Travel Smarter: Lessons from My Top 5 Mistakes Abroad Posted on July 8, 2026July 24, 2026 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... They say you shouldn’t have regrets, but I think most of us do. I’ve made a few while traveling—some harmless, some I still wish I could undo. A couple were bad buys. Others happened because I didn’t do enough research or ignored what my gut was telling me. These mistakes didn’t ruin any trips, but they did leave an impression. In this post, I’m sharing five travel regrets that stuck with me and what I learned from each one. Table of Contents My Top 5 Travel Regrets (And Mistakes) #1 Riding an Elephant, Thailand #2 Animals Should Not Be Held in Captivity, Antibes #3 Boredom Breeds Bad Buys, Malta #4 Letting My Guard Down, Mallorca #5 Not Doing My Due Diligence, Vietnam Like it. Pin it. My Top 5 Travel Regrets (And Mistakes) These are my travel regrets and mistakes. However, if you ask my husband, his biggest travel regret occurred in Amsterdam. We didn’t walk through the Red Light District because we just ran out of time. Luckily, every city in Europe has one, so no huge loss. But whenever he talks about Amsterdam, the first question he gets is, what’s the red light district like? Now that we don’t have little kids, I’ll have to take him back one day. lol. #1 Riding an Elephant, Thailand It’s what people said you should do when you visit Thailand, and back then, I didn’t know any better. I thought it was part of the experience. I had no idea it wasn’t a good thing to do. But I regret supporting an industry that uses animals for entertainment—especially elephants, which have always felt sacred to me. I can’t speak out against animal cruelty now without acknowledging my own role in it then. These days, I only visit sanctuaries where you can quietly observe elephants from a distance—no riding, no touching, no bathing. I also regret swimming with dolphins in the Bahamas and riding a donkey in Greece. I know better now, and I travel differently because of it. #2 Animals Should not be Held in Captivity, Antibes Paying admission to zoos, aquariums, or marine parks. I remember being doused by Shamu at Sea World when I was a child. I remember how much fun it was. But I also remember watching the documentary Blackfish. They were not put on this earth for that kind of amusement. Reserves are not in this category because the animals are in their natural habitat. Now, I believe it is an ethical decision not to finance these kinds of attractions. #3 Boredom Breeds Bad Buys, Malta While not a major mistake, I’ve purchased tickets to attractions and excursions that I knew weren’t good buys. The last time I wasted money was during my solo trip to Malta last year. And I bought a ticket to Popeye’s Village in Malta. What a dud attraction. I think I spent 15 euros, which was about $17, to walk around the 1980 set of the movie. Popeye and Olive Oil, and the gang sang and danced tunes from the musical. And they did it badly. Located on the sea, there are water trampolines and slides– but I had no intentions of doing either. So it was a total waste of time and money. Sometimes it’s better to do nothing than any old something. What was the last travel experience you wish you hadn’t spent money on? #4 Letting My Guard Down, Mallorca We were in search of warmth from the cold German winter in Mallorca. I can remember thinking about how happy we were. And I took my eye off the table for a brief moment. My husband turned his back on the table for a second or two. It was all it took for someone to sweep in and take off with my purse, our passports, and the kid’s inhalers. Unfortunately, this mistake cost us a fortune. 1. We had to cancel all my credit cards2. Buy replacement medications without insurance3. We had to stay in Spain an extra 3 days (+car rental) because it was a holiday weekend4. However, with no embassy in Mallorca, we had to purchase flights for all four of us to Barcelona, where they had an embassy5. Two extra nights in Barcelona6. Purchase replacement passports7. Purchase flights from Barcelona back home to Germany8. And I did all this roaming on our cell phone You can’t ever forget to be vigilant, no matter how quiet and unassuming your environment is. Thankfully, USAA insurance reimbursed us for a lot of the cost later. But it was still a costly lesson we didn’t have to learn. #5 Not Doing My Due Diligence, Vietnam I screwed up, I know it, and I admit it. It took months to plan our two-week trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. And during my initial research, I budgeted for a certain amount. Unfortunately, the cost of the Vietnam visa increased a lot the week before our trip. And I wasn’t tracking the change. Yeah, I messed up and we had to spend $270 instead of the usual $50 to get into the country. But I really regret that it put my hubby in a bad mood; he had a hard time rebounding from it. We were only there for 5 days, and he spent 2 of them pretty upset. Failing to do the research is one of the most common travel mistakes to make. Like it. Pin it. I love sharing stories, lessons from abroad, and tips for curious travelers. If my work has inspired you or made you smile, please buy me a coffee. Your support helps me keep the blog running—at no cost to you. My articles are available as mobile apps for offline reading and GPS-assisted directions. Download my articles on GPSMyCity. This post contains sponsored and/or affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission. CULTURE, EVENTS & EXPERIENCES air travelbudgetculture and traditionshealth and safety tipspublic transportationsolo traveltravel scamstravel tech
I let my guard down once and thankfully it worked out. But ever since it doesn’t matter where I go, I’ve learned to be way more observant and open yet cautious of people I meet on my travel adventures. We grow, that’s all we can hope for- thanks for sharing. Reply
That’s the way you should be. It keeps you safe. Thanks for sharing and come back often to share more of your travels with us. Reply
