Part One: Warm Up
Discuss the following questions with a partner or group:
- What are the differences between a packaged tour and backpacking?
- What are the positives and negatives about each kind of travel?
- What kinds of places would it be good to take a packaged tour?
- Do you have any experience with packaged tours or backpacking? If so, explain.
Part Two: Listening
Exercise
Open the exercise to begin the activity. Follow the instructions in the document. The recording is from ELLLO.
Transcript
Person 1: So, Simone, are you still planning to take a trip to Southeast Asia?
Simone: Yeah, I really like Southeast Asia, so I would like to go there again.
Person 1: Oh, cool. When you go, are you taking a tour, a package tour, or are you just going to go on your own like a backpacker?
Simone: Well, I haven't decided yet. Both have their advantages and their disadvantages.
Person 1: Yeah. Well, let's say that with backpacking, it's cheap and you can meet a lot of interesting people and you can sometimes stumble upon really, really cool things or interesting places by chance.
Simone: It's true. But if you do a package tour, they usually have all the expertise about the area. You'll have a guide who can speak the language.
Person 1: Well, if I go for a short time, which is probably the case, I think package tours are also good because you're there for a short time, everything is provided for you, and you can just enjoy fun in the sun or culture. Basically, your mind can relax.
Simone: That's true. When you're a backpacker, you always have to think about everything. Can I find a place to stay? Is this place safe? Are my belongings safe? Things like that. Package tour, you just sit back and relax.
Person 1: I think it's always best to take a package tour if you travel with somebody, but it's always best to do backpacking if you're going to travel alone.
Simone: Absolutely. I agree. If you're alone, as a backpacker, you can meet people. You're forced to meet people.
Person 1: That's true. If you took a package tour alone, you'd probably be one lonely person sitting on the beach drinking your glass of lemonade or whatever you drink and sitting there reading a book.
Simone: On your trip to Southeast Asia, are you going alone or with somebody?
Person 1: Well, we'll see, won't we?