"In Korea, I was most confused by the amount of time the woman spent massaging my face. In the 90 minutes I was there, she must've spent 45 of them on my face. ... Finally, with about 10 minutes to spare, she turned her attention to my extremities. Unfortunately, it was in the form of punching. I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of punching -- during a massage or otherwise." — Angela, via Untitled Adventure
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From Uterus to Toe
"I had made an appointment for some post-5K reflexology, a treatment performed entirely on the feet using a pressure point technique ... 'I may do it a bit differently,' the masseuse warned. 'Some guests think I have a firm touch, but you'll get the most benefit that way.' (Cue ominous music).
Grasping one foot tightly, he pulled my big toe upward and pressed a thumb into the ball of my foot. 'Ow!' I blurted in surprise ... [Then,] with a solemn expression he pronounced, 'There's a lot of tension in your uterus.'
My uterus?
Normally I wouldn't dream of sharing this with a stranger, but it was no time for modesty: Through gritted teeth, I enlightened him that it was my time of the month, adding, 'Please move away from the uterus before I kick you in the face!'" — Kathleen via Great Hotels of the World
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Trick or Cheat
"An American tourist I know visited Beijing and was walking along the streets when he was stopped by a pretty woman offering a massage for around $5.50. The man was interested, and the woman led him into a large room tucked behind an alleyway. The woman provided drinks to him and a couple other girls who were also in the room, which he thought were complimentary. At the end of the massage, the girl gave the guy a hefty bill. Yes, the massage was only about $5, but with all the drinks, the woman tacked on an extra couple hundred and threatened to call the police if he didn't pay." — Brett
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Shake It Off
"I was in the middle of a regular Swedish massage at a nice spa in LA, when out of nowhere, my petite female masseuse proceeded to climb right on top of me. Balancing on all fours, the woman pressed the entire weight of her body into my back with her elbows and knees and stayed there for a good five minutes. It was like she was doing yoga on top of me. I wanted to burst out laughing, but I was afraid if I laughed too hard, I'd shake her right off the table!" — Amanda, Assistant Editor
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A Royal Pain
"This guy [in Bali] gave me the hardest massage I've ever had. It was so hard, at times I was yelping in pain. I told him it was hurting ... but he kept on applying as much pressure as possible. I was in serious pain and kept telling him to ease up. [Finally] I had to just lay there and bare it." — Scott via Walk About Indonesia
A massage is supposed to be one of life's simplest and most relaxing pleasures. But put nakedness, body oil and strangers in a dim room, and something's bound to go wrong eventually. Scroll through to read all about the painful rubdowns, reflexology gone wrong and not-so-happy endings that have us cringing. May these embarrassing massage moments serve as cautionary tales for the next time you book your bodywork.
