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Founded in 1974, Travel Impressions® is one of the nation's largest leisure tour operators, offering FIT vacations to over 200 destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, China, Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, Dubai, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the Islands of Tahiti, Canada, the Continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii. The extensive global portfolio features more than 2,400 resorts, hotels and 1,350 luxury villas.

Travel Impressions has received multiple industry awards for outstanding customer service, best overall operations, best technology, most knowledgeable reservations staff and leading marketing materials – all dedicated to better serving travel agents and their clients.

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Travel Impressions has an extensive portfolio featuring more than 1,850 resorts, hotels, and over 1,500 luxury villas, plus 2,000 tours provide global options for every traveler. In addition to vacation packages utilizing scheduled air on major carriers, the company also offers Dedicated Vacation Flights from 26 U.S. departure cities to popular vacation destinations throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and Costa Rica. Read More

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Travel Impressions has been the recipient of numerous industry awards for outstanding customer service, including being named Travel WeeklyReaders' Choice as "Best Tour Operator, Sales and Service" for an unprecedented thirteen years in a row (2005-2017), the first recipient of "Best Tour Operator, Packaged Overall" (2014), as well as "Best Tour Operator, Caribbean" (2011 – 2013).

TI is also proud to have been among the TravelAge West WAVE Award winners and Editor's Picks for "Best Tour Operator, FIT," "Best Tour Operator, Caribbean," "Best Tour Operator, Mexico," "Best Tour Operator, U.S. & Canada," "Best FIT Tour Operator, Europe," and "Tour Operator Providing Best Travel Agent Support" since 2007.

Respected for its leading technology, knowledgeable reservations staff, and award-winning marketing, TI is an organization that continues to put partnerships first because "your success is our destination."

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Travel Impressions Introduces New Flex Groups

Written by: Guest on September 22, 2017

Through the Flex Groups program, all the amenities, all the convenience, and all the fun for your clients are available for bookings of as few as five rooms.

Family reunions, friend getaways, intimate weddings and incentive trips, and other small FIT groups are now eligible for Travel Impressions’ generous group booking benefits at select brands with our new Flex Groups program.

Through KHM Travel’s partnership with Travel Impressions , agents and their customers will receive: • The convenience of booking group travel as individual bookings • A group code…with no contract to commit to nor group reduction/cancellation penalties • Discounts applied per booking, based on the total package price • Options to add rooms and passengers as the group grows

For more information on how to book, visit the Travel Agent Portal .

Founded in 1974, Travel Impressions is one of the nation’s largest leisure tour operators , offering packaged and FIT vacations to over 200 destinations world wide. An extensive portfolio featuring more than 1,850 resorts, hotels, and over 2,000 luxury villas, plus 2,000 tours—including exclusive itineraries to Cuba—provide global options for every traveler. In addition to vacation packages utilizing scheduled air on major carriers, the company also offers Dedicated Vacation Flights from over 20 U.S. departure cities to popular vacation destinations throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and Costa Rica.

Want to work with travel industry’s leading supplier s, and earn commissions as a travel agent? KHM Travel provides our home-based travel agents with the connections and tools they need to succeed!

Learn more about getting your travel career started by downloading our free Travel Agent Information Guide. Just fill out the form on the right side of the screen or call 1-888-611-1220 to request it.

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Welcome to Your Dream Journey with Travel Impressions!

Embark on a journey to love and unforgettable memories with Travel Impressions , our distinguished wedding destination partner. Imagine a wedding set against a backdrop of stunning landscapes - from the serene embrace of sun-kissed beaches to the majestic allure of mountain vistas or the enchanting beauty of desert expanses. Each scene is a masterpiece of nature or a treasure of history, waiting to become a part of your love story.

With Travel Impressions , a globally recognized tour operator servicing over 1,800 destinations worldwide, the world is your oyster. Their expertise, honed over 50 years in group vacation planning, along with unparalleled resort relationships, ensures your destination wedding is not just a day, but an experience of a lifetime.

At our travel agency, we understand the essence of your dream wedding. That's why we've chosen Travel Impressions , known for their creative solutions, efficiency, and award-winning service. From planning every detail of your group's itinerary to ensuring all-star customer care throughout your journey, we are committed to making your special day as unique and beautiful as your love.

