Thailand forum

I'm a greatbeliever in doing yer own thing. Particularly at 19 - tour groups are usually middle aged or if younger - couples.
I have no problems meeting people on my trips and if I was your age it would be even easier.
I tend to spend around $us30 a day once on the ground in Thailand. I travel single, stay and eat budget but not dumps, move on often, drink a reasonable amt of booze but don't party hard. Your other countries should be cheaper.

cool thats pretty much what im figuring.
just from experience tho i much prefer travelling with friends etc rather than being completely on my own. i dont wana be eating on my own too much. plus its hard to have a crazy party on your own. i guess that by travelling on your own your meaning just meeting people along the way

Matt, I think you'll find most Travelfishers are independent travellers and will likely steer you in that direction. Personally, I've never been on a tour, so can't comment. However, I've never travelled alone either and I think that if I had to I may consider one. (I'd hate being on my own for any period of time).

I have known people do Intrepid tours (take a look at their website) and have heard good reports about them. I don't think they are aimed at middle-aged people and look quite interesting trips. Alternatively, you could do some day trips, or short 2 or 3 day trips, which may be a way to meet up with like-minded people.

hey matt,

i've done mostly independent travel as well, although i've travelled with tours in turkey, baja mexico, and australia. the advantage of the tours is easy logistics, as they take care of the transportation and accommodation arrangments and most everything else in-between. you really can relax and have a stress-free (or at least stress-reduced) holiday that way. the additional insights of the guides, and the ability to reach those out-of-the-way places that are difficult to reach or that you might not have otherwise visited are a bonus. i've also had great luck meeting fantastic people on these tours, and they've added positively to the experience. in places like turkey and baja mexico, where distances are great, public transportation not particularly convenient or plentiful, and cool sites well out of the way, a tour was a good choice.

in places like thailand, however, where public transportation is good and relatively cheap, a tour doesn't necessarily make as much sense. the down side of a tour is that you go where the tour goes, stay where they stay, and eat where they eat. even when you sleep and get up is often determined by the tour. and, if you get a person on the tour who is a real pain ......

from your description above, it doesn't sound like you'll go wrong either way. perhaps finding out what types of people (age, couples vs. singles, etc) on this tour you are considering will help you decide too. i know that for the most part, once a person has travelled independently, it is hard to go back to the tour bus! cheers!