Women Reveal Their Huge Cringey Travel Mistakes

We might be worldly women now, but we were all baby travelers out finding our footing in the wide world at one point. And even age and worldliness can’t save you from committing a cultural faux pas now and again, anyhow. And isn’t learning how things work in cultures and countries beyond your own by trial and error part of the adventure of travel?

During a recent spring break trip to South Korea with my family, I decided to visit a public bath house in the historic city of Gyeongju. Called jjimjilbangs, they’re Korea’s answer to Japan’s onsens. The attendants where I went didn’t speak English and I don’t speak Korean, but I managed to understand that the locker key they handed me upon entry was for stashing my stuff. I knew, from some advanced research, that while the genders are separated in Korean bath houses, it’s custom (and, in fact, mandatory) to strip down to nothing but your birthday suit to partake of the hot waters, sauna and steam.

When I entered the women’s area and saw the small, shoebox-sized locker near the floor that had my key’s number on it, I found it a bit cramped for space but nonetheless stripped down to skin only and crammed my shoes and all my clothing inside. That’s when an attendant came by, in a flustered rush, indicating by pointing to her own slipper-clad feet that the small locker at the jjimjilbang’s entrance was only for stashing my shoes. The space was open to view by passersby (and there were some passing by — cringe!). Shoes left in the locker, I could head into the proper locker room to fully disrobe, she managed to say to me with sign language.

It was mortifying, to be sure, as I gathered all my belongings, in the buff, from the tiny locker and hurried into the more private space. But I certainly learned my lesson for next time.

I talked to other savvy female travlelers from America and beyond about the cringe moments they’ve had out in the world that have proved to be good lessons — no matter how humiliating in the moment.

Awkward times in the German public baths

While living in Munich years ago, I went swimming in the public baths and didn’t realize that most females there swim without a top on and circulate in the pool the opposite way as I would in the US. While attempting to go with the flow, I ran head-on into this poor German lady and unintentionally grabbed her breast. She quickly moved lanes away from me, asap. — Samantha, 37, California

Operating like a German at a Moroccan spa

I once had a massage in a Moroccan kasbah hotel. I went into the room and layed down on the massage bed without a bra, only panties, because that’s what I would do in Germany. A bearded, Moroccan man came in and did the massage. I still feel embarrassed when I think about it because I didn’t expect it to be a man and I know it’s taboo in that culture, but in the moment I was frozen. I don’t want to think about the fantasies he had. — Astrid, 48, Munich, Germany