Hi everyone,
I'm conducting a survey for a friend and would like some help from those who do travel for leisure.
Please answer as honest as you can and if you're not sure, that's ok, just need some honest feedback.
If possible, if you've selected number 3, kindly tell me, what would make you decide to join a tour group.
If the tour package offer is good, as in hotel and the destination of places of interest, if it is really out of the way for individual to get to
then I would take up the tour package.
By default, I'll prefer to DIY. Reasons why I'll go with a tour are:
1. Language. If I will have problem communicating, I'll take a tour (eg. Korea)
2. Travelling with family (not just with wife). I went on a trip with my parents and in-laws. So managed to work out a a package for a private tour group.
for me, it depends, if i have friends who knows the place well, then i will go free and easy, i don't really like the restrictive feeling that tours gives.
I go alone, Will not take tour group.
I not go alone, take tour group to save trouble(too much opinion to go where and when)
Depends on what kind of pple going...
Adventurous type.. no need guide, owmself OMO
me is OMO all the way! chiong ah!
Even if I don't speak the native language of the country I am visiting, I'd still go on my own. The reason is I dislike the many constraints of a tour group. I like the freedom of doing things MY way, go where my feet take me, sightsee what I want, when I want at my own pace. Or like what we say in NS, "Own time, own target" For me half the fun is in the planning and the other half is making it happen.
I typically plan my vacation up to eight months in advance. I'd buy a guide book of the country/city I am visiting and read it fron A to Z. I'd write down anything that catches my fancy, compile it in order of preferences and cram the most interesting stuff into the number of days I'd be on vacation. Then I'd re-read my 'To-do' list over and over again until it becomes familiarity. By the time I arrive there its time to CHIONG, no need to read so much anymore, time to sightsee. All of the above is done in the MRT to and from work everyday.
My trip to Japan was especially memorable. Beyond greetings, I hardly speak Japanese. My saviour was my Lonely Planet Japan guidebook. Indeed it was the same guidebook I saw practically every western backpacker carry throughout my 58-day (1998-1999 combined) sojourn in Japan. The tourist information centre was especially helpful. Its always manned by Japanese english educated guides. For eg, when I needed to get from Tokyo to Kyoto via bullet train on a certain class and a non-smoking carriage, I'd get them to write it down in Japanese characters on a piece of paper which I'd present to the train station master. He would read it and issue me the correct ticket and fare and send me on the right train track.
My guide book's Japanese/English basic translation, the helpful Visitors Centre staff, and english signages for directions especially in the major cities made for a memorable and enjoyable time.
Sorry so 'Chong Hei'. Talk about travel and I can't stop. Its one of my lifelong passions aside from Scale Plastic Modelling
Thanks for all the honest feedback, come come, more feedback.
I don't like tour groups because you come back from vacation tired. End up you need another vacation to relax.
Joining tours tend to be rush rush affairs. You wake up at 5 in the morning, lug your big ass luggage and take the tour bus. Half the day you spend in the bus as you are swept from one location to another, with max 15 mins spent in each place. Then you are thrown into another dinky hotel at 10pm. Then tomorrow everything begins again.
What sort of a vacation is that man?
Free and easy is the way to go. Just make sure you do the proper homework before you go and u're all set.
i prefer free & easy. but put maybe because if the rest of the people goin with me wants tour group...then will have to be stuck with it.
overall, would prefer the freedom of running around on my own.