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Patricia Shnier

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Hi. I always enjoyed traveling by myself to photograph but suddenly this feels lonely. Any suggestions for connecting with other professional/ advanced photographers for non-assignment travel photography? Maybe each doing our own thing during the day and getting together in the evening for dinner and to share photos. Places I want to spend time in next include Southeast Asia, Greece, and Istanbul/Jordan.
 
I've traveled by myself many times and often would join up with people for short periods of time. I'd rather be with someone. It makes decisions and just the mechanics of travel much easier. I spent some time looking for traveling partners on LonelyPlanet.com Thorntree Forum and other places but that never seemed to work out well.

Once I was feeling crappy and just hired a backpacker to travel with me in Vietnam for a week to carry my camera bag during the day, I paid for his room, board and travel and he was tickled to travel for 7 days at no cost.

Once I traveled with a photographer, someone I didn't know well. Some of the other issues worked out well and the trip as a whole wasn't a very positive experience.

One trip I arranged to go with 3 other photographers and, because I was experienced in traveling to that area, I ended up being both the guide and specifically the nanny for the one troublesome person. I'd never do that again.

IMO, the best travel companion is someone you know reasonably well, know how they act and, not surprisingly, whose finances are at about the same level as yours.

I have traveled 4 times with a one person whom I knew well and whose photo skills, interests and habits were coherent with mine. Those trips worked out very well. Typically the person whose idea the trip was took responsibility for most/all of the arrangements although many decisions are made together. We've been to Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Iceland (2x) and will be going to Cuba in February. I managed the first two including the Thailand parts, he managed the two trips to Iceland and is handling the upcoming trip to Cuba.

We handle finances in different ways. All plan-ahead costs are settled up before we go with a check. During the trip, we keep a running tab of who pays for what in local currency or $ and we settle up any difference at the end. We disregard any slight differences in meal costs, etc and split pretty much every casual expense down the middle.

The only glitch in 4 trips was when we got to Luang Prabang in Laos and found that our reservations for two nights were bollixed up. There was one really nice room and we had to search for a second room. We decided in advance that, before we tossed a coin, whoever got the nice room would keep it for two nights and we wouldn't waste time or effort switching.

I suggest you actually look locally for a travel-partner and not necessarily for a photographer, just someone who is otherwise compatible. Making a long flight and then hoping to meet up and not waste time is a balancing act. My trip to Myanmar with three other people meant three different arrival and departure plans. Two of the other people had never been to SouthEast Asia and, even though I sent them very detailed plans on how to skip getting scammed by Bangkok taxis and get to the hotel, the result was not pretty.

If I can help in any way, just ask.
 
I've traveled by myself many times and often would join up with people for short periods of time. I'd rather be with someone. It makes decisions and just the mechanics of travel much easier. I spent some time looking for traveling partners on LonelyPlanet.com Thorntree Forum and other places but that never seemed to work out well.

Once I was feeling crappy and just hired a backpacker to travel with me in Vietnam for a week to carry my camera bag during the day, I paid for his room, board and travel and he was tickled to travel for 7 days at no cost.

Once I traveled with a photographer, someone I didn't know well. Some of the other issues worked out well and the trip as a whole wasn't a very positive experience.

One trip I arranged to go with 3 other photographers and, because I was experienced in traveling to that area, I ended up being both the guide and specifically the nanny for the one troublesome person. I'd never do that again.

IMO, the best travel companion is someone you know reasonably well, know how they act and, not surprisingly, whose finances are at about the same level as yours.

I have traveled 4 times with a one person whom I knew well and whose photo skills, interests and habits were coherent with mine. Those trips worked out very well. Typically the person whose idea the trip was took responsibility for most/all of the arrangements although many decisions are made together. We've been to Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Iceland (2x) and will be going to Cuba in February. I managed the first two including the Thailand parts, he managed the two trips to Iceland and is handling the upcoming trip to Cuba.

