Tips For Travelling in Groups

In theory, embarking on a group trip means you’ll get to explore places with some of your favorite people. In practice, it can devolve into fights over itinerary, flight details, fighting over hotels, budgets and trying to fix a date  to travel. 

As much as it is FUN to travel in a group it can also be stressful especially when everyone has different characters AND the key is to be patient and be flexible. 

Here is my  top 10 tips

1. BE PATIENT and LISTEN
The most important thing that you need to do is be patient. There will be a lot of times that you just want to burst out and snap. Take a deep breath and just listen to what others are saying.

2. BE FLEXIBLE 
As much as it is good to have a ready made itinerary, you need to be flexible. Plans can change so always have a backup plan .. There are times when one person decided they dont want to do something and when your in a group you need that flexibility to make that last minute changes. 

3. HAVE YOUR OWN MUST DO OR MUST SEE 
As selfish as this sounds, not everyone wants to see the thing you want to see and do what you want to do. Be prepared to spend half a day or a full day just doing the things that you want to do. 


4. DON'T BE OVER AMBITIOUS 
Do dont try to fit everything in one day. Dont be to ambitious to do everything on one single day. Pace yourself. 
5. PLAN PLAN PLAN 
Always have a plan. You might not stick to the plan but use it as a guide . Can you image how lost you would be if you are there for even 3 days and you dont know what to do?
6. COMMUNICATE 
The KEY to anything is COMMUNICATIONS! So communicate. When you are not happy tell the group, if you need to make a stop, tell everyone, DO NOT keep it to yourself. 
7. HAVE ALTERNATE PLANS 
Remember #5, Do remember to have alternatives plans, this can include what if the weather is not favorable? What if someone decided they dont want to follow you or what if the place where you want to visit is close. 
8. HAVE A DOWNTIME 
Rest is the key. When you are tired, you need that break. 

9. DISCUSS AND PACK 
For us girls, we tend to overpack. My suggestions is to coordinate what to bring, One person can be in charge of toileteries and the other can bring snacks etc. instead of everyone bring their own. Have a Packing list and always check with each other. 

10. GET TO KNOW YOUR GROUP MEMBER (Not everyone can get along with everyone) 
Get to know the people your traveling with. What is their character. Who are they, what are their likes and dislikes. You don't have to like them, but understanding their characters can help reduce friction . 

Ayutthaya

I don't know why but I love historical places. I don't mind the heat and the humidity. I love visiting temples and just being in the moment. 

I was lucky enough to fit Ayutthaya in my travel plans last week. I believe in destiny and how no matter what, if its meant to be its meant to be. 

The plan was to go to Bangkok just for the Coldplay concert but because the flight was super expensive, I decided to extend another day and what better way to spend that extra day then to visit Ayutthaya. I've always wanted to visit Ayutthaya, it has been in my bucket list for the longest time and there was one point that I thought maybe I should just fly in , visit Ayutthaya and fly out.  But luck was on my side, after much thought, I decided that this would be the best time to visit the second capital of Siam after Sukhotai. 

The Historic City of Ayutthaya, founded in 1350, was the second capital of the Siamese Kingdom.  It flourished from the 14th to the 18th centuries, during which time it grew to be one of the world’s largest and most cosmopolitan urban areas and a center of global diplomacy and commerce. Ayutthaya was strategically located on an island surrounded by three rivers connecting the city to the sea. This site was chosen because it was located above the tidal bore of the Gulf of Siam as it existed at that time, thus preventing attack of the city by the sea-going warships of other nations. The location also helped to protect the city from seasonal flooding.The city was attacked and razed by the Burmese army in 1767 who burned the city to the ground and forced the inhabitants to abandon the city. The city was never rebuilt in the same location and remains known today as an extensive archaeological site.  (Taken from Unesco website).

For those planning to head to to Ayutthaya, you have 2 options, you can join the tour or you can do a private tour. It all depends on your preference. The joint-tour normally starts at 6am and covers about 4 different temples. (but recommended only for those who are willing to wake up early). We decided to rent a car (technically its a Taxi  with a driver) for about  2,500 Baht a day and it will be at your own pace.  We decided to part from hotel at 9am and it took about an hour and a half to reach our first stop which is Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon Great Monastery of Auspicious Victory . 

Our next stop is where you can find the buddha head in the tree, Wat Mahathat. The buddha head entwined within the roots of a tree is one of the most recognisable images from Thailand.  This ancient temple was built during the 14th century, but was reduced to ruins in 1767. The area remained abandoned and overgrown until the 1950s when the Department of Fine art began restoration work in Ayutthaya. Nobody knows for certain how the Buddha head became entwined in the roots of the tree. One theory suggests that the tree simply grew around the Buddha head during the period when the temple lay abandoned and overgrown. Another theory is that a thief moved the Buddha head away from the main temple to hide it.When visiting this location please remember it is a sacred site. The presence of  a discrete chain are there to remind visitors of the fact that they cannot touch the statue. You may take photos, but to be respectful these should be taken from a kneeling position. They even lay a mat so that people can sit next to the head . 

Overall, Ayutthaya is a must visit for historical buff like me. I'm totally grateful that despite everything, I was lucky enough to pay this place a visit. A special shout out to Mr M for being a good sport and for being my instagram husband.  

A quick 10 months update

This year I decided it was the year of my own selfish travelling. I wanted to explore a few places that I've never been before and  I also did a few local travelling just to help with the local economy (hahahah yeah right!). I would still love to go to more places this year but I guess with just 2 months left, its gonna be pretty hard to plan. To Sum it up

February: Johor Bahru

March: Bali and Nusa Lembongan 

April: Koh Lipe

May: Langkawi 

July: Bali 

September: Johor Bahru

October: Perth 

I will blog separately about each places but if you asked me where is my favorite place? it will definetly be Koh Lipe  

Ayutthaya

I've not firmed up on my 2016 plan but I have decided that next year I wanna try solo travelling.... 

Gonna start with Ayutthaya, maybe sometime in February or March....

Let the planning begin

Ipoh virgin

What do you do during monsoon season and its flooding everywhere?  You go on a roadtrip to Ipoh!!!!! 

Traveling in 2016

Did I mentioned that I'm a planner? like seriously a planner. So my holidays are normally planned out in advance. Guess its due to budgeting as well....

Hopefully its going to be another eventful 2016 with more travels....

So far i've only managed to locked in 3 places , and guess what, I'm going to Bali twice next year!!! Cannot wait for March when there will be nothing but the Sun and Sea


 

2015 is the year for travelling

OMG! i traveled so much this year that its pretty scary