How to have the perfect group holiday: choose a leader, allow for different interests, and plan, plan, plan
Going on holiday with a big group of friends or family can be amazing fun, but can quickly turn into a disaster without effective planning. Here are some tips on making the getaway a success
When Ashley Yue packed her suitcase for a trip to Taiwan with a group of 14 friends, she wasn’t sure what to expect. With so many different personalities, interests and expectations among the group, the possibility of conflict and fall-outs loomed.
“I’d never travelled with such a big group before,” says the 25-year-old, who runs the Hong Kong Food Crawlers tour group. “But I found it surprisingly easy, even though there were so many of us.”
Key to the group holiday’s success was pre-planning, ground rules and flexibility.
“I love solo travelling,” she says. “But going on holiday with a group of friends means you have someone to share that experience with – and you get to try a lot more dishes at restaurants.”
Differing budgets, eating habits and interests are a common cause for disagreement during group holidays, but these can easily be avoided by discussing preferences before departure.
“These misunderstandings sometimes come about because of the lack of communication during trip planning,” says Janice Lee Fang, Asia-Pacific communications director at TripAdvisor.