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A family of six have become the first to stay overnight in a quirky wombat\u2019s burrow \u2013 after winning a UK competition to celebrate top holiday mishaps. Amanda Willis, 48, from Exeter, wowed the judges with a spectacular packing blunder, which saw her jet off on holiday with a suitcase full of her nan’s knitted blankets, instead of her clothes.<\/p>\n
Joined by her daughters, partner, and son-in-law, the family were treated to a one-of-a-kind stay in the B&Burrow \u2013 a unique subterranean hideaway designed to resemble a wombat\u2019s warren, tucked away in the picturesque Mendip Hills, Somerset.<\/p>\n
The marsupial-inspired digs, which sleeps six, has cosy, tunnel-style living chambers, a crawl-through child\u2019s entrance, and even a distinctive cube-shaped loo \u2013 a playful homage to wombats being the only species in the world which produce square-shaped poo.<\/p>\n
Amanda was handpicked out of countless other accidental tales of misadventure from other travellers to win the contest, created by Compare the Market to celebrate its characters, including the mishap-prone Carl the Wombat.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cI had a suitcase of knitted blankets belonging to my late nan in my hallway. As she\u2019d recently passed away, I was going to take them to a charity shop.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat very same winter, I excitedly headed off on a trip to Tenerife with my then boyfriend.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I arrived, I eagerly unzipped my luggage only to discover that I had mistakenly taken the wrong bag \u2013 instead of holiday clothes, all I found was a suitcase packed to the brim with woollen blankets.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn despair, I had to rush out and purchase an entirely new holiday wardrobe on the very first day of our trip.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was also left roaming the island with an unruly and frizzy perm \u2013 as my hairdryer, mousse, and hairspray were all lovingly waiting for me back home in the hallway.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Amanda isn\u2019t the only one to have suffered an unfortunate travel mishap.<\/p>\n
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\nUltimately, life is a journey of learning from our missteps, and making great decisions for ourselves<\/p>\n
Ursula Gibbs, Compare the Market director<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Alexandra Gossage, 34, from Taunton, also won a stay in a separate burrow with members of her family \u2013 after her \u00a330 return tickets to Bruges ended up costing her an extra \u00a3540 due to getting the return times mixed up.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cA decade ago, as a financially strapped student, I meticulously planned my first trip with my boyfriend to Bruges, just before Christmas.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe secured bus tickets for a mere \u00a330 each for a round trip, which felt like an incredible bargain at the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, the excitement of our adventure was momentarily overshadowed on December 23 at 3.00pm, when I suddenly realised I had made a booking error.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had mistakenly reserved the bus journey back for 00:00 on the same day \u2013 essentially, the very beginning, not the end, of December 23rd. This meant we had already missed our return trip.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo make matters worse, there were absolutely no available buses departing on December 24.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had no choice but to dig deep into my pockets and shell out a hefty \u00a3540 for last-minute train tickets, to ensure we made it back in time for Christmas Day.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s rather ironic that I teach physics today, given my poor grasp of the concept of time back then.\u201d<\/p>\n
Images show the B&Burrow features a characterful home decorating mishap \u2013 a clock that\u2019s been restored by drawing the missing numbers on paper and sticking it to the wall.<\/p>\n
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Carl the Wombat\u2019s signature yellow T-shirt can also be found hanging on the bedroom door for guests to wear.<\/p>\n
Other highlights include a luxury hot tub near the entrance, with plenty of places to bask in the sun.<\/p>\n
Ursula Gibbs, director at Compare the Market, said: \u201cLots of us have had travel mishaps \u2013 or \u201cwombat moments\u201d, as we\u2019ve affectionately coined them \u2013 where we\u2019ve accidentally dug ourselves into a hole.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur research, of 2,000 adults, found nearly half (46 percent) said they had fallen foul \u2013 be that from booking tickets on the wrong dates, to missing flights entirely.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn average, this costs holidaymakers \u00a3143 each time \u2013 although some unlucky travellers have had to stump up \u00a31,000 or more.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn spite of his best intentions, our beloved character Carl the Wombat sometimes doesn\u2019t get it right.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur research shows that many of us can find common ground with Carl \u2013 whether it’s mistakenly boarding the wrong bus, or forgetting our passports before an international journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately, life is a journey of learning from our missteps, and making great decisions for ourselves \u2013 an approach we fondly refer to as being more meerkat!<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we created the B&Burrow, to soothe hapless holidaymakers and help rectify those travel mishaps.\u201d<\/p>\n