I went on a trek in Nepal. I had no idea they were so blatent when it comes to stealing. I stupidly left my wallet in the pack my porter was carrying. When I got into my pack at the first teahouse on the first day of the trek my wallet had about 10 us dollars left in it. They said, they I must not understand the currency and had been giving too much money away. For Christ sake, that was my first day, I hadn’t had a chance to spend money yet. Reply
I think animals, and wildlife in general, should be appreciated like nature. From a distance. Fun as it might be at the moment, we shouldn’t make them our toys. Reply
Oh man, almost all of my travel regrets are when I was traveling alone and I thought “This might be cool, and I’m right here, might as well go in!” and found myself in some sad mini-museum or gimicky restaurant. I love solo travel, but when I travel with my husband it cuts down on that impulse! Reply
Meg, I completely agree. My husband is the same way– however, I think it works both ways. I think sometimes I miss out on experiences because of his hesitancy. But I tend to do more research when he comes because I know how he is. So I don’t get the go with the flow mentality that I have when I travel solo. Reply
I have the same regrets about going to attractions with animals in captivity – I actually recently posted about my experiences with killer whales 🙁 and I am going to write a similar post about elephant rides too – which I regrettably did in India x Reply
Oh my! regrets, regrets! I used to have a million… also travel regrets!! and now, with age, I look back, and I’ve made friends with my past and say to myself: everything happens for a reason. Yeah, maybe I reach that point when I’m old enough (may be too old?) and see things differently! Reply
Sorry to hear about you being robbed! That always sucks, but especially when you are in another country. In general, we all make mistakes, but I guess that’s the way we learn. I hope you will have less regrets in future! Reply
I once had wanted to do the elephant ride on Thailand before. But after seeing the documentaries, I wouldn’t dare try it. Reply
I am with you on the animals should not be in captivity! It actually took me the same experience to realize that. In my case it was swimming with dolphins. I always wanted to be a dolphin trainer, until I saw and was experienced to the movie, The Cove. Reply
Thanks for sharing these. All good things to think about while traveling. I think it’s so easy to let your guard down when you start to familiarize yourself with a city, but that’s not always the best thing to happen Reply
This is a great list of things to think about. We have always wanted to ride an elephant, but maybe it’s a good thing that we never did it. Reply
As long as we learn from our mistakes and use them to help others. They surely make for some memorable stories to share! Reply
What a thought provoking post. I rode an elephant many years ago, as a teen, and have always felt guilt about how the mahout struck the elephant’s skull with an iron bar. Looking through today’s lens, I’d refuse any excursion/event involving such animal cruelty. I stopped visiting ‘zoos’ long ago…. My top tip for money/document safety on hols is to bodyline everything! A good crossbody bag is a must, I always use a money belt and I often tuck my credit cards into my bra!! Reply
Hey girl!!! So I guess you didn’t read my story about Mallorca and getting our passports stolen. Because that was the first and only time I ever wore a cross body bag. LOL!! My daughter bought it for me for Christmas because I thought it would be a safe option for a travel purse. Well I guess it is when you wear it. I took it off while we ate and poof it was a lost body bag. Looking back it was because I didn’t hand carry it that I even forgot I had brought it into the restaurant that day. Because I didn’t even notice it was gone until hours later. It make me sad to see confined animals and I’m not even one of the people who claim to be an animal lover. I don’t even like military people having dogs, because often we don’t have the space for them to run. Some are responsible pet owners, others not so much. I remember seeing yards all dug up on when we lived on-post because they spent the majority of time fenced in. Which is cruel and expensive because if the military gives you grass and you don’t give them grass back, they make you pay for re-sodding. Thank you for your comment and supporting my blog– it is much appreciated. Reply
Hey – I did read about your terrible experience in Mallorca. Thanks for raising awareness of the consequences of losing your bag.So dreadful about what happened. When I travel, I’m practically surgically attached to my cross body bag – and I always keep my hand on it too. It was a tip from my dad years ago. Loving your blog and the way you storytell about your experiences:) Reply
everyone has travel regrets, but i wouldnt necessarily call them mistakes-it’s something you wanted at the time, and sometimes, the experience changes us. Reply
Such a great list of travel tips that every traveler should not missed. I remember that photo you have in Popeye Village in Malta. I’m sad to know about what happened to you guys in Mallorca. I never had a problem there but I’ll keep in mind about those things. Happy travels anyway! Reply
Try not to think of them as mistakes, but more on an experience that showed you something more. Reply
This is a really nice post. I’ve totally agree about using animals for making money, so heartbreaking. Reply
This is such a great post and very informative too. I’ve agreed in everything you’ve said, especially in using animals for their benefits. I hope this kind of thing will change. Reply
Don’t beat yourself up, everyone makes mistakes. Learning from them is what is important. I am so saddened by your Barcelona story. What a horrible experience. I’m wondering, what you do differently now to protect your valuables when traveling. This is always a concern of mine. Reply
