One of the best ways to travel any part of the globe is to backpack it. I can’t recommend this enough. There’s a distinct thrill that you experience when you feel that you are exploring a country inch by inch. That’s precisely what you’re doing when you’re backpacking. You’re walking from point A to point B. You meet a lot of different people. You smell lots of different sights. You hear lots of different things. There are different textures.

Instead of looking at traveling like you are leafing through some sort of glossy travel magazine, backpacking makes the whole traveling experience more immediate and real. You are able to experience different cultures on many different levels. You can experience things in a sensory way. These of course involve your five senses. You also experience things in a spiritual way. There are certain things that you will see, smell, touch, taste, and hear that can trigger deep spiritual truths. This can also dislodge emotional blockages and issues that you may have.

It’s no surprise that poets, historically, look at travel in a very romantic light. They look at travel as the ultimate antidote to writer’s block. They look at travel as a gateway to higher levels of personal expression, introspection, and exploration. If you’re looking for backpacking tours Thailand veterans prefer, you need to keep this in mind. Otherwise, it’s too easy to fall into very common and predictable traps. Keep the following in mind.

How to protect yourself from crappy backpacking tours Thailand veterans would want to avoid

If you want to prevent yourself from a lackluster or disappointing experience, you only need to do one thing. You need to be clear about the experience you’re looking for. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? It sounds almost like common sense.

Unfortunately, if you ask any group of college students or 20-somethings when they’re planning their trip to Thailand, this is the last thing that they would talk about. They would talk about the great food, they would talk about the people, they would talk about the temples, and the spiritual experiences, but they would not really focus on the specific experience they’re looking for. This really is too bad because I’ve seen backpacking groups break up because of this. Some people would rather go on a food tour, while others want to check out the river systems and the temples along the way.

If you want to truly get the most out of your backpacking experience, be clear about the experience you’re looking for. Ask other people in your party regarding what their expectations are. Make sure everybody’s on the same page. This is the best way to put together a backpacking tours Thailand travel veterans would prefer.

Look for backpack tour operators that specialize in your niche

Now that everybody’s on the same page regarding the experiences they’re looking for, the next step is to make sure that you find tour operators that specialize in that niche. Don’t get dazzled by low prices. Low prices are not doing you any favors because they steer you often through tourist traps. They often steer you through low-value experiences. That’s not what you’re looking for.

You’re looking to experience Thailand from the eyes of people that live there. You’re looking to experience Thailand in such a way that it helps you crawl out your shell. It helps you achieve a sort of internal spiritual space that you feel that you’re missing. So it’s a good idea to spend a few extra dollars on specialized tour operators that focus on particular niches.

Focus on going off the beaten track

I’m telling you right now, if you’re going to be traveling to Thailand and you’re just going to go through the same travel spots that millions of other people prefer, then you’re not really experiencing Thailand. You may think that you’re seeing the real Thailand, but you’re not seeing the real Thailand. You’re seeing a commodified package that has been homogenized and standardized for international tourist consumption. You know exactly what I’m talking about.

I’m talking about the river markets. I’m talking about temple tours. Even food stall tours can be tourist traps. You don’t want that. You’re not visiting Thailand so you can recapture or relive some sort of postcard. You’re visiting Thailand because you want to get in touch with an emotional and spiritual space. You’re looking to get challenge. You’re looking to experience something that’s different. You’re looking to reach out to something that is higher, different, and distinct from you. Unfortunately, that’s impossible if you’re dealing with a highly commodified and commercialized package.

It’s tempting to think that commodities are all products. It’s tempting to think that these are things that you can touch and see or perceive in a solid form. But services can also be commodified. Beware of this because there is no shortage of tour providers that would give you a watered down commodified experience that’s stripped of the soul of Thailand. If that’s the kind of experience you’re looking for, you’re probably better off staying at home. I don’t mean this to be harsh, but this is the reality. You’re better off staying at home because you don’t have to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. You can just save that money.

If you really want to have a good time with your upcoming travel Thailand tours, I have one key piece of advice or you. It’s too easy to believe that to ensure a good time when traveling, you only have to take care of your safety, have the right itinerary, and have the right equipment. While I’m not saying that those items are completely worthless, you have to view them in proper perspective.

The truth is even if you have the right gear, you’ve properly prepared for you trip, and you’re going to the right place, you could still have a lousy time. There is one ingredient that needs to be present. Without this factor, a great trip simply is not possible. What factor is this? Your mindset.

