Last Saturday afternoon, I was wandering around Federation Square. All of a sudden, about thirty people swarmed around me. I looked around and realised they were being herded by a tour guide in a bright green T-shirt.
“So, this is Federation Square,” announced the guide. “It was voted as one of the ugliest buildings in the world in 2012. An eyesore.”
Melbourne’s so-called monumental eyesore, Federation Square | Weekly Photo Challenge: Monument.
I chuckled. So did the tour group. I lingered behind them. The guy in green gave a casual historical spiel about the dull-coloured, so-called unsightly Melbourne icon.
Joining guided group tours be it on an overseas holiday or a day trip in Australia is something I’ve never signed up for. My friends who have done so said they are fun.
There are definitely a number of plusses tagging along such tours when we’re visiting a country or foreign town for the first time. Provided we sign up for a tour aligned with a reputable travel agency, an assumingly knowledgeable tour guide should confidently take us around iconic hot spots we’re lusting to see. There’s no need to worry about getting lost in a place we don’t know. We can relax and enjoy the sights.
Secondly, with a tour guide we can get a historical rundown of the places we’re visiting in real time. It’s a bonus if the tour guide is a local, which is usually the case, who speaks the local language. He/she can double up as a translator and so can our travel companions if they speak the language.
Joining a tour group means traveling in numbers, safety in numbers. Though touristy places are often targets for pickpockets and thieves, most likely we’ll have support when something of ours goes missing.
My university orientation tour is the closest thing I’ve ever gotten to being part of a tour group. On Orientation Day, an older university student brought me and about thirty other first-years to see the campus libraries, canteen, toilets and popular in-between class hangouts. We spent roughly five minutes at each location, too short for my liking. At the end of the session, I had questions about which toilets were haunted but the other first-years mobbed the guide and I didn’t get my chance. This tour wasn’t exactly a memorable one.
I’ve always been a solo traveler with no qualms venturing out into the unfamiliar on my own. Never joined an intimate group walkabout at the zoo where you take turns to get up-close with animals or bushwalking tours either. I love taking my time looking at architecture that may seem boring to others. I love taking those few slow extra steps, being adventurous and seeing what’s around the next corner. So exploring a place with a bunch of people on a tight schedule doesn’t sit well with me. I’m an introvert, shy person too and never feel too comfortable traveling with people I barely know.
On Sunday, I happened to stumble upon another tour guide dressed in the same green T-shirt leading another pack of excited explorers in the city. This time it was outside chocolate place Max Brenner at QV. The group was within earshot and I heard the tour guide going on about Melbourne’s most popular chocolate haunts. Suddenly, he brandished a family-sized pack of Tim Tams out of nowhere and ripped it open.
“Here you go,” he said cheerily, generously passing the chocolate biscuits around. “These are Tim Tams. Sometimes Australians do what you call a Tim Tam Slam. That’s drinking a hot beverage using the Tim Tam as a straw, then eating the biscuit with your mouth full of drink.”
All of a sudden being part of a tour group seems entertaining.
Do you prefer traveling solo, with family/friends or with a tour group?
Mabel Kwong 
I think tours are good if they’re short and sweet, but you miss out on really seeing a place if you’re in a big group racing around the top twenty cities in Europe, for example. When I was in Europe, I travelled alone, and the experience was unbeatable. You’re forced out of your comfort zone, you have to meet new people, make a spontaneous itinerary and bond with the locals. I did take the occasional day tour (usually when it came free with the hostel), to see iconic sites that were difficult to get to on my own.
Of course, this is fine in a place that’s safe and most of the population speak the same language as you. I’m intending to travel Africa, and I couldn’t fathom doing that alone.
And, I also think it depends on your age. If you want a luxury trip with the over 65s, or you’re a lone 22 year old female, it may suit you to be in a group of like minded people. There’s something for everyone out there, but I’m a solo traveller at heart.
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Thanks for sharing, Siobhan. You’re so right. There’s no reason why we can’t both travel solo and join group tours on overseas trips. To be honest, I don’t really know why anyone would join a big guided tour and race around cities in a richly steeped historical place like Europe. A lot of these tour groups usually squeeze in as many cities as possible within a short time frame, say one city in half a day. I guess the upside would be you’ll be able to brag about having traveled to so many places on your vacation – with a tour group, albeit rushed.
“There’s something for everyone out there”. Wise words indeed. We all have individual traveling itineraries and probably that’s why there are so many travel packages out there. Definitely depends on age too, and I reckon physical health and physique play a part too.
