Small Group Travel: A Sophisticated Experience, a Pleasant Surprise
Enjoying Lunch in Ecuador
Planning a Trip
You’ve been at the office for a while now, looking out your window wanting to go on a vacation. But the thought of staying at an all inclusive resort sounds like a weird way to travel because you hardly see the place you are visiting, and it’s not ideal for the environment and community the resort is located in. Then you might have considered signing up for a tour group, but you don’t want to wear a name badge. Well, small group travel just might be your solution! When done correctly, it can be the sophisticated thrilling experience you’ve been yearning for ever since you began to stare out your office window. There are many factors that play into a rewarding travel experience, especially a small group travel experience; but in my opinion one factor can really make the experience unforgettable!
Our group in Costa Rica
Simplicity
Small group tours are pretty stress-free and easy in terms of booking. When you’re swamped with work while wishing you were some place new and different, spending more time on the computer to make your trip the best it can be might seem daunting, and it may just not be doable at the moment for you. The secure transportation, quick routes, comfortable hotels, savory dining, fun activities, worthwhile places to see, are all factors that make a great trip and are completely part of the package in small group tours–or at least the good ones! But there’s one essential component for a positive travel experience that is really the foundation: people! I know through my travels, meeting like-minded folks filled my journeys with some unforgettable moments and all-around moving experiences. Whether it was another traveler eager to explore a new place or a local that was enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge of the natural surroundings, meeting great people definitely added a priceless dimension.
If you’re not one of those people that can pick up and go for quite some time or simply do not want to go on a long journey, how do you meet the right people to enhance your travels? Simple—by choosing the right travel experts to take you and like-minded individuals on an engaging, fun tour. Obviously group dynamics isn’t a science that anyone can perfect, but the real experts have excellent customer service skills in addition to natural humor, quick-wit, understanding and an endless supply of kindness.
Enjoying some sun in Fairbanks
Being that person that “picks up and goes” takes a special kind of person. It’s almost as if that person has developed a false-sense of self-confidence in order to travel to a new culture, make friends, maybe learn a language all while living out of a suitcase. It also takes a sense of humor. I’m going to put in a plug for my team at Gondwana Ecotours now: my Trip Leaders and Local Guides are awesome! Most of them are relatively young but have had years of experience abroad. Their backgrounds are as unique as their amicable personalities. We have past attorneys, international development workers, community contributors and cultural specialists. Our proclivities combined with our research, hard work and dedication makes for a pretty killer experience in terms of trip management. Another thing they also all have in common is quality of character. These people are not only my colleagues, but my friends. Their passion and enthusiasm for the homes delivers an exhilarating experience to guests.
There are many many more benefits to small group travel that I’ll talk about in later blogs, but finding friendly, welcoming people to show you a destination is definitely an essential component, and possibly even the foundation.
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Enjoying the end of the day in Peru
