Hi

I'm new to HU.. this is my first post .

I'm somewhat of a world traveler... approaching a 100 countries with a good number having multiples of visits. I'm not however an overly experienced biker. I have done a half dozen trips of durations up to 1 month... mostly around Asia... mostly on +/- 200cc and mostly solo.

I have a few adventure travel axioms that usually hold true:

1. Your contact with the culture and people of your destination varies inversely with the square of the qty of travelers in the group.

1 traveler: 1/1^2 = 1 (maximum)
2 travelers: 1/2^2 = 0.250
3 travelers: 1/3^2 = 0.111
4 travelers: 1/4^2 = 0.063

So as you add folks to your group, it tends to very quickly isolate you from meeting and interacting with the local culture and people... which I believe is one of the great pleasures of travel. Once you get to 4, it's a totally different trip.

Note that cultural interaction is not the only objective for travel however, and so this axiom doesn't mean the quality of the trip decays the same way.


2. Similar to #1, one's contact with locals and other travelers is greatly affected by your mode of travel and accommodation. On one end of the scale, traveling in a car and staying at 5 star hotels tends to lead to a greatly reduced interactive experience. Traveling by motorbike and staying in small lodgings greatly increases interaction. Public bus/boat/train traveling is probably the best for meeting people.

3. Mode of transportation directly affects your ability to get off the beaten track. This is where motorbikes are #1 to me: you can go just about anywhere in a reasonable period of time... thus your "bang for your buck" is maximized. Cars/Vans/SUVs are also good, while public transportation is very limiting for access.

4. Having traveling partners does open doors of adventure on an economic basis. Many times I might like to hire a boat to take me a day's journey down the river... but can't afford it as a solo traveler. Groups of 3 or 4 can afford just about anything.

5. Finally, group vs solo travel can be paradise or hell, depending on each traveler's personality and interests. I find it very difficult to find someone who is a travel soulmate... but if I could, I think it would be well worth it over solo travel. Otherwise, solo travel is the most rewarding.

Some earlier posts suggested meeting solo people who are going your way, and to travel together for as long as it works. I greatly agree with this... but axiom #1 still holds true - the solo traveler always has the most cultural and people interaction.

It would be great to hear if other experienced travelers disagree with any of these axioms? I've often wondered if these axioms are specific to my personality?