Solo Travel Horror Stories – The Solo Time Traveller

This story begins in a land far, far away. I was booked for a morning safari in Ranthambore. The safari was to start at 7 am but we were to assemble at the hotel’s reception 15 minutes before time. I had arrived at the hotel late at night after travelling all day, so there was a tendency for me to oversleep since I was completely worn out.

In a bid to avoid this, I set an alarm on my phone but I had developed trust issues with my device ever since it automatically reset my time back by two hours in a previous city. (Why phone? Why would you that to do me?)

Anyway, I fumble with the alarm clock provided by the hotel and manage to set an alarm on that too. 5:30 am seemed like a good time to allow me to wake up, snooze the alarm and sleep for another hour. Then I cap it all by wearing my wristwatch before calling it a night (or an early morning, in this case)
Ranthambore Regency
My room at Ranthambore Regency

Sometime later in the morning, my eyes fly wide open as a horrid realization dawns on me. My body clock tells me I have overslept but none of my alarms has gone off. I try to convince myself that I haven’t. I turn on the light by the bed and look at the time on my wristwatch. 6:50 am!!

I bolt out of bed and rush to the spot where my phone is charging. The time on it reads it 1:20 am. But I know that couldn’t have been correct. There was no way I had been asleep for only one hour. I sprint into the bathroom and take one of the quickest baths of my life (also known in medieval times as rub ‘n shine), get dressed in another two minutes or less, yank my camera battery and charger off the socket and practically run out of the room.

The hallway is noticeably quiet and empty, no one’s coming out of their rooms. I’m really upset at this point and trying to come to terms with the fact that I might have just missed my morning safari. I begin to run to the reception. Why didn’t any of the alarms go off?! Why phone? Why would you this to do me again?

When I am almost there, an eerie silence surrounds me, making me pause for the first time since I got out of bed. I look at my wristwatch again. 7:10 am. I realize that I have missed the safari.

By now, I am fully awake and for some reason the date on my watch is unreadable and the roman numerals that represent the hours appear strange. I blink several times and stare at the watch again.

Blimey! My wristwatch is upside down and the time is just 1:40 am!

I literally laugh out loud and head back quickly into my room before anyone noticed the crazy person walking along the hallway. About five hours later, my alarm goes off as planned and I am able to catch the morning safari (even though that ended up being a cold trail)

India-Bengal-Tiger

Thus ends the tale of my time travel. I did have a similar issue that involved me heading to the airport before I had to fly and I still have trust issues with my phone and now, my wristwatch!

But again, all is well that ends well and I sincerely hope these are the only ‘horror’ stories I have to tell about my trips!

Ever been in these shoes? Let me hear about your ‘horror’ stories in the comment section below.

5 comments

  1. lol great story! For some reason, although I do not like waking up early, my body almost always wakes up before it needs to. Which is a blessing AND a curse!

  2. Hahaha. This is soooo me!!!! So I can understand how horrifying it must have seemed.
    But it’s a good story to tell so I’d love to have this kind of ‘horror story’ to add to my tales of adventures.

  3. This is sooooo funny. You must have thought you were going crazy. Its all part of the thrills of the adventure i guess. I also hope this is the only kind of horror experience you will have. LOL

    http://www.ijefinelivin.com

    1. Haha, you have no idea! I also felt sorry for the people in the room next to mine. I might have disturbed them with my running around at such early hour.

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Guess where! 👀
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Let me be honest, that tripod was never going to see the light of day! 🤭
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What a beautiful city! 😍

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📌 Hirano Beach 白鳥浜: There's an elderly gentleman who comes to feed the swans from around 8:30am to 4pm, so you're likely to see flocks of swans here
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For clear views of Mount Fuji, winter, spring and autumn have the most days with clear visibility. You can always look up the weather forecast to see what the day's going to be like before you visit. 

Early mornings and evenings give you the best chance of seeing the gorgeous mountain without any cloud coverings 🤍 On this particular day, Mount Fuji was clearly visible throughout the day!

