The Last Trip

• 80: Hostel Fires

  When we talk about travel nightmares, we often picture what lurks outside - dark alleys, strangers with bad intentions, stories that begin with a missed train or a wrong run. But sometimes… the danger is already inside. Today, we’re opening the door on something even more haunting: fire.  Sudden. Consuming, Unforgiving. Because for some travelers, the scariest part of their journey wasn’t a distant unknown - it was their bed. Their room. The place they thought they were safest. In this episode, we’re telling the stories of four devastating hostel fires: The Childers Palace Backpackers Hostel in Australia, where young backpackers from around the world came chasing sunshine and freedom - and never made it home. The Downunder Hostel fire in Sydney, Australia - where a broken alarm system and locked exits turned a simple stay into a fatal trap. A fire in Riga, Latvia - swift and deadly - inside an illegal hostel that should never have been open at all. And the Loafers Lodge fire in Wellington, New Zealand, where residents living in budget rooms were left scrambling for their lives in the early hours of the morning. Each of these stories is different. But they all ask the same, terrifying question: What happens when your escape route disappears?This isn’t about fear. It’s about awareness. Because travel should feel like possibility, not risk.  Hostels should be spaces of laughter and late-night stories - not loss.So stay with me, as we retrace the final hours inside these hostels. We’ll ask what went wrong… and what we can learn from the people who never got the chance to check out. Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected] We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/ And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast Listen to this week's podcast recommendation, A Scary State Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-scary-state/id1562755130   Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter Sources: https://www.smh.com.au/national/childers-danger-known-say-families-20030620-gdgyl4.html https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/backpackers-unlawfully-killed-hostel-fire-2265489 https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/survivors-remember-childers-fire-a-decade-on-ng-ya-207764 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-02/childers-backpacker-hostel-killer-has-parole-bid-rejected/13114808 https://www.smh.com.au/national/childers-hostel-blaze-survivors-want-psychopath-killer-to-die-behind-bars-20200604-p54zj6.html https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2000/06/fire-j30.html https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/1387948/Loner-found-guilty-of-hostel-arson-murders.html https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19890917&id=yNE9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=B4cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4507,2248979 https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/nsw-reconstruction-authority https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/a-tragic-toll-building-fires-in-australia/news-story/647ba30dc34a6d279f392a2f18bb2851 https://www.iklimnet.com/hotelfires/case19.html https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/latvia-fire-riga-hostel-fire-kills-eight-people-b932170.html https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/fire-illegal-riga-tourist-hostel-kills-eight-injures-nine-2021-04-28/ https://www.baltictimes.com/eight_people_die_in_fire_in_downtown_riga_hostel/ https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/wellington-hostel-fire-hearse-arrives-as-police-recover-first-body/P4WWETXKSVEHXCPGJEFHCQQT34/ https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300879640/wellington-fatal-hostel-fire-what-is-loafers-lodge https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/16/wellington-hostel-fire-multiple-people-dead-in-new-zealand-blaze https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/490033/loafers-lodge-had-a-building-wof-but-what-exactly-does-that-mean https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/why-loafers-lodge-didnt-have-sprinklers-and-wellington-firefighters-fears-over-ageing-trucks/UJ6L4RSWHBDIRKQ7OYDSFCZRSU/

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• 79: Hostel Murders

  When we pack our bags and check into a hostel, we’re chasing adventure. A new city, a bunk bed, the promise of strangers who might become friends - or at least someone to split a cab with. And honestly? I love staying in hostels.  I’ve stayed in them all over - tiny ones in coastal towns to big ones in the heart of cities. They’re chaotic, friendly, weird, and wonderful. And for the most part, they feel safe.But behind the cheerful welcome signs and communal kitchens, something darker can hide. A stolen passport. A missing girl. A body in a room. From Australia to France to India, some travelers checked in… but never checked out.  Today, I’m taking you around the world - one hostel at a time - to revisit the chilling true stories of backpackers who vanished, were attacked, or lost their lives in places meant to be safe havens for the wandering soul. Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected] We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/ And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast Listen to this week's podcast recommendation, A Scary State Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-scary-state/id1562755130   Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/apr/03/facing-my-daughters-killer-and-finding-forgiveness-its-what-mia-would-have-wanted https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-08/home-hill-backpacker-murders-smail-ayad-ayliffe-chung-jackson/100522990 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Home_Hill_stabbings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Sophie_Collombet https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-26/benjamin-james-milward-sentenced-life-sophie-collombet-murder/7962676 https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/oct/26/sophie-collombet-killer-jailed-for-at-least-20-years-for-and-of-student https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-01/police-confirm-bashed-woman-was-french-exchange-student/5360002 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Arce_Montes https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jun/13/schooltrips.uk https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jun/21/france.uk https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-06-15/spaniard-jailed-for-30-years-over-dickinson-murder/1992942 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/14/goa-india-vikat-bhagat-guilty-rape-murder-danielle-mclaughlin https://apnews.com/article/india-goa-rape-irish-backpacker-danielle-mclaughlin-c510687dd25e7202d2fb85edd9ae0a94 https://www.thesun.ie/news/14732164/man-sentenced-rape-murder-irish-backpacker-india-danielle-mclaughlin/ https://www.thesun.ie/news/14735720/danielle-mclaughlin-murder-family-nightmare-over-killer-life-sentence/ https://people.com/irish-backpacker-india-beaches-found-dead-raped-murdered-paradise-11681002

