To be guided, or to trailblaze? The pros and cons of a travel guide explained!
When you’re traveling to some of Africa’s more historically exciting locales (most notably Egypt, although people don’t necessarily associate Egypt with Africa), there will often be a time where you and your travel partners must decide if you are going to use a travel guide for the entire trip. Companies like EF Tours provide large, group tours that include travel to all parts of a country or point of interest as well as interesting cultural experiences, such as travel by train or boat instead of more conventional methods such as bus or plane. Additionally, travel guides know exactly what they’re talking about, at least in terms of fulfilling the itinerary. As far as I can tell, it seems to be completely random as to whether or not a travel guide has just memorized the spiel for each particular location or if they’re passionate scholars on the subject, but either way, the information presented in the tour itself will be interesting.
Another obvious benefit of a travel guide is safety. While working with a travel guide, their company is essentially liable for you – if you were to be hurt while following a travel guide, your family could sue on your behalf because the company essentially led you into a dangerous area. Obviously, travel companies would rather avoid these lawsuits, and they’ll do their best to make sure you only go to places where they feel confident they can maintain local security. As a result, while you’re actually with your tour guide, you can be pretty sure that you’ll be safe, but don’t let this lull you into a false sense of security while you’re traveling.
These advantages of having a tour guide have to be weighed against the significant disadvantage of feeling like you’re tied to a schedule and a chaperone. This drives a lot of people completely crazy and they do everything they can to get away, while others feel like they don’t have to sweat the small stuff of their trip, so it’s a lot less stressful. Personally, I love me some unguided adventure, but I’m a lot more comfortable doing it on my own home turf, like for local trips. When traveling somewhere new, especially internationally, I’d rather sit back and let someone else show me the cultural hallmarks. I’m not afraid to admit I’m in unfamiliar territory, and to me, a travel guide is an easy way to learn the ropes. Whatever your preference, though, just be sure to learn as much as you can about the culture and stay safe.
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