You’ll have to tell me about your African escapade when you’ve done it, I’d love to hear. If you can’t drag anyone to go with you, bring along a stuffed animal. That way you won’t travel alone and your plushie buddy will be a hit with the African animals 🙂
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I always prefer traveling alone as I can set up my own schedule and visit the places I want to see but there are of course exceptions. For example traveling in countries which are not that safe or with language barriers (not enough people speaking English etc). Thus far I visited every spot in China alone but many places I would like to visit are actually cheaper In a package including flight, hotel and tour group than buying/ planning everything individually.
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Wow, visited places in China alone. That is impressive given that most of the locals speaks Chinese or Cantonese. I’m assuming you have a good grasp of the language and that was (is) instrumental in helping you get around. I’ve heard of massive savings if you buy a lengthy tour package, say a three week trip in China through an agency. Which really is a good thing as you’ll have more finances for future travels. The downside of this would be you won’t have a choice over you accommodation and meals. Traveling with a tour group you might be forced to have fast-food meals and I suppose most of the time you can’t be too picky about food.
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Oh, it was not impressive at all as those sites I visited were described pretty well online with tips on how to book the transportation etc.
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Nonetheless I reckon it is still impressive as China is one maze of a country. All that online research seemed to come in handy for you. I remember you talked about stumbling upon the Gao Mansion that way.
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I think the research you do before a trip like that can be either one of the best parts of traveling or it can be just too time consuming and tedious. Personally I love the research part and takes the actual adventure to another level.
Traveling in a tour group takes away the research you would have needed to do, so if you don’t have the time to plan and if you don’t want to think during your vacation then a tour group is perfect.
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Indeed, the research prior to the trip is always very exciting for me and can be even the best part…but usually I am also very satisfied with the result when I arrive at the location and can enjoy it how I planned it without some time limits as tour groups often have.
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I’m with Crazy Chinese Family and you too. Researching for a trip is one of the better parts of traveling. Most of the time when you’re reading up on the place you’re vising, you’ll stumble upon other things to-do there you didn’t think of before. Personally I do research before a trip as I want to know what I’m getting myself into, especially if it’s a solo trip or a trip with family or friends. I don’t want to rock up to a tourist attraction site and find out I have to fork out heaps – way out of my budget – to get in. That would also mean a waste of time traveling there.
“…don’t want to think during your vacation”. LOL. The only vacation where I can think of where we don’t think is a vacation lying on the beach or relaxing in a tourist resort of some sort. With a tour group you’ll have to worry about keeping up with the pack most of the time 🙂
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I rarely go on trips with tour groups and I never travel alone either. I usually go on a trip with friends or family. We will plan a trip and travel by ourselves. However, lately I’m thinking about going with tour groups as my mom wants to go to some countries where I’ve never been there. Why do I start thinking of joining the tour? Because my mom is getting older and I don’t want her to experience unexpected situations that can occur during travelling by ourselves. I think it’s ok to travel by ourselves if we go to familiar places like Japan where I’ve been there 8 times already. But in other unfamiliar places, she might get easily tired if we are lost or something. That is my concern recently.
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Your comment echoes Siobhan’s above. The unexpected will most certainly crop up if we travel alone. If it’s not getting lost, it could be missing a bus ride to the next town or not knowing where to seek help when you need it. Going with a tour group you’ll be assured you won’t get lost and the tour guide(s) will be there to assist you with almost anything you need and advise you on what to do, say, in a medical situation.
Wow, 8 times in Japan. You must love that place a lot, Cotton. I’m sure you’ll go there again and one day maybe you’ll be able to answer any question that I have about Japan!
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I love travel with friends or family. I hope I will travel alone someday because I want to experience that at least once.
Yes, I will go to Japan again if I have time. And sure, I love to reply to your questions if I can help. 🙂
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I’ve always put off traveling alone because I am a very tiny person. Apart from safety reasons, I can barely carry my own luggage bag and someone has to do it for me. I know there are trolley bags but still, at some point the bag has to be lifted or carried anyway. Yeah, I make a great travel companion…
I’m sure you’ll have a good time traveling solo someday as you’ve already have a lot of traveling experience. Research, research, research and your solo trip shouldn’t be too bad at all 🙂
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Like you, I enjoy…..NO! I revel! in wandering around new places at my own speed. But… SOMETIMES…like when I went on a 10 day visit to Beijing I was so appreciative of having a wonderful tour guide who was so PROUD of her culture, and as well as sharing that with her farangi tourists she introduced us to some places we would never have found if we were travelling solo.
