Choosing an ideal travel partner

By Allan Olingo

For all its joys, travel can involve obstacles, stress and fatigue. Travelling with a companion has great advantages including sharing experiences, enjoying company and providing for greater safety. So how can we be sure that we’re choosing the right travel partner?

Travelling companion audit

Before embarking on a holiday trip with someone, you really have to do a self-audit for the both of you. Do you share a lot in common? Are they your type? What are their likes? Can you put up with their annoying habits and so forth?

You need to make a checklist of the characteristics you’d like in a companion. You also need clarify what you each expect to get out of the trip. The result of this audit can influence what you each want out of a trip and whether there is enough common ground to have a great time together.

Do not assume

Have you ever seen best friends head out for an out of town excursion and end up having a boring holiday? Well, it happens. Don’t assume that your best friend will make a great travelling companion.

It is always said that the friend who is there for you may be a little suffocating if you’re in the mood for new adventures on your travels.

Shared vacation spots

Get to know what a person’s travelling interests and fun activities are. You might love game watching, hiking or even mountain climbing when their interests are on the beach.

Ensure that you at least share some interests or either is willing to compromise so that you can get the most out of your holiday travel.

If you select someone who is interested in many of the things you are, the two of you are bound to enjoy the holiday. But for the sake of balance, you can decide to strike a balance and to do different stuff together to spice up the holiday fun.

Travel costs and budget

This is one core area that ought to be tackled early.  You need to choose people who are on top of their finances and will have no problem paying the bills.

There are those joy riders who will intentionally vanish when it comes to paying the bills, thus straining the excursion. Avoid such characters when choosing a travelling partner.

Test trip

This is a nice way to gauge if the intended partners is the right person for the group. If you can’t travel to nearby spots, like say Naivasha if you are in Nairobi, and happily spend time together then it’s unlikely that you can endure and enjoy a longer trip together.

This test trip should be able to bring out the peculiarities that may concern you. Through this, you will be able to deal with it.