15 THINGS TO EXPECT ON YOUR FIRST CONTIKI TOUR

Like your average flashpacker, I'm not averse to taking group tours in order to fulfill an itinerary, especially if I'm working with a short time to see a destination. Previously, my only knowledge of group tours were limited to what I heard from older travelers and retirees - you know, tours that as a young adult, you would turn your nose up at. Since it was my first solo trip to Europe, I wanted to be part of a tour group first to increase my solo-travel confidence before I ventured off on my own to fulfill the rest of my itinerary. I wanted to be with people my own age and choose a company that had a good balance of sightseeing and fun nighlife, since I joined my first young adult tour group back when I was 25 and wanted to check out the night scene as well in Italy, the first European country I travelled to.

Enter CONTIKI. And as they say, the rest is travel history. I've been on THREE separate Contiki trips in the past 6 years and I loved every one of them! I've recommended it to friends who were apprehensive in traveling solo for the first time and want the safety in numbers things, or those who were looking specifically for YA group tours.

Image: Contiki.com

To help Contiki first-timers on what to expect and educate those who still think group tours are for sissies (or oldies!), here are my top 12 tidbits, based on my experiences with them:

1. CONTIKI ACCEPTS TRAVELERS FROM 18 TO 35-ISH. OR OLDER, IF YOU'RE COOL ENOUGH. See? Right age group. Similar interests. They also make exceptions to the 35-max age rule; they have the prerogative to accept you or not. No grandmas or grandpas here, too. There were solo travelers, honeymooners, small groups of friends, sisters, brothers, cousins, bestfriends. Contrary to popular belief, a Contiki tour is not overrun with 18 year-olds trying to hump their way through whatever country they're traveling in. I mean sure, you'll hear of the occasional hook ups - and some drama, too - as you would in any circumstance, whether you're traveling or not. NBD.

2. IT'S ACTUALLY VALUE-FOR-MONEY.

Some travelers scoff at the word "inclusive," thinking of it as a death sentence for their bank accounts. Actually, when I researched for my first Italy trip, the Contiki trip came out cheaper vs. when I would do it myself. Plus, you get Contiki perks: like staying in a special lodge, fast track access to sites, and access to exclusive venues. I mean, our eco-lodge in the Amazon (pic below) was too awesome for words! I'm sure booking it by yourself is more expensive.

3. YOUR TOUR MANAGER CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR TRIP.

I would say that the tour manager is at the crux of an awesome Contiki experience - I've been so far lucky that every single one of my guides were fun to be with, informative, had the best local insights, and all-around good guys - from Mathieu (Italy), Jason (Spain), to Jhono (LATAM).... That one time, I had a very colorful, animal-headed tour manager.... Oh, Jhono! :)

4. YOU WILL MEET TOUR MATES YOU MIGHT NOT GET ALONG WITH AND THAT'S OKAY.

Nothing to sweat about. Just be nice to everyone since you'll be with them for days and weeks on end! I've had a couple of dramas in two separate groups - one involved a screaming match and slammed doors, the other involved a crying fit and slammed doors. :) Sure, there were some awkward moments after those incidents, but hey, move along now and focus on the beautiful sights instead of the melodrama - you're in a tour group, not a soap opera!

5. YOU DON'T NEED TO HANG OUT WITH YOUR ASSIGNED ROOMMATE ALL. THE. TIME.

While it's great if you do get along fabulously with your roomie, no one's forcing you to be BFFs at the onset and throughout the trip. Leave the clingy-ness at the door. Just because you sleep in the same room doesn't mean you need to be together 24/7!!! Socialize and meet others in the group. You will find your own Contiki crew, trust me!

6. THERE WILL BE A LOT OF AUSTRALIANS.

Yep. I think because the whole gap year thing is widely embraced in Australia, unlike other Asian countries where traveling for a year or more before or during working years is an alien concept. Or maybe traveling just comes naturally to Australians and they're hard-wired for wanderlust. Don't be surprised to be the only Filipino in the group - which was the case during my first Contiki trip in 2009. And in 2011. And in 2014. Yep, I see a trend here.

7. YOU WILL SEE ALL THE KEY SIGHTS YOU'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF SEEING.

The Colosseum? Check. Machu Picchu? Double check. Sagrada Familia? Triple check. Contiki will definitely include in the itinerary all the major sights of each destination, so you won't have a case FOMO.

