AMA Insider Fall 2018/ Under 55 | Page 46

46 Fall 2018 AMA InsIder Pisac Market, Peru trips organized by AMA Travel. “While it’s mostly women, we are seeing more men join our trips,” says Elaine Le Jambe, program sales and service lead with AMA Travel in Edmonton. There are several different ways to go solo; it definitely doesn’t mean going it alone. Every year, Le Jambe and her AMA Travel colleagues host several trips for solo travellers. They’ll also organize groups of solo guests to be hosted by guides from reputable tour companies on the ground. And for those who truly want to go by themselves, AMA Travel can plan a perfect lone adventure, from bird watching in Costa Rica to relaxing at an all-inclusive in Chile. Going with a host is a good idea if you’re venturing farther afield or “a little out of your comfort zone,” as Le Jambe puts it. “When we organize a group, it’s primarily to a bucket-list destination or a developing country, where you may not want to go alone.” Your AMA Travel host acts as your group concierge by organizing optional tours and enhancing the itinerary with added meals or more free time at your favourite spots. They also manage any hiccups that happen on the road and take care of most gratuities so you have one less thing to worry about. AMA Travel works with partners around the globe to reduce or waive the dreaded single supplement, that M elodi Pritchard has eaten fresh-caught tuna in Indonesia and bought toys at German Christmas markets. She’s seen a big chunk of the world—much of it while travelling solo with AMA Travel. Along the way, the Calgarian has not only collected memories, but also friends from across Alberta. “There’s a group of us from Calgary and Edmonton who met on trips. Now we get together a few times a year,” she says. “I cross-country ski and hike with people I met in India.” Whether it’s ancient ruins in Peru, Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast or the wildlife of Zimbabwe, Albertans are itching to see the world—even if they don’t have someone at home who wants to join them. That’s why more people are signing up to go solo—choosing to travel by themselves as part of group