With us, your destination wedding isn't just an event; it's the beginning of a beautiful new chapter. Choose Travel Impressions and let us help you write a story that will be cherished forever. 

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Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission

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Mistakes People Make On Group Trips

Senior Reporter, HuffPost Life

Group trips are a great way to explore a new destination and make lifelong memories while connecting with loved ones. But with many different personalities and preferences at play, issues can arise.

“Most of the time, bad experiences on group trips aren’t a byproduct of going on a group trip,” Wendy Diep, a co-founder of the group travel app Let’s Jetty , told HuffPost. “It usually stems from poor planning, lack of communication and unmet expectations. But remember, it doesn’t have to be that way.”

To help make group travel a more enjoyable experience, HuffPost asked Diep and other experts to share some common mistakes that people make on these types of trips.

“Most people prefer to travel with loved ones, and post-pandemic, people are craving human connection and real-world experiences more than ever before,” Diep noted.

Avoiding Direct Conversations About Money

“Avoiding talking about money is a big mistake,” Diep said. “With a group, you’ll have people who have different spending styles or budgets. I have friends who love to have every meal out at bougie restaurants while they travel, while I have friends who can’t spend that kind of money. Not discussing it upfront will lead to awkward or uncomfortable moments on the trip, which really sucks when everyone’s already spending their hard-earned money to be there and have a good time.”

Before embarking on your trip, find out everyone’s budgeting priorities and preferences. Choose accommodations and meal options accordingly, and keep people’s financial needs in mind throughout the trip ― for instance, when you’re figuring out how to split a dinner bill after some people had multiple courses and drinks while others just ordered salad.

“Ask everyone how much they are looking to spend for the entire trip, including food and activities,” said Phil Dengler, a co-founder of travel website The Vacationer . “Traveling with people who have a high budget is easy, but you will have to do a little more work if you are with more frugal people. If your budget is limited, figure out any potential splurges that will make everyone more comfortable.”

Not Making Reservations

“Not having a plan is the biggest mistake you can make on a group trip,” said Madison Pietrowski, the director of brand for the U.S. at the travel platform GetYourGuide . “Book your activities in advance! It’s important to have a plan for each day when dealing with a large group, or else you’ll feel like you’re herding cats.”

She recommended booking at least one or two planned activities for each day, but also familiarizing yourself with the cancellation policies in case you need to make changes. Keep the group informed of the proposed itinerary so that everyone has a chance to give their input.

“Plan interactive experiences that everyone will enjoy,” Pietrowski added. “Does your group like to cook and eat? Are they adventurous? Into history? Personally, I’d suggest a cooking class because it’ll get the whole group involved and take one lunch or dinner reservation off your plate.”

At the very least, snag a few meal reservations because it’s more difficult for a large party to get a table at a restaurant as walk-ins.

“When I am traveling with groups larger than four, I usually book dinner reservations for each night just so we have something,” Dengler said. “I’ll share the reservations with the group, as well as a few alternative options, and adjust as needed.”

Overloading Your Itinerary

While structure and advanced planning are important for group trips, resist the urge to go overboard with your schedule.

“Planners often go in thinking they need to sort events for every day and every hour, otherwise the trip will be a bust,” said Suzie Palma, another co-founder of Let’s Jetty. “But the reality is, your group might want time to hang back and catch up with each other.”

She recommended giving people the ability to opt out of certain structured activities and leaving free time for rest. It’s natural to get carried away by the excitement of exploring a new place, but you don’t want everyone to feel exhausted and cranky by the end of the day.

“Plan for breaks in between activities within your schedule, so that everyone has a little bit of downtime and can get a snack or just relax,” Pietrowski said. “Also, think about the weather and the types of activities you’re booking. If you’re traveling somewhere that will have hot temperatures, consider booking a museum activity or other indoor tours when the time of day gets very hot. Save the outdoor activities for the early mornings or evenings.”

Expecting Everyone To Spend The Whole Time Together

“It’s a group trip. You’re going to be spending the bulk of the time together, so it’s OK if groups split off or people want to do their own things for a bit,” Diep said. “It’s everyone’s vacation. Just make sure to establish the main things that people are going to be doing together. You will still have plenty of quality time together!”