You have to go into any kind of situation with the right set of assumptions, expectations, and beliefs. As the old saying goes, “If you believe, you will achieve.” Whatever’s going on in your mind will impact how you perceive what’s going on outside your body. Pretty simply stuff, very elementary and very basic. Unfortunately, a lot of people who go on travel Thailand tours forget this. They come to Thailand with all sorts of improper of mistaken mindsets. Nine times out of ten, they walk away with a less than satisfactory experience.

In fact, a lot of them walk away with a disastrous experience. It’s not because the food was bad. It’s not because they went to the wrong place. It’s not because they had the wrong gear. The main reason why they had such a crappy time was that they came with the wrong mindset. This is the best advice I could give you when it comes to travel Thailand tours or any kind of tour. Whether you’re going to France, Spain, Africa, the Philippines, Korea, or any other point in the globe, you need to have the right mindset.

If you don’t have the right mindset, even expensive tours will suck, seriously. It has nothing to do with how much money you spent on your trip. Whether you spent few hundred bucks or you spend thousands of dollars, your mindset will determine the kind of value you walk away with. A lot of Americans are under the mistaken assumption that if they spend over $5,000 on their trip, they are entitled or guaranteed a good time. This is the worst mindset possible.

You see, you cannot buy a good time. You cannot buy a great and memorable experience. You can only allow yourself to get that experience. Do you see where I’m coming from here? Sadly, a lot of people think that if they go with the right agency, the right tour operator, and the right travel package at the right price, they are guaranteed a good time. Those luxury packages are only luxuries because they set up the wrong ingredients properly, but they don’t ensure an outcome. I hope you can see the big difference here.

There is quite a disconnect between having the raw ingredients for a good time and actually having a good time. To have a time, you have to allow it to happen. These are tips on how to do that.

Get ready to celebrate the unfamiliar

The first thing that you need to do is to step out of the familiar. Step out of your 9:00 to 5:00 job. Step out of your old identity. Get ready to look at the world with a brand new set of eyes. In fact, my favorite technique is to look at the place that I’m going to from the eyes of my three-year-old son. This works all the time.

When find myself in a new situation with a child’s mindset, I’m able to pick up more things. I’m able to enjoy more things. I’m able to celebrate things that would otherwise be scary, offensive, and irritating. I hope you see my point here. The real travel is mental. It’s not geographic. It’s not physical. It all happens in your mind and in your emotions.

Focus on the moment

I don’t want to sound like some sort of meditation new-age guru here. But if you really want to enjoy things in life, focus on the moment. Slow things down. Allow yourself to be in one place at one time and just focus your mind on one thing at a time. When you do this, you unclench your mind. You see, in any given moment, our mind is hanging on to many different concepts. It’s burdened by all sorts of obligations and responsibilities. It’s trying to keep track of all sorts of details. This is especially true if you’re at work.

However, if you’re traveling, you have to allow yourself to focus on the moment. You unclench the routine that you left behind and you are able pick up on experiences one at a time. When you do this, you’re able to savor them. You’re able to experience them at a deep level. Most importantly, you are able to look at the local scenario from the eyes of people that actually live there.

Not only have you taken yourself to a different geographical space, but you also allow yourself to be transported to a different mental, emotional, and cultural space. This is what makes travel Thailand tours more memorable. If you fail to do this, then you’re simply going from point A to point B. What’s the big difference between traveling to Thailand and traveling to France or Germany on business? There’s not much difference because when you’re on business your mindset is different. When you’re traveling for pleasure, your mindset must be distinct as well. Otherwise, you’re just not going to enjoy.

Savour the sights and smells

Different places have different cultures and this impact the things that you see, hear, taste, smell, and touch. Don’t just gloss these over. Don’t just think that these are nice catalog items that you check off your list. That’s not traveling. That’s trying to travel with a quota. That’s not what you’re trying to do. What you should seek to achieve is to truly live out the Thai experience. It’s a different frame of mind. It’s a different spiritual space that you are exploring. Allow yourself to experience this. Allow yourself to step into a distinct space where your eyes are wide open and your heart is open.

The people you meet are a part of the attraction

It’s very common for Americans to go to a specific location and look at the people as props. They’re really just fixated on the geographical elements and features, and look at the people as simply props or part of the local attraction, how sad. You see, traveling is also about exploring your humanity.

The good news is that regardless of what people look like, what they eat, the languages they speak, we’re all fundamentally the same inside. Not only do we bleed the same red blood, but we have the same fears. We have the same needs. The same issues drive us. We may express these in different ways and this is called culture, but ultimately deep down we’re the same. This is the kind of insight that you should definitely look for when you’re going on travel Thailand tours.

