Travel nightmares can be quite the experience, and one traveller recently shared a detailed account of her dismal organised group trip that turned into a disaster. The trip to Spiti, organised by Modern Nomads, was marred by numerous issues, though the traveller noted that the company’s other smaller group trips reportedly had better experiences.
Organised Group Trip That Turned Into A Complete Disaster
Travel nightmares
I have put off writing this for so long. But I recently went on an “organised” group trip. My first and hopefully last one.
Here’s the tea on everything that went wrong, and hopefully this helps folks vet instagram travelfuencer ‘companies’ before selecting— Sahana (@sahana_srik) August 13, 2024
She began by mentioning that the trip started with a legal disclaimer that seemed practically worthless. The disclaimer asked participants to waive their right to sue, even in cases of organiser negligence. The traveller realised the disclaimer wouldn’t hold up in court and that she had to sign it after the trip had already begun, leaving no room to opt out.
– next thing I want to touch on is offbeat places, which they’d advertised would be part of the itinerary – at this point it’s more a siren call than an actual abilitu, so I would say be vary of this claim that they’ll know or bother to include ‘offbeat places’ which goes to my
— Sahana (@sahana_srik) August 13, 2024
The itinerary had promised visits to offbeat places, but the traveller felt this was more of a marketing ploy than a reality. She suggested that travellers should thoroughly investigate the organisers beforehand. An informed conversation and independent research about the trip could prevent disappointment.
The traveller described the organisers as having limited knowledge about the region, focusing primarily on off-roading. This led to a division within the group between those who wanted to off-road and those who did not.
Trips And Group Dynamics
People keep asking me to name them and its a fair question – why review something and not be 100% transparent about it.
The trip I went on was to Spiti with Modern Nomads. Tbh their other trips had smaller groups (<10) and were great, I’ve heard from— Sahana (@sahana_srik) August 14, 2024
Group dynamics also contributed to the trip’s problems. The traveller recounted that the group size was increased to 25 when a travel influencer and their friends joined last minute. This created an “ingroup” of friends and an “outgroup” of others, leading to a situation where the ingroup enjoyed special activities, leaving the outgroup feeling isolated. They mentioned that this was particularly frustrating for those hoping to make new friends.
Shizz like – screenshot of actual message I had to send to them on a chaotic day (on a 7 day trip RIP), a message which was left on read, I might add. pic.twitter.com/1cO0Q9q2Vk
— Sahana (@sahana_srik) August 13, 2024
Disorganisation plagued the trip. The organisers often ignored or left unread the messages sent about various issues. On the final days, a vehicle broke down, and despite promises of repair, the group had to squeeze into the remaining cars on a difficult road. Additionally, the organisers placed some travellers in triple-sharing rooms without informing them.
Despite raising concerns during the trip, the traveller found that the organisers met their complaints with indifference or dismissiveness. She reflected on the experience and concluded that thorough research and careful consideration are crucial before committing to an organised trip. She shared their experience as a warning to others, emphasising the importance of avoiding flashy marketing and asking tough questions.
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva (Representative Image), @sahana_srik/ X (Formerly, Twitter)
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