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You may meet someone on the trip that you like & you can do future trips together. I met a set of elderly ladies, on one of our group trips, & they shared a room, but said they met when they were both paying the single supplement, however, got on so well, they now share a room. I can't imagine paying thousands of dollars to go on a trip of a lifetime, & have it spoiled by an obnoxious roommate. Not worth saving a few bucks for that gamble.
I can't imagine paying thousands of dollars to go on a trip of a lifetime, & have it spoiled by an obnoxious roommate.
My best friend and I can't even stay in the same room. She's a smoker/vaper and I can never get the smell out of my clothes starting from the very first day.
I'm 65. I've often traveled and roomed with female travel buddies, but as I get older, I do appreciate being able to have a bit of solitude. I think I'm a little disappointed that DH didn't want to go and share it, so maybe I'm trying to fill that gap with a friend, but a relative stranger... not so much. I've asked the only lady friend I have that does adventurous travel, someone I really like, but it's not in her budget this year as she has other stuff planned and this would be too much for her travel budget, and my other friends are all married and don't travel solo, or would never do something so different to their regular travel style (budget, party-time travel).
I'm starting to think about it in a different way. Maybe a "getting to relearn some things about myself" type trip. I don't spend a lot of time away from DH as we've been retired for years. I have a couple weeks before I have to commit a non-refundable deposit, so I have some more time to think.
What an adventure!
If it was me, I'd save the 12% for something fun, and see who fate tosses my way as a roommate.
I've made some good friends that way.
To be fair, I travel under a lucky star.
Last edited by GotHereQuickAsICould; 04-16-2024 at 04:06 PM..
My whole thing is room temp. I am in the minority in that I cannot be cold, I need warmth, and most others want cooler temps. At night, to sleep, I need a warm room. It is worth it to me to room solo so there are no issues with room temp.
If all the single people going are people in your area. I would see if you can all arrange to have a meet up. It's hard to say yea or nay without meeting the person in advance and the other singles might have the same concerns as you. If you have time before you have to finalize your decision, you may have time to have a few different meet ups. I would want to know what they are like at meals, are they very talkative, a person that prefers silence, or someone that needs to background noise.
I went on a safari in Kenya, that sounds like it had a bit of a similar set up. I was traveling with my sister, and we each had our own tent, but in hindsight I think I would have preferred if we had shared. Mainly because while there was electricity in the tent, it was turned off at around midnight. I'm a background noise kind of person, so the silence was a bit spooky, especially since we were only separated from the animals by a fence and you definitely heard animal noises.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Originally Posted by GotHereQuickAsICould
What an adventure!
If it was me, I'd save the 12% for something fun, and see who fate tosses my way as a roommate.
I've made some good friends that way.
To be fair, I travel under a lucky star.
+1 - I travel to meet and learn from others, I'd take the roommate risk, preceded by an interview process for general compatibility.
Spouse has done random (same gender / age range) roomies for ~10 years of conferences / tours. Ended up with insightful friends who occasionally take other tours together.
I missed a once / lifetime trip in my late 20s because I was Leary of rooming. That was a mistake.
Expect some inconveniences, don't ruin the trip over it.
If you are a habitual loner who cherishes your personal space... Go solo. That's fine, and would enhance your 'alone time'. There may be very few opportunities for getting away alone.
26 local friends took a one month long DC-3 'flying safari' around remote airstrips in Africa. Not cheap, but... Quite a memorable adventure. .
The trip organizer had made a suggestion that all the solos who want a roomie meet up and see if there are any likely compatible folks after I asked about it. I don't know how the response has been. I'm going to be seeing her today, so I'll ask. I would DEFINITELY need to meet them first and ask questions, check out the "chemistry". I am thinking more and more about just rooming alone.
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