10 Disturbing Real-Life Travel "Incidents"

They booked a vacation.
They packed light.
They almost didn’t come home.

These are 10 real travel horror stories, cases of tourists getting arrested, stranded, misled, or caught in something much darker than jet lag. From near-death encounters to bizarre mistakes and actual crimes, these stories prove one thing: the worst part of your trip might not be the turbulence.

1. Arrested Over Ammo – Turks & Caicos (2024)

In April 2024, Ryan and Valerie Watson flew from Oklahoma to the Turks and Caicos Islands for a quick weekend escape. When they tried to board their flight home, airport security pulled Ryan aside. Inside his carry-on were four forgotten bullets—left in a zipper pouch from a previous hunting trip.

Under local law, possession of even a single round of ammunition carries a 12-year minimum sentence.

Ryan was arrested immediately.

Valerie flew home alone while Ryan was left behind, checking in with local police twice a week while awaiting trial. He was one of at least eight Americans arrested in similar incidents in 2024. Charges were eventually dropped, but not before their vacation turned into a high-stakes international legal battle.

2. The Forbidden Island – North Sentinel (2025)

In March 2025, 24-year-old Ukrainian-American traveler Mykhailo Polyakov made international headlines after illegally landing on North Sentinel Island, home to an isolated tribe known to kill outsiders on sight.

The island, part of India’s Andaman chain, is strictly off-limits under Indian law. Polyakov paddled to it alone in a rubber raft, carrying a coconut, a can of Coca-Cola, and a camera. He filmed himself walking barefoot on the beach. No Sentinelese tribesmen appeared, but they were watching.

After returning to Port Blair, he was arrested and charged under tribal protection laws. Unlike missionary John Allen Chau, who was killed by the tribe in 2018, Mykhailo walked away, barely.

3. San José Surprise – California (2023)

Best friends Lynne Mazouz and Kira Smith each booked their own flights to San José for a girls’ trip to Costa Rica. Except… they flew to San Jose, California.

It wasn’t until they arrived and texted each other from the baggage claim, surrounded by tech bros and dry heat—that they realized their mistake.

Wrong country. Wrong coast. No hotel. No beach.

They laughed it off, rebooked flights, and finally arrived in Costa Rica two days late. What could’ve been a total disaster became a hilarious story and one of their most memorable trips.

4. Ghosted in London – Brandon Li (2024)

In June 2024, content creator Brandon Li arrived in London after a long-haul flight and made his way to an Airbnb. The keypad lock wouldn’t open.

He messaged the host. Her response:
“You missed your check-in window. Too bad.”

She changed the code and refused to refund him. Brandon turned to Twitter, posting live updates as he sat on the curb with no help, no hotel, and no support.

His thread went viral.

Eighteen hours later, after millions had followed the saga, Airbnb stepped in and booked him a room. But by then, the damage was done.

5. The Airbnb Break-In – Lexington, KY (2024)

In April 2024, Laura Schilling booked an Airbnb in Lexington, Kentucky for herself, her daughter, and her daughter’s teenage friends.

On night two, they returned from dinner to find every window in the house cracked open. The front deadbolt, which had been locked, was now unlocked.

A car sat idling across the street.

When Laura peeked through the curtains, it sped away. Police searched the home and, off the record, an officer warned her:
“I think someone was planning to come back tonight.”

They packed up and left with a police escort. No one was caught. No one knows what might’ve happened if they’d stayed.

6. The Diarrhea Plane – Delta Flight 194 (2023)

On September 1st, 2023, Delta Flight 194 from Atlanta to Barcelona made global headlines after being forced to turn around mid-flight due to a… biohazard.

Two hours in, a passenger had severe, uncontrollable diarrhea that literally ran down the aisle of the Airbus A350. The pilot informed air traffic control:
“It’s a biohazard issue—we’ve had a passenger who’s had diarrhea all the way through the airplane.”

The plane returned to Atlanta. The carpet had to be removed. The flight was delayed overnight, but passengers—including the affected traveler—reboarded the next day.

7. Held Hostage by Logistics – Amtrak Auto Train (2023)

In January 2023, over 560 passengers boarded the Amtrak Auto Train from Washington D.C. to Florida. The trip should’ve taken 17 hours.

It took 37.

After a freight derailment ahead, the train was rerouted, then stranded in rural South Carolina. The crew timed out and legally couldn’t continue. Amtrak failed to send a replacement.

Toilets overflowed. Food ran out. People panicked.
Multiple passengers called 911, believing they were being “held hostage.”

The conductor finally made an announcement:
“We are not holding you hostage, we’re just waiting on a new crew.”

8. The Cruise That Left Without Her – Nassau, Bahamas (2023)

In April 2023, a woman was captured on video sprinting along the dock in Nassau, Bahamas—just moments after her cruise ship departed.

She’d lost track of time during a shopping trip and missed the final call. Her passport and belongings were still onboard.

The ship’s security wouldn’t allow reboarding. She was stranded for days, forced to visit the U.S. Embassy to arrange an emergency passport and fly home.

Her walk of shame, captured by dozens of passengers, racked up millions of views on TikTok.

9. Wrong Language, Wrong Arrest – Peru (2022)

American traveler Jake L. was backpacking solo in Peru in 2022 when he was mistakenly accused of stealing from a market vendor in Cusco. He didn’t speak Spanish, and the vendor didn’t speak English.

Police detained him on the spot.

Despite his protests, the language barrier led to confusion and a six-hour detainment. It wasn’t until a bilingual traveler stepped in and translated that Jake was released—without apology.

He later wrote, “It’s the scariest thing I’ve ever been through. I thought I was going to vanish into their system.”

10. Trapped by a Typhoon – Tokyo, Japan (2023)

In 2023, newlyweds Alyssa and Dan R. were honeymooning in Tokyo when Typhoon Khanun slammed into the region.

All flights were grounded. Transportation shut down. Food deliveries stopped. They were trapped in their hotel room for nearly four days without power or proper communication.

No one spoke English. ATMs were offline. The only store within walking distance ran out of bottled water and snacks.

They eventually made it home safely, but said the typhoon changed their entire outlook on travel.
"Nature doesn’t care about your itinerary."

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