Travel Thru History

Historical and cultural travel experiences

Group Tours vs. Independent Travel – Pros and Cons

group tour camel ride

By Robert Scheer

Now that the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be under control and countries across the globe are finally welcoming tourists again, people are responding to the call of the travel bug. Passport offices have long lines of would-be travelers getting their documents renewed so they can once again visit foreign lands.

But what is the best way to visit new places? Should you venture forth on your own or join a group tour? Here are some pros and cons of traveling independently versus going  with others as a part of an organized group.

Are You A Risk-Taker?

Younger travelers are probably more likely to head off into the unknown with a few changes of clothing stashed into a backpack, while those of us over 55 may be more comfortable with the security and safety that goes with small group tours, with all the I’s dotted and all the T’s crossed before you take a cab to the airport. One of the greatest advantages of traveling as part of an organized group is that all of the guesswork has been removed. The tour organizer has studied the variables and determined the most efficient way to see and experience the highlights of the region. They know the good and bad accommodations, restaurants, and modes of transportation. And the expert guides who can point out things you might otherwise have missed.

How to Avoid Missing Out

Another big advantage of group tours is that many of them are led by an expert. For example, there are Ireland Folklore tours that are co-hosted by authors of books about Irish myths and legends. You can find a group tour of Maya pyramids in the Yucatan that includes guest lectures by an archaeologist who has been studying and teaching about the Mayan culture for decades. Of course, independent travelers can also hire expert guides, if you want to take the time and effort of doing the necessary research.

Experiential or Transformational Travel Tours

Machu Picchu travelerSmall group tours with a specialized purpose are planned and created for folks who want to be travelers rather than tourists. It’s fine if you only want a “sun, suds and sex” vacation, but if you are hoping to fulfill a bucket list yearning, then specialty group tours will be closer to the mark. It’s amazing the variety of tours you can find today, such as tours about cooking, photography, kayaking, SCUBA diving, bird-watching, meditation, yoga, golf and tennis, just to name a few.

Traveling with Like-Minded People

Another often-overlooked benefit of small group tours is the people you will be traveling with. If you’re on a Sacred Sites Associated With Mary Magdalene in France tour, then it’s a pretty safe bet that the other individuals in your group will also have a deep interest in Mary Magdalene spirituality. It’s quite possible you might make new friends who will continue to be a part of your life long after the tour has ended and you are back at home.

How To Pick a Dependable Tour Organizer

couple checking in at hotelIf you have decided you would enjoy the security and comfort of joining a professionally-planned group travel experience, then it is important you do a bit of due diligence to make sure the tour organizer will keep their promises and not leave you in the lurch and at the mercy of the elements in a foreign land. How long have they been in business? Do they publish testimonials by satisfied customers? Are their tours led by well-known experts in their fields? Do they carry errors and omissions insurance? Do they answer their messages promptly? If you are going to be investing several thousands of dollars and a few weeks of your life on an experience, it pays to make sure you will be actually getting what you pay for.

Recommended Group Tour Operators

For someone with an interest in spirituality, self-improvement, or wellness travel, one of the most highly respected companies in the group tour industry is Body Mind Spirit Journeys. Overseen by Raymond Cortell, BMSJ is a division of RMC Travel, a family business that was started in 1948 by Raymond’s father, Jules Cortell, who is remembered as one of the pioneers in the field of tourism. Raymond was one of the first operators to create “private label” tour programs for major airlines like Lufthansa, Pan Am, Braniff and others. Today, he specializes in spiritual tours to sacred sites, led by such experts as bestselling author and “Ancient Aliens” expert, Kathleen McGowan, and Cliff Dunning, host of the “Earth Ancients” podcasts.

Conclusion

Only you (and your traveling companion) can say whether you have the right mindset for going it alone or traveling with the assistance of experts. A good part of the answer depends on why you want to travel and what benefits you expect to gain from the experience. But no matter how you end up traveling, take it from a veteran travel writer – take only half as much stuff as you think you will need, and twice as much money.

About the author:
Robert Scheer is a travel journalist as well a as past president and lifetime member of the British Columbia Association of Travel Writers (BCATW), and former president of the B.C. Chapter of the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC). He is also Communication Director of Body Mind Spirit Journeys.

