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/

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

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

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/

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

On April 15, 2005, District Attorney Ray Gricar took the day off, got in his car, and set out on a quiet road trip—just a short drive to clear his head. But he never came home. His car was later found abandoned, his wallet and phone missing, and his laptop destroyed and dumped in a river. And then... nothing.

In this episode, we explore the mysterious disappearance of Ray Gricar—a seasoned prosecutor who had spent decades putting criminals behind bars. Did he walk away from his life? Was he targeted? Or did he uncover something so dangerous it made him disappear?

Listen as we dive into Pennsylvania, the case of Ray Gricar, and how to stay alive on vacation.

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, Tragedy With A View

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tragedy-with-a-view/id1689392628

 

Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=in4xAAAAIBAJ&pg=5789,304024&dq=ray+gricar

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jH4xAAAAIBAJ&pg=3826,3070043&dq=ray+gricar+car

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/missing-da-is-it-foul-play-or-did-he-commit-suicide/

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/missing-da-is-it-foul-play-or-did-he-commit-suicide/

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iZYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5334,210533&dq=ray+gricar+laptop

https://web.archive.org/web/20110709151400/http://www.centredaily.com/2011/07/06/2818532/family-seeks-closure.html

https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/2015/04/ten_years_later_ray_gricars_di.html

https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/2015/04/ten_years_later_ray_gricars_di.html

In September 2019, a yellow Jeep Wrangler was found abandoned at a remote trailhead on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Everything inside looked normal—except the woman who rented it, Lucy Schuhmann, was missing.

The 48-year-old traveler from Louisville, Kentucky, had come to the island alone, seeking peace and nature. She checked into a rental near Coral Bay, unpacked, and then vanished.

Her belongings were left behind. Her ID was found in her daypack at the end of a trail. Despite extensive searches, Lucy has never been seen again.

Was it a tragic accident, a planned disappearance—or is something darker hiding beneath the island’s serene surface?

Listen as we dive into St John, the case of Lucy Schuhmann, and how to stay alive on vacation.

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, Twisted and Uncorked

https://www.twistedanduncorked.com/

 

Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/402880693755219/

https://www.wlky.com/article/authorities-searching-for-louisville-woman-missing-in-virgin-islands/29180145

https://nypost.com/2019/09/23/kentucky-woman-lucy-schuhmann-missing-for-four-days-in-us-virgin-islands/

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/25/us/virgin-islands-missing-woman/index.html

https://charleyproject.org/case/lucy-evalyne-schuhmann

https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1563/isb-viis-missing.htm

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2019/09/22/louisville-woman-missing-since-thursday-virgin-islands/2413233001/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rescuers-focus-virgin-islands-cliffs-where-missing-american-s-backpack-n1059316

https://stjohnsource.com/2019/10/02/nps-downscales-search-for-missing-kentucky-woman/

https://stjohnsource.com/2019/09/20/240057/

https://nypost.com/2019/09/23/kentucky-woman-lucy-schuhmann-missing-for-four-days-in-us-virgin-islands/

https://people.com/human-interest/kentucky-woman-missing-5-days-vanished-airbnb-virgin-islands/

https://websleuths.com/threads/usvi-lucy-schuhmann-48-tourist-from-ky-st-john-us-virgin-islands-19-sep-2019.475106/

A 62-year-old man boards a plane—but his travel path makes no sense. Charlotte. Austin. Dallas. And finally… Cancun. When Robert Cantrell lands in Mexico, he clears customs—but never makes it to baggage claim.

Days later, he reappears—shoeless, confused, and unable to remember his own name. A journalist finds him. Then he disappears again.

Was he lost, drugged, or targeted? A voicemail, a detention center, and a suitcase returned without him—all raise more questions than answers.

This week, we unravel the chilling mystery of Robert Cantrell, a man who vanished not once, but twice.

Listen as we dive into Cancun, the case of Robert Cantrell, and how to stay alive on vacation.