We handle finances in different ways. All plan-ahead costs are settled up before we go with a check. During the trip, we keep a running tab of who pays for what in local currency or $ and we settle up any difference at the end. We disregard any slight differences in meal costs, etc and split pretty much every casual expense down the middle.

The only glitch in 4 trips was when we got to Luang Prabang in Laos and found that our reservations for two nights were bollixed up. There was one really nice room and we had to search for a second room. We decided in advance that, before we tossed a coin, whoever got the nice room would keep it for two nights and we wouldn't waste time or effort switching.

I suggest you actually look locally for a travel-partner and not necessarily for a photographer, just someone who is otherwise compatible. Making a long flight and then hoping to meet up and not waste time is a balancing act. My trip to Myanmar with three other people meant three different arrival and departure plans. Two of the other people had never been to SouthEast Asia and, even though I sent them very detailed plans on how to skip getting scammed by Bangkok taxis and get to the hotel, the result was not pretty.

If I can help in any way, just ask.
 
I've traveled by myself many times and often would join up with people for short periods of time. I'd rather be with someone. It makes decisions and just the mechanics of travel much easier. I spent some time looking for traveling partners on LonelyPlanet.com Thorntree Forum and other places but that never seemed to work out well.

Once I was feeling crappy and just hired a backpacker to travel with me in Vietnam for a week to carry my camera bag during the day, I paid for his room, board and travel and he was tickled to travel for 7 days at no cost.

Once I traveled with a photographer, someone I didn't know well. Some of the other issues worked out well and the trip as a whole wasn't a very positive experience.

One trip I arranged to go with 3 other photographers and, because I was experienced in traveling to that area, I ended up being both the guide and specifically the nanny for the one troublesome person. I'd never do that again.

IMO, the best travel companion is someone you know reasonably well, know how they act and, not surprisingly, whose finances are at about the same level as yours.

I have traveled 4 times with a one person whom I knew well and whose photo skills, interests and habits were coherent with mine. Those trips worked out very well. Typically the person whose idea the trip was took responsibility for most/all of the arrangements although many decisions are made together. We've been to Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Iceland (2x) and will be going to Cuba in February. I managed the first two including the Thailand parts, he managed the two trips to Iceland and is handling the upcoming trip to Cuba.

We handle finances in different ways. All plan-ahead costs are settled up before we go with a check. During the trip, we keep a running tab of who pays for what in local currency or $ and we settle up any difference at the end. We disregard any slight differences in meal costs, etc and split pretty much every casual expense down the middle.

The only glitch in 4 trips was when we got to Luang Prabang in Laos and found that our reservations for two nights were bollixed up. There was one really nice room and we had to search for a second room. We decided in advance that, before we tossed a coin, whoever got the nice room would keep it for two nights and we wouldn't waste time or effort switching.

I suggest you actually look locally for a travel-partner and not necessarily for a photographer, just someone who is otherwise compatible. Making a long flight and then hoping to meet up and not waste time is a balancing act. My trip to Myanmar with three other people meant three different arrival and departure plans. Two of the other people had never been to SouthEast Asia and, even though I sent them very detailed plans on how to skip getting scammed by Bangkok taxis and get to the hotel, the result was not pretty.

If I can help in any way, just ask.
 
It is so helpful to hear the results of the many options you have explored and your opinion about the best travel companion is very wise. Thank you so much. Yes, I like to do my own thing photography-wise, but I guess it is really just comfortable companionship and camaraderie that is nice in a strange city or country and especially when the time away is long. So it does make sense to travel with someone you know and like and not even necessarily another photographer. And as far as sharing photos, I just realized there are always forums like this one. Your travels sound very exciting and best of luck in Cuba. I was there (only Havana) three times in the past two years.
 
You are certainly welcome to post here.

your opinion about the best travel companion is very wise.

IME, people who seem wise have two characteristics in common; they have made many mistakes and they have a good memory.
:bouncingsmileys:
 

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