(Strategies) 07.10 TRAVEL BY NUMBERS Let’s face it: group trips can be a headache, especially for travelers who value their independence. But they can also bring huge rewards. Here, T+L offers up ways to make group travel easier to plan, less painful to execute and even, dare we say, fun. By LILI TAN Illustrated by WASINEE CHANTAKORN TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA. COM | JULY 2010 25 strategies | group travel ■ RENT A VILLA Private, luxe accommodation EMERGENCY GUIDE suddenly becomes affordable when you’re sharing costs with a crowd. On Bali, skip • PASSPORT ISSUES If someone forgets to get a visa, or their the Kuta cowboys and head travel document has less than six months before it expires, fi rst inland toward cultural capital call your travel agent, in case they can rush an order. Booked the Ubud, where nearby Villa trip yourself? Contact your closest embassy or consulate; Embassiesabroad.com lets you search by country and location. Bukit Naga (Banjar Selat, Desa Samplangan, Gianyar, Bali, • LOST DOCUMENTS In case someone loses their travel Indonesia; 62-361/941-118; documents, make sure everyone has two copies of their passport villabukitnaga.com; villas from and driver’s license or other ID. Designate one responsible person to keep a copy of everybody’s, and ask each person to keep a US$1,100 per night) sleeps 13 copy separate from their passport. If you’re traveling with two and boasts three houses with families or couples, swap a set of copies with the other party for safekeeping. Travelers without them will need to go through the two infi nity pools overlooking Crystal Cruises welcomes groups. a sacred valley. For a nominal hassle of proving their citizenship, which can take a few days. fee, a car and driver will take • ILLNESS Even if everyone is insured, coverage may not apply you into town to gallery-hop, and three chefs—including ■ ROCK OUT outside your home country. Luckily, travel insurance is usually while 15 sweet staffers will Reuben Kimber from This month, grab your fellow cheap and requires less hassle than with your regular insurance company. Compare prices at Travelinsurancereview.net, organize balé-side yoga Somerset’s historic Babington music lovers and head north. or jot down the location of the International SOS hospital sessions with renowned House—as well as an on-site Two of the biggest rock (internationalsos.com) closest to your destination. The instructor Sri Jane, or whip masseuse and yoga teacher. festivals in Asia take place in representatives there can help with most expatriate health-care Villa Bukit Naga, in Ubud, Bali. up authentic Balinese or July. First, hit up South scenarios, including air-lifting you home. macrobiotic cuisine. For ■ CRUISE TOGETHER Korea’s fi fth annual • PICK-POCKETING Keep a copy of both sides of your credit somewhere über-extravagant, While voyages at sea are Pentaport Rock Festival (July and debit cards along with your passport copy. So if you fi nd your make a beeline for Samui’s usually thought of as family 23–25; Incheon Dream Park, wallet has been stolen, you can call immediately to cancel them. File a police report — even if the cops don’t recover your goods, YL Residence No. 17 (117 affairs, cruises allow for big Incheon, South Korea; it will be easier to claim insurance later. The nice thing about GOT COMPANY? Moo 2 Tambon Maret, Ko Samui, groups of friends to venture pentaportrock.com; one-day passes traveling with a group? Ample friends around to spot you until Whether you’re traveling with friends or a whole other family, Thailand; 66-84/356-2388; out on day trips, break apart KRW50,000). At press time, your replacement cards arrive. ylresidence.com; whole residence for onboard activities and the 2010 lineup was still to be combining people usually means confl icting personalities. So • FLIGHT DRAMA Group discounts can have their pitfalls: when from US$4,000 per night). The then come together for mega confi rmed, but previous years your ticket is attached to another person’s, some airlines like what happens when someone strays from the herd, a couple gets expansive, 10-bedroom villa meals. Plus, being on a ship featured top-caliber acts like Cathay Pacifi c require you to travel together. So if one person into a fi ght or people just can’t stop themselves from behaving property spans fi ve hectares means no one gets lost—at the Deftones in 2009, the pulls out because of a last-minute work request or illness, it’s likely badly? To help you plan—and