Group joining trek to Everest Base Camp, consider this before you book
There are tons of companies who offer group joining trips for different trips in the Himalayan regions including the famous Everest Base camp trek. Most of the company even published the dates and prices but nobody tells you about merits and demerits before joining the group until you ask them. Here we are discussing about the merits and demerits of group joining trips heading for different destinations with special focus on Everest area. Your decision to save few dollars might ruin your trip. There are three major treks in Everest area namely Everest Base Camp, Gokyo Valley with Everest Base Camp and Everest three high pass treks.
Availability
The group joining trips are available only for popular destinations where everybody floods. If you want to make off the beaten treks it is almost impossible to find the group and join the group or if you are lucky to find the group it might not fit in your time frame. You can be flexible like arriving few days earlier and do some side trips or put some extra days after the group joining trip is over to take advantage of what is not included in the program.
Do your research
As joining the group is not flexible like your private trip, you have to do sufficient research regarding the necessary physical ability, equipment, grade, altitude, weather, good time and availability of gears and equipment as well as map, compass, GPS etc. whatever necessary.
What to do and where to eat
Depending on the group size there is significant changes in terms of food especially for Lunch as if the group is quiet big ordering a la cart menu for a group is impossible as the lunch places are with limited manpower and it seems not practical preparing different plates for everybody. If they have to make different meals for every individual member you will spend hours sitting in the table rather than doing other activities. What to do and where to eat as well as what to eat is very important in group joining trips.
The nightmare of getting ready and leaving
Every morning a folk is ready to move but there is always a Michael who is just brushing the teeth, just doing the packing, paying the extra bills, put on the gears, collecting his/her electronics is normal. When there is a group, a well discipline that everybody appears in a civilized departure time is almost impossible specially in case of trekking.
Individual’s interest is sacrificed
Every individual has their own interest, some likes spending more time on the popular view points, some likes to reach early, some likes to have early dinner and other likes to have late dinner, some people like to start early and some people like to start late, all these matters you have to accommodate according to the group. Normally we put all the members in ideal hours for everything and the entire group members supposed to follow the instructions by our concerning staffs. It is very hard to manage if we do not sacrifice individual’s interest.
Clashing personalities
The very crucial issue is what happens if the entire members who join the trip are of nationalities that you never feel comfortable. They will certainly ruin the trip. In a group joining trip you have to ask with the operator from where other peoples are. You have to figure out before you book whether this will create a trouble to you or not in terms of your walking speed, privacy and your interest. Sometime the clashing personalities you meet on the trip not only make you uncomfortable but uncomfortable to others in between also. You need to be flexible paying extra and change your trip to upgrade as private trip if you smell the group you going to join might ruin your trip and that sometime is hard due to pre-booked flights, accommodations etc. and the price is certainly going to hike as well.
Last minute cancellation
It is frequent in the last minute everybody else cancel the trip and you are the only one in the trip, the operators bide by their own terms and conditions might operate your trip as they might have guaranteed departure but your excitement of joining the group is not fulfilled. Sometimes only you in the group might incur some extra cost, so be clear before you book the trip about the terms and conditions.
Besides the disadvantages of joining the groups there are several advantages too travelling with the group, for some people travelling with strangers are of great fun discovering the new destinations. Some of the advantages of joining the group are discussed below.
Saving money
Group joining trips are always cheaper as you share the expense for transportation, guides and sometime even in fares, attractions, accommodation and facilities there are group discounts. The major benefit of joining the group is saving your money which you can utilize for other things like doing shopping, spending on drinks or do some extra activities.
Safety in Numbers
As you are in a group moving from one place to another there is very less chance that you get disappeared or lost. The safety factor is always high in the group. Even in the city area there is always somebody nearby you and pickpocketing or robbery could be easily avoided. Sometime in the group you meet professionals of your interest who made your trip more fun than travelling alone or with your friend and family.
Someone to share with and compete
There is always a group member who is nearby you, listen to you, take your pictures, talk to you and the most important is you can compete with each other in terms of walking speed, stamina and many other matters. When the activities are over you can engage on playing cards or other things of your interest you will always find the companion to pass your free time. Even you can go for some side trips together, go outside grab a drink, a small shopping etc.
As every coin has two sides there are merits and demerits of group joining trips. If you take a private trip you are your own boss but if you join the trip with other people you have to accommodate according to size of the group. So please consider all the matters before making a decision for your excellent holiday experience with our professional team. You can check our well planned and researched itinerary to Everest Base Camp for successful trip and you can write us about any other trip of your interest if you love to have experience of visiting Himalayan countries.
Himalayan Travel Consultant team would appreciate that you share the information to your friends and families and our team is dedicated to provide you the first hand information and service on any trips regarding Himalayan Destinations.
