Because what’s a family trip without a little chaos?
Let’s be honest: not every travel moment is picture-perfect. Flights get delayed, people get sick, plans change, and sometimes even the beetles fight back. While we try to roll with the punches and find the humor in the mishaps, South Africa handed us a few travel curveballs we won’t soon forget. So, in the spirit of transparency (and comedy), here are our top four fails from our latest adventure. Come laugh with us.
🚽 The One Where Patrick Hugged the Toilet on Table Mountain
This charming tale takes place at the very top of Table Mountain, where we’d just completed a gruelling hike up Kasteelpoort and were spending the night at the Overseers Cottage. Cue the thoughtful friend who hand-delivered a bottle of homemade beer all the way up the mountain (yes, really). Can you think of a better way to celebrate a hard day on the trail, and to appreciate the stunning views?
Three hours and one single beer later, Patrick found himself in a deeply committed relationship with the bathroom. Let’s just say… he didn’t stray far from the toilet for the rest of the night. The next morning, like the absolute legend he is, Patrick powered through the hike down, then promptly collapsed into his clean, fluffy bed in Camps Bay, where he stayed for the rest of the day. Deserved.
💊 The One Where Jon Got “Malaria” from His Anti-Malarials
Okay, technically not malaria. But try telling that to Jon, or any of us, at the time.
This particular fail happened in Lower Sabie Rest Camp inside Kruger National Park. Just four hours after we arrived for our safari, Jon started feeling off. A few hours later? Full-on fever, body aches, headache: the works. After consulting our ever-reliable medical advisor, Dr. Google, and despite zero mosquito bites and a scientifically impossible timeline, we all concluded: it was “malaria.”
For the next three days, Jon lived in what we affectionately called the “contamination car”, while Ally drove him around safari-style. The rest of us crammed into the other vehicle, waving from a safe distance. He did rouse himself just in time to spot our only leopard of the trip, before falling back into his fever nap. He recovered fully, but missed most of the magic of Kruger.
🦇 The One Where Ally Slept with the Bats
Still in Lower Sabie, because apparently that’s where things get real.
Ally and Madison checked into their National Parks hut: a basic, thatched-roof setup with an outdoor kitchen and all the rustic charm you’d expect. As night fell and the animal sounds filtered in from the bush, Ally found herself more awake and unnerved by the scratching coming from inside the hut.
After several tense hours, she turned on her flashlight to investigate. And there they were: a family of bats, tucked neatly into the thatch above her bed. Cue a minor meltdown. Camp staff arrived to shoo them away and patch the hole, assuring us bats are “friends” who eat mosquitoes. Ally remained unconvinced. Mandy’s laughter didn’t help.
🪲 The One Where Reese Was Terrorized by a Dung Beetle
On day one of our self-drive safari, we split into two vehicles. Mandy took the lead car with the older teens, including Reese in the front seat. The drive was beautiful, giraffes, zebras, elephants, all within minutes of entering the park.
Then came The Scream.
It was the kind of sound that made nearby game viewers grab for their binoculars. And it didn’t stop there, the ensuing squeals were reminiscent of the viral “don’t feed the zebra’s” video that we all know and love. Mandy slammed on the brakes, bracing for lion attack or imminent danger. Instead, she discovered Reese had launched herself into the backseat at lightning speed and was cowering between Adam and Madison, both of whom were laughing uncontrollably. The reason?
A dung beetle.
Yes, a small (but apparently terrifying) dung beetle had found its way into the front seat. Ten minutes later, after we’d all stopped laughing long enough to catch our breath and the beetle had been heroically escorted out of the car, we were back on the road, windows firmly shut.
✨ The Moral of the Story?
South Africa may have thrown a few wildcards our way, but it was pure magic from start to finish. We’d go back tomorrow, bats, beetles, fake malaria and all.
💬 Got your own epic travel fail? We’d love to hear it — drop your story in the comments below and help us feel slightly better about ours. 😅
Go Together Life 
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