Some people may think that the best way to travel is in a group led by a tour guide, but it is just different from those people. I think the best way to travel is to travel alone. If I travel alone, I can enjoy the pleasure of meeting new people outside the group, trying new things and totally relaxing. However, if I am to travel with a group led by a tour guide, this pleasure seems impossible. Travel alone means that I can meet new people more freely. I can meet not only the other travelers, but also the local residents whenever I travel to a new place. If the person I want to meet is not available at the present time, I can even reschedule my time .But if I travel in a group led by a tour guide; I have to stick to the schedule. I have to take to other people’s time into consideration .That means I will lose a lot of chances to meet new people. 

Travel alone also means I can try new things personally. I can go anywhere I want and do something different from my lifestyle. However, if I travel in a group, the place where I go and the things that I will deal with are all arranged and fixed in advance. I have no choice but to follow. That will be miserable for me as a traveler.

When I finally manage to take a travel, I want to relax myself totally. Work is too hard to do and I am really eager to have an enjoyable break. However, I am in a group and I have to stick to the travel schedule, to consider the other group members ’feelings, to go wherever the tour guide leads to. That seems just like I am on my duty at work again. I cannot really get relaxation.

Travel with a groups led by a guide also has some advantages, for example, I don’t need to worry about the hotel and three meals. Usually, travel companies have scheduled for you, and the fee has been included. If I travel alone, I have to look for the location I stay at night, food and schedule time. If you are not a time scheduler, you had better travel with a group. Another advantage is safe .When I travel in a group, I am feel safer than I travel alone.   

Actually, I always prefer to travel alone. I would like to meet a lot of different people, experiencing new things on my way in traveling. I think that only scheduling my travel time more casually can make me relax completely. Would not that be the only purpose of traveling? I would like to encourage you to travel alone too. In any case, do not travel in a group led by a tour guide.

August 2004