Just as it’s helpful to build in unstructured time for people to rest, the group can also benefit from a little space here and there. Many folks are introverts who need a occasional time apart from others, or you might have someone in your group with a very niche travel goal that they’d like to pursue on their own.

“While group activities are essential for bonding and shared experiences, it’s also important to respect each other’s need for personal space and downtime,” said Lisa Chen, the CEO of the company ToursByLocals . “Building in some free time or optional activities allows individuals to pursue their interests independently and recharge as needed.”

Letting 1 Person Organize Everything

Leaders tend to naturally emerge in group settings, but that doesn’t mean they should be forced to do all the heavy lifting in preparing for the trip.

“Help out your planner friend where you can,” Diep advised. “Most of the time, the responsibilities fall on one or two people, and it’s a ton of work. Volunteering to do research or book something goes a long way in saving them time or stress.”

In addition to offering help, she also emphasized the importance of acknowledging the main organizers. Consider buying them a thank-you drink to recognize their hard work.

“And on the flip side, as an organizer, sometimes you think you have to do it all, and that will lead to stress and exhaustion,” Diep added. “Don’t be afraid to delegate or ask for help! Sometimes it’s not poorly intentioned; others who don’t typically organize or plan trips may not realize how much you have to do, but when asked are willing to help.”

Not Communicating Expectations

“A common mistake made when planning a group trip is not discussing expectations for the trip,” said travel guide Tonia Hope . “There are many important aspects that people planning on going on a group trip don’t discuss before booking and planning that really can worsen the experience.”

In addition to budgetary and dietary restrictions, she recommended asking your travel companions what type of travelers they are ― do they prefer lounging by the water and eating at hotel restaurants at an all-inclusive resort, or do they want to explore different neighborhoods and fill the itinerary with lots of activities? Just because someone is a good friend of yours doesn’t mean that you can assume your travel preferences and styles are fully aligned.

“Some people may want to indulge in outdoor adventures, while others may want to explore the foodie scene or catch up on rest and relaxation,” noted Nicole Martinez, another co-founder of Let’s Jetty. “Properly setting these expectations ahead of time will allow everyone to plan for these activities together or enjoy on their own terms. Either way, asking this question upfront will allow the group to collaborate on a vacation everyone can enjoy.”

Going Without A Strategy For Splitting Expenses

“Shared costs are at the heart of most fallouts and arguments during group trips,” said Laura Lindsay, a travel trends expert at Skyscanner. “Forgotten pledges to pay you back later can quickly descend into resentment. It’s best to avoid any issues from the offset.”

She recommended having everyone in the group download the same budgeting app before the trip so that people can stay on top of shared expenses in real time. Splitwise is a popular option for keeping track of who paid for what and who owes whom.

“An interesting strategy we’ve also heard from our users is, when going out in large groups, put food and alcohol on separate tabs,” Diep shared. “They say it makes it easier to split because typically people are sharing food pretty equally, but how much people drink varies a lot and can be a significant portion of the bill.”

Not Being Flexible

“Flexibility is key to accommodating the diverse needs and preferences of group members,” Chen said. “Encourage travelers to remain open to changes in plans or spontaneous opportunities that arise during the trip.”

Some of the most memorable travel experiences come from unplanned moments during the less structured parts of the itinerary. Fluidity and adaptability are key to taking advantage of exciting opportunities, rolling with the punches when unexpected changes arise, and enjoying a vacation to the fullest.

“Everyone going on a group trip should be open-minded, flexible and willing to compromise,” Diep echoed. “Even with the best planned itineraries, things come up. With a group of people, if everyone’s willing to give and take here and there, usually everyone ends up happy. And sometimes you’ll find that you had a great experience doing something you might not normally have done!”

At the end of the day, the most helpful thing you can do on a group trip is to go into it with a positive attitude and teamwork perspective.

“Things happen, conflicts can arise, but don’t [let] it ruin a whole trip if they do!” Diep said. “Be direct, have a conversation and talk through it. Remember you’re there to spend time together and have a good time! And most likely, these experiences end up being funny, memorable stories later.”

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