Why I Traveled With Life Before Work - And Why You Should, Too

A few years ago, my travel buddy, Greg, and I decided we were going to go to Thailand. The only problem was that we had no idea where to start planning a trip of that magnitude. We'd both done a few trips around Canada, the Caribbean and Central America, but we had never planned a trip that was so far away from Toronto (literally 24+ hours away), unfamiliar to both of us, and, to be quite honest, damn scary. So, for a time, we didn't know if we were actually ready to take on such an intense trip. That was the case, at least, until we discovered Life Before Work.

Life Before Work is a travel tour company that provides travel experiences and brings together like-minded individuals with a passion for exploring and seeing the globe. They offer tours to some of the best and most desirable travel locations in the world, including Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Peru. They even offer an 8-day trip to Croatia where you get to party and experience the Adriatic Sea on a yacht! When you sign up for a trip with Life Before Work, they take care of everything. They can even book your flights for you if you want. All you really need to do is pack, get dropped off at the airport, and fill your phone with enough music to get you through the flight.

So, when Greg and I discovered Life Before Work and their Thailand tours, it seemed like a no brainer. All of the fear we had of travelling to the other side of the world disappeared. All we literally had to do was sign up. Then Life Before Work would take care of all of the planning for the areas that we'd visit, the hotels that we'd stay in, and the experiences that we'd partake in. They'd even send us a list of things that we should pack! To make a long story short, we signed up, and, just like that, we had a fully planned trip waiting for us in Thailand - and it didn't disappoint.

The experiences were incredible, the parties were wild, and the people we met were super nice. The best part about it, though, was that it was stress free.

So, Life Before Work is definitely worth checking out if you're planning a trip and you don't have anyone to go with, or you and a group of friends want to meet some new people. Here are some of the reasons why I liked travelling with them, and why you may like it too:

Community

One of the best parts about a group tour is definitely meeting other people. Life Before Work seems to attract really nice people on their trips who are all into exploring the globe, having fun, and, of course, meeting new people. I still to this day keep in contact with some of the people that I met! Life Before Work did a good job of creating a community atmosphere right from the start, too. By the end of our first night in Thailand, we were already friends with a good chunk of our group; by the end of the trip, we were friends with everyone.

Locations

As mentioned above, Life Before Work offers tours to some of the hottest, most sought after places on the planet. Some of these places include Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Peru and Croatia. Life Before Work doesn't simply offer one tour for each spot; they offer multiple different tours for each location so that you can find the right tour for your wants, needs and (of course) vacation time! Whether you're looking for a yoga retreat in Bali, a party vibe during Thailand's famous Full Moon Party, or a hike in Machu Picchu, Life Before Work has you covered.

Experiences

My favorite part of my Life Before Work experience was the excursions. I love adventure, so I was pretty stoked to find out that Life Before Work plans multiple day adventures for all of their trips. On the trip I went on in Thailand, we visited the famous temples in Bangkok, partied at Koh Phanghan's famous Full Moon Party, and hiked the incredible Erawan Waterfalls in Kanchanaburi, to name a few. The experience options are endless, though. Depending on your tour, you can do things like surf, yoga, hike, party, snorkel, visit local markets, hangout with elephants, bike ride and much more. The cool thing is that you can also add experiences while you're there. Our guides always had optional tours that we could partake in if we wanted to.

Guides

All of our guides were really chill, fun and up for constantly partying / hanging out with us. They were also all extremely knowledgeable of the country, which made learning and discovering the place a lot easier. They were very on top of our group's safety. When anyone got a cut, our guides always ensured that proper first aid procedures were met. Knowing that Life Before Work has good guides definitely also eased the fear of travelling to a place so far away for the first time, as we knew that the risk of getting lost, wandering into the wrong area or getting into trouble would be significantly minimized due to their guidance.

Photo Contests / Social Media Opportunities

Being a travel blogger, I always post tons of photos from my trips to my Instagram while I'm away. I was not expecting Life Before Work to repost a bunch of my photos! This was much appreciated, as it helped me gain new readers on my blog, but it also showed how much community means to them. Their entire Instagram feed is made up of their customers' photos. So, your photos could be posted on their feed if you go on a trip with them!

The other cool thing is their #MyLBW photo contest on Instagram. When you use this hashtag on photos from your trip(s) with them, you are entered into their monthly photo contest. If you win, you are awarded $500 off your next trip with Life Before Work.

So, if you're a solo traveler looking to travel with a group, a group of friends looking to party, or a little sketched out to travel to some of the far reaches of the world (like I was), check out Life Before Work. Their tours make traveling super easy, stress free and fun.

For more information on Life Before Work's various tour options, check out their website here.

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