I am on my fourth tour in two years. Yes, that's right, my fourth. I never imagined I would ever go on this many tours in a lifetime since I march to the beat of my own drum. But as a travel writer without a travel companion, it certainly has its benefits financially. As I stare out the window, observing life in Uganda for endless hours from the comforts of a specialized truck, I begin to think about the pros and cons of experiencing foreign lands on a tour.
The pros:
• Safety in numbers. Since I don't have a regular travel partner, I choose tours when I'm travelling to places that aren't always the safest for a petite blonde girl to go alone. Obviously I feel much less vulnerable walking down a street in Nairobi with a group of people than I do on my own. If something should happen, I know there are others there to help me out until I can reach the services I need.
• Convenience. I'm not sure how I would even get around some of the remote places I've been without private transportation of some sort. On this particular trip, I've seen zero places to rent a vehicle in Uganda and zero tourists exploring the rural areas on their own. Since everything is already arranged for you on a tour, you don't have to think about where you will find your next meal or stay for the night, which is nice when you're stuck in a jet-lagged haze. You're just along for the ride.
• Instant travel companions. This is great if you are looking to meet fellow travellers for some company during your adventure. Even though there are different personalities, you all have one common bond — you all love travel. But if you don't have a good group, it can also make 15 days feel more like two months.
• Built in travel guide. Dealing with foreign currency and language poses the biggest challenge when you're globe trotting. It takes a while to figure out how much things cost in your own currency, and the locals don't always understand what you're trying to say, even if you have a phrase book. It's nice to have a local guide at your fingertips to explain the little things, like what you are seeing and how much things should cost. It eliminates a lot of confusion.
The cons:
• Loss of freedom. This one is a big one for me. You are not on your own schedule, which means you can't always do what you want. You have to get up at a certain time, see things you aren't interested in seeing, miss things you wanted to see, which can be a challenge for independent travellers. During the few times we do get a free day, I'm itching to break free from the group to collect my thoughts and explore on my own.
• Always surrounded by people. This is not a problem for those who are social and loving being around people. I, however, am not one of those people. Being constantly surrounded by a group of people can feel smothering at times since it's difficult to find your own space — unless you fork over a few hundred extra dollars for your own room. If people in the group see you are travelling alone, they will talk to you more often, trying to include you in conversations, which is a nice gesture — but not when you're trying to have some alone time when you're stuck on a bus for endless hours. Constant conversation can be draining at times when you're trying to soak in the surroundings of a new place. Travel with music when you want to escape the endless chatter.
• Eating at a snails pace. When 20 people walk into a small restaurant on the side of the road in a third world country, the kitchen staff are often sent scrambling. Instead of having a quick meal like you would on your own or with two people, where you can be in and out in 20 minutes, eating with a group is usually a one to two hour affair. It's a test of patience when you're already starving and just want a quick bite so you can get moving again.
• Not much interaction with the locals. Since the tour guide takes care of hotel rooms, transportation, directions and pretty much everything, there isn't much interaction with the locals, which is truly a shame. Sometimes the most entertaining stories happen when you're trying to order off a foreign menu or get directions to a place. It can turn into a game of charades. On a tour, you often spend the bulk of your time talking to your fellow travellers rather than interacting with the locals. I find this is definitely a downside since I don't just travel to another country to see the sites. It's the interactions with the local people that are often the most memorable.