A Somerset newlywed has described her dream £3,000 honeymoon as a holiday from hell after a violent stomach infection left her confined to a toilet for days and ultimately hospitalised.
A Dream Trip Turns into a Nightmare
Jess Phillips, a 31-year-old admin assistant from Somerset, embarked on what should have been the trip of a lifetime with her new husband, Conor, 30. Just days after their wedding, the couple jetted off to a five-star resort in Cape Verde booked through TUI.
Instead of enjoying sun-drenched relaxation, Jess spent the majority of her holiday violently ill. She described experiencing intense chills that left her "vibrating" before being struck by relentless symptoms.
"It wasn't even diarrhoea... it was just water," Jess explained. "It went on every 10 to 30 minutes for 12 hours. I started passing blood. I nearly fainted walking 20 steps to the bathroom."
Hospitalisation and a Shocking Diagnosis
After three agonising days trapped in her hotel room, Jess's condition deteriorated to the point where she required hospital admission. Doctors placed her on a drip and initially diagnosed her with gastroenteritis.
Subsequent tests, however, revealed the true cause of her suffering: shigella. This is a dangerous bacterial infection, often linked to contaminated food or poor hygiene, which can cause severe diarrhoea, cramping, and fever.
Jess was so debilitated she was unable to eat, resorting to sucking on Pringles in a desperate attempt to restore her salt levels. She estimates she visited the toilet between 50 and 100 times during the worst of the illness.
Fury and a Fight for Refunds
The ordeal continued even after Jess was discharged from the medical facility. The couple were left "furious" when the hotel demanded over £100 for a late check-out so Jess could rest before their flight home.
"I told them if they didn't let me stay, they were risking me spreading this to everyone else," Jess fumed. "They clearly didn't care." The couple eventually negotiated the fee down to £50.
Now back in the UK, Jess is still suffering lingering effects from the infection and is demanding a full refund from TUI. "It cost over £3,000 and it was ruined," she said. "We had three good days before it all went wrong."
She emphasised that she had taken precautions, using sanitiser and avoiding risky foods, leaving her baffled as to how she contracted the illness. Her case is not isolated; law firm Irwin Mitchell confirmed it is representing more than 1,500 British tourists who have fallen ill at Cape Verde resorts in recent years.
A spokesperson for the hotel expressed regret for Jess's distress and reiterated their commitment to strict hygiene protocols. A TUI UK & Ireland spokesperson said: "We are very sorry to hear Ms Phillips fell ill... We are reviewing her case and will be in touch as soon as possible."
Jess concluded, "If it had been a child or an elderly person, it could've been deadly. It was supposed to be the happiest week of my life. Instead, it was hell."