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Clear views of Mount Fuji, a beautiful lake and swans... what more could I possibly ask for? 🥰 _____________________ If you visit the area, here are some places you'll find the swans + a perfect view of Mount Fuji 🏔🦢 📌 Hirano Beach 白鳥浜: There's an elderly gentleman who comes to feed the swans from around 8:30am to 4pm, so you're likely to see flocks of swans here 📌 In front of Koyu Club Hotel (コーユー倶楽部山中湖畔サロン) 📌 A little further down the road from the last location is a dock where you can also rent swan boats. For clear views of Mount Fuji, winter, spring and autumn have the most days with clear visibility. You can always look up the weather forecast to see what the day's going to be like before you visit. Early mornings and evenings give you the best chance of seeing the gorgeous mountain without any cloud coverings 🤍 On this particular day, Mount Fuji was clearly visible throughout the day! #lakeyamanaka #fujifivelakes #swanlake #japan
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#travelinspiration #japantrip #magome #travelwithapentojapan #travelwithapen
This town was a beautiful surprise in Japan 😍 To get here, we travelled from Kyoto to Nagoya and from there to Nakatsugawa. From Nakatsugawa Station, we had to take another bus to Magome-Juku but the commute was so worth it! -------‐‐‐--‐ Magome forms part of the Nakasendo Trail, a historic route that once connected Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo) during the Edo period in Japan. It traverses the mountainous heart of Japan, offering breathtaking views of forests, rivers, and traditional villages. The trail is known for its 69 post towns where people would rest along the way. Today, parts of the Nakasendo are well-preserved, allowing hikers to experience a mix of nature and history as they walk through charming old towns like Magome and Tsumago, where time seems to stand still amidst the preserved traditional architecture. #travelinspiration #japantrip #magome #travelwithapentojapan #travelwithapen
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Tea or Coffee? No, thanks! I'll take a glass of orange juice please! 🍹 But "Travel-Amarachi" will take that matcha 🍵, with the beautiful cafe to matcha! See what I did there? 😉 #thefunniestgirlinNigeria #MFGN👑

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+1: I am also a big home buddy. If you catch me outside, I must really love you! But Travel-Amarachi can't stay put in the hotel!
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Over to you! What are some ways travel-you differs from home-you? Let me know in the comment section below!

#travelinspiration #japantrip #travelwithapentojapan #travelwithapen
Travel Amarachi is VERY different from Home Amarachi! Am I living a fake life?😭😂 Because,my ideal day will start at 10 or 11am and end at 2am. I'm a night owl 🦉, not an early bird 🐦 - a complete opposite of who I become when I travel! Tea or Coffee? No, thanks! I'll take a glass of orange juice please! 🍹 But "Travel-Amarachi" will take that matcha 🍵, with the beautiful cafe to matcha! See what I did there? 😉 #thefunniestgirlinNigeria #MFGN👑 I only hike for love ❤️ and my Love can faint if he goes on a trip that doesn't include any bit of hiking. So here we are! +1: I am also a big home buddy. If you catch me outside, I must really love you! But Travel-Amarachi can't stay put in the hotel! _____________________________ Over to you! What are some ways travel-you differs from home-you? Let me know in the comment section below! #travelinspiration #japantrip #travelwithapentojapan #travelwithapen
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An absolutely wonderful time in the most stunning country! 😍😍

#japantrip2025🇯🇵🌸⛩️
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You can also split this time, taking shorter breaks in addition to the public holidays.

Take 12 days off from March 31 to April 21 to get 24 vacation days (including weekend and public holidays)! 😀 

Mar 31 - Apr 01: Likely Eid Al Fitr
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Send this post to your manager immediately! 🚀
Public holidays should be your best friend if you work full time and love to travel. Eid and Easter fall between the months of March and June. If you plan out your vacation time properly, you can: 🌸: get 24 vacation days ✈️ by taking only 12 days off! 🤯. Perfect for your Asian odyssey or West African road trip from Nigeria to Cote D'Ivoire 🚌 You can also split this time, taking shorter breaks in addition to the public holidays. Take 12 days off from March 31 to April 21 to get 24 vacation days (including weekend and public holidays)! 😀 Mar 31 - Apr 01: Likely Eid Al Fitr Apr 18 - Apr 21: Easter Send this post to your manager immediately! 🚀
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