Explore Better, Together

I’ve written before about the benefits of traveling solo. But traveling alone doesn’t mean being by yourself all the time! There are so many interesting people to meet on your journey — on the bus, at your hotel, or in your tour group. You never know who you will meet and who might become a lifelong friend.

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I’m naturally an introverted person, but through my travels, I’ve tried to be more outgoing and meet new people. Sometimes it’s hard to make myself approach another person and just say, “hi!” but it’s always a rewarding experience because I can learn so much from others. Here are five reasons how small group meet-ups and unexpected conversations enrich your travel experience:

1. Learn about other people and cultures. Meeting up with others offers you a valuable chance to interact with people from around the globe. It makes starting a conversation easier because you already have something in common — your activity! As you spend time together during the activity, you can start to move on to deeper conversations about where you come from and your perspectives.
2. Get travel tips. A common question among travelers is, “Where have you been and where are you going?” It’s a great conversation starter and offers a wealth of information. You can share your own experiences and suggestions, while getting ideas from the others. Watch out — you’ll definitely peak your wanderlust!
3. Save money. Depending on the size of your group and your activity, you’ll be able to save some money with group discounts or by splitting costs. When we visited Mindo, Ecuador for a weekend, a common activity was birdwatching. But, it was also one of the most expensive outings if it was just two people. By pairing up with a couple of other travelers, we were able to cut our costs in half.
4. Forge new friendships. You never know who you might hit it off with. There have been several times while traveling alone where I struck up a conversation with another person and we ended up spending the next few days of my holiday together. Once, I met a girl who was visiting Edinburgh while I was studying abroad there. We kept in touch and ended up meeting each other again in Amsterdam a few months later.
5. Make lasting memories. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d forget a lot the wonderful things I’ve done if I didn’t write it down. It’s not that my trips weren’t memorable, but I just don’t remember a whole lot of the details. What sticks out in my memory though, without having to go back and read through my blog entries, are the times I was with other people.

Urbansurf’s motto is, “explore better, together.” It’s a social travel app that helps you connect with other travelers and locals for small group activities. With Urbansurf, you can experience for yourself the benefits I’ve listed. What are you waiting for? Download the iOS app and visit their website to discover the Urbansurf community and start exploring better.