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By ESTHER MARSHALL Published: 14:53 BST, 15 April 2025 | Updated: 14:57 BST, 15 April 2025
Holidays are meant to be unforgettable. But sadly, some tourists leave their trip abroad with memories they’d rather not remember. Travellers have taken to Reddit to share the activities they regret doing on holiday, after one user kicked off discussion by sharing their terrible experience. They say: ‘When I was in Bali, I visited the Monkey Temple. It was one of the most highly recommended activities for tourists there. ‘I somehow ended up agreeing to include it in my itinerary, even though I’m deathly afraid of monkeys and their tendency to get aggressive. I was anxious the whole time, worrying they might jump on or attack me.’ And many of the worst experiences unfortunately involved bad encounters with animals. ‘Adorable_Misfit’ writes: ‘About 20 years ago, I visited the Tiger Temple in Kanhanaburi, Thailand. I regretted going almost immediately. ‘Got there and the tigers were very obviously drugged. I know the temple denied any accusations of drugging the animals, but the way those tigers slept through being manhandled and posed for pictures was not natural.’ Tourists have taken to Reddit to share the experiences they regret doing. One tourist wishes they hadn’t visited Bali’s monkey temple (stock photo) Elephant riding was a common regret on the thread. Pictured above is a stock photo of elephant riding in Thailand Another tourist says they will ‘regret’ their elephant riding experience in India ‘until they die’. They explain: ‘I was told it was a must-do by my fellow travellers. I looked that elephant in his eye and have never felt more guilty.’ And ‘Pizzarina_’s’ elephant riding trip in Thailand also left them with plenty of regrets. They say: ‘It did not seem like they treated them well and the elephants had to be coaxed to walk. I never did animal tourism again.’ Meanwhile in Japan, one tourist’s visit to a capybara – the world’s largest rodent’ – cafe left them upset. ‘It was the saddest thing,’ says ‘SeitanicVoyager. ‘The poor capybara was completely disinterested in the horde of humans and cats surrounding it. It is never taken out of the small cafe and never will be for its entire life.’ But not everyone’s bad experience involved an animal. One traveller regrets visiting New York’s Times Square to see the ball drop on New Year’s Eve, explaining they could ‘barely move’ due to the crowds. They say: ‘Had to get there at noon to get a good spot and just stood there all day. After a few hours you can barely move, let alone go to the bathroom or get food.’ ‘Saltaro’ reveals that they paid 90€/£76 for a 25 minute ride on gondola that wasn’t ‘relaxing at all’ due to the ‘traffic’ on the canalsAnd gondolas might be an iconic Venetian experience but one traveller suggests leaving them off your bucket list. ‘Saltaro’ reveals that they paid 90€/£76 for a 25 minute ride on gondola that wasn’t ‘relaxing at all’ due to the ‘traffic’ on the canals. Another tourist even goes so far as to say they regret their whole holiday experience. ‘Rusty5th’ explains: ‘My ex always wanted to go [on a cruise] but I was reluctant. The boat was nice, food and drinks were great. Still felt like I was trapped in a mall for a week.’And they’re not alone. Another user adds: ‘My ex talked me into going on one and I could not get over how they were constantly trying to sell us stuff the whole trip – jewellery, art, perfume, more cruises, other vacations, etc.’
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Tourist reveals the holiday experience they will ‘regret until they die’
