Tourist Beware: Real Travel Stories That Shouldn’t Happen (But Do)
Lost Phone. Wrong Passport International Recovery Mission.
I can organise the itinerary, the limousine, the driver, the hotel and the meals and to a certain extent, I can organise the people.
But when it comes to their possessions that’s where my job description very clearly ends.
Or at least, it should.
We had a 7:00am departure. I told everyone 6:45am. To their credit, everyone was there on time and we left on time.
A strong start.
About 30 minutes into the trip, just as we were settling in, enjoying the scenery and feeling quite organised, a voice came from the back of the van:
“Can I borrow a phone… I can’t find mine.”
Silence. The kind of silence where everyone slowly turns their head, but no one wants to make eye contact.
A quick call was made. No answer. Right.
Next step call reception. Our very helpful (and now slightly concerned) staff checked the table where we had all been sitting. Nothing.
Then and this is when it started to feel unnecessarily serious, they checked the camera footage. Still nothing.
At this point, we are halfway up a mountain pass, internet dropping in and out, and one passenger quietly moving from “mild concern” to “this is not good”.
New theory — left in the GRAB.
Perfect. There’s a system for that. Except the receipt was sent to the missing phone. Of course it was.
So now we escalate.
Message goes to the wife. Wife is not thrilled. All she wanted was a few days without him
However, she springs into action. Finds the receipt, starts making calls except the driver only speaks Vietnamese, which slows things down slightly. Minor detail.
Undeterred, she takes it to the next level. She does what any resourceful person would do.
Walks into a local Australian-owned bar and recruit’s help.
At this point, what started as a lost phone had turned into a full-scale recovery operation involving multiple people, two countries, and at least one very confused driver.
Six hours later… success. Phone recovered. Cards intact. Marriage… under review.
Moral of the story?
Check you have everything before you get out of a taxi. And if you don’t make sure you have a very capable wife.
As for him this will cost him.
Financially he’s buying his wife whatever she wants.
Socially he will never live this down.
And for the rest of the trip every time he reached for his phone, someone checked. Just in case.
Not My Face… Not My Passport… Not Ideal at the Airport”
Same trip… different person.
A bit of backstory.
When we checked into the hotel, the poor receptionist was clearly having a moment. Five rooms, four different nationalities, passports everywhere she was doing her best, but it felt like a small international summit had just landed at her desk.
Eventually, after a bit of waiting, keys were handed out passports returned all seemed fine.
Or so we thought.
Fast forward a few days.
I’d said my goodbyes, assumed everyone had gone their separate ways, and was enjoying a quiet morning coffee.
Phone rings. First words:
“I’m in trouble… I need help.”
That’ll wake you up. For a brief second, I considered asking:
“Police, fire, or ambulance?”
But the tone told me everything I needed to know.
He was at the airport. Trying to check in for his flight back to Australia. And then the check-in staff asked him:
“Have you grown a beard?”
Now that’s not a question you want to be asked at an airport. Confused, he said what. They turned the passport around. Not his face. Not his gender. Not even close.
At some point during that chaotic hotel check-in, he’d been given the wrong passport.
And had travelled with it. For days. Around the country. Through multiple checkpoints. Without noticing.
I paused just for a second and then asked the only question that mattered:
“Whose passport do you have?”
I told him to stay exactly where he was. I made one call. Sure, enough the other person and yes, she had his passport. She also had not checked
So off we go. Straight downstairs, into a waiting Grab, full speed to her apartment. She meets us on the street, quick exchange, no time wasted.
“Đi đi!” (Which, in that moment, felt less like Vietnamese and more like a life instruction.)
Back into the car. Back to the airport.
We find our very stressed traveller, do the swap, and physically stand there watching him check in just to be absolutely sure no one accidentally hands him a third passport.
Even with two gate changes… he makes the flight. With time to spare. Crisis over.
On the way back home, sitting in the car with the other passport still in my hand, I started laughing. Belly laughing. The kind where you can’t stop. My husband looked at me like I’d finally lost it.
I turned the passport over. A Bright yellow sticker from a visa company covered the entire back cover of the passport.
He’d carried that passport the entire time and never once thought, I do not remember that sticker.
Moral of the story? Check your passport. Before you travel. While you travel. After you travel.
And maybe just quickly glance at the photo. To make sure it looks like you.
Final thought
And just like that, two completely different problems on the same trip.
One lost a phone.
One lost his identity.
Both survived.
If there’s anything to take from all this, it’s simple.
Travel is amazing but it has a way of reminding you very quickly that things don’t always go to plan.
Read my personal journal stories here.
About the Author:
Sheridan-Leigh is the passionate voice behind the MyLifestyle Blog, where life is celebrated with vibrant stories and insightful travel tips. With a deep love for slow travel, she believes in truly experiencing each destination, creating connections beyond the surface. Her blog is a blend of personal stories, expert advice, and a philosophy that life is for living to the fullest and is rich with opportunities for growth and adventure. Join Sheridan-Leigh as she shares her journey, inspiring others to embrace life, travel deeply, and live fully.
