🛒 Order now ✍️ About the Author
   
Author Scotty Boxa
Publisher Boxa Publishing
Genre Travel & Adventure
Format Hardcover / Paperback / eBook
Pages 513
ISBN B0DVGZ1G1G
Release Date 26 March 2025

TRAVEL FAILS & EPIC TALES

Real Adventures. Real Mishaps. Real Laughs.

by Scotty Boxa

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Hilarious, relatable, and somehow still inspiring.

About the Book

Travel Fails & Epic Tails proves that the best adventures rarely go to plan.
It’s a laugh-out-loud collection of stories from the road, where lost luggage, language mix-ups, and questionable life choices turn into unforgettable memories.

Each chapter takes you somewhere new and probably awkward.
From sleeping in airports to confusing “spicy” with “volcanic,” these stories remind us that travel is less about the destination and more about surviving the journey.

What’s Inside

  • 🌏 Lost, Found, and Found Again – Tales of missed flights, wrong turns, and small victories.

  • 🧳 Cultural Confusion – Moments that prove Google Translate is not a travel companion.

  • 🍜 Food Adventures – Street eats, mystery meats, and the one curry that nearly ended it all.

  • 🤦 Fails That Became Favourites – Lessons learned the hard, funny way.

  • ❤️ Tiny Wins – Proof that even disasters can turn into great stories later.

Honest. Ridiculous. 100% true enough.

Why You’ll Love It

Because travel never goes smoothly  and that’s what makes it great.
This book is a reminder that every mistake becomes a story worth retelling.

You’ll laugh, cringe, and maybe pack a better first-aid kit next time.
Perfect for anyone who’s ever taken a wrong turn and called it sightseeing.

Travel Fails & Epic Tails is proof that every disaster is just a funny story waiting to be told.
Laugh first. Learn later. Then plan your next trip anyway.

🛒 Order now

Candice York

Entertaining

Reviewed October 15, 2025

I really enjoyed this book. It’s packed with funny and relatable stories about everything that can go wrong when you travel. Some had me laughing out loud while others reminded me of my own holiday disasters. It’s a light and very entertaining read.

AndrewJames Hafer

Fun to read when relevant or relatable

Reviewed October 15, 2025

As you can see by the print copy price point the writer has a sense of humor. The book is formatted by clearly and appears to break the writer’s travel experiences into subchapters. This is not exactly what I expected, but consider that it’s a hundred thousand words. It’s good to read when traveling to these areas.

Kajsa

If you love funny books, this one’s a must-read!

Reviewed August 31, 2025

Hilarious and totally relatable, this book had me laughing out loud. Scotty Boxa’s wild adventures—from monkey mishaps in Bali to chaotic van life in Australia—show that travel isn’t always pretty, but the disasters make great memories. Perfect for anyone who loves a funny travel read!

Odette28

Packed with Practical Wisdom Despite the Wrong Turns

Reviewed August 16, 2025

I tore through this riotous collection… Boxa pulls back the curtain… from monkey ransom in Bali to middle-seat hell, TSA misery after risky airplane meals, and Thailand tuk-tuks that redefine “special price.” Between laughs, there’s practical wisdom: pack lighter, expect chaos, carry duct tape (skip the harmonica), and be kind to strangers and yourself. It’s a genuine antidote to glossy travel feeds, which remind us that the best experiences are derived from wrong turns.

CBear

Many Laugh Out Loud Moments.

Reviewed June 28, 2025

Pretty hilarious book. These are all his adventures around the world. I laughed out loud right in the beginning with his friend’s digestive disaster while kayaking in Thailand. There were so many more to follow. I highly recommend this book if you want to be entertained, commiserate about travel frustrations, or want to read about adventures from Thailand to Amsterdam, Las Vegas to Canada and more. Well done!

Michael Leeds

Crazy stories of personal travel in southeast asia

Reviewed May 28, 2025

A funny travelogue of travelling in southeast asia, from crazy travel to what you get in a $16/night hotel to cooking classes gone wrong. Love these kinds of personal tales of travel that often give a better sense of what it’s like travelling than the official guides you get. Good fun.

Kindle Customer

Fun gift!

Reviewed May 8, 2025

I thought this book was really fun! I loved the travel stories, and it was refreshing to see the not-so-perfect side of travel. Fun gift! Definitely recommend.

Elle

This book is honest, relatable and comforting!