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• 78: Bonus Episode: Dawn Barclay, "Vacations Can Be Murder"

  Today on The Last Trip, we’re diving into the darker side of travel with someone who knows exactly where the bodies are buried - literally and figuratively. Dawn Barclay is an award - winning travel journalist with a knack for uncovering  the truth behind paradise.  You might know her from her groundbreaking guide Traveling Different, which helps neurodiverse families navigate the chaos of vacationing with grace and strategy. But under the name DM Barr, she’s also a thriller writer who crafts suspense like a seasoned detective. And now? She’s fusing those worlds together in her series Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide - a multi-volume passport to the most chilling destinations across the globe. She’s part Nancy Drew, part Rick Steves, and she’s here with us to share the stories, the secrets, and maybe even a few travel warnings you won’t find in  the brochures. So buckle up. We’re going on a trip where the souvenirs come with stories you’ll never forget. Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected] We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/ And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast Follow Dawn Barclay & pick up your copy of "Vacations Can Be Murder" Amazon - https://a.co/d/d3TjUo6 https://www.dawnbarclayink.com/ https://dawnbarclay.com/ http://www.dmbarr.com/ https://vacationscanbemurder.weebly.com/ Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

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• 77: David O'Sullivan: Idyllwild, CA

  It was a quiet spring morning in Idyllwild, California - April 7, 2017 - when 25 year old David O’Sullivan put on his backpack, stepped onto the Pacific Crest Trail, and vanished. The Irish hiker had come to America chasing a dream: to walk from Mexico to Canada, alone, through some of the country’s wildest landscapes. The day before, he’d sent a brief email from the town’s small library - his last known communication. Since then, there’s been nothing. No calls. No confirmed sightings. No trace of him. How does someone disappear on one of the most traveled trails in the US? What happened to David O’Sullivan? And where is he now? Listen as we dive into the Pacific Crest Trail, the case of David O'Sullivan, and how to stay alive on vacation. Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected] We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/ And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast Listen to this week's podcast recommendation, A Scary State Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-scary-state/id1562755130   Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter Sources: https://fofound.org/2021/06/19/david-osullivan-missing/ https://www.pctmissing.org/david-osullivan https://www.pressenterprise.com/2021/05/26/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-pacific-crest-trail-hiker-david-osullivan/ https://www.pressenterprise.com/2021/05/26/whos-looking-for-david-osullivan-at-first-almost-no-one/ https://www.pressenterprise.com/2021/05/26/4-years-later-searchers-seek-an-answer-what-was-david-osullivans-fate/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/140662906657636/ https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2022/04/16/its-been-five-years-since-hiker-david-osullivan-disappeared/ https://www.dailynews.com/2021/05/26/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-pacific-crest-trail-hiker-david-osullivan/ https://medium.com/the-mystery-box/vanished-on-the-pct-where-is-david-osullivan-5d185b2c8f71 https://oag.ca.gov/missing/person/david-lawrence-osullivan https://fofound.org/

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• 76: Valerie De La Valdene: Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands

  She was known as “Shark Girl” - a fearless underwater photographer who swam with predators most of us only dare to watch on TV.  At 48, Valerie de la Valdene had it all: a career that earned her a spot in the Women Divers Hall of Fame, features on Shark Week, a culinary education under a world-renowned chef, and the kind of wealth that came with a prestigious family name. But in June 2014, Valerie was found dead in the Galapagos Islands - a single gunshot wound to the left temple. Authorities called it a suicide. But the scene? It told a different story.  And when you follow the trail of strange details and unanswered questions, it begins to look a lot less like self-destruction… and a lot more like murder. Listen as we dive into the Galápagos Islands, the case of Valerie de la Valdene, and how to stay alive on vacation. Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected] We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/ And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast Listen to this week's podcast recommendation, Weird True Crime https://weirdtruecrime.com/   Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter Sources: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4679860/American-woman-s-family-goes-Galapagos-probe-death.html https://www.bradenton.com/news/state/article160395929.html https://www.wdhof.org/members/valerie-valdene https://www.sharks.org/blog/blogs/ocean-log/valerie-elaine-de-la-valdene-1966-2014 https://wetpixel.com/articles/rip-valerie-de-la-valdene https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article4827450.html https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/tallahassee/name/valerie-valdene-obituary?id=17009121 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/in-galapagos-a-case-of-su_b_6529550 https://www.change.org/p/rafael-correa-government-of-ecuador-who-killed-of-countess-valerie-elaine-de-la-valdene-an-american-with-usa-passport-no-442549467-and-msc-doctor-in-criminology-cameraman-submarine-aficionada-volunteer-and-philanthropist-domiciled-for-25-years-in-the https://shootingsportsman.com/guy-de-la-valdene-1944-2023/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuyKbZh5USQ

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