The 9 lessons I’ve learned after 10 years of group tours
Many people turn up their nose at travelling in a pack, but there are good reasons to consider a fully escorted holiday.
I get it. I get it. The term “group tour” invariably conjures up visions of being crammed in a coach while a tour guide spits facts into a microphone set at an inappropriate volume, or worse, encourages a singalong to Sweet Caroline. But that’s the cliched view. The fact is if it weren’t for escorted tours I would never have scaled Namibia’s mighty sand dunes, seen polar bears in the Arctic or got the hang of navigating Hanoi’s scooter-filled streets. Over the years, going in a gang has been my ticket to hassle-free and high-thrills travel. Here’s what I’ve learnt.
1. You can sightsee with minimum effort
While enjoying the tourist highlights in Paris/Lisbon/LA without a guide is easy, trekking around India’s Golden Triangle under your own steam – and in the heat – is trickier and stickier. An escorted tour means you’re accompanied by an expert who provides historical context and cultural insights, and are transported in an airconditioned coach or minibus that takes you from A to B – no sweat. What’s more, at monuments and museums, you often get to skip the queues because the guide has pre-purchased tickets. And if you’re part of a high-end tour, you’re likely to be granted privileged access such as after-hours entry.
2. Support is ready-made
If bad stuff happens, lean on your support group. For instance, when I was in the Vietnamese jungle, I tripped, smacking the side of my thigh, arm and cheek. Instantly, there were offers to hold my camera, get some ice, administer painkillers and even cover my facial bruise with concealer. It was nice to have sympathy, hands to hold and, later, kind people proffering cold beer.
3. They can safeguard friendships
If you’re single and find solo travel lonely or intimidating, you’ll doubtless consider holidaying with friends or family. However, there’s a lot less at stake emotionally if you travel with people you aren’t close to. Indeed, my late mum used to say: “If you want to fall out with a friend, go on holiday with them.” I know enough stories to confirm she had a point. As for heading off with relatives, the maximum duration I can maintain familial bonhomie is the span of your average wedding reception. At least with people you don’t know, you can have company for part of the day but you’re not obliged to spend every waking minute with them.
4. Serious adventures require professional guides
Group tours headed by experts in their field open up wild, remote areas that would otherwise be pretty much off-limits. I’m a keen photographer, so when I wanted to shoot pictures at Mongolia’s Golden Eagle Festival, which takes place in the frigid Altai mountains on the border of Kazakhstan, I signed up for Abercrombie & Kent’s escorted journey. When we arrived, they’d erected a temporary (but luxury) camp complete with a generator and staff who rustled up three hot meals a day. The portraits I took of the traditional falconers on horseback rank as some of the best I’ve ever captured.
5. Snap judgments don’t apply
It’s easy to take an instant dislike to certain characters on a tour, especially when all of you are revved up at the start of a trip. Try not to. A journey has an ever-developing dynamic and by the end of the trip, after you’ve shared experiences – some funny, some intense – you often find yourself giving a heartfelt hug to those you didn’t care for initially.
6. There’s value in meeting other travellers
Forging connections is what travel is all about, but don’t confine that concept to the locals. Meeting other travellers can be just as fascinating. And if the demographic is, shall we say, mature, they’ll usually have a stock of great stories to tell. In fact, I’ve had some of the most meaningful conversations round a camp fire or on the deck of a ship with fellow travellers, and even though I never saw them again, I still remember them. That said, there are a few I have kept in contact with; I’ve just been invited to one lovely couple’s grand home on Lake Tahoe in the US.
7. There’s safety in numbers
If you’re in a teeming city such as Tokyo or hiking in Patagonia and you’re a total stranger to the culture or terrain, being chaperoned confers an air of confidence that you would probably lack if you were going without back-up. This means you can actively enjoy what you’re discovering rather than being so on your guard you can’t relax.
8. Cruising can hit the sweet spot
Cruising on ships small enough to feel intimate but large enough to mean there’s no pressure to dine communally is a great way to dovetail escorted travel with luxury time alone. I rate Viking Cruises’ ocean ships because they carry about 930 guests (small by cruise standards) and offer tranquil and airy spaces to chill out, while also providing a base for numerous escorted tours on land with top-notch care that seems to always involve a cold flannel. Once back on board, the ship – with its facilities, from the spa to the bars – is your oyster. No need to keep packing and unpacking either.
9. You can enjoy not having to think
It happens. You stop thinking for yourself on a group tour and develop herd mentality. Rather than fight it, make the most of it, because you’ll have to start thinking for yourself again the minute you’re back at the baggage reclaim.
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