 

 

Hotel Chain Announces “Collectable Experiences”

bicycling on Mauritius

by Robert Scheer

For many years I’ve been writing about experiential travel and transformational travel, but recently I heard about Collectable Experiences for the first time.  As it turns out, it’s a new way to describe the same thing.

A press release from LUX* Resorts & Hotels showed up in my in-box Monday morning, announcing a new set of tours branded as “Collectable Experiences.”

Their offerings sound pretty good. One in particular caught my eye…

Mauritius

wooden pirogueA Boating Adventure to Bernache Island starts with a boat trip from a local fisherman. But it’s not just any boat. It’s a traditional, wooden pirogue. The boatman sails you out to an island – Ilot Bernache – for some snorkel diving and fishing. After you catch a fish, the local guy shows you how to make ceviche with it.  Next, a butler will serve you a seafood barbecue on the beach. After lunch, not only can you enjoy a walk around the island, you also help restore the local ecosystem by planting a mangrove tree. Finally, after you sail back to your base, you can watch the Mauritian sunset while sipping an apertivo.

Your base is the tropical Grand Gaube resort, located on a peninsula on the north coast of Mauritius. Billed as “retro-chic,” the LUX* resort was designed by Kelly Hoppen, who thoughtfully included an outdoor bathtub with a view of the Indian Ocean in every room.

That certainly seems like a Collectable Experience to me.

Maldives

They also have a more active offering based at the LUX* North Male Atoll Resort & Villas in the Republic of Maldives, a small, South Asian island nation in the Arabian Sea.  On their Luxury Surf Safari, you’re taken out to some secret surfing spots, where you can hang ten and shoot the curls (if they have any) to your heart’s content. Afterwards, your sore surfing muscles will be treated to a deep tissue massage. But wait… There’s more. This package also includes a rooftop yoga session at sunrise. But the healthy icing on the nourishing cake is the sea turtle. You actually get to adopt an endangered sea turtle of the Olive Ridley species.

China

monastery butter lampsAnother offer newly being touted by LUX* Resorts & Hotels is even more exotic. It’s based in China, on the ancient Tea Horse Road, that was traveled by horse caravans for thirteen centuries. The LUX* Benzilan property is a luxury boutique hotel sited on the Yangtse River between the sacred Kawakarpo mountain and Lijiang.

The cultural tour experience takes you to the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan, the Songtsam Lin Monastery. You are given a rare look inside the private living space of the Tibetan Lama. The spiritual residents will serve you a cup of traditional tea, flavored with yak butter. Next, you’ll be taught how to make a yak butter lamp. More importantly, you’ll learn why the lamps are important, with their special meaning within the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. You’ll be taken to the Tree of Wishes that the Dong Zhulin Monastery’s Living Buddha blessed. Your desires may come true after you tie a ribbon onto the tree.

What Does It Mean?

For us older folks who used to think that a good vacation was based on sun, sand, and suds (beer), these Collectable Experiences now being marketed by LUX* seem to be a refreshing change. And I like that.

Especially if you have endured one of those old-fashioned tours, where a group of folks with cameras slung around their necks follow behind a guide who points out exhibits in a dusty museum, these more modern and participatory outings truly are breaths of fresh air.

These are activities where you actually do things, and in the process, the way you think about the world may be changed.

To my mind, Collectable Experience is an appropriate – albeit perhaps a wee bit too colorful – new way to present experiential travel – or transformational travel.

For more information about Collectable Experiences or any of the many LUX* properties around the world, check out LUX* Resorts & Hotels.

More Experiential Travel Ideas:


Full-Day Swimming With Dolphins And Casela Nature Park Tour in Mauritius


Maldives Sun and Snorkel Including Transportation by Speed Boat
and Traditional Maldivian Afternoon Tea


Private Tour: Xi’an Bike Adventure Including Tibetan Temple and Terracotta Warriors

Photo Credits:

Butter lamps at Songzanlin Monastery by Antoine Taveneaux / CC BY-SA
All other photos ©LUX* Resorts & Hotels

About the author:
Robert Scheer is a travel writer and photographer and the editor and publisher of Travel Thru History.

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