Travel trend alert: Go big or go home

These travellers are drawn to the possibility of engaging in meaningful activities as a big group, whether it’s snorkelling with sea lions in South Australia, attending a cooking class in Sri Lanka, or snowshoeing in Lapland.

Going on a clan-style holiday has the liveliness of a small group tour, yet it is a completely private affair. But embarking on such an epic trip requires a great deal of planning–a mammoth undertaking that perhaps only the bravest, most obsessively detail-oriented individuals would dare to attempt. 

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The hassles of organising a big group holiday

Much of the planning to ensure a seamless travel experience has to do with timing and dining matters. 

“With larger groups, it takes more time to move from place to place, particularly if there are no direct drop-off points at the attraction or activity venue,” says Lim. “If there are parties or individuals arriving at different times or days, we would also need to arrange additional transfers, and coordinate tours and activities to suit the group’s schedule.”

It will also be more difficult to secure reservations at sought-after restaurants. Rooming can prove to be tricky. Some group members might want interconnecting rooms, be located on the same level, and/or may need specific bedding configurations. 

And what about differing interests? How does one ensure that everyone in the group will be actively engaged? 

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Leaving it to the professionals

For Wondergolander’s team of bespoke travel planners, catering to individual and group interests during the trip is standard-issue. “There have been several holidays where on the days that we organise theme park- or more adrenaline-type adventures, we separately organise a driver at the disposal for other family members to go shopping or sightseeing,” explains Lim.

“Another multi-generational family preferred to stick together during a day out in Tokyo Disneyland, so we arranged for a guide to help them navigate fast-track and priority access to limit time wastage and also take care of the older folks who needed more frequent breaks.”

When it comes to logistics, the team works with different partners on the ground to provide the most appropriate options. This, of course, depends on the group’s budget, preferences and destination. But it could include private jet charters; multiple vehicles or accompanying luggage vans; property buy-outs; and reservations for private rooms in restaurants. 

In another example, a birthday boy turning 40 chose to celebrate the occasion with a holiday in the Masai Mara and Serengeti with his partner and some friends. The travellers flew in from different countries and belonged to various nationalities, so they relied on Wondergolander to ensure that the relevant paperwork was done. The holiday was fully paid for in cryptocurrency, a mode of payment Wondergolander enabled in early 2022. 

“We designed their trip to allow them to experience safari lodging and luxury tented seasonal camp for optimal Great Migration viewing, plus arranged for their preferred liquors and wines and other birthday treats at the various accommodations. The lead traveller shared that the holiday completely exceeded their expectations and was the most magical trip of their lives,” says Lim.

Wondergolander | 328 North Bridge Road, #02-20 Raffles Hotel Arcade, Singapore 188719 | Tel: +65 6435 0922

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