8. BUT YOU WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE OFF THE TOURIST TRACK.

One of the best moments in our South American adventure in 2014, was when Jhono invited us to his home for a homecooked meal. It was a gesture of kindness and friendship - one that I highly cherish: being invited to a local's home is like being adopted for a day into their family. Plus, we were served a local Peruvian delicacy, Cuy!

9. YOU WILL SPEND A LOT OF TIME INSIDE THE CONTIKI BUS.

You will have a lot of fun times inside the bus. You will be happy to have a nap place inside this bus in between destinations. You will learn to love said bus. You will have separation anxiety of this bus after the tour ends and you need to navigate public transportation again on your own. You will have fond memories of this bus.

10. YOU WILL HAVE A CONTIKI SONG THAT WILL HAUNT YOU FOR LIFE.

And you will feel pangs of nostalgia and *all the feels* whenever you hear them, remembering all the fond memories attached to said Contiki song. You will smile to yourself knowingly. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

• 2009 (Simply Italy) - I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas

• 2011 (Spanish Spree) - Danza Kuduro by Don Omar

• 2014 (South America: The Explorer) - what was our song?! HELP! Or it wasn't the song, but the action that stuck with the group - the SEXY LLAMA! :)

The Sexy Llama :)

​11. YOU WILL HAVE LOADS OF FUN - INDOOR AND OUTDOOR, DAY AND NIGHT.

You always have a choice in the activities - whether it be the sightseeing or the partying; you can opt in or out, go with the group or take some me-time, join a group activity or do your own thing. But one thing's for sure: you will enjoy everything you do and there won't be enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe how much supercalifragilisticexpialidocious-ly FUN you had.

12. YOU WILL GET THE LEGENDARY CONTIKI COUGH. OR A HANGOVER.

It will happen in Capri. Or Barcelona. Or Ibiza. Or Rome. One Contiki-mate gets a cough and the rest of the bus will follow. Being in close quarters with several people going on for days with less than 8 hours of sleep is the perfect breeding ground for minor illnesses. Just go with it and nurse yourself back to health. It will go away soon - both the cough and the hangover. :)

13. THERE WILL BE TEARS WHEN THE TOUR ENDS. OR, A HOLE IN YOUR HEART.

Because no one back home will ever truly understand the intensity of the friendships you've forged within just a few hours or days of knowing each other, the fond memories you've created together, the little laughs, secrets and gossip you've shared, and the incredibly amazing trip you had with them.

What did I say about tears? :)

14. YOU WILL MEET WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO WILL BECOME FRIENDS FOR LIFE.

Hence, the tears in item #13. Perhaps the most important part of the Contiki tour: meeting like-minded people who share the same passion for traveling as you do. The people who will obligingly take your photo against each landmark and indulge your GoPro groufies, the roomie who will talk to you while you take a bath in the dark after the entire hotel loses power, the peeps who will discover hidden restaurants with you and have the best dinner ever, the friends who will encourage you to finish the trek despite difficulties, the crew who will make your Contiki trip THE. BEST. TRIP. EVER. Every single time. :)

2009 Simply Italy: the BSBs (Back Seat Bandits, because we ruled well, the backseat of the bus!)

2011 Spanish Spree: we were like one, big familia!​

2014 Latin America, The Explorer: realized I don't have everyone in just one pic! The Sexy Llamas joined in and out of 3 trip legs - LATAM tours were structured differently than the Europe ones. I joined on the second leg, some joined on the third one.

15. YOU WILL HAVE FEELINGS FOR SAID NEW FRIENDS EVEN YEARS DOWN THE LINE.

They will ask you to visit them in their country. You will accept such invitation. You will meet them. You will have coffee or drinks or dinner with them. You will share memories of the Contiki trip you took together. You will ask them what's been going on in their lives years after. You will keep in touch via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. You will realize that you still have that Contiki Connection after all these years. :)

Sydney, Melbourne, & Singapore Contiki Catchups. Hopefully, MORE to come!

HAPPY (CONTIKI) TRAVELS! x

DISCLAIMER: This post in no way sponsored by Contiki and reflects the opinions and views of the author, based on her previous travel experiences with the Contiki group.

#listicles