Clients may be unsure about booking a group tour. People who consider themselves well-travelled sometimes have an aversion to group tours, saying things like "It feels like cheating."
Writer Christina Newberry also felt unsure a group tour was for her, but discovered her G Adventure was the ideal way to make the most of limited vacation days. Leaving the details up to an experienced guide allowed her to enjoy the trip without having to worry about logistics or what to do when.
Exploring Southeast Asia on the G Adventures Cambodia Experience
When my partner suggested a G Adventures tour for our first big trip together, I
was skeptical. My last group tour was way back in 1997, when my best friend
and I hopped across Europe in a Contiki coach blasting Bon Jovi. It was
fantastic, but I wasn’t sure group tours aligned with my travel style as an adult.
But we were trying to cram a major adventure into limited vacation time, and
letting someone else take care of the details held significant appeal. We settled
on the nine-day Cambodia Experience and were soon flying to Ho Chi Minh City
to meet up with our group of 12.
Our tour began with an excursion to the Mekong Delta, where we sampled local
honey and glided along narrow waterways in traditional boats. Squeezed into a
motorized rickshaw bouncing around a small island, we quickly gelled with our
fellow travellers and our CEO (Chief Experience Officer), Thuy.
But our focus was Cambodia, so in the morning we piled into a comfortable minibus and headed to the border.
As we drove, Thuy double-checked our visas and
explained the procedure – we would cross the border on foot, then find our
Cambodian vehicle on the other side. This was the moment when I realized I was
happy not to be in charge.
Cambodia Experience with G Adventures (Photo Credit: Provided by GAdventures)
The Value of a Guide
We drove to Phnom Penh, where we braved sprinkling rain for a pedicab tour. By
now Thuy had organized a group photo-share, so we all got plenty of pictures
looking slightly awkward under plastic covers.
Over a wonderful dinner of Cambodian curries, Thuy prepared us for what we
knew would be a heavy day to come, with a visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide
Museum and the killing fields of Choeung Ek.
A local guide joined us for the day. While most people at the former prison had
their ears glued to audio guides, we listened attentively to his stories about the
people who lived and died here. These were challenging places to visit, and the
personal guidance made the experience easier to bear.
The next morning, we were back on the road to Siem Reap, this time in a large
coach shared (with plenty of room to spare) with another G Adventures group. En
route, we stopped for lunch at a lovely waterfront rest stop – but the drive’s
highlight was eating bugs from a roadside stand. As a vegetarian of more than 30
years, I declined the crickets and tarantula legs. My partner, however, nibbled
them with glee, secure that Thuy would not lead us astray.
Arriving in Siem Reap, we headed straight to the Angkor Wat ticket office.
Getting tickets the afternoon before our visit allowed us to avoid the crowds and
gain a little extra sleep-in time – much appreciated since we aimed to be there for
sunrise at 5:45 a.m.
In the morning, we arrived at Angkor Wat in deep darkness. We had two days to
explore the massive site with a local guide. A substantial crowd gathered for
sunrise, but they soon dispersed and it felt like we had the place to ourselves.
We wandered through the tree-consumed temple Ta Prohm (famed for its
appearance in Tomb Raider) and Bayon Temple, with its many smiling Buddhas.
A G Adventures CEO explains carvings to a traveler at Angkor Wat. (Photo Credit: G Adventures)
After a dip in the lovely hotel pool, we rode in rickshaws to the New Hope
Vocational Training Restaurant. Over banana flower salad and more delicious
curries, we learned that this G Adventures-supported project funds a free
community school and health centre while providing hospitality training to local
youth.
The next day, we dove back into Angkor, this time walking deep into the jungle to
the Preah Khan temple. We would have struggled to find this quiet place without
our guide, and in fact encountered a couple having a hard time orienting
themselves back to the road.
Finding Time and Finding Friends
Back at the hotel, it started pouring rain. Then the lightning started. The group
had dinner plans, but my partner and I held back to watch the flashing sky,
delighting at the crashing thunder. When we were finally ready to leave, we
connected with our friends for drinks on the pub street, tracking them down using
our tour’s Whatsapp group.
The next day brought another border crossing, this time into Thailand, again on
foot. This is one of the busiest border crossings in the world and I’d psyched
myself up for a stressful experience. But again, Thuy knew exactly what to do
and it was surprisingly fast and easy.
With some free time in Bangkok that afternoon, Thuy arranged a longtail boat
ride, then led us to a night market near our Chinatown hotel to feast on streetside
pad thai.
This was our final night together, so we gathered at the rooftop hotel bar for a
farewell drink – but drooping eyelids around the table were a clear sign we had
worn ourselves out. We bid our new friends goodbye and went to bed.
The verdict? I’m a convert. We’ve already booked our next G Adventures tour.
Turns out I am indeed a group tour adult.
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