There is no right or wrong way to travel. We all know that avid solo-traveller who enjoys going to hard to reach places on the map and believes that travelling with someone will only hold them back and stunt there growth into becoming a bearded, kombucha drinking, open minded individual. We also know that traveller who's sole purpose is to drink beer in every European country and his main stories usually end with"those (insert country) people sure know how to partayyyy!".
But whether you travel alone or with a friend, looking to fill a void in your life, or just your stomach, no matter what, travel can be a fulfilling, life changing, inspiring experience.
Below I muse about the benefits of a few different types of travelling that I have experienced.
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| China. 16 years old. Trip that sparked my love for travelling. |
Tour - 16 years old - China
My father and I took a tour throughout China. We used Explore! , a fantastic tour site that I would recommend to anyone interested in letting someone else plan the transportation and accommodations.
People tend to be apprehensive about tours, the may feel that they will not get an authentic experience, or it will be too structured and they could miss out on things that really interest them. These are all valid concerns (my father once took a tour that shuffled them through so many gift shops it was near criminal), but that is why choosing the right tour is so important. The most important things you should look for in a tour is:
1. Tour sizes (ours had only 6 people)
2. Flexible schedules (lots of time to just explore a city on you own, everyday shouldn't be scheduled to the hour)
3. Knowledgeable tour guides (a tour guide may not ruin a trip, but they can definitely enhance it with there knowledge and passion of what they are showing you).
With explore!, we got all three of these things, and it made for an enjoyable, stress free trip.
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| Mission trip to the Philippians with volunteers from my class. Spent time building houses and visiting with the villagers. |
Mission Trip - 17 - Philippians
Mission Trips (aka. Volunteer Trips or Voluntourism). Have been receiving a bit of flack in the media lately. See this video describing some of the issues with volunteerism:.To be honest, trips that go to orphanages or build houses (as my mission trip did), usually don't make a great difference to the community. But it can, without a doubt, effect the travellers going. Some people will never have seen the poverty they experience abroad, for others it can be an eye opening experience to start their own charity work or at least be more aware of there actions, and in the very least, it can be a way to bond people from all over the world together. So yes, if deciding to embark on a mission trip or volunteer abroad, do you research and pick a company that you think can create an authentic experience and hopefully actually make a difference.
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| Taj Mahal, India. The contrast of these gardens compared to surrounding India is striking. |
Semi-Self Planned - 19 years old - India
India was the next trip I took with my Dad (after China) and instead of planning a trip completely on our own, we enlisted the help of Indiasomeday. Indiasomeday was one of the best investments ever. We sent him everything we wanted to do (from cities, to specific sites), our price range for accommodations, and how we wanted to travel. He responded with a full itinerary. It was like Magic! I corresponded with IndiaSomeday often as he helped me choose accommodations and gave recommendations. Basically, we chose everything (cities, transportation, accommodation etc), and he just booked it for us. We even took a little side trip to Mumbai to meet the man behind the screen, we treated him to a delicious dinner of his choice and stayed in contact with him throughout the trip. As a small, start up company, Indiasomeday really wanted us to have a good experience. It resulted in one of the most smooth, incident free trips I had ever experienced.
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| Peru. Told you I made friends! |
Solo Trip (Self Planned) - 21 - Peru/Chile
Ah, the solo trip. The indicator of a true traveller! Right? No, of course not. Solo travelling isn't for anyone. And having the ability to sit alone in a restaurant eating your lunch without looking lonely does not make you a better traveller then anyone else.
However, there are some undeniable benefits to solo travelling. Travelling alone gives you the opportunity to meet way more people. Travellers seem to have this sixth sense of other solo travellers. I met people on planes, hostels, and in restaurants all the time. Over two weeks I ate a meal with someone new almost every single day! These people have become lifelong friends and I still chat with them occasionally via Facebook or WhatsApp.
In addition, and probably most importantly, confidence. After returning to Canada after two weeks abroad, buying my own flights, booking hostels, visiting 9 cities,and doing it all without a lick of Spanish, I was proud. And that alone is probably the number one reason anyone and everyone should take one solo trip in there lifetime, just to prove to themselves that they can do it.
