Travel companions who make solo travel look glorious

You say you don't want to travel solo. But suppose your choice of travel companions includes the faffer, the whinger or the waverer?

I enjoyed this post on travel companions by a writer for a New Zealand site who detailed the challenges of the "eight worst types of people to travel with."

The faffer takes forever to get out and go in the morning. The whinger won't stop complaining. And the waverer can't make a decision, come hell or high water. (No, I didn't know what these words meant either...)

Then there's the fussy eater, the drunk, the person who needs to be pampered, the person who is stressed by everything. I'm sure you know other types of people whose habits could lessen the joy of your trip, if not ruin your travels altogether.

These and the other aggravating travel companions will detract from a trip. They may even cause you to miss things you specifically went to see. What good is that, after you've spent your hard-earned money to have an adventure?

Other travel companion issues: 

You may end up traveling with someone who wants to eat in the finest restaurants when you want to eat street food. Or someone who wants to buy all meals from supermarkets when you want to taste the local cuisine at highly recommended spots.

You may end up with someone who wants to eat a leisurely three-course meal when you want to eat something quickly so you can get to the side of town where the nightlife is before everything closes up. 

Perhaps your friend wants to hike into the hills in Thailand but you're uncomfortable sleeping on a mat on a floor in a hut with no air conditioning and only a squat toilet. 

Say you want to eat at 10:30 p.m. like the rest of the people in the country you're visiting but your companion wants to stick to her 6 p.m. dining habit. Or you want to lounge on a beach but your companion wants to walk all over town and hit every museum possible. 

Sure you can split up for the day ... if your companion isn't the type who resents that. 

A friend of mine blogged recently about the possibility of visiting a five-star hotel in Khartoum, Sudan, to see the pyramids and other sites in the area that are on his bucket list. I've enjoyed traveling with him in the past, but this would not be my first choice as a destination.  Nor a second or a third.

Not that he's asked me to join him...

My point? The next time you can't find someone to travel with, remember that not having someone to travel with may be a gift. And perhaps you'll decide to go anyway and have the time of your life doing exactly what you want to do. 

Photo by Ellen Perlman: A fiery sunset from balcony of the Hilton in Trinidad and Tobago, in honor of this Fourth of July. Happy Fourth to all.  

Comments

[James O'Reilly]

And it goes without saying that if you start a journey with someone, you don't have to finish the journey with that someone if the nuisances outweigh the rewards. A bit of a sticky wicket with a friend or family member or romantic partner, to be sure, but splitting up on the road can be a healthier decision than sticking it out.

[spiffi]

I read the linked article as well as your post - and it reminded me of ALL the reasons why I enjoy travelling solo so much!