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Thanks for sharing, Maureen. Wandering around at our own place without a care in the world…that is called enjoying life to the fullest 🙂 Though I tend to do this after I’ve studied the new place on a map first so that I don’t get completely lost. At the very least I’ll make note of where the train or bus stations are.
It does sound like that tour guide of yours was very friendly, especially since she was sharing so much about Beijing with your group. So nice to hear that you took so much away from her. The tour guides I spoke of in this post seemed to be very friendly too, very proud of Melbourne. I’m thinking of signing up for one of their tours! Thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate it.
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Sometimes tours are great as you get to know the history of the place without doing lots of your own research but if the tour guide is boring, unengaged or not very knowledgeable, it ruins the experience. We tend to do a bit of both when travelling.
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That’s a very good point, Holly. I think sometimes when we’re visiting new places, we don’t just want to hear a historical account after historical account of a certain place. Rather, we want to look around, admire and appreciate our surroundings. Researching the place is always good thing, especially finding out where transportation timetables and places to eat. That way we’ll be prepared in any emergencies. Hope you’ve had happy travels so far!
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Solo or with the significant other… the idea of a group tour horrifies me, unless pressed for time and it is only for half a day…
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“The idea of a group tour horrifies me”. I’ve always been horrified by tour groups, actually. But like you, not so much those that go on for a day or less. I might actually try that tour of Melbourne I mentioned in my post 🙂
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Mabel, great and interesting post. I think tours or no tours depends a lot on the situation and whether or not you’ve been there before. We used to live in Washington DC and had a lot of friends and family come to visit and of course they wanted tours. We were getting worn out so we started taking them to the hop on/hop off bus line and turned them loose. It turned out to be a great way to get an overview of the city and figure out which places they wanted to go back to and spend more time. I’ve hired single guides before in places like Kiev and Paris and it was wonderful. I’ve gone on small tours in several cities in Eastern Europe and it was good too. I’ve also wandered around on my own all over the world. In general I would say that if you’re staying in a place for several days that it’s smart to take a tour on the first day and get an overview and set your bearings. After that go by yourself. Some places you just can’t go without being on a tour. For example, I’ll be in the Galapagos Islands in a few weeks and you can’t get there without being on a tour with a certified guide. It all depends. Tours are also a great way to meet other people too.
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Very wise words from you, Kongo. Going solo and joining a tour group on a holiday, why not? I really like it when you say take a tour on the first say to “get an overview and set your bearings”. That way you can get a feel of how the locals are like and the customs of the country you’re in – so you know what offends and what doesn’t. A small, one-on-one tour sounds like a great idea, I’m glad you brought that up. These seem to be very intimate and I suppose it would be like comfortably chatting to a friend (with the guide), all the more making your trip more cozy.
Here in Melbourne we have a similar “hop on/hop off bus line” around the city and its surrounding attractions. It costs around $35 for a ticket to this bus, but you can ride it all day. The downside is that you can wait for up to an hour for a bus to rumble by each stop. Wouldn’t recommend this to anyone if they’re planning to see a lot of Melbourne’s sights in one day.
Your tour in the Galapagos Islands sounds very exciting, exclusive even. Hope you have a good time and I’m looking forward to seeing photos of it at some point 🙂
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I most definitely prefer to travel solo or with a significant other: Three’s a crowd! The more people you have in your group, the more compromises you have to make. You find yourself losing out on things you want to do because, when you are with a group, the majority rules.
One of my most memorable trips was when I went to the Netherlands with a girlfriend. For her it was a business trip; I was going along for fun. We spent a few days in Maastricht where she worked during the day, and I just hung out by myself. I got to do a lot of exploring. I discovered things off of the beaten tourist path and came to feel the pulse of the city.
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I so agree with that. The more people you travel with, chances are you won’t have enough time to see and do what you want on a trip. As a result, some in the group may feel bored too and that’s a way to ruin a holiday. It also takes more time to go from place to place when you’re moving in a group – it would be difficult to squeeze ten people on a crowded train as opposed to two and this could mean missing out on seeing certain attractions.
You were very lucky to tag along on that trip to the Netherlands. It’s always nice to wander around on your own. No one telling you to go here or there. There’s only so much we can learn from seeing a tourist attraction – and most of the time the history and significances of these places are written about extensively online. But the quieter, hole in the wall places, not so and maybe that’s why they surprise us so much. Sounds like you had a lot of fun there in the Netherlands going down unfamiliar roads, I’m sure you did.