Yikes, sorry to hear about the experience, but glad you somewhat enjoyed the rest. Thanks for the sharing, duly noted! Reply
Regarding your stuff being stolen, maybe you could plan a trip to Barcelona, try to “reclaim” the experience, maybe you could move on and gain something positive. It was a good thing you had insurance, and they covered some of the costs. You can never be too carefull when travelling abroad! Reply
I think if I started a list of all the travel mistakes I have made it would be several pages long. lol As long as we leave with some good memories and maybe learn something along the way I think it makes up for all the mistakes. Reply
Mistakes are a part of life and they definitely happen on the road. They serve as great opportunities to grow and often epic stories. Thanks for sharing yours with us! Reply
Self-reflection is a good thing but don’t be too harsh to you, everybody makes mistakes! 🙂 And realizing it, you will avoid them in the future! Reply
As much as I also find it awful taming the elephant, I wouldn’t mind actually riding on one. But it’s unfair to see how the animals are trained in such a tough manner. Reply
I couldn’t imagine having my personal things stolen with all of that information. I would have been a wreck and would have had no idea what to do. I’m so glad everything worked out for you in the end. Reply
Every travel leads you to some takeaways which help you with your next trips. Yes, not doing something is a better thing than to be stuck with a bad choice. Reply
Sadly these mistakes/regrets happen to all of us at some point in our lives. I’ve definitely been guilty of bad buys when travelling before! Reply
I think we all have made travel mistakes in the past. What is important is what we learn from them and how quickly we recover from them. Reply
I’ve made all of these mistakes at one time or another. I think any traveler has. We get excited about something and we rush in. We don’t do our homework. We also forget that thieves are everywhere out there. Reply
I agree with you, that living a full life without some regrets is impossible. However, I think the true measure is when we learn from those past mistakes/regrets and move past them. Reply
Sadly, it happens to the best of us! But it’s how we learn. I too made the awful mistake of riding an elephant in Thailand. At least we know better now! Reply
Love the idea of this post!! It’s always good to reflect on things, even the times that were not so great. Thanks for sharing! Reply
Elephants are the coolest! I’d love to ride one…so would my daighter! Thailand sounds so awesome. Reply
WoW interesting topic! i think most important is keep on eye on all your belonging especially PASSPORT… Reply
I think we all have to make mistakes so that we can learn from them. It seems you have done that and will be more cautious in the future. Reply
I can’t believe there’s actually an attraction dedicated to Popeye! That’s too funny. Getting your purse snatched is devastating in any situation, but that must have been horrible while travelling outside of the country with kids. Yikes! Reply
I don’t travel much but when I do I usually avoid the touristy things. I like to get off the beaten path but then this could be scary in a lot of areas too! Reply
I also regret riding elephants in Thailand. As soon as I was on ththe elephant I wanted to get off. They would whip them to make them move. I also pet baby tigers in Thailand but I’m starting to learn they probably drug them up. Reply
I really feel for you having your stuff stolen on holiday. That must have been awful for you and your family 🙁 Reply
My friends have gotten their passports swiped before (once at a club in Australia while we were studying abroad) definitely a hassle. Thanks for sharing your travel mistakes and I hope I won’t make any of these on my next trip. Reply
You wanna know what’s really sad ad funny? When we were in Barcelona getting our temp passports, the clerk shared that a man had had his stolen twice on the same trip. And he was a NYC policeman. She told him, he should go home. Its a hassle. I would have loved to explore a little bit more of Barcelona, but we weren’t in the mood. Reply
Having a purse swiped is awful. That one made me think about how I can avoid that one when traveling. Reply
I know— you felt violated. We didn’t even realize it until later since it wasn’t there. When we went back later it was long gone. Reply
I regret riding an elephant in Thailand. I did it twice – first on our honeymoon, second time with my family. I didn’t know any better. Now, that I have read a lot of posts about it, I really regret it and never posted my photo riding an elephant. Reply
My feelings are when you know better you should do better. Its when you do then you don’t that I have a problem with. Reply
Oh wow these are really good regrets, I also hate having to pay for an attraction only to disappoint and not be done well, makes you feel like asking for your money back lol. Reply
Thank you— I think, lol. I have more, but these are the ones that shaped my travel bucket list and the way I will forever approach travel. Reply
I don’t like spending things on bad buys either, but you have to learn from your experiences. It may have taught you how to better spot bad buys in the future. Reply
I regret a ghost tour walk in Germany. It wasn’t spooky at all. There was nothing paranormal, I couldn’t feel as I’m highly sensitive. It was so damn disgusting. But again, we learn from our mistakes I guess. Reply
It is interesting how we all change and develop different views over time. I also think things which were once the norm like riding an elephant are becoming more wrong as we realise more about how they are treated. Reply
I also regret riding an elephant in India. It was in a so-called “sanctuary” and whilst it was just a brief walk around the park, without a wooden box or anything else on the elephant’s back, I still can’t stop thinking about how bad that was…. recently I read about a luxury hotel offering guests elephant rides as package deals. It infuriated me! Reply