4. Lost in the Amazon
In 1981, 22 year old Yossi Ghinsberg had wrapped up two years of Israeli military service and decided to go on an extended backpacking adventure in South America. He met up with three other travelers, and the four of them naively embarked on an ill-fated journey through the Bolivian rainforest. Weeks in, the young men found themselves tired, hungry and hopelessly lost. Tensions led to the group splitting in two. A makeshift raft Ghinsberg and his buddy had made crashed down a waterfall, separating the two. Lost and now completely alone in the Amazon, Ghinsberg grew even more emaciated, desperate and despondent. He survived encounters with a jaguar, fire ants, a flood, venomous snakes and more. As it happened, his rafting partner had survived the waterfall incident and had been searching for his lost friend on a Bolivian boat. After some time, determining that their efforts were futile, the search party decided to turn back. Out of all the places in the Amazon jungle to randomly turn their boat around, they picked the very spot where Ghinsberg had collapsed unconscious. He turned this harrowing tale of survival into the bestselling book, Lost in the Jungle. Sadly, the two other backpackers were never seen again and are presumed dead.
5. There’s a Reason They Make You Sign a Waver
Bungee jumping is an adventurous thrill that many travelers seek around the world. One of the most scenic spots to do this is in Zambia, where jumping off the Victoria Falls Bridge against the backdrop of the magnificent waterfall is a daredevil’s dream. That dream turned into a worst nightmare for 22 year old Australian Erin Langworthy back in 2012. Yep, the cord snapped, and she went free-falling 364 ft (111 m) into the croc-infested Zambezi River below. She blacked out and was swept down the raging river, ankles still bound by straps, and then managed to cling to rocks for about 40 minutes before staff could rescue her. It took over five hours to reach the nearest clinic in Zimbabwe. Remarkably, she only suffered a partially collapsed lung and head-to-toe bruising. Two weeks later, she returned home with one of the most hellish holiday stories imaginable.
6. Vow Never to Return
A Swiss couple took a dream vacation to the Maldives to renew their marriage vows at a swanky resort. The lovely ceremony went off without a hitch, until clips of the nuptials were posted on YouTube and people who spoke the local language pointed out that the celebrant was actually pelting them with insults. Rather than delivering a blessing, the smiling man was hurling insults such as “infidel” and “swine” at the happy couple, assuming they would be oblivious to his prank. Not only did the hotel apologize profusely, the Maldives’ foreign minister expressed his shock and dismay at the incident.