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I would never join a group tour… Esp the kind that take u to 10 cities in 15 days. But guided tours of historical sites is a good idea I think to understand more about the history, culture, architecture, etc. And walking tours conducted by locals are fantastic too. I joined a foodie tour in the city I live in and discovered new things about the place!
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10 cities in 15 days. 18 cities in a month. I’ve never been attracted to such tour groups either. I do think they are targeted at those who are after an adrenalin-filled, action packed getaway. You would need to be in good health to sign up to something so hectic like that. Foodie tours. That’s something I completely forgot about, thanks so much for bringing it up. I heard you get free samples of food on these food tours 🙂
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I read this yesterday and was going to comment but then had to run 🙂 I’m really of two minds when it comes to travel. I’m usually traveling with my family. We are on a pretty strict budget and generally prefer to do things on our own. That being said, we have had some good experiences with group tours. So I guess I try to keep an open mind and do whatever seems best at the time.
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Thanks so much for coming back, Amy. I really appreciate it 🙂 Budget is always a factor that comes into play when we travel. Tour groups can cost quite a bit but sometimes you do get quite a bit out of them and they might pay for transportation as well. Sometimes traveling alone or with friends of family doesn’t come cheap, especially with public transport.
Sounds like you and your family go into your travels very confident. With your strict budgets, I’m sure you do a lot of research and are well prepared for almost any situation.
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I’m a list maker and planner to a fault, so we usually are prepared. Here’s the thing though, sometimes you get last minute curve ball thrown your way, or an opportunity pop up, I try not to be so enamored of my own “plan” that I ignore such things 🙂
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Oh yes. There’s a time stick to what we’ve planned to a tee – usually you would do so if you’re rushing for time or transport. Other than that, it could be rewarding if you’re a bit spontaneous on your travels 🙂
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🙂
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Tour groups are great for seeing a lot of things within a short time period and someone else does all the planning and bookings. I’ve been on a 2 wk.group tour with a sister through 10 European countries. About 1/4 of it I didn’t like the sensation that we felt like being on the edges of stuff. Good thing my sister was my companion. I tend to enjoy touring with just 1 other person …we spent 10 days thereafter in Netherlands, Belgium and France. Thank God.
Since then, I have travelledwith just1 other friend or my partner. Good enough for me.
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Thanks for sharing, Jean. Very interesting to hear. The 10-day, 2 week European tour sounds very hectic. It must have been very rushed, averaging 1 city per day or less. I hear a lot of these European tours you get around by bus? The next 10 days sounded much more sweeter for you!
Definitely agree that joining a tour group means accommodation and transportation all taken care for for you. Personally I like to get involved in this booking process as I’m very picky and feel it makes up an essential part of the journey. If I could get to a place by rickshaw instead of bus, I might want to book the former.
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interesting as usual! Interesting in many ways…reading all the others’ views. I seldom go alone, almost always with my family or with a friend. The planning of the tour is fun and important – and almost half the joy of it. Being there, then, we don’t necessarily go together for the day! We stay at the same hotels or hostels, and then we can roam around as we prefer. If you want to come in contact with the locals it’s better to go alone of course.
Some places are best done with expert guides, I believe. In Egypt we had guides from the university for the great monuments., Experts who had been studying history and Egyptology for years – a very rewarding tour. Enthusiastic guides are important!
So, I use both ways, and something in between…Surely everybody finds his or her best way to get the most out of the trip. Some people find it most secure and safe to travel in groups and some people, like me, prefer to go with wellknown people with whom we can discuss today’s adventures.
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Thanks for checking out he other comments too…I’m sure they appreciate it a lot! Seems like a lot of us are saying “something in between” for a holiday – a bit of tour, a bit of solo exploring, and it depends on where we’re going. Definitely agree with you planning of a tour is fun. Sometimes in the midst of planning we’ll discover some fun activity we can try on our holiday that we’ve never heard of before.
Glad you brought up a new perspective to this: staying together in same hotels/hostels and going out wherever each of you like. This way you are traveling “alone”, but are not really “alone” and if you need a friend anytime during the trip, you have someone to fall back on. I do agree sometimes it’s better to approach locals individually as a big group might scare them and think someone’s after them. But I’d rather go with at least a friend for security as sometimes you can’t predict if locals might take advantage of you.
