In order to ensure your overseas holiday is the most rewarding travel experience of your life, you need to figure out what type of trip you are looking for. Here's a guide on the different styles of travel and tours so you can decide which type of trip best suits you.
Firstly, you need to decide if you want to travel on your own (called FIT in the travel industry), or in a group with a guide.
FIT – Free Independent Traveller
If you like to make all the decisions for yourself, and want to have the ability to choose where you go and what you do everyday, then this is your style of travel. There are many resources available for you to choose from which will help you to get around and have a great vacation. If this is how you plan to travel, I would suggest these websites to be excellent sources of information for you: lonelyplanet.com or roughguides.com.
Things to consider
If you plan to travel independently, these are few of the advantages:
- you set your own schedule and itinerary
- you make all the decisions
- very flexible
and a few disadvantages:
- no local knowledge to guide you
- lots of time spent reading guide book and trying to make decisions
- costs are often unknown and vary loads
- can sometimes be lonely without companions
Guided Tours
If you don't want to have your nose stuck in a guide book throughout your travels, then consider a guided tour. Many of our clients have likened our tours to having their very own, living guide book! Not only are all the daily decisions about accommodation, meals and travel route taken care of, but you have the knowledge and insight of a local who can fill you in on the history and culture of local areas and give you a truly authentic travel experience.
So, if guided tours appeal to you, here are the basic types of tours.
Scenic Tour
If you are looking for a trip which visits those “must see” places, a scenic tour might be for you. This type of tour does not involve much outdoor activity or adventure; it is more relaxed and is generally a luxury experience, with minimal activity. I would expect your guide on a scenic tour to have good knowledge of the culture & history of the location you’re visiting, but probably not when it comes to flora & fauna etc.
Things to consider
Some of the key characteristics of these tours are:
- you'll most likely travel with a large group of tourists (ie. in a bus)
- there won't be much flexibility - you'll probably be on a fixed schedule
- you'll stay in larger hotels
- this type of tour may be a cheaper option than the others covered below
Themed Activity Tour
This kind of trip may be themed on a specific activity, for example hiking or biking. Depending on your travel destination, the activity chosen may be the best way to explore, especially if you're an avid hiker or biker etc. Generally traveling in small groups (up to 16 people), a hiking tour should involve daily walks into nature with an experienced local guide. This is a great way to see a destination, and experience the outdoors whilst learning about the history, culture, flora & fauna from your guide. The activity levels of this kind of tour varies from easy to strenuous.
Things to consider
Some of the key characteristics of these tours are:
- normally smaller group sizes (from 8-20 people)
- should attract people with similar interests to yourself
- should be an active trip with plenty of opportunity for exercise
- most of the time you'll be limited to doing the activity you've chosen
Adventure Tour
My personal favorite when it comes to travel, adventure tours involve a wide variety of activities. Kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, surfing, rafting and climbing are just some of the options on an adventure tour. This type of trip gives you the benefit of being able to do the best activity for any given location. For example, if you are in the Abel Tasman National Park, you can hike the coast track, as well as kayak around the islands!
Things to consider
Some of the key characteristics of these tours are:
- normally smaller groups sizes (from 8-20 people)
- should be active trips with plenty of opportunity for exercise
- you should have a variety of activities to choose from
- activities should be chosen based on the best way to see/experience that day's location
So, what's next?
Okay, so if you now know which type of travel interests you, then the next step is to start looking at how to compare the various trips on the market. The "inclusions" or "fine print" of tours can make or break your vacation experience.
Se our other articles on the types of tours and how to compare apples with apples.
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