Why A Solo Traveller Chooses Organized Group Trips

So many of my dreams have come true whilst travelling. I spend most of my trips either in the ocean or surrounded by wildlife and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The main reason I travel is the lure of exploring exotic new landscapes and, as an environmentalist, the chance to surround myself with native wildlife.  

Although recently I have realised that the stories I come back with, the ones I find myself telling time and time again, aren’t of the stunning landscapes but of the people I’ve met along the way.

My encounters with welcoming and warm locals and other travellers from around the world are what stick in my memories. The story of Jose, the Mexican dive master I learnt to dive with in Akumal, the story of the young Ecuadorian boy who stopped me in parque el ejido to ask for help with his English homework, the story of the French business lady I met searching for love in the sunny tropics of Central America and the chance meeting of a Canadian travel company owner at her uncle’s retreat in Costa Rica leading to a Kenyan adventure and the writing of this blog post.

For me, travelling is about stories, connections and people.

I’ve done a lot of solo travelling, mostly around Central and South America. I find solo travelling to be a freeing and liberating experience, enabling me to go off the beaten path, avoid the groups of party and selfie seeking 20-somethings and create a true connection with the place that goes beyond the tourist façade that so many only see.

The thing is, Origin Travels offers this type of experience, in an intimate group trip form.  Arguably, they offer the best of both worlds – the freedom and accidental encounters of solo travel with a group of people who quickly become close friends.

Organized group trips aren’t just for inexperienced travellers. Although I’ve done a lot of solo travelling, I often opt for some form of group trip. When I tire of trawling the internet and blog posts for the best ‘local’ market, the bar with locals not tourists, the best way to get from A to B, and when I crave the opportunity to meet fellow travellers and share my experiences, it is then that I turn to group trips.

People tend to think that group trips are for inexperienced travellers. They are often deemed generic, inauthentic, poor value for money and, typically ‘party’ focused.

This couldn’t be further from the truth for OT trips. They offer real experiences, real connections in the company of like-minded travellers. You get to have the intimate, unique and freeing experience of solo travelling, combined with the joy of shared experiences and care-free travelling gained through group trips. Couple that with excellent value for money (or as I like to call it ‘experience’ for money) and their pure values and you have an ideal travel company in my eyes.

And that is why as an experienced traveller I’ve signed up for my next adventure with Origin Travels.

So whether you are a solo traveller looking for a unique trip or a couple of friends looking for your next adventure, I’d recommend paying a visit to OT.

Blog post by traveller Charlie

Find all our current group trip departures here.