Stepping into the new decade, I looked back at my most recent trip to Thailand(again), with my friends. While I was reminiscing about my trip, I bumped on to some very interesting things. I realized that travelling with your BFFs is something you will hold on to dearly, in your heart for your lifetime. Solo traveling is absolutely great, with its upsides and downsides. But traveling with your best pals and more so girlfriends can be one of the most equally liberating and joyful experiences of your life. Here’s why I think so.
Division of Labour
Yes, you got that right! While we were planning our trip, we literally divided the tasks among us. Those who travel frequently and plan trips on their own, would know that it requires a decent amount of planning and research. So we decided what part of the trip each of us is going to take care of and worked towards it. This led to clarity and less burden on one person. When you are travelling solo, it could be overwhelming to plan and execute the entire trip and soak in the experience on your own. No doubt it is absolute fun. However, having someone to share the responsibility is always a bonus!
Multiple Photographers
When you are travelling alone, you can click selfies or catch hold of someone. During my first solo trip, I could hardly get good photographs of myself. But with friends, especially the ones who are hell bent (in a good way) to make you pose and click good (read instaworthy :P) photographs, you are in for some fun! After all memories in the form of these photographs is all we have to get all nostalgic a few years down the line! So I got some great photographs this time around, thanks to my buddies.
You Can Actually Chill
With your BFFs around, you can completely be like a house on fire. You can rant, gossip, crib, or do anything and just let go. The best thing about travelling with your BFFs is that you can say and do whatever. It will not be taken in the wrong sense. Of course for that, you need to have genuine and trustworthy friends! Basically, my point is you can actually chill, relax and let go, and with no pretense. Likewise your friends would feel the same with you, completely comfortable in their own skin, with your company. And being with friends doesn’t necessarily have to mean that you have to pack in a lot of activities. Spending 2 or 3 hours at the beach or the likes with food and drinks and heartfelt and open conversation can do wonders! This is exactly what we did in Krabi! We spent the whole evening on the beach, chatting and munching and sipping on some drinks. That was one of the best parts of the trip for me! And in our daily routine, we hardly get some quality time with our friends, and travelling is your best bet to do that!
Shared Expenses
Well, no matter what we say, money is critical! Money is better managed and one can even save some while travelling with a group. That is what I experienced while travelling with my friends to Thailand. Since a couple of my friends had already done a hell lot of research, they were better equipped to make choices wherein we could spend less and have more fun. One thing we did where we saved on some money was to rent bikes in Krabi. It was easy, convenient and inexpensive. It may have been a little expensive for an individual. Since we were a group, we shared the expenses. We drove almost 120kms with breaks one day to go to a sightseeing spot in Krabi. Needless to say, we had a blast roaming around Krabi on bikes. For those who would like to, know, the prices, we rented one bike for 200THB per day.
Brainstorming & Covering For Each Other
With more people, there are more brains and lines of thought involved. If one forgets something, the other one has got you covered or that person can be reminded about it. Or if one hasn’t carried something, like a sun tan lotion or the likes, you can simply ask your friend. You won’t have to worry about figuring out where to get that thing and how much would it cost. This is another huge advantage of travelling with your BFFs.
And to sum it all up, it will be a super experience only if the friends you travel with are completely reliable and amazing people at heart and who have been with you, through thick and thin. The pleasure is unfiltered when your friends are completely non-judgemental and even make you do things you are uncomfortable with and help you let go of your inhibitions and reservations. All this eventually, adds to your personality and gives you a prospect to evolve as a human being!
Until next time, happy travelling ! 🙂
My Travel Confessions 