Have you and your friends ever wanted to begin a tradition of going on holiday together each year? A vacation with friends can bring unique experiences and enduring memories that will stay with your group forever.
Yet traveling with friends is not the same as traveling with family. You probably don’t know each other, as well as you believe…unless you’ve previously traveled together.
One thing that should be considered for a vacation with friends before departure: when you take the spirit of friendship away with you — you want to take it home with you also!
To have the trip of a lifetime with your besties and for group trips to be successful, there are some unwritten rules that you can apply:
Choose the Right Friends
Getting out of town and out of routine on a trip with friends is a fabulous plan. You choose who is invited, and you dream of a resort high over the ocean, where you can all follow your desires. But who should be your travel companions?
Group travel ideally involves friends who are interesting, well-traveled, and street savvy. Other desired attributes are organized and independent dispositions, and reliable and calm attitudes.
When you travel with a group of friends you will learn about their likes and dislikes, as well as what makes them mad. Everyone will still feel irritated, or tired on vacation – the same as they do during day-to-day life. You may see your friends in a new light, and learn things about them that you didn’t know before.
Love your friends dearly, but choose carefully who is coming along when you are planning a trip.
Appoint A Leader
Some people are natural leaders who enjoy being the spokesperson for the group. Look for someone in your group of friends who is understanding, with good communication skills. An authentic person who likes to be well organized is your best bet.
This person should enjoy the whole planning process, be in regular contact with your travel agency, and be able to process and take note of information such as dietary restrictions, activity levels, and money budgets, for those traveling.
They can set up group texts, so everyone is kept informed of what’s happening ahead, and they can be responsible for choosing the resort, hotel rooms, etc.
If this seems like too much of a daunting task for one person, more of a team-building effort can be used, with everyone getting a satisfying task to be in charge of when planning a trip. Everyone should be open to each other’s views, in an atmosphere of both safety and openness.
Have Group Expectations
Delight should have no curfew when you are on vacation together. You can still have a great time if you prefer extreme activities, while your friends prefer laid-back adventures – you must support each other’s plans while not compromising on everything.
Yet people can get bored with activities they don’t like, time can get wasted, and sometimes even hours of discussion, debate, and arguments can happen if not everyone is happy with certain agendas.
Therefore, it is beneficial to have a few priorities worked out. Points to ponder on:
- Energies – Whether swinging in a hammock, hiking, or the spa is your thing, remember to be aware not everyone has the same energy. Have a rough schedule or itinerary for each day, where friends can opt-out if tired, or genuinely not interested.
- Communication – Nip any issues in the bud. Encourage discussions where differences arise. Listen to fears, feelings, and feedback from your friends. Be certain everyone is heard.
- Sleep patterns – Who are the party animals and who are early risers? Respectfully remember everyone’s snooze buttons.
Enjoy Connecting Accommodation
Your accommodations have to be more than a space for you all to lay your head. It has to be strategically designed so you can all connect, yet have somewhere to relax with private areas.
When it comes to unique accommodation, Hotel Mousai in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, certainly knows how to impress, when traveling with friends.
The Penthouse in the new Hotel Mousai South Tower connects with a Two Bedroom Suite – designed for total decadence for up to 8 guests to enjoy.
An open concept design in the Penthouse includes a king-size bed, living room, bathroom with steam room, and an ocean view terrace with a jetted plunge pool.
Total decadence is good for the soul and here you will have your butler dedicated to looking after you. You can have your friends over for an in-suite breakfast or dinner, and they just have to step across from their adjoining suite.
After a long day, you’ll all eventually need a good night’s sleep. And connecting suites will ensure you do.
Use Apps to Address Paying the Bills
Some like to splurge on holiday, others like to not spend so much. Figure this all out beforehand, and be respectful of each other’s budgets.
Gone are the days where someone puts everything on their credit card and has to hope that everyone will hand over their fair share. Nowadays whether it’s for flights, hotel rooms, activities, or meals you can split bills and cheques with an App like Splitwise or Tricount.
Tricount is completely customizable, so you can use it for your travels and Splitwise operates in the same manner. If you want to keep things simple, Venmo, another App, is a great option for quickly sending money to your friends.
With a bit of help from technology, Apps make the math of splitting bills less of a mystery, especially when currency conversion is involved.
Live in the Moment
A vacation with friends can bring a lot of spontaneous and happy moments. And there’s no suggested design for when someone is going to need some alone time, or when others might be craving spending time together.
Planning a trip with a group of friends should always involve taking time away from your group – this can help everyone stay stress-free.
Whether this involves an individual wanting to take a nap, or a couple needing a bit of peace for romance, be sure to recognize people’s relationship needs. Everyone needs a bit of timeout from time to time, so know the signs, and let every moment with your friends go with the flow.
Utilize Superlative Services
When you’re staying in an upscale hotel, you are allowed to bring high expectations. And during a luxury holiday, you can of course count on many moments of joy, fun, and laughter.
To plan a successful vacation with long-luxe days and ultimate party evenings is a mastered skill. Masters of their domains, and passionate about delivering superlative service, are your butlers, your well-connected concierges, fabulous front-desk staff, and tour guides who love to talk. They are all waiting to serve you!
Committed to delivering a “wow” experience to you and your friends, if you leave everything in expert hands, you’ll be treated like royalty. All you have to do is wake up and take on the fabulous day!
Remain Soulmates
Do you want to know the best place to go on vacation with friends? Well as the saying goes, it turns out it’s not where you are, but who you’re with that really matters.
A successful vacation with friends is a joint effort mixed with everyone’s dreams, alongside a streamlined planning process.
The goal of this article is to help you recognize ways to make traveling with friends enjoyable, stress-free, and fun. A great time and waves of fun in the sun will always greet you when you are blessed with lovely friends, especially when you book a stay at Hotel Mousai in Puerto Vallarta.
