74.Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The best way to travel is in a group led by a tour guide. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer

Because it might be ambiguous of the phrase "tour guide", here I would define it narrowly as the tour guide hired through a travel agency. Now from two of my personal experiences, I would totally disagree with this argument. For a more enjoyable travel, I would highly recommend a DIY trip and avoid any tour guides.

First of all, hiring a tour guide would be much more expensive compared to a DIY trip. The extra cost consists of not only the money used to hire an additional tour guide but also that of schedule making, hotel booking and some other fees paid to the travel agency. It may be acceptable if there is only the cost of hiring a tour guide. However, most parts of the extra fees lie in the other aspects. For the schedule making, so hard could it be measured that the travel agency could charge whatever it wants, as long as there are tourists enrolling in, which will not be a problem, because of the massive tourism in my country, China. Equally difficult to measure is the cost of living. Usually these kinds of agencies will arrange all the meals and accommodations for us, which may seem convenient, at first glance, but in fact with an outrageous price. They would not find the most economical hotels and restaurants for us but instead those having a commercial cooperation with them. These hotels and restaurants are typically expensive yet with unworthy conditions. Apparently, the tourists enrolling in the travel group organized by these travel agencies are the major source of their profits. To this unreasonable price is also added a tour guide's swaying tourists into making purchases. Once my family traveled in one of these groups, where a tour guide kept advertising a kind of ornament by pretending to introduce the culture of it while we were in the bus. Then after the bus stopped, we found that it took us into a market, where my father almost made the payment under the tour guide's continuous advertising, which was really compelling because it even persuaded me at first into believing its mysterious efficacy like bringing good luck and keeping good health. Nevertheless, this kind of commercial advertising is still so inflammatory that most people could not resist making an unwise purchase. Therefore, it would be very costly to travel in a group led by a tour guide, especially when he/she happens to be a skilled advertiser.

Some may value more the convenience but less the money and thus still credit the way of traveling in a group led by a tour guide. However, the truth is that they will never enjoy more convenience from it. At the same journey where my dad almost got cheated, we had to get up very early--around 7--in the morning, in order to catch up with the schedule. And our time was almost filled, including even the evening. And in every place of interest, we also had to move hastily. When this trip was over, we all got exhausted. On this account, those who favor a more pleasant journey should instead organize their own. If they worry less about money, they could even extend the period, so that they can have more time for each place without always visiting in a rush, which is completely inconvenient.

On the other hand, on a DIY trip, no restriction on time or places is imposed, providing us with great freedom to visit whatever we like at any time. After that unpleasant trip with the tour guide, we went on a trip again the next year, but this time, it was a DIY trip. During that time, we did not have an exact schedule, but only a rough plan. We finished visiting one place when we felt that all the spots had been discovered, during which we walked, of course, at a slow pace. We did not have to get up early and move hastily, so that was indeed a very enjoyable trip. Every day we had a great time without feeling tired, even on the last day of the trip. As a result, we never go to any travel agency from then on. Therefore, a DIY trip is a better, if not the best, way to travel.

In sum, there are many disadvantages of traveling in a group organized by a travel agency, such as the unreasonable cost and the over-filled schedule. Admittedly, it might save us some time making the schedule, while that does not necessarily lead to a pleasant journey. To find the best way to travel, why not DIY your trip? You could have the greatest freedom to spend your vacation and find your most favorable way to travel.