Flight of a little bird: June 2016

"I don't have friends who are as passionate about traveling as me"
"My partner is always busy working, he has no time to travel"
"I don't feel safe while traveling alone"
"I like to travel with like-minded people"
We hear all this so often these days. And glad there is a solution to all these problems - THE GROUP TRAVEL. It is the best way these days to do a trip. Just book your holiday and forget about the rest. Everything starting from your transport, permits, stay and food is taken care of by them. And the best thing is you are accompanied by passionate travelers and photographers who understand your passion and needs.

But how be be sure you are traveling with the right set of people? How to make the group travel experience a good one? What all to be careful about? Below are a few pointers that'll help you get the best from the group trips.

#Chose the travel group carefully.

Don't just go for any group that is organizing a trip to the destination you want to explore, do some research. There are many big and small groups these days to chose from. The popularity or the size of the group does not ensure a good experience. Many big groups fail to provide the experience that a smaller groups can because of the personal touch they give to their trips. Here are the pointers on how to chose a group and the trip:

The organizers should be travelers themselves then only will they be able to understand your needs.
Talking to your trip leader once before the trip is a good practice. Check his/her profile on fb.
Check the itinerary thoroughly and make sure it includes everything that you want to explore in a destination.
Chose the group that gives you the flexibility of exploring on your own too in the safety of a group.

Fun of traveling with a like-minded group

> Once you have chosen the group, have confidence in your choice and trust in your organizer, you are going to have time of your life!

# Set your expectations right.

Take all important information before starting your journey. Below is the list of things you can ask:

Detailed Itinerary with the amount of road travel (km wise)
What type of food will be served - veg/ non veg, simple/ elaborate, local?
What mode of transportation will be there?
What type of accommodation hotels/ camps/ homestay?

Be very clear on what you want... do you want to visit tourist spots and shop and are looking for fancy resorts to stay or are you looking for unusual and rich travel experiences. And it's very important to communicate it to your organizer so that he can explain what you can expect.

Be open to new experiences, it can be you best one

> At times you tend to be extra careful and might miss out on some experiences... like staying in a camp can be an experience of lifetime. Don't be too rigid on your expectations and trust that your organizer will do his best to provide you the best experience. Always remember, he knows the place better than you.

# Be a part of the group.

Always remember you are traveling in a group and how you behave will come back to you. Be a team member. Cooperate with others and others will reciprocate. Everyone is out to have good experience and create pleasant memories. So help yourself and others in doing so. Here's how you can do that:

Don't separate yourself from the group by asking for extra favors from the organizers like front seat in vehicle, better view room, food other than what is being served to all.
Don't be a cribber. No one likes the company of one. If you are signing in for a road trip there will be long road journeys, if you are traveling in summers be prepared for hot weather... cribbing about the heat or long road travel will not change anything but others attitude towards you.
Don't be too rigid. At times there are situations that can't be controlled like due to some landslides the itinerary might have to be tweaked a bit. Being understanding and accommodating in those cases will help you and the group make the best of the situation.