Customers researching tour packages - Illustration photo: NGUYEN HIEN
My family has a tradition of organizing summer trips for the children. This year, we'll all be going on a trip together again.
I love traveling, but the thought of going with family makes me cringe. Last year's trip left me with a terrible impression.
Independent travel can be exhausting just from arguing.
The whole family traveled in our four-seater car. It started raining shortly after we left. My husband kept complaining about not choosing an auspicious day to depart, saying it was bad luck. He left everything to me to handle, but he was also very critical and offered suggestions. This led to an argument, and I was left to swallow my anger.
Traveling on a tight family budget, we opted to book a guesthouse instead of a hotel. As mentioned beforehand, the guesthouse didn't have an elevator, so carrying our luggage to the room left us with aching knees.
I had barely sat down to rest when I heard my husband yelling because the huge flat-screen TV had no internet connection. The fan wouldn't turn on, and the air conditioner was making a terrible racket. The room was small and stuffy, the bathroom's hot water system had exposed wires that made me too scared to shower, there were no towels, no face towels, the bar of soap was thin, and there was no toilet paper.
I complained to the guesthouse because it wasn't as agreed in the contract. Finally, after an argument, they returned my deposit. My whole family felt extremely frustrated having to waste time renting a hotel room.
So the husband blamed his wife for all sorts of things, even things unrelated to her, like him forgetting to bring this or that, or being absent-minded and in a hurry.
At its peak, my husband was constantly calculating and nitpicking, sometimes complaining about the prices, other times blaming me for everything from the room rates to the food. My husband wants to save money, but the children want to eat the delicacies at restaurants. What am I supposed to do?
Go on a tour to free yourself.
Choosing a tour will save you a lot of worries during your family trip - Illustration: QUANG DINH
My husband enjoys independent travel because it allows us the freedom to explore in a way the whole family wants, to discover and explore local specialties on our own.
Traveling independently means you can go wherever you want and stay for as long as you like. You can eat whenever you want, rest whenever you want, it's up to the whole family. You can leisurely experience and explore without being tied down by the tight schedule of a tour, although the cost of independent travel is much higher than a tour.
I actually enjoy going on tours, especially those with great prices, particularly domestic trips.
The whole family will be taken care of by the tour leader and guide, from meals to accommodation, something I would have to worry about entirely if I traveled independently. We'll get to visit many places along the way and listen to explanations and introductions about history and culture.
On a tour, someone wakes us up early, and no one in the family dares to complain. Whereas if we traveled independently, I would have to be the one to wake each person up, then urge them to go to the restaurant for breakfast, and then make sure the whole family experiences the local delicacies.
I need to travel, not be a "nanny." When traveling, rest should be the priority. I have the right to choose to go sightseeing; everything else will be taken care of.
Traveling together is about building rapport, having the opportunity to sit down together, and learning about local culture and traditions, not about going out to be afraid, to have a wary mindset, and never wanting to travel again.
With the upcoming April 30th and May 1st holidays, will your family be buying a tour or traveling independently? What have your experiences been like on independent trips? Please share your story by emailing hongtuoi@tuoitre.com.vn. Tuoi Tre Online thanks you.
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