Tour Guides or Maps
Posted on: Fri, 2006-05-19 03:28
Offline
Tour Guides or Maps
Which do you think is much preferable, hiring a tour guide or buying a map? With a tour guide, you could visit the important places because of the knowledge of the tour guide in the place. Although with a map, you could virtually go anywhere and the time is all yours. Of course, the price is considerably different for tour guides will charge big while buying a map is cheaper. But with a map, you might get lost and you will just have a headache looking for the right place, you might be like playing in the Amazing Race.
I moved this from the Review Forum to this one.
I'm sorry. I thought this thread belongs there for I thought tour guides will be in that category. Anyway, thanks for just moving it here and not deleting it.
I haven't given my choice in my question. I would rather have a tourist guide even though its expensive. I would surely have less time thinking on where to go next and the best places will really be visited.
A Map, always. When I went to Machu Picchu I even declined the guide although I had already paid for him. I am a Photographer and sometimes I need to wait a long time for a very special photo or for the light to change. I don't want anyone breathing down my neck while I am preparing my shots and trying out different things.
For one shot in Yosemite I have waited for 2 hours because I knew a rainbow would show up. The longer I stood there and set up my equipment the more people gathered around me to see what I was doing. Most left, but some stuck around. When the rainbow came up, they all started to frantically ready their equipment while i took my shots. The whole thing only lasted a couple of minutes.
Andre
Check out my Photos
That should be an extraordinary and rewarding experience, capturing the rainbow. Now it just made me wonder if how did you get the picture of that cute thing in your icon? Or is that you? Just kidding!
In the menu bar on the left, click on "my account", then edit. Scroll down where it says picture and upload one.
Andre
Check out my Photos
Tour guides can be expensive and annoying if you are stuck in a large groups. With just a map though, you only get to see the sights without really learning about them.
I'm with Andre on this one. I always prefer discovering a place on my own. So far I've only had bad experiences with tour guides. They cost a lot of money and often don't tell you anything new. What I also hate is the set schedule and that they always rush you through the interesting parts, often so they can stop at places where their buddies sell tourist stuff.
I don't think I ever missed out on something because I did not hire a guide. On the contrary, we usually discover more on our own. We do a lot of research online before we go on vacation and look for books that provide some unique/insight information. Also, we talk to people at the place/hotel we are staying at and to locals and often discover places and things to see this way.
I've occasionally hired a personal guide, in countries where that isn't too expensive, or gone on a day tour. Sometimes it's the only feasible way of getting somewhere. And of course I've taken two safaris and one overland trip through Africa.
But, generally I like to wander on my own. You can stop and investigate what you want, and getting lost can be fun if you don't have a schedule. I have a truly atrocious sense of direction, so I might as well like getting lost.
Like Andre, I have trouble with other people not wanting to wait while I take pictures. While I'm not setting up for the perfect landscape shot like Andre, I like to take pictures of odd things, like rusting corrugated iron, or the beat-up old bamboo blinds with fading advertisements that are at the front of so many places here in Penang. Most people just want to hurry by these things.