Travel Advice

The Bohemian Vagabond’s Travel Advice

What Kind of Traveler Are You?

Backpacker
My preferred way to go. I think you get the most cultural experience this way. Living on a budget and living like a local. Eating street food, local restaurants. Finding homestays, guesthouses (with a more personal approach getting to know the owners), hostels to find other travelers who have been on the road for a long time. You’ve also volunteered to strip yourself of all unnecessary possessions, surrendered yourself to a new culture with no baggage.

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What Kind of Trip are you taking?

Solo, Pair, Group?: You’ll have to think this one through, because it will make all the difference in the world. It also depends on where you’re going and what your purpose is.

Solo Travels: When I went to India in 2007, I didn’t mind going alone at all. In fact, I preferred it. Although I had bored & lonely moments, I’m still glad today that I went solo. That trip’s purpose was out of my deep mysterious curiosity of this foreign exotic land which even I could not explain. I needed to unravel it by venturing out there, not on anyone else’s agenda but my own. The fantastic PRO of solo traveling is that you move at your own pace. It is completely up to you how long you want to stay at a location for and what you want to visit. You also meet the most people this way because one tends to be more open when alone. It’s been so wonderful to meet random friends along the road and share journeys with them whether it be a day or a week. It’s easier to say goodbye to someone you don’t have ties with when you’re done traveling with them VS going with a friend from the beginning.

Con: There’s obvious danger in traveling alone, especially if you are a girl in certain countries. Once again, do your research by reading stories on previous travelers and their experience. Look up crime statistics,Travel Warnings, Current World news and avoid going out past sunset.

Traveling in a Pair: This is a wonderful way to travel, IF you truly believe you will be compatible with that person. See if both of you have the same objective in this adventure, want to see the same things, are flexible enough to take time off if you do need a break. If you do find someone wonderful enough to travel with, it’s magical. Many times I find myself at a beautiful location and wishing so dear a friend could be there with me to share that sight/experience which I cannot capture on film. Having a travel buddy is also great for taking pictures for you! And it’s much much safer!

Traveling as a test of your Relationship: Being a passionate traveler, you can bet that on my top 3 things I look for in a significant other is that he loves to, or at least has a burning desire to travel. While some couples begin to travel after a longer courtship, I insist on taking trips earlier on to see how compatible we are in that department. A week or 2 together non-stop will determine quickly if you have the same interests and will stregnthen or weaken your relationship!

Group Travel: Such a fun way to travel if the objective is to relax & Party, such as a Beach destination. Or if it’s in multiples of 2 where you could split off if you wanted to see different things. It’s incredibly hard to compromise as is with 2 people, let alone a group. But if you could have a set itinerary ahead of time, say a week trip, it could easily work and be a great bonding experience of a lifetime.