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So do I, kwong. I prefer travel alone that join a tour group. By doing solo travel, I can enjoy the trip without thinking everything. Going everywhere I want, and getting lost is an adventure for me.
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Haha, it’s not often that someone calls me by my last name! That is so true. By traveling alone we don’t need to worry about whether or not our travel companions are enjoying the trip – because our only companion is ourself. Don’t get too lost in your adventures on your travels. I’m sure you want to go home at some point!
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So that’s what it looks like from the other side. My stepfather owned travel agencies and being the host we got to do what everybody else wanted . One more and I swear I’ll jump. lol
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Yes, this is what it looks like here in Australia. That is so cool, your stepfather and the rest of you being able to go on tours and visit places. I’m sure you had a lot of fun trying adventurous activities and seeing all the sights. Maybe a little too fun from the sounds of it. Thanks for stopping by, Alex.
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I had good fun and only once in a very great while wanted to territory that was a little bit sketchy. I was of course young and immortal, and being older less immortal and wiser I would give serious consideration to sending my children on a tour. lol
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Ah, young and immortal. I think that’s where I’m at at the moment 🙂 Wise words from you. It’s never too careful to consider all scenarios and situations, especially when we’re going someplace we don’t know.
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All of us Have to break out a little bit at times, it just needs to be done in ways that pose acceptable risk. As a parent I can honestly tell you
I’m regularly challenged by my competent, thoughtful,l growing, youngest daughter to accept the fact that she has really good judgment and needs to take some risks that, as a parent, I wish she wouldn’t. My point being that I agree with you it is really important to consider the specific scenarios and situations including culture, the availability of emergency support, and other things. I can honestly say I’m really glad I didn’t have to parent myself! ( I regularly apologize to my mother as my daughter grows through stages and I realize. by comparison, the worry I must’ve caused.)
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Your daughter sounds like a smart cookie! I’m sure she’s gone on adventures and came home fine, much to your relief. Agree with you there it’s always good to be a little brave and just…go for it when it comes to adventure and traveling. That spontaneous decision could turn out to be an experience you won’t forget for a long time to come.
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When I get caught up in a tour group in Barcelona, like you did, and listen for a few minutes to the guide, I do chuckle at somethings but more often that not, I usually also learn something new. I’ve lived here for years, but I am not from here (as you know) so in a place with so much rich history, there’s always plenty to learn from listening to a tourist guide.
By the way, if you now anyone travelling here and needs a tour guide, I have a friend who is brilliant! lol.
xx
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It’s funny how we always think we know heaps about the place we live in, only to be proven wrong by the most unexpected person popping up at the most random times…like the tour guides I bumped into and your experience. Honestly, sometimes when this happens, I feel stupid. But there’s no shame in learning!
Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. Barcelona is far from Melbourne but we’ve only heard good things about it. Especially how you guys have great Spanish and tapas food!
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We do both, depending on where we are traveling. I have had wonderful experience traveling with the tour group.
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Doing both – a tour group and wandering solo around: that seems like what everyone does! It’s always nice to have someone guide you around especially if you aren’t too confident going around yourself or just want detailed historical information about the places you’re visiting. Hope all your travels have been fun so far.
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I am generally a solo traveller if I am doing hiking or photography, but otherwise usually with family… The idea of traveling with a tour group or group of people I do not care for, although I have done it before and it wasn’t too bad.
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I imagine it would be awkward doing your photography patiently – in your element – as your travel companions stand impatiently around you, wanting to move on to the next attraction. That’s why when I’m out taking photos, I tend to go alone. Tour groups can’t be too bad as you’ve said. Everyone seems to agree with this opinion.
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Yes it is, but I have traveled with a photography group before which was actually pretty fun. There were some good photographers there, so I learned quite a bit ~ even though the schedule is not really my own (which drives me a bit crazy).
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Learning from strangers. That’s something you never expect. But it’s always an enriching moment that surprises.
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With one exception, have always traveled alone. I just can’t give up the flexibility that you have when you’re on your own schedule. Museums, buildings, landmarks, and the like are all nice, but it’s the people that live there that give a place its soul. I have had so many random acts of kindness in my travels from locals- treated to breakfast, lunch, and dinner, boarded for several days, endless cups of tea, and the best conversations one can imagine- that I can’t wait until I can throw myself into the next unfamiliar place, get lost, and enjoy what happens next! That said, I don’t fault doing a tour once in a while to learn the history of a place. One of the best things I ever did was go on a group tour in Mostar, Bosnia. It wasn’t your typical tour (half informative-half fun) and the combination of what I learned and the people that shared the experience with me will always be remembered! So, I applaud your desire to balance both!