Regardless of whether you’re traveling to Thailand this year and France the next year, or Switzerland the year after that, allow yourself to get into this space and all your travels will be more personally enriching and fulfilling.

If you’re looking for a Thailand group tour, you need to find the right company. You see, travel is a multi-billion dollar global industry. There is no shortage of service providers. I wish I could tell you that all Thailand group tour service provides and operators are created equal. I wish I could tell you that you can safely expect the same level of professionalism, comfort, and attention to detail from all the tour operators you’re considering. I wish I could tell you that buying tour services and experiences is not much different from going to your nearest grocery and buying packs of tomatoes or selecting typical boxed merchandise off the shelf. Unfortunately, if I were to do that, I would be flat out lying to you. In many cases, the difference between one Thailand group tour company and the next is like day and night. You are, after all, buying services.

If you want to get the most value out of every hard-earned dollar you spend on your upcoming Thailand trip, you need to pay attention to what I have to say below. You have to follow the tips below because they maximize your chances of not getting ripped off.

There are wide-range providers out there, and it’s too easy to get confused

It’s too easy to get confused among the different Thailand group tour operators because they describe the experience in pretty much the same way. They often package Thailand trips in confusingly similar terms. It’s easy to think that once you’ve tried one tour company, you’ve pretty much tried them all. Unfortunately, if you think this way, you increase the likelihood of getting ripped off or otherwise getting disappointed.

The truth is there can be quite a bit of difference between one service provider and the next. You just have to know how to ask the right questions. You also have to look at the whole process of filtering tour operators with the right mind frame. Think of it as like comparison shopping. Just as you would want to get the best price and value when looking for a new computer, you should have the same attitude when looking for a Thailand group tour provider. Keep the following in mind.

Tour experiences can be standardized

The first thing that you have to remember is that tour experience can be standardized. As long as an company meets certain standards, you can use these standards as some sort of template or objective criteria to judge one particular service source against another. Don’t fall for the trap of thinking that each and every business is unique. Don’t fall for the sales hype. This is exactly how they want you to think because they want to charge a premium for their service while essentially offering the same low-quality and low-priced service. Do you see how this works? You end up overpaying.

Risks can be quantified and worked around

Another hallmark of a great Thailand tour company is that they quantify your risks. They let you know what risks are involved and most importantly they teach you how to work around it. A truly responsibility service provider would anticipate risks and guide their customers on how to mitigate or override these risks. Beware of operators that assume that you know the risks or simply neglect to tell you.

System redundancy is crucial

You know you’re dealing with a professional outfit when they have a system in place. The moment your plane touches down in Thailand, the right Thailand group tour company would have a bus system. They would have a network of hotels that they’re going to send you to. Everything is taken care of, from travel to accommodation, to food. Everything is not only anticipated, but standardized.

Economies of scale are crucial

Proper service providers pack in all sorts of services into one price package. They get these services at a discount. They then pass some of the discount to their customers. Of course, some companies are more likely to do this than others. Beware of discount companies. Usually, discount companies have a lower margin and they make up for it in terms of volume. The problem with this situation is that they’re providing a service and their services are less elastic as far as quality is concerned than merchandise. Keep this distinction in mind.

It’s too easy to think that just because a particular Thailand group tour company has an economy of scale that you are going to get full value for you hard-earned dollars. You’re only fooling yourself if you think this way. This doesn’t happen automatically. Some do a better job of this than others, so know the difference.

Each part of the system’s quality must stand on its own

Don’t think that just because a tour company has a sleek package that everything is smooth. For example, you might be impressed by the slick design and extremely professional design of a company’s brochures and online presence. They might present you with all sorts of materials that seem to highlight a high degree of professionalism and attention to detail. You might want to reserve judgment until you have gotten back from your trip.

From my personal experience, I’ve gone on group tours where everything’s going well until the food arrived, and it was a complete disaster. In your experience, it may be the food, or it may be the transfer service from the airport. It can be any other detail. It’s important to understand that you have to assess a system based on each part of that system.

Finally, you need to pay attention to staff training. A lot of tour operators operate on a mass scale. As a result, they make their money through volume because they don’t charge that much per individual customer. The problem here is that in many cases, they cut corners by not training their staff adequately. This can take the form of a rude tour guide. This can take the form of a negligent tour guide. All sorts of disasters can happen because of improper staff training. Be aware of this.