Reviewed May 7, 2025

We’re a travel-loving family, but every trip always seems to come with its own mini disaster. This “Travel Fails and Epic Tales” book had me nodding and smiling. I felt like FINALLY, someone understands the chaos and meltdown! To be honest, I think this book is relatable, somehow comforting, and doesn’t pretend travel is all picture-perfect moments. If you’ve ever packed extensively pre-trip and somehow ended up still forgetting an essential travel accessory, then this book is for you!

Tracy Mittleider

Unexpected Laughs on the Go

Reviewed May 7, 2025

I picked this up thinking it’d be light reading, and it was just what I needed. The stories are short, easy to follow, and full of moments that had me shaking my head in recognition. It’s not over-the-top funny, but it’s got that dry, relatable humor that sneaks up on you. I liked that the author didn’t try too hard—just honest travel chaos, many of us have lived through.

Shayan

Great Read

Reviewed May 5, 2025

Travel Fails & Epic Tails is the brutally honest antidote to perfectly curated travel feeds. Scotty Boxa delivers gut-busting stories and chaotic charm in a way that feels like swapping disaster tales with your funniest, most well-traveled friend. From monkey standoffs in Bali to bathroom mishaps at customs, this book is a laugh-out-loud love letter to the unpredictable magic of travel.

PublicName

Totally relatable

Reviewed May 5, 2025

We’ve all been there and this book captures it perfectly. Funny stories, told well and get you invested in their adventures. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but pleasantly surprised that other people seem to be as annoyed with people and travel as I do, but don’t let that stand in the way of it. Life is an adventure after all.

Daniel E.

Brings back a lot of memories

Reviewed May 2, 2025

As someone that travelled a lot in their younger years, this book definitely brought back lots of memories – both good and bad. Overall, this book is a very funny and accurate description of the perils of travel. Probably the funniest story was the TSA bathroom. Glad I never had that particular experience….

Kia O

Hard to find stories like this on Instagram

Reviewed April 16, 2025

As someone who’s been all over the world, I found Scotty Boxa’s tales of airport misadventures and packing catastrophes painfully accurate. The 3 AM pre-trip spiral has happened to me more times than I care to admit, and so I winced with recognition reading it. The humor throughout comes from that universal truth, everyone who’s traveled more times than their obligatory family trips knows, namely: no matter how much you plan, chaos finds you. Whether it’s elephant encounters gone wrong or conspiracy theorists as seatmates during turbulence, Boxa captures those moments where dignity surrenders to circumstance. This isn’t Instagram-filtered travel, so for those wanting that, you won’t find it here. What is to find is the messy, sticky reality that somehow becomes our favorite stories. A must-read for anyone who’s ever returned home exhausted, slightly traumatized, and already planning their next adventure.

SharonAnn Hamilton

Encouragement to Travel and Experience All of It

April 2, 2025

Fun stories, tough stories, heart stories all wrapped up as the author takes us through his adventures on the road. I liked the stand-alone stories because I could just pick up the book and pick any chapter to read a new story. The author is clearly touched when he is treated like family wherever he goes. He falls in line with whatever adventure is offered, at times with hilarious results. Language is no barrier as he often participates in meals, both cooking and eating. He encourages you to want to travel and experience it all.

Youssef

A Must-Read for Every Adventure Junkie

March 31, 2025

Scotty Boxa’s latest travel memoir is an absolute rollercoaster of hilarity, chaos, and heart. This book isn’t just a collection of travel fails—it’s a masterclass in embracing the unexpected with wit, humor, and unapologetic authenticity. It is a book that makes you laugh, cry, and rethink the art of adventure.

Amazon Customer

Funny-Relatable-Witty

March 31, 2025

It’s a hilarious and relatable collection of travel mishaps that had me laughing out loud. Every story reminded me of my own travel misadventures and made me appreciate that even the most ridiculous fails can turn into epic tales. The raw, real, and often absurd experiences shared in the book make it a fun, must-read for anyone who’s ever traveled and encountered unexpected twists along the way.

Nazrin

Love The Stories and Inspiring Travel Read!

March 30, 2025

Having good time to read this book! The author takes me on a journey across many countries, sharing the challenges of travel with humour and a relatable experience. Even though I rarely travel abroad, his stories made me feel like I was experiencing the adventure. His story motivates me to explore more and consider traveling myself. I think I am starting to enjoy travel stories that are entertaining and insightful. Good read if you love travelling.

