As summer approaches, many will be looking forward to heading abroad to explore exotic beaches, sprawling cities or vast countryside.
Most of these trips will be pleasant, incident-free trips to foreign countries where most tourists respect the local culture and traditions.
However, not every traveler knows how to act appropriately while abroad. More and more tourists are making headlines for all the wrong reasons, behaving unbelievably.
Such incidents often take place at historic or religious sites – places where you don’t need a deep understanding of local customs to know, for example, that you really shouldn’t strip and pose nude.
Last week a tourist was arrested in Indonesia for doing so, with a local telling them “if you can’t respect our traditions and culture, go back to your country”.
In view of this, independent A list of the silliest things tourists have done abroad in recent years.
Posing nude next to the sacred tree
The photo sparked controversy in Indonesia and online
(Ni Luh Djelantik/Instagram)
In April 2023, a woman was arrested after posing nude in front of the holy Bayan Tree in Bali, Indonesia.
The woman is reportedly set to be deported from Bali after being detained by immigration officials for taking photos of the 700-year-old tree.
Instagram user Ni Luh Djelantik pointed out the woman’s actions and posted a photo of the tourist, writing: “All foreigners who don’t respect our land, Bali is our home, not yours!”
They added: “Do you think it would be cool to be topless on our sacred tree? If you can’t respect our traditions and culture, go back to your country.”
Posing Nude Next to the Sacred Tree…Again
Indonesian social media activist Ni Luh Djelantik posted a photo of a Russian tourist (above) nude in front of a sacred tree in Bali
(Ni Luh Djelantik/Instagram)
A story from 2022 makes the aforementioned incident appear even more silly; last year, a Russian internet celebrity was reported by the authorities for posing similarly nude in front of a similar sacred tree.
Alina Fazleeva posted the provocative images to her 27,000 followers, but they were spotted and reported by an outraged local.
Facing up to six years in prison and a fine of up to £55,000, Ms Fazleeva quickly deleted the photo and apologized on Instagram. She also posted a photo of herself praying near a similar tree. At the time, local news outlets reported that she and her partner would be deported.
nude on the holy mountain
Deleted post by Russian tourist Yuri
(instagram.com/chila_brazila)
A common theme seems to emerge… In March 2023, a Russian man — known only by his first name Yuri — apologized after posting a photo of him topless on top of Mount Agung in Bali.
The mountain is an active volcano and is considered by the locals to be the abode of the gods. In addition to the photo, it is said that Yuri was part of a group that had not registered for climbing before, which was also prohibited.
He later apologized on Instagram and met with community leaders to formally apologize.
“The only reason for this video is my personal ignorance,” he said in the video. “I’m sorry this happened”.
smashed ancient roman sculpture
Inside the Chiaramonti Museum
(Getty Images)
Late last year, an American citizen was arrested in Vatican City after smashing a Roman sculpture in the Chiaramonti Museum.
The man became enraged after being denied a request to meet the pope during his visit, before grabbing one of the busts and throwing it on the ground.
Fortunately, the statues were not damaged “particularly badly,” with one missing “parts of its nose and ear,” while “the other’s head fell off its pedestal,” the director of the Vatican Museums’ press office told the press.
The estimated repair cost is EUR 15,000 and the estimated time is 300 hours. The man is reportedly facing charges of aggravated damage.
Ride a motorbike down the Spanish Steps
(Getty Images)
An American tourist in Rome has been banned for life from the city’s iconic Spanish Steps after she and a friend caused $26,000 worth of damage to them with an electric scooter.
The 28-year-old American tourist reportedly threw an electric scooter down the famous steps. A passerby who was filming at the time captured the incident on camera.
The woman and another man were trying to push their scooter down the stairs just before the incident. The woman was clearly tired of trying to lug the scooter and instead decided to throw it at the end.
break roman statues (instead of telling)
An Austrian tourist accidentally broke his toe off a 200-year-old statue in Italy in 2020 after posing for a photo with it.
The unnamed man was captured on video next to the 19th-century sculpture “Paolina Borghese as Venus Victrix” at the Antonio Canova Museum.
CCTV footage shows him posing for pictures before he appears to realize the damage he has caused, looking down and touching part of the sculpture.
However, he did not report the incident, according to the museum in Possagno in northeastern Italy. Possagno Mayor Valerio Favero called the tourist’s actions “criminal”.
stealing sand in sardinia
It is illegal to take sand from Sardinia
(Associated Press)
Dozens of tourists face fines of up to 3,000 euros in 2021 after stealing sand from Sardinian beaches.
A group of Facebook activists called Sardinia Robbed and Looted estimates the total amount of sand collected during 2021 to be around six tons.
In 2017, it was made illegal to trade Sardinian sand, pebbles and shells.
In June of that year, local authorities reported that 41 people had been investigated in separate incidents for stealing a total of about 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of sand.
Surfing the Venice Canals
In 2022, two tourists were slapped with hefty fines for filming along a Venice canal after the city’s mayor called them “bossy idiots”.
Video of the pair gliding down the iconic waterway on motorized foil surfboards has gone viral on social media, sparking outrage from residents.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro accused the surfers of “making a mockery of the city” and effectively launched a manhunt for the couple, offering dinner to anyone who could help find them.
“I’m asking everyone to help us identify them to punish them, even if our weapons are really blunt,” Mr. Brugnaro said, adding that his office desperately needed more powers to maintain public safety.
Hours later, he announced that the surfers had been identified and their surfboards reportedly worth around 25,000 euros (£21,000) had been confiscated.
smuggling precious cultural relics
(Getty Images)
In 2017, a British man was arrested at Bodrum airport on suspicion of “discovering Turkish artifacts without notifying the authorities”.
Toby Robyns, then 52, found 13 gold coins while snorkeling in Turgutreis. He tried to take them home as souvenirs, but was reportedly detained in Milas prison.
At the time, a family friend described the acts as “harmless fun on holiday”, while a Foreign Office spokesman confirmed they were helping Robbins.
Go ‘Have Fun’ in the Most Dangerous Places on Earth
Selfie posted by Mr Routledge on Twitter
(Myles Routledge/Twitter)
Sometimes the stupid thing is not a single act but the act of visiting the country in the first place.
Take the so-called “dangerous tourist” Miles Routledge, who was held by the Taliban in April along with two other men. While the other two had valid reasons to remain in the country, Routledge was simply “going to have fun in the most dangerous places on earth”, having recently traveled to South Sudan and Ukraine.
To make matters worse, Mr Routledge had previously been evacuated from the country by armed forces during the Taliban takeover in 2021.
