Wat - a nighttime walk in a stunning national park in the heart of Chad with the man I want to spend my life with - amazing friendships - feeling lost at the edge of the world with my partner in Namibia - and recently: the sight of a whale, a childhood dream.

It's crazy... but I can't seem to think of a worst travel memory. There must have been some, since I've always traveled solo, off the beaten path... but I don't remember any. Maybe because I've always found magic in every moment...

Even in Camagüey, when I got sick from heatstroke... Even in Cuba, when I was warned by the police for being in a bike taxi with a Cuban friend... Even in France, when I took the wrong train station to get back... Each time, I told myself it was all part of my journey...

My best memory? That friendship shared with my friend, a student in Havana, which allowed me to experience magical moments. Friendly and family encounters, the chance to discover new realities...

My absolute favorite? Hurricane Dennis... A unique moment, lived among friends, crossing our fingers to make it through safe and sound...

Yes, my memories are tied to all these moments, all these things my travels have brought me...

Smile, Nicouhette

Tied for best memory: - a cigarette at 5 AM on a dock in Croatia, finally savoring the start of vacation after 1 month of moving in France—worst summer job ever! - a day in Meteora, Greece, 2 years later with a gorgeous Kiwi I’d met the night before

Worst memory: a night in a squat with homeless folks and junkies in Budapest after getting kicked out of the train station twice on a national holiday night

What a great topic...

My worst memory: a night spent in a bus shelter in L'Arbresle (France) because I was too scared to cross a field (with cows) to get to the monastery... I was 18! Actually, it’s not such a bad memory after all... oh well 😉

Best memory: all my trips, because just the act of traveling is such great memories 😇

Hi everyone,

My worst memory is returning to my homeland three years ago and being horrified by what they’ve done to my beloved Sancy. Completely disfigured to accommodate skiers. Heartbreaking. Skiers (and tourists like us) should really think about the impact their visits have. I still haven’t gotten over it.

The best? So many amazing moments, especially in South Africa (like a week in Kruger on all the back roads no one visits—completely alone in the world). But the two most beautiful were in Argentina. My partner’s eyes when a mother whale and her calf came right up to our boat in Valdés; and the one that still gives me chills whenever I think about it—seeing orcas intentionally stranding themselves on the sandbanks at Punta Cantor to teach their young how to hunt. We watched for two hours, something I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d see. Magical—there’s no other word for it. And all the memories yet to come...

Okay, let’s start with the worst—or the worst ones... A big street in Calcutta that suddenly narrows because of construction... and the crowd pressing in, tighter and tighter, more suffocating and dense, hands wandering, my bag clutched against my stomach, panic rising, the little perpendicular street inaccessible, especially because a cop is blocking the way... An Indian woman who senses the fear in my eyes and shoves the cop aside to let my friend and me through. I thought I was going to die there!!! Still in Calcutta, we stopped near a railway track (yes, I know, *great* idea!) to photograph kids bathing in the river... until, of course, the train came. No time to move—just paralyzed by the fear of getting mowed down! We missed it by 30 cm!!!

Aside from that, in India, China, and Malaysia, I’ve cheated death 30 times on perilous bus rides—but what traveler hasn’t?!!!

Now for the good, *really* good memories: an overnight train from Bangkok to northern Thailand (ugh, memory lapse—some gorgeous town by the Mekong, near Vientiane) with a Russian sports team (volleyball? handball? a bunch of giant, well-lubricated guys, in any case!) celebrating their victory with a jeroboam of vodka... My friend and I ended up, vodka in hand, between the train cars in the tropical heat, with this huge sense of freedom and happiness at being there. So simple, but such a great moment!

Another train, in India’s Kerala—train door open, feet dangling out—another rush of joy and freedom. But I also remember the beauty of Yangshuo, China, and the stunning face of that young boy in Calcutta who followed us all day without asking for anything, not even sharing our lunch. He was so beautiful!

So many other memories, but I’ll let someone else take the floor...

Worst: I’ve never had anything truly terrible, but here are the worst ones:

1-Alone with my boyfriend who didn’t have a cent on him and no bank cards, in Ouagadougou, in 42°C heat, I finished my last sip of bottled water. Then I tried to withdraw money at an ATM. No banks accepted Mastercard, my Visa didn’t work because it didn’t have a PIN attached. My National Bank card wasn’t accepted, and my Desjardins ATM card... well, I use it so rarely that I entered the wrong PIN three times and it got frozen. With the last CFA francs we had left, we bought a calling card to try to reach my credit union in Quebec. The girl on the phone put me on hold, transferred me to another girl who transferred me to another girl, and I finally ended up on an answering machine. I called back, explaining that I had almost no credit left on my calling card, that I was calling from very far away, and that I didn’t want to deal with an answering machine... but she transferred me to the same voicemail again, and I ran out of credit! Great! We then went into a big bank to speak to a manager who looked at my cards and said none of them were accepted at his bank. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t bring myself to beg in one of the poorest countries in the world... But luckily, a girl from the credit union called back on the cell phone and unfroze my card. In the end, it wasn’t so bad!

2-When my boyfriend disappeared in the bush near Nian Sogoni... I was scared and imagined the worst! But once again, I worried for nothing!

