go
extra and often exorbitant fee that solo
travellers have to pay to get their own
room. “More and more tour operators
are coming onboard to reduce the
single supplement, making it more
affordable for people to travel solo,”
Le Jambe says. “We seek them out to
give members the most bang for their
travel buck.”
Long before the plane takes off,
solo travellers can share tips on AMA
Travel’s Go Solo Facebook page, attend
information sessions to learn more, or
buy a ticket to a Go Solo Social to enjoy
some wine and travel talk with fellow
independent globetrotters. “In Red
Deer, we had a table of six women who
were so excited,” La Jambe says. “They
said, ‘We’re all going’—and they had
just met that night!”
AMA Travel’s solo trips attract a lot
of like-minded, adventurous people.
“It’s not just single people,” Pritchard
adds. “You meet a lot of married
women whose husbands either don’t
want to travel or couldn’t take the time
off work.”
Speaking of work, Pritchard also
likes that AMA Travel does all the
heavy lifting to organize the trip.
“You basically show up with your
suitcase. All the logistics, planning
and homework that takes so much
time is all done for you. And they know
what they’re doing so you’ll get the
best of everything.” »
solo
tr
av el
Bali, indonesia
member story
Dream
TripS
AMA member Melodi
Pritchard shares her
love of solo travel,
Balinese adventures
and dreams of India
in the evening. you go for
dinner, which only takes an
hour, so you think “What am
I going to do for the rest of
the night?” you may not feel
safe on the street or going to
a bar on your own. but with
ama travel, you have a group
of other people. you’re all in
the same situation, so you
can ask “do you want to do
this?” you’re solo, but you’re
definitely not alone!
Tell us about one of your
all-time favourite trips.
I went to bali with ama travel
in February 2017. It was my
second time there. I loved it
so much the first time that I
needed to go back! It’s easy to
get around, super cheap and
the food is fantastic. It sounds like a good
mix: independence and
companionship.
right! If you want to sleep in,
you sleep in; if you want to go
to the museum and spend six
hours there, you do it. If you’re
on a trip with a friend and
they love shopping but you
don’t, it can make for some
long days. but travelling solo
means you can do what you
want, when you want. It’s the
best of both worlds.
You’re a seasoned traveller.
What’s different about going
solo with AMA Travel?
I’ve travelled alone and I
always find it kind of lonely So, where will you go next?
southern India and sri lanka!
I can’t wait. I love India, but
it’s certainly not for the faint
of heart!
AMA InsIder
Fall 2018
47