Today my neighbor friend and her 10-year-old son returned from a vacation in Thailand. I happened to just bump into them when they arrived home. Naturally, they looked tired after a 24 hours trip. Nevertheless, my friend was eager to share her fresh impressions and thoughts of her journey.
“It was all a bit hectic and to coordinate activities that were both enjoyable for my son and me posed a challenge at times”, she reflected. “I was shocked to meet travelers who spent their time exclusively at the luxury resort in Koh Samui we stayed at. Not even the pristine beach - just steps away from the hotel complex - could lure them away.”
My friend who owns her own PR-agency had come to Thailand to discover the country and people and share the experience with her son. Instead, they met mostly foreign travelers with a different mindset.
I couldn’t help but praising the advantages of home exchange even though I risked telling her the same old story again.
Would her experiences and those of her son in Thailand been different had she chosen a home exchange vacation instead?
I am very certain!
- She would have been in contact with local people even before the trip began – giving the vacation that special dimension.
- Her home exchange partner could have helped her set up a vacation activity program for her son and maybe even to get him in touch with children of his age during his stay.
- With some planning, there would have been age-appropriate games and toys available in the exchange partner’s home.
- Even though not all home exchange accommodations are luxurious, in most cases, they offer more space than hotel rooms. A fact that is especially important if more than one generation travels together.
- Her trip would have cost much less.
As I look over to my neighbor’s garden where her fresh laundry is drying in the warm summer wind, I find yet another advantage of home exchange: no laundry after a trip ever again!
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