Melanie Rossiter

Definitely reminded me of some of my own travel scapes!

May 20, 2025

This was really funny in parts and really reminded me of my own travels, it’s amazing what can happen when you go away, it’s like universe conspires to put crazy experiences in your path. I got attacked by a monkey in Malaysia! Really resonated and laughed at some of his escapades and assessment of travelling on aeroplanes and airports!

Amazon Customer

Very Funny

April 5, 2025

This is a very humorous book on travelling stories. Their are always funny stories we hear about travelling but I was not expecting the ones that I read in this book. Very funny stories great for you to read especially if you enjoy travelling. Would be a good read while your traveling.

Jules

Hilarious Travel Disasters You’ll Be Glad Weren’t Yours

May 8, 2025

If you’ve ever had a trip go sideways, this book will make you feel seen—and make you laugh out loud. Scotty’s stories are chaotic in the best way, super relatable, and had me cringing, chuckling, and weirdly nostalgic for airport meltdowns. Not polished or deep, but definitely fun. Great for light reading and travel lovers.

MP

Okay

Germany – April 14, 2025

The book was quite okay, I thought, but it is a little bit staccato and quite overly dramatic here and there. I also expected some more funny stories – some of them are just dark.

Rami S.

Enjoyable Book

Germany – March 26, 2025

Travel Fails and Epic Tales: A very entertaining and enjoyable book. You will laugh with every story and sometimes you may even be affected. If you are an adventure lover and have experience in travel, you will find yourself in many of these stories and you will know that you are not the only one who thinks this way. A funny book. You will not get bored while reading it. I recommend it.

David

Sincero, esilarante e assolutamente reale

Italy – May 13, 2025

Questo libro mi ha fatto ridere come pochi. Non è il solito diario di viaggio tutto perfettino, anzi… è un concentrato di disastri, gaffe, imprevisti e situazioni così assurde che ti ritrovi a pensare: “Ok, a me è successo di peggio… o forse no”. Scotty Boxa ha un modo di raccontare che ti fa sentire come se stessi ascoltando un amico al pub che ti racconta le sue disgrazie in viaggio. Dalle odissee negli aeroporti alle scimmie ladre in Thailandia, fino ai compagni di volo da incubo… ogni storia è più folle della precedente, ma sempre raccontata con un’autoironia che ti conquista. Quello che mi è piaciuto è che non fa finta che tutto sia meraviglioso: mostra il lato vero del viaggio, quello fatto di errori, mal di pancia, hotel che non esistono e momenti in cui vuoi solo tornare a casa… eppure alla fine, quando chiudi il libro, ti viene voglia di partire di nuovo. Consigliatissimo a chi ama viaggiare, ma anche a chi ha bisogno di ricordarsi che gli imprevisti fanno parte del gioco!

tommaso

super!

Italy – May 7, 2025

A hilarious, no-filter dive into the messy side of travel. Scotty Boxa’s storytelling is sharp, self-deprecating, and totally relatable. From monkey thefts to van life disasters, this book had me laughing out loud. Perfect for anyone who’s ever had a travel plan go sideways—and lived to laugh about it.

Antonio

Divertente, irriverente e assolutamente reale

Italy – April 10, 2025

Questo libro mi ha fatto ridere a voce alta più di una volta! Scotty ha davvero il dono di raccontare le disavventure con una sincerità e autoironia che ti fanno sentire lì con lui, nel mezzo del caos. Alcune storie sono così assurde da sembrare inventate… e invece sai che sono assolutamente vere. L’unica ragione per cui do 4 stelle (e non 5) è che alcune sezioni sembrano un po’ ripetitive, ma nel complesso è una lettura super piacevole e perfetta per chi ama viaggiare (o almeno provarci senza troppe tragedie).

EJ

A good read for real travelers, not just tourists

Canada – May 7, 2025

This book is hilarious and super relatable. It’s not about luxury resorts or picture-perfect moments—it’s about the stuff that actually happens. Lost bags, monkey thieves, food regrets, tuk-tuk chaos… all the things that make travel memorable (and a bit of a mess). I laughed out loud more than once and kept thinking, “Yep, been there.” If you’ve ever had a trip go sideways, you’ll love this.