make it through—we’ve come and employs 20 full-time staff, least, not for too long. Crystal Chemical Brothers and OK you’ll have to buy a whole new ticket. Find out if your agent can plead your case; if not, they can at least help book a fl ight that up with the following ideas to please parties from two to 10. including butlers, bartenders Cruises (crystalcruises.com; two- Go in 2007, and the Strokes gets in roughly at the same time as your friends. As for lost cost, week cruise from US$8,665 per and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in if your companion is traveling for business, their company should person), from Sydney to Bali, 2006. The following week, reimburse your original ticket, plus the cost of your new fl ight. and Singapore to Mumbai, head to the Fuji Rock Festival TRAVEL WITH… • BEHIND BARS Drugs are the main reason people get offers up Experience of (July 30–August 1; Naeba Ski arrested abroad, but drunken or disorderly behavior can get you Discovery theme cruises, Resort, Japan; fujirockfestival.com; locked up too. No matter which country you’re in, be respectful, 10 FRIENDS including fashion-geared one-day passes ¥16,800), the especially if you don’t speak the local language, and remember to say you’re sorry — a lot. Authorities will be more receptive to your There are plenty of ways to being retreat, you’ll excursions with personal largest outdoor rock event in requests, whether you’re asking them to contact your embassy to travel with a group of friends automatically attract people consultations from sought- Japan. Though last year’s arrange a local attorney, or inform the rest of your group about without splitting up, getting with the same interests and after designers and stylists, crowd-surfi ng campers were your predicament. lost or hurting someone’s holiday objectives. So while wellness-focused vacations disappointed when headliners • MISSING PERSONS Before your trip, ask everyone to make feelings. Remember, larger you may not be traveling with with yoga and other fi tness the Killers canceled their Asia sure they have mobile-roaming capabilities, or else pick up a local numbers mean better prices your BFFs, there will at least itineraries, and golf-centric leg, festival-goers are bound SIM card on arrival and have everyone save your new number. and more people to share be less bickering over where cruises guided by PGA pros. to be satisfi ed by this year’s Before a crazy night out, grab business cards from your hotel so that everyone has one handy, in case people get separated or accommodation costs. The to go and what to do, and With cruise company Costa 200-plus lineup of Japanese don’t show up at a designated meeting spot. If your buddy doesn’t key? Choose the activity more time to get to know (costacruisesasia.com), expect and international musicians, turn up eventually, make sure she’s not with anyone else before before picking the crew. In peripheral friends. Read on affordable island hopping in including groups such as the calling the embassy, which can check hospitals and contact local authorities in case you need to fi le a missing-person’s report. other words, if you’re heading for surefi re ways to make YL Residence No. 17, on Ko Samui. places like the Philippines Scissor Sisters, Hot Chip and to a music festival or a well- everyone content. 17 NO. OF YL RESIDENCE COURTESY OF VILLA BUKIT NAGA; COURTESY TOP: FROM CRUISES OF CRYSTAL COURTESY and Indonesia. LCD Soundsystem. » 26 JULY 2010 | TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA. COM TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA. COM | JULY 2010 27 strategies | group travel Universal Studios Singapore teenage orangutans rescued ■ GO GREEN TRAVEL WITH… (65/6577-8899; rwsentosa.com; from circuses and palm-tree From all-inclusive resorts to one-day passes S$66), the adults plantations to survive in the boutique hotels, places are TWO FAMILIES can relax at six different wild. 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Hotel, escape for a treatment into the resort compound. confi ned area to play in, while The latest from Google allows friends com/site/ at Spa Villas or, if you’re The Shangri-La also boasts a teaching them to be socially from near and far to collaborate and trippysite/ plan their next reunion in real time. lucky enough to receive an quiet beach and Dalit Bay responsible travelers via green home Everyone needs Google Wave to use invite, live it up at the Golf Club & Spa, which has an activities.