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, Pod of Terror

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pod-of-terror/id1719369658

 

Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:

https://theguadalajarareporter.net/index.php/news/news/lake-chapala/61412-ajijic-homeowner-s-puzzling-mystery-disappearance

https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/friends-say-missing-jacksonville-man-last-seen-cancun/77-970d7c68-e202-4b2f-9311-9e70c3f05f2a

https://ojo.chapala.com/articles-2023/september-2023/ajijic-man-still-missing/

https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2023/08/04/as-familys-fears-grow-sen-rubio-now-aiding-in-search-for-jacksonville-man-missing-in-mexico/

https://texasequusearch.org/cases/robert-cantrell-62-cancun-mexico-6-20-2023/

https://www.instagram.com/robcan/

https://theguadalajarareporter.net/index.php/news/news/lake-chapala/60278-reward-offered-for-location-of-missing-ajijic-resident

https://www.tiktok.com/@hurricanechristy/video/7279992530979032363

https://www.gofundme.com/f/find-rob-cantrell-and-bring-him-to-safety

https://websleuths.com/threads/mexico-robert-cantrell-62-american-retired-psychologist-wanted-to-see-a-property-in-cancun-20-jun-2023.683495/page-2

https://www.facebook.com/RobCan2

https://mexicodailypost.com/2023/09/02/new-clues-emerge-regarding-an-american-based-in-ajijic-that-disappeared-in-cancun/

Money, power, and mystery—three ingredients for a disappearance that still haunts the Pacific.

Larry Hillblom, co-founder of DHL, built a shipping empire and amassed a fortune. Yet, he chose to live in secrecy on a remote Pacific island, surrounded by scandal and whispers of something darker.

In 1995, his small plane crashed near Saipan. Wreckage was found. Bodies recovered. But Hillblom? Gone. No body. No trace. Just questions.

Did he perish in the ocean—or stage the ultimate escape? With mounting paternity lawsuits, a cryptic will, and a fortune at stake, his disappearance ignited one of history’s most bizarre legal battles.

Accident? Cover-up? Murder? Vanishing act?

Today, we unravel the strange, tangled mystery of Larry Hillblom—an empire-builder whose fate remains unknown.

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, Book of the Dead Pod

https://www.botdpod.com/

 

Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:

https://tiaca.org/larry-hillblom/

https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/documents/areas/fac/dotm/bio/pdf_KM09.pdf

https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/business/king-larry-the-bizarre-road-of-a-billionaire-review.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/08/23/millionaires-dna-may-solve-inheritance-flap/b6db40f3-741d-4ec0-ba7e-a03e377af96c/

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-24-mn-5506-story.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/23/us/larry-l-hillblom-52-founder-of-dhl-worldwide-express.html

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jan-11-mn-7237-story.html

https://www.joc.com/article/dhl-co-founder-larry-hillblom-dies-in-plane-crash-5403850

https://nypost.com/2012/01/15/one-man-is-an-island/

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/2c3du0/larry_hillblom_billionaire_and_founder_of_dhl/

https://fortune.com/2012/02/03/king-larry-the-story-of-a-business-monster/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB832124296163216000

https://www.dannydutch.com/post/the-evil-story-of-larry-hillblom-the-h-from-dhl

Annie and Robin Korkki set out on the trip of a lifetime - a luxurious island getaway in paradise. But on the morning of September 22, 2016, their dream vacation came to a chilling end. 

After a day of drinking and laughter at an exclusive resort in Seychelles, the sisters were escorted back to their villa by their personal butler. But they never stepped outside again.

When hotel staff finally entered the room, they found an eerie scene - both women, fully clothed, lying side by side in bed. No signs of struggle. No disturbance.  Just an untouched room and two lifeless bodies.

The autopsy tells us how they died. But the question that still lingers is - why? What really happened to Annie and Robin Korkki? And what secrets does their final night hold?

Listen as we dive into Seychelles, the case of Annie & Robin Korkki, and how to stay alive on vacation.

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, The Red Treehouse

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-red-treehouse-scary-stories-to-keep-you-up-at-night/id1705518954

 

Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:

https://people.com/crime/american-sisters-dead-in-seychelles-autopsy-shows-cause-of-death/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/seychelles-police-release-cause-death-annie-robin-korkki-n657306

https://www.wltx.com/article/news/vacationing-sisters-died-of-water-in-lungs/328016750

https://digitaledition.chicagotribune.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=d9d98e4d-73a3-49c6-a30a-530bf23aa850

https://digitaledition.chicagotribune.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=d9d98e4d-73a3-49c6-a30a-530bf23aa850

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37525883

https://www.denverpost.com/2016/09/30/annie-korkki-robin-korkki-autospy/

https://lauthmissingpersons.com/strange-circumstances-in-the-seychelles-the-sombre-story-of-annie-and-robin-korkki/

https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimeDiscussion/comments/pkwjpu/mysterious_deaths_of_the_korkki_sisters_in_the/

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/sisters-dead-seychelles-vacation-robin-annie-korkki/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3817194/Ashes-Minnesota-sisters-dead-Seychelles-given-family.html

http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/6375/Combined+drug+intoxication+blamed+in+deaths+of+American+sisters%2C+tests+reveal

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007122645283