By Land and SeaSee what I did there? I’m hoping you caught on to that awesome use of my blog’s name. If you did, then you know exactly what this post is going to be talking about! All joking and acronyms aside, this post is talking about group tours in Southeast Asia!
Disclaimer: We received a discount on this tour from Gate ! Travel and extend our thanks to them. This post also contains ads and affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we might make a little extra travel money, at no extra cost to you. We also received a tour discount in exchange for this post. As always, all opinions are our own.
Generally speaking, we prefer to travel independently. We enjoy having ample free time, choosing what businesses we patronize, and how we spend our days. Both of us need some time on our own to decompress and just do our own thing. Independent travel is very liberating for the two of us. However, this style of travel is not without its challenges. Heavy planning and successful execution of complex itineraries can be incredibly stressful before and during our trips. I’ve been saying this phrase a lot the last year or so… “It’s not as easy as it looks!”
Want to know one way to make travel easier? Keep reading!
Even though we do not often do group tours, there are occasions when traveling in this fashion is ideal. Readers of this blog know that we are a couple who work full time and maximize our travels each year. At times, our schedules can get so busy that we do not have the necessary time to properly plan trips, nor do we want the stress of carrying out complicated travel itineraries while we are gone. In short, we want someone else to do the heavy lifting for us. This is where group travel comes in handy!
For some time, we have been wanting to go to Southeast Asia (aka S.E.A.). We’ve looked at several options and things have just never worked out. By exercising a lot of patience over a few years, and by doing ample research we found an ideal trip with Gate1 Travel. This is the perfect itinerary and we couldn’t be more excited about everything this trip offers in terms of inclusions. They took all of the guess work out of having to prepare for a trip like this. This Thailand tour was the easiest way to explore this beautiful country for the first time.
Inclusions
Of the many things we enjoy about Gate1 is that their trip packages have ample inclusions. Some of these things may sound silly, but they really are nice perks in a trip. These include:
- Flights
- Round-trip airport transfers
- Transfers between cities
- High quality accommodations
- Listed excursions and tours
- Luggage porterage
- Admissions per the individual itinerary
- Assorted taxes and fees
- Most meals
- Ample free time
- Various samples of local products
What’s Not Included
- Currency exchange fees
- Add on excursions and activities
- Some meals and snacks
- Tips for drivers, guides, and assistants
- Discretionary spending money
Traveling in this manner takes 99% of the stress out of the travel experience.
Nearly every element of travel is coordinated and handled on the traveler’s behalf.  All we had to do was show up, sit back, and enjoy the trip as we made our way throughout four awe-inspiring Thai cities!  The selection of hotels we stayed at on our trip were clean, safe, and well-located. It’s clear this company has spent painstaking effort in the hotel selections, ensuring a good experience.  While all our breakfasts and a few lunches and dinners are part of the package, we also had plenty of time to get out in the community to eat and explore on our own.
Navigating the various cities by ourselves during free time, visiting shops, and ordering a handful of meals on our own is so important to us.  It’s experiences like this that help grow people as travelers as well as better serve communities and their local cultures. The Thai people are a welcoming bunch.
Seeing an entirely different continent, and experiencing an entirely different culture is so exciting and a great way to learn.
It can also be intimidating for those who are not sure what to expect. However, we never felt out of place and had a great experience with every encounter along the way. Our guide was professional, polite, and full of information and resources. He and his assistants made sure we were well taken care of and had a great experience.
Not only did we love the new foods, but a trip like this allows you to experience new styles of architecture and design. We visited many significant places ranging from temples to markets, UNESCO World Heritage Sites to beaches. No corners have been cut with this trip, ensuring a very well-rounded experience! This group tour is the best way to experience a first time Thailand vacation.
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I love working with a company that organizes all the details for me! But, I want them to be flexible as well! Sounds like a great company!!
It is – It’s a great mix for travel experiences!
Very cool! I’ve heard great things about Gate1 and have yet to get to south east asia!!!
Perhaps you can use them whenever you head to Southeast Asia!?
I have never done group travel. I am a solo traveller and have been looking at doing a group tour of the machu Pichu trail. It was good to know that they also give you some free time
Gate1 Travel does trips to Peru! Be sure to check them out!
Yet another interesting and fun post about travel. Love these posts as they are great for the “armchair traveler” as well. Keep them coming! Your adventures are always interesting.
Glad you enjoyed this post too. Thanks for being our #1 “armchair traveler” fan!
I love your photo from Old Siam! It looks like you had a great experience with Gate1. I’ll keep them in mind if I plan a trip to S.E.A (I learned this acronym from reading this post!)
Thank you! The ruins were a wonderful place to visit! I hope you make it there someday yourself with Gate1!
How nice that almost everything is planned and included! Sit back and enjoy the trip!
Exactly!!!
I love to plan my trips and be independent, but group travel totally makes sense when you’re in a foreign country. There’s so much more to planning…language barriers, transportation system differences, etc. Great post!
Thanks! It was a great way to explore Southeast Asia for first-timers!
I usually like to travel independently, but this does sound like the best of both worlds! Sometimes all the planning is so exhausting I just wing it, which doesn’t always turn out so well. Especially nice to have all the inclusions.
It really was a nice mix of pre-planned activities and freedom to roam on our own. We would do it again!
Glad yougot to experience it finally, looks really amazing! I would also consider a group tour in the future, also a nice way not to travel alone. Good post🙌 #feetdotravel
Yes, if you don’t want to travel alone group tours are definitely the way to go!
I agree that there are times when a group tour is the perfect way to see a place. This looks like a great tour option when trying to pick a company to go with. #WeekendWanderlust
It is a great option. We will travel with them again.
These guys sound great. We don’t often do group tours for the personal flexibility but it sounds like your experience was ideal.
Yes! Love the free time that Gate1 offers travelers.
I’ve found that I do enjoy small curated tours, especially when visiting a new city. I try to go in the first couple of days as they guides are really awesome and giving tips and tricks and food recommendations!