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“…flexibility that you have when you’re on your own schedule”. I love the way you say that. Of course we will have a rough idea of where we want to visit on our trips around the world, but then there will always be those spontaneous opportunities that arise and why not seize them. Sometimes I’ll visit a suburb I’ve never visited before in Melbourne and a lot of the time I end up staying longer than I planned – just too much to see.
Seems like you don’t have an issue getting along with locals – both of you must trust one another pretty much at first sight!
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Well… I don’t know about trusting at first sight. I like to feel out a person first. It took three invitations to stay with a driver’s family once before I finally agreed. I do have a good gut instinct and I haven’t been wrong to accept other’s kindness so far. 🙂
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It takes me a while to feel out a person too, I’m a very fussy person who goes by the mantra, “better safe than sorry”. As many people out there who don’t have hearts, there are many out there who overflowing kindness in theirs. Glad to hear you have had safe travels so far 🙂
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This post comes at a very significant time for me! My husband and I are planning a trip to Italy and are trying to decide whether to do a tour or to go solo. I have never been to Europe (he has been to Ireland), so I am really excited to go! We are trying to decide whether to do London, Paris and Rome all together or to just go to Italy for this first trip and then do London and Paris at another time. I enjoyed reading everyone’s comments!
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What a great timing then! The both of you seem to be looking forward loads to your trip. I guess it depends on how much time you have and if you can squeeze all the countries into this round of travel. If you’re feeling young for it, go for it all! I hope you find something that will work for the both of you.
Yes, the comments have been very interesting. Hats off the commenters.
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Thanks! I know we will enjoy it either way!! Love to travel! 🙂
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Mostly I travel on my own itinerary, but I have no problem joining a tour for a few hours or a day if it will be interesting. For example, I was in Las Vegas for 2 days, but joined a day tour to the Grand canyon, or when travelling in Chicago I joined a short tour of Frank Lloyd Wright houses.
But i wouldn’t join a tour group for days or weeks on end. I went to Uluru on my own. It was funny that all the tour buses arrived at the same time and then left 15 minutes after sunrise. I had the whole place to myself after they left.
The toilets at your uni are haunted?
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Mixing it up seems like a popular option. With guided tours, you’re bound to be taken to scenic locations and learn a bit about them. But going solo, there’s this rush of adventure you always get. Your Uluru trip sounds like a lonely one…but a visually magnificent one too.
Rumour has it ghosts haunt the basement fluorescent-lighted toilets of my uni’s canteen. Never seen any floating around. A bit unfortunate, perhaps.
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Tomorrow my wife and I are leaving for a 2 week tour (with Peregrine Tours) of Cambodia and Vietnam. We decided it is easier to take a tour for these countries and let someone with local knowledge look after us. At least we don’t have to be worrying about where to go each day and finding accommodation. The tour group has a maximum of 16 people and there are ample free time slots for extra flexibility.
In October 2013 we went to Taiwan and Hong Kong for a 3 week trip but organised everything ourselves. We enjoyed that and since we had no problems getting around and sight seeing. Armed with guide books we were able to see things by ourselves. We did take a one day tour to Taroko gorge and this was a lot of fun meeting travellers from USA, Japan and Indonesia.
Organised tours have advantages as well as disadvantages but they do allow you to see a lot in a short space of time. Having a tour operator with local knowledge is very useful.
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You are right. With organised tours you don’t need to worry about getting lost or finding something safe to eat. More time to take in the culture and country around you. The risk you run with a guide book in hand by yourself or with only one other person is that you run a higher risk of being a target of local criminals.
The Cambodia trip sounds exciting. Hope you enjoy/enjoyed it and took lots of photos, and more importantly soaked up the culture.
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Hi! This is a nice post. I’m still actually very indecisive if I should travel alone or join a group tour. I’m 21, F and I am worried about safety and stuff. But have you ever tried being alone in a group tour? Because my main concern is, wouldn’t it be like awkward or something? 🙂
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Thanks, Jessa. Personally, I am very comfortable traveling alone. But that is just me. I’m an introvert and prefer it when people leave me alone. But tour groups can certainly be fun, and if you are worried about traveling alone and safety, it could be the way to go. Safe and happy travels.
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