What Makes a Good Travel Buddy?

You’ve spent months (or even years) planning your next dream holiday. You’ve booked your flights, researched hotels and worked out all the things you’d love to see, do and experience.

You’re all ready to go, right? One important decision remains, who should you go with? Choose the wrong person, and your dream holiday can go from magic to misery. No one is perfect! Some people are great in small doses and others, well let’s just say they may be an amazing person yet may not be an ideal travel buddy.

 Here are a few things the team at Wendy Wu Tours thinks make a good travel buddy:

 

• They are inquisitive and curious about new experiences, people, places and most importantly, food! Paul from our NZ team enjoys travelling with “someone that is prepared to go out of their comfort zone and try new things. It’s always easier to make the jump when you’re holding hands with someone”.
  

  Customers at Zhangjiajie Heavens Gate

 

• They are respectful – of you, different cultures and ways of life. No one wants to be travelling with that person that screams, “Does anyone speak English!” in the middle of the street.

 

• You can put up with each other’s idiosyncrasies and habits – the little things can grate the most. Someone that leaves the toilet seat up is probably easier to travel with rather than someone who constantly loses their wallet or passport. Alison from our Products team loves the challenge of “converting my English spouse into eating something other than bacon and eggs for breakfast”.

 

• An independent spirit – teaming up with a buddy who is not afraid to go it alone at times is ideal. You won’t always want to do exactly the same things at the same time, so it’s also good to have some time apart.  Particularly on extended trips. According to Aaron from our Reservations team “the hotel is just for sleeping; a whole world awaits!”
  

  Customers on a rickshaw in Beijing

 

• An ability to roll with it when things go wrong – and inevitably things sometimes do go wrong. There’s nothing worse than travelling with someone that gets super stressed or angry due to things not going to plan. “I like travelling with someone who enjoys the adventure if things don’t go to plan and just makes it up as we go along”, says Miriam from our Business Services team.

 

• You consider each other’s expectations for the trip – if you’re both keen to chill on a beach, things will work much better rather than if one plans to chill and the other wants to shop all day. Therefore planning activities for your holiday are made easier as a result!
  

  Staff member at Tiger’s Nest, Paro Bhutan

 

• They always have good books to pinch or good music on hand – everyone needs a travel sound track that can evoke memories for years to come.

 

• Importantly… they enjoy ending a hot day with a cool beer and a bit of banter. Tamara from our Business Services team loves “sharing, experiencing and creating memories with someone along the way. It makes the journey that much more enjoyable and you are sure to have many laughs”.
  

  Staff Members on the Great Wall, Beijing

 

While there are so many things to consider when choosing a travel companion, the best chance of success when looking for that person is probably going to be someone you share interests  with. Another is someone with a comparable mind-set.  Consequently, if you are cautious about the food you eat and hate hiking and hostels, then maybe travelling with a like-minded friend will be more enjoyable! While exploring with your your travel buddy who loves street food, mountain climbing and dorm rooms is probably not ideal.