Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jizzo T. Clown]

There are some clear advantages to travelling alone, the biggest being that I can go wherever I want, whenever I want.

However, after this weekend, I'm starting to lean the other way...it gets lonely if you're in a bar and there's no one there to talk to (literally, I was the ONLY customer in the place).

Can anyone give a good argument one way or the other? Do you travel alone when you go or do you organize a group or only go with one other person?

When is it better to have a group and when is it better to go alone?

[Catt]

I think it all depends on what you are doing and what you want to accomplish in your travelling. I like going in a group when going out in the evening or going to the bar. Also if you have someone you get along well with and go and see things together it can be fun. If you want to see what you want and not have to worry about anyone else go alone. If you want to accomplish things quickly and be done go alone. I am going to Indonesia for 2 weeks alone, and I am looking forward to it. It will be nice to be able to just kick back and relax and not have to worry about debating with someone as to who wants to see what and do we have time for both. Plus should one compromise and give up what they want to see for the other.

[dogshed]

When I was in Germany I would run into people that were not
having a good time because of who they were with and I would
then be thankful that I was traveling by myself.

[TiGrBaLm]

The best way to learn about someone is by traveling with them.

That said, I prefer to travel alone, you can always meet up with cool people during your travels and make new friends, etc.

[lawyertood]

I usually travel alone but enjoy travelling with others some of the time. One reason is that I am more motivated to go out and do things with others that I couldn't be bothered to do alone. It also depends on how well you get along with the person/people and that you have an understanding that you don't have to spend time 24/7 together. You should always allow each other time to do things alone.

[DCJames]

People who travel alone look stupid.

The natives think you don't have any friends.

[kalkamagi]

Travelling alone = good
Travelling with a friend = great

After my first year in Korea, I planned a month of travelling alone through Indonesia. It was great. There was a time when I was hiking alone at 4am with no one in sight looking up at the stars... I'm not religious in the least, but that was a very spiritual moment.

By the time I got to Bali, I had seen so many couples, that I was sorta longing to be there with someone. Fortunately, I met someone there, and I've been travelling with him ever since.

Travelling alone was the best thing I ever did to that point. You get to know a lot about yourself, and you meet interesting people. However, I think its a bit different if you're a girl- sometimes dangerous, and you really can't go to a bar by yourself.

[thebomb]

Travelling alone does have it's distinct advantages, and if you are actually travelling travelling then you always meet up with new people on route, and many times have spend a couple of days travelling with them cos we want to see the same thing/place. Then quite easily part company move on and meet someone new.

An ex-girlfriend of mine and her best high school mate had been planning , for about 3 years, to backpack around Oz for a year. And within 6 weeks of the journey they went their seperate ways. Travelling definitely strains and tests a relationship, whether friends or lovers, to critical points, and if you come out the other side relatively unscathed and still friends then that is a true test to you both.

[sojourner1]

I always traveled alone since no one else I knew had the same time off. At our hagwon, we will all get the same time off next month, but we all have different interests so we will separate paths for 9 days. Some will go to Thailand, some will seek to use soft drugs like smoking bud in SE Asia, some will stay in Korea at their apartment to drink crap alcohol, some stay in Korea with their wife and kids to chill out, and some like me, will travel within Korea to really get an up close and personal insight into what Korea really is.

Traveling alone has it's advantages such as having no one else on your itenenary to screw up your vacation and you can do things without seeking your companions approval. However, traveling alone has it's disadvantages too, such as wishing you had someone to talk to about all the interesting things you're seeing and doing.

May your special sojourns be filled with high adventure, euphoria, elation, and find you chillin' like a villain...

[desultude]

[princess]

[Catt]

For starters I think the natives have more important things to think about than to sit around contemplating my friendship status.

I definitely see the advantages to going alone though. 2 weeks in Indonesia where I don't have to be disappointed because I didn't get to see something that really interested me because with there being more people there were more things to see. Also being able to make my own decisions about what I want to do and where I want to go. Even how quickly I want to travel. I have friends who I have travelled with in the past and it has led to arguments along the way because each of us has felt the other wasn't pulling their own weight or moving along at a suitable pace . Turns out everytime we are each pulling our own weight in a different manner. The pace thing though usually boils down to one wanting to move fast and see everything, and others wanting to leisurely take everything in. I like to see things but I want to SEE them not glance at them as I go past. It can end up being very frustrating and lead to some misunderstanding and miscommunications and can ruin friendships at times. Hasn't ruined any of mine yet, but also don't want it to in the future.

[paquebot]

As you and others have pointed out, travelling alone gives you the ability to set your own timetable - not only at the beginning of your trip, but if something else comes up. You never have to persuade a friend, or wait for their answer before you change course for something new.

Travelling alone will also make you appear more approachable. You can make new relationships without worrying about your travel partner feeling left out or not having a good time. Additionally, it seems that it's usually easier to approach a single person over a group -- so locals and fellow travellers might be more likely to strike up a conversation with you. I've always travelled alone, and it's great to have random people come up and start a conversation with me, invite me inside for a drink on a hot (or cold) day, or make suggestions to hang out later. I don't think that happens as readily if others see two people walking down the street together, speaking in English (or any other 'foreign' language).

There are benefits to travelling with a friend as well; the main one that comes to mind is if either of you have problems (medical, financial, etc.)

[Flash Ipanema]

I enjoy spending time by myself, but my concern with traveling alone is figuring out where to go. Assuming I'm in a country where I don't speak the language, I think having someone with me to help figure out what to do would make me feel more secure and comfortable than if I was all alone. I can just imagine getting off a bus and not having a clue which direction to go, or how to order food, or how to find whatever attractions I'm looking for. Then again, I usually don't do anything without a lot of preparation, so perhaps it has more to do with my lack of spontaneity that concerns me.

[itaewonguy]