If you’re thinking about booking a group trip but haven’t pulled the trigger yet, I’d guess it’s not the trip itself putting you off. It’s the questions nobody answers properly before you book it.
Who am I actually going to be travelling with? Is this safe? Am I going to be the awkward one who doesn’t know anyone?
I’ve heard some version of those three questions more times than I can count – in DMs, in comments, on calls. So instead of the usual “come join us!” post, here’s the honest version.
“Who will I actually be travelling with?”
This is the one everyone asks first, and it makes sense – you’re not just booking a once in a lifetime trip, you’re booking a group of strangers to spend a week or two with.
Here’s the bit that tends to surprise people: on trips like ours, around 80% of the group is travelling solo, for pretty similar reasons to you. Nobody’s turning up with their friendship group. Almost everyone is in exactly the same position you are – a bit nervous, going alone, hoping it’s not awkward. That shared starting point does most of the work in breaking the ice before you’ve even landed.
“Is it actually safe?”
Safe is doing a lot of work in that question, so let’s be specific. You’re not just dropped into a country and left to figure it out. You’ve got a local guide and hosts who know the area, know how to handle problems if they come up, and are there specifically to look after the group – not just show you around and disappear.
It’s also worth saying plainly: this is generally safer than travelling completely solo. You’ve got local knowledge on hand, you’re rarely on your own, and there’s someone whose actual job is to sort things out if something goes wrong. That’s a very different experience to figuring it all out solo, everything is already planned from the minute you land.
“Is this going to be a massive party tour?”
Fair question, and one I actually have a personal answer to. Back in 2022, I went on a big group trip – and it was a proper party tour. Big group, big nights, not really my scene if I’m honest. But I still came away with some genuinely great memories and friendships that have lasted years since. Even when a trip isn’t quite “you,” the connection you make with the people on it tends to stick.
That said – not every group trip is that. Ours specifically isn’t built around big nights out; it’s built around actually seeing a place properly, with people who want the same kind of trip you do. If loud party tours are exactly what puts you off “group travel” as a concept, that’s worth knowing isn’t the only version of it.
“What does the price actually include?”
The most common misconception we run into. Flights usually aren’t included – that one catches people out. But the price does usually include your hotels, activities, and meals, which is a lot more than people assume when they first see the number. You get the ease of just turning up and having everything organised.
And it’s not just about what you get – a group trip should also be putting something back into the places you’re visiting, supporting local guides, hosts, and communities rather than just passing through. Local operators and guides working in countries around the world often have the issue of huge multinational companies suppressing their prices meaning they are basically working for nothing. That’s one thing we won’t budge on, our guides should get what they deserve and what they are worth – they are the people who make it amazing.
What Onda actually does differently
We’re not a party tour, and we’re not trying to be. We believe in having a good time – but the point of our trips and community is to see a country for what it actually is: interacting with locals, understanding the real culture, not just following the instagram trial created these days.
A few things that matter to us more than most:
- We work with local guides and hosts, on purpose. We think the people who live somewhere should be the ones benefiting from tourism there, not just the ones hosting it.
- We don’t support unethical animal experiences. If it’s not good for the animal, it’s not on the itinerary.
- You’re never forced into anything. If an activity isn’t for you, you sit it out – no pressure, no guilt trip, you are here for you.
- Everyone’s genuinely welcome. We’re building a space where nobody feels like the odd one out – whoever you are, however you travel, nobody is uninvited.
That’s the actual difference between “a group trip” and one built the way we build them.
You can check out our available tours here.
FAQs
No – most people book solo, and most of the group will be in the same position. It’s genuinely built for people coming on their own.
That’s completely fine. Nothing is compulsory. If you’d rather sit one out, you sit it out – no explanation needed.
Yes – honestly, that’s who it’s built for. You’re never on your own unless you choose to be, and there’s no pressure to be “on” the whole time.
No, flights aren’t included – but hotels, activities, and meals are, so the headline price covers more than people expect.
Yes. We don’t include or support any activity that’s unethical for the animals involved – that’s a hard line for us, not a marketing point.
No. We’re not against having fun, but the focus is genuinely experiencing the place and its culture with the time we have there.
If you’ve been putting off booking because you’re scared of who you’ll end up with, whether it’s safe, or whether you’ll hate it, those are exactly the worries almost everyone has before their first one. The people who actually go tend to find the same thing: most of the group is in the same boat, you’re genuinely looked after, and it very rarely looks like the thing you were picturing.