Tina Kowalski

Brutally honest and hilarious

Canada – April 5, 2025

This travel book both terrified me from ever travelling again and encouraged me to want to go and experience my own adventures. Using short sentences, excellent analogies, and plenty of adjectives the author blends humour and storytelling to make you feel you are along for the wild ride with him. From common inconveniences to worst case scenarios this book will intrigue you to keep going. The one mystery about this book is – if these are the stories he is WILLING to tell, how bad were some of his other experiences while travelling?

Stacey Cole

Hilarious!

Australia – June 2, 2025

This book was the perfect gift for my dad. He loves funny, quick reads, and this had him laughing out loud. The stories are ridiculous in the best way, and so relatable for anyone who’s traveled (or even just dreamed about it). A light, entertaining read that’s hard to put down.

Linda

Funny and real!

Australia – June 2, 2025

This book is super funny and real — not the usual perfect travel stuff. Scotty shares all the wild, messy moments that make you laugh and cringe. From monkeys stealing stuff to bathroom fails, it’s full of crazy stories. If you’ve ever had a travel disaster, you’ll totally get it and love it.

Jeremy K.

A ride of rollicking trials and tribulations

Australia – May 3, 2025

The sheer resilience of this bloke! The level of detail in Scotty’s storytelling takes you right there with him, and caused me to reflect on my travel debacles, such as the time I narrowly avoided being abducted at a bus terminal in Denver. But it’s travel experiences like those in this book that shape you and make you keep going back for more.

Yasmin

Funny Book

Australia – May 3, 2025

I enjoy ‘Travel Fails & Epic Tales’. It’s a pretty funny travel memoir, and humour is its main asset. It also gives general travel advice, and Scotty Boxa’s travel stories would be interesting even without the humour. (They’d be interesting whether or not the reader was an experienced traveller!) This e-book is formatted and presented well, with nice black and white pictures. ‘Travel Fails & Epic Tales’ is very Australian, and very entertaining.

The Truth Teller

LOVE IT! Chaos, Comedy and Lost Passports

Australia – March 26, 2025

If you’ve ever had a travel plan go hilariously sideways, this book will feel like your own diary, only way funnier, and with more candy, lollipops, and TSA trauma than you’d ever admit to. Scotty Boxa turns disaster into comedy gold in this wild ride of forgotten toothpaste, van gremlins, exploding stomachs, and the occasional lap dance ambush. It’s chaotic, bite-sized, and dangerously snort-laugh worthy. Boxa’s got the voice of your funniest mate telling you the world’s worst travel day, with just enough heart to remind you why we put up with this madness in the first place. Even when he’s being judged by kangaroos or scammed in Thailand, there’s a weird warmth behind the sarcasm. Highly recommended for anyone who collects travel scars and wears them like a badge of honour.

Book Nerd

Hilarious, Relatable Tales from the Road

June 8, 2025

If you’ve ever embarked on a journey only to end up in a bizarre situation or cracking up at your own mistakes, Travel Fails & Epic Tails by Scotty Boxa is the perfect companion. This entertaining and heart-warming collection captures the essence of being a van-life explorer—complete with misadventures, wildlife encounters, and moments that make you shake your head and laugh. Drawing from his award‑winning experience as Australia’s Travel Blogger and “Van Life extraordinaire” Scotty Boxa delivers candid stories from the road. From dodging emus in the Outback to surviving campfire cooking disasters and wondering, “where do I poo?”, his tales resonate with seasoned travellers and road-trip novices alike. His trademark humour and self-deprecating charm shine through each chapter, turning mishaps into memories. Relatable mishaps like misplaced passports, luggage mix-ups, and GPS fails that you’ll cringe and giggle over. Wildlife encounters ranging from kangaroo heists to stealthy emu showdowns. A warm, conversational tone that feels like sharing stories around a campfire—complete with laughter, humility, and a touch of Aussie grit. Scotty’s adventures go beyond simple blunders; they’re reflections on embracing the imperfect and finding joy and learning in chaos. Whether you’re buttoning down your campervan or simply love a good travel yarn, this book is bound to spark laughter—probably while you’re unpacking your own travel misadventures. Pack Travel Fails & Epic Tails for your next journey or keep it on your bookshelf for a good laugh whenever you need a reminder that sometimes the best parts of travel are the messy, unexpected moments. It’s a lively, comical, and utterly genuine reminder that every journey worth taking has its epically hilarious fails.

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