Let me start with a disclaimer; despite the post title I don’t honestly think there’s any form of pseudoscience that can determine where you should go on your next holiday (I’ve seen a fair number of articles that lay claim to this). However, it’s fairly obvious that different people enjoy different types of holidays. It’s also fairly obvious that traveling with someone who doesn’t have the same travel personality, style and expectations as you can be frustrating for all concerned (to anyone that has ever travelled with a friend for the first time only to want to tear your own eyebrows out a mere 24 hours in to the trip). That basic premise got me wondering if there was any way to ‘evaluate’ travel buddies and destinations to determine if they’re a good fit for you. After all, if you have limited work holidays (aka ‘vacation days’ for my American friends), then it’s probably important to maximise the enjoyment and minimise the frustrations.
And then it hit me.
It seems possible that knowing both your own personality-type and that of your travel companions could help you work out the kinds of holidays that suit you (and possibly predict how well you’ll get along when you get there). Of course, you should not ostracise friends that don’t match your travel personality (as convenient as that sometimes might feel). On the contrary, a travel-compatability psych test might help you better understand your travel buddy’s preferences, and proactively manage conflict (preferably before the Disney security team respond to an ‘incident’ on the ‘It’s a Small World’ ride).
With that said, travel compatibility may not be just down to you and your travel buddies. What about the destination itself? Just like people, I like to think that destinations have their own personalities.
Are you ready for a soul-mate-like connection on your next holiday? First, take the test (HERE). Next, ask your travel buddies to take it as well! Lastly, identify your test result below to discover your ideal travel destination. Is it similar to your travel buddy’s (or are you now grateful for purchasing that trip cancellation policy)?
See Part Two of this post HERE.
The Architect (INTJ): Imaginative, Strategic, Planners (Seattle)
Innovative, liberal and highly educated, Seattle seems like an ideal place for an INTJ to visit. There’s plenty to see in town (I highly recommend Pike Place Market, the Experience Music Project and Chihuly Garden) and plenty of quiet outdoors just beyond the city which would probably appeal to the introverted part of the INTJ personality.
Pike Place Market, Seattle
The Logician (INTP): Innovative with a thirst for knowledge (London)
INTP’s thrive in intellectually stimulating environments and, although I may be biased as a native, London seems to ‘hit the nail on the head’. London’s abundance of free museums (Natural History, Science, V&A for example), and artistic offerings (The Tate, Tate Modern, Portrait Gallery to name but a few) should cater perfectly to the INTP (the fact Londoners don’t really engage with tourists might also suit the introverted side of the INTP…..just kidding…..I think).
Tower Bridge, London
The Commander (ENTJ): Bold, Imaginative, Strong-willed (Mt Kilimanjaro)
ENTJ’s love to set goals, and they are strong-willed and bold enough to go out and get it. One of the biggest travel goals I’ve ever set myself was to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania so that seems an apt choice for any ENTJ out there! Alternatively, if a few days challenge isn’t enough then you might want to check out what ‘The Adventurists’ (www.theadventurists.com/) have on offer. I’ve personally participated in the Rickshaw Run and can definitely attest that it’s a challenge!
Scaling Mt. Kilimanjaro
The Debater (ENTP): Smart, Curious, Intellectual (Washington DC)
Nowhere on earth seems more fitting for ‘The Debater’ than the centre of the political world that is Washington, DC. Sign up for a free tour of the Capitol Building to get a better understanding of the inner workings of democracy (although at the moment I’m not sure anyone really understands what’s going on). Once you’re done there, the curiously intellectual ENTP will be delighted to know that the city’s Smithsonian Museums are all free!
Capitol Building, Washington DC
The Advocate (INFJ): Quiet, Mystical, Idealist (India)
INFJ’s don’t feel at home in big cities (so you might want to steer clear of Delhi) but the reflective and ‘mystical’ Rajasthan might be the perfect fit. India’s largest state is the home of Jaipur and Jodhpur and one of the primary draws for tourists is the Thar Desert. Alternatively, to the North East of the country lies Darjeeling. In Darjeeling I highly recommend getting up at a truly ungodly hour to watch sunrise over the Himalayas; and what can be more mystical than that (especially, as a Brit, if its twinned with a nice hot cup of Darjeeling tea).
‘Mystical’ India
The Mediator (INFP): Poetic, Kind, Altruistic (Amsterdam)
The altruistic, all-inclusive nature of INFPs makes liberal Amsterdam a great choice. Sitting on the banks of one of the canals or biking across one of the city’s 1,500 bridges is the kind of poetic vision that seems aligned with the INFP personality. Of course, it’s also the home of legalised cannabis; so the poetry will probably flow a lot easier after a few days here!
The Protagonist (ENFJ): Charismatic, Inspiring, Leader (Italy)
ENFJs thrive off of social interaction and where could be more social than Italy! ENFJs will love the café and bar hopping culture you can enjoy in Italy; in fact we try to keep our itineraries in Italian cities mostly clear of touristy attractions because we’re bound to spend most of our time sitting outside in piazzas watching the world go by, drinking wine (which is certainly the one part of Italian culture I can subscribe to).
Florence, Italy
The Campaigner (ENFP): Enthusiastic, Creative, Social (New Orleans)
For ENFPs life is always a party and nowhere hosts a better party than New Orleans. The French Quarter really is at the center of everything you think of when you imagine New Orleans. Its home to Bourbon Street, restaurants, bars, live music into the small hours and to New Orleans most famous French architecture and landmarks. ENFPs will spend hours just wandering the streets, listening to music and indulging in so many rounds of food and drink that it’ll be difficult to make it back to your accommodation at 5am covered in Mardi Gras beads.
St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans
In part 2 of this post next week we’ll look at the remaining personality groups.
I’d love to get your feedback on whether you think your suggested travel destination fits your personality and alternatives to my suggestions in the comments section below.