Best:

1-Mount Robson in British Columbia, we set out for a short hike but ended up covering over 20 km to Berg Lake with a 725 m elevation gain. It was so beautiful! It was a magical moment, but very brief... because we had to retrace our steps before nightfall. I’ve never walked that much in a single day. The guide suggested doing this hike in 3 days.

2-Alone at the top of the Erg Chebbi dune in Morocco. I missed the sunrise, but I was alone at the summit, alone in such a grand place. Just being able to say: wow, I’m in the Sahara! It was worth the detour.

3-The first time I went freediving. It was in Cuba... one of the best days of my life!

4-When a Burkinabe fortune-teller read my future with his cowrie shells. The atmosphere was mystical, it was amazing! I wish I could’ve done without the interpreter.

5-When I touched the *real* Mickey Mouse at Disney World. I really, truly felt like a kid again!

6-The sunrise in Ouagadougou, lying on a mattress outside, next to the man who later became my husband. The sound of birds mixed with the distant call to prayer... I’ll never forget it!

7-The funniest moment, not really the best... on my way back from my honeymoon, heading to Montreal (I was alone), during my layover in Casablanca, when three Moroccan customs officers surrounded me at the terminal and asked if I was sure I had nothing to declare. They finally questioned me about the handcuffs in my checked luggage. They wanted me to fill out a form to declare where I got them and what I used them for. I was so tempted to laugh, but it wasn’t appropriate, and I had no one to laugh with!

This is such a fun discussion topic! ^^

Let’s start with the worst… Two and a half years ago, I was on vacation in Tonga with friends. First off, to get from the main island to ‘Eua Island, we had to take a total wreck of a ferry—the same R&B song played on loop for the whole 2-hour trip, and we all got seasick :s On the way back, we had to fly to the capital because the ferry was under repair (not exactly surprising^^). But that’s nothing compared to the huge spiders I saw when we went for a walk in the jungle As an arachnophobe, that was *far* from fun. Still, the story I really wanted to tell—also in Tonga—is unforgettable… My friends and I stayed for a few days on ‘Eua Island at a kind of hostel run by a really nice lady. After a fantastic meal—she’d prepared a feast ^^—I thought, "I’ll go pay her for the whale watching" (she’d arranged some activities for us, including whale watching). So I went to my room (which, by the way, didn’t lock) to grab my wallet, and that’s when I saw all my cash was gone! (Just to clarify, you can’t pay by card on the island, so I’d withdrawn a lot of cash before arriving—maybe around $100.) I immediately told the lady, and she right away suspected the 14-year-old boy she’d hired to guide customers on hikes. She called the police, and I was questioned and everything. It dragged on for hours, and they even went to get the boy, who refused to talk. Finally, he admitted to stealing my money, and the chief of police came to see me with my wad of bills! Happy ending because I got my money back, but it was sad for that kid, who lives in extreme poverty. That’s why when the cop asked if I wanted to press charges, I said no! I couldn’t bring myself to press charges against a 14-year-old—he’d already been through enough, especially since the police made him spend the night in jail! Anyway, everything turned out okay for me, phew^^ I still had an amazing time in Tonga—such a beautiful experience despite the hiccups 🙂

Now for the BEST! It’s tough to choose… My year in New Zealand was so full of adventures and incredible people! If I had to pick one moment, it’d be skydiving in Queenstown!! So many emotions and breathtaking views! Other unforgettable moments: - Milford Sound, NZ - Hiking in Abel Tasman (also NZ) and seeing dolphins at dawn - Celebrating my 20th birthday in Sydney at a French restaurant with my girlfriends! - Eating by the sea at a taverna in the Cyclades, Greece, and feeding stray cats :) - Couchsurfing in Boston - Biking across the Golden Gate Bridge

Okay, I’ll stop now! ;)

This time, I’ll just share a few "good" ones...

In 1982, 15 days in the southern Sahara with an old 4L. Every evening, we pitched our tent in the orange-red dunes... alone in the world.

In 1984, in a tiny hamlet in central Crete... We were hungry. We stumbled upon a tiny tavern that seemed abandoned. An old man appeared and cooked us the most incredible leg of lamb with white onions I’ve ever tasted in my life...

In 1995, in northern Norway, off the Lofoten Islands. We’d been trying to spot a whale for hours... Suddenly, it was there, barely 50 meters away. It dove, all we could see was its enormous tail, and then—we felt it pass under the boat, which had come to a sudden stop. It grazed the keel, made the boat heel, and resurfaced on the other side... Incredible.

Etc., etc., etc...

Hi there! I’m reviving this old thread: Best memory: Nine days (including Christmas Eve), without seeing another human, with my 17-year-old son in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Worst memory: During my round-the-world trip: a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Manado (Indonesia) while I was in the middle of untreated malaria for 3 weeks! Ended up hospitalized in Singapore afterward...

On the worst-memory side, for me it’s the classic ‘too good to be true’ trip: the photos show a dream all-inclusive, but on-site it’s a half-finished hotel that’s nothing like the brochure 😅. At the time you grumble, but in hindsight those are the stories we tell the most.

There’s even a whole site that collects these worst travel memories by category—some are definitely worth a look → https://galeresdevoyages.fr/galeres/all-inclusive-tres-loin-des-photos-en-republique-dominicaine/