First time joining a group trip… and it just kept getting worse ❌

I’ve been sitting on this because I wanted to be fair about it, but the more I think about it, the more frustrating it actually gets.

This was my first time joining a “joiner” trip as a solo traveler. I went in with pretty normal expectations—not luxury, not perfection. I just expected basic organization, clear communication, and a coordinator who actually coordinates. That’s it.

At first, I told myself to be flexible. Delays happen. Things don’t always go as planned. I was ready to adjust.

But this trip didn’t just have small issues—it was a continuous chain of bad decisions, poor planning, and zero accountability from start to finish.

Day 1 palang, red flag na.

We were given pickup times, which I assumed were at least somewhat reliable. Apparently not. One joiner was supposed to be picked up around 11:50 PM and ended up getting picked up at 2 AM. That’s not a “small delay.” That’s hours of waiting in the middle of the night.

And when this was raised, the response we got was basically: “Di po maiiwasan yan sa joiners, dapat mahaba pasensya.” That mindset alone says everything. Yes, delays can happen—but dismissing it like it’s normal and acceptable, without even trying to manage expectations properly, is just unprofessional.

Then it got more confusing.

There were 11 of us, plus the driver and the coordinator—and somehow, the coordinator was the last one to be picked up. We were also driving back and forth because of a “ghost joiner” who wasn’t even in the group chat. No clear list, no proper tracking—just chaos.

Still, I tried to stay positive.

The ride itself was okay, I met some genuinely nice people, and for a moment I thought maybe the rough start was just that—a rough start.

Then we arrived at the first stop.

No briefing. No introduction. No “here’s what we’ll do.” Nothing. We were just dropped off and left to figure things out ourselves. At that point, I was already adjusting my expectations—clearly, this wasn’t going to be a guided or well-managed trip.

Then the van’s aircon started failing.

And it didn’t get better from there.

When we reached the accommodation, it wasn’t even ready. Someone else was still inside. Instead of letting us walk around, grab food, or even just cool off somewhere else, we were told to stay—and ended up waiting inside a hot van for around 1.5 hours.

No alternatives. No effort to manage the situation. Just wait and deal with it.

That was the moment it really started to sink in: this wasn’t just disorganized—it was careless.

After we finally got in, there was still no structure. No coordination. No sense that someone was actually handling the group. Everyone was left on their own.

What made it worse was being asked to do things that should’ve been the coordinator’s responsibility—like lining up for a bar table. I’ve worked in similar environments before, and I know that’s literally part of what coordinators are supposed to handle.

Then there was the cost-sharing situation.

The organizer brought extra people—who weren’t even part of our group—and still expected us to split everything equally. It honestly felt like they were trying to lower their own expenses at our expense.

By the time Day 2 came, patience was already thin.

We were told there would be FREE breakfast. Naturally, everyone expected something reasonable.

What we got was one loaf of bread and a few cans of tuna—for 11 people, plus the driver and the organizer.

That wasn’t just disappointing—it felt insulting.

On top of that, there was supposed to be an 8 AM wake-up call as part of the itinerary. The organizer? Still asleep. Hungover.

At that point, all of us joiners just gave up on expecting anything and handled things ourselves. We got our own breakfast, stuck together, and honestly, the only thing that made the trip bearable were the other joiners.

Later, when we were all already in one place, we asked if we could be picked up to avoid extra transportation costs. The driver initially refused, even though it would’ve been a simple adjustment. Considering everything that had already gone wrong, that response just added to the frustration. Eventually, they gave in—but only because everyone was already upset.

Another thing that didn’t sit right with me: the driver clearly wasn’t being taken care of properly. He was complaining to us about not being fed. That shouldn’t even reach the clients. It created an uncomfortable dynamic where we felt bad, but at the same time, it wasn’t our responsibility.

Then came “lunch.”

We were brought to free taste areas—and that was basically treated as our FREE LUNCH. Especially after that excuse of a breakfast. We ended up eating beside the highway.

By the time we were heading home, everyone was just exhausted and done.

It was already past dinner time and we were still on the road. I asked if we could stop to eat. When we finally did, the place was crowded—as expected. But instead of handling it professionally, we got comments like:

“Pasalamat kayo mabait kami.”

“Walang mamamatay sa gutom.”

That was honestly the breaking point.

It wasn’t even about the food anymore. It was the attitude. The complete lack of accountability. The way concerns were brushed off like we were the problem for expecting basic service.

They even complained about fuel consumption from the aircon—while we were outside waiting, and they were the ones inside the van.

At that point, it was clear: we weren’t being treated like paying clients. We were being treated like an inconvenience.

And that’s what makes this whole experience so frustrating.

It wasn’t just one bad moment—it was a pattern. Poor planning. No coordination. No professionalism. No respect for people’s time, money, or basic comfort.

We paid for this trip. We adjusted. We stayed patient. We tried to make the most out of it.

And in return, we got the bare minimum—if even that.

I’ve never felt this frustrated over something that was supposed to be enjoyable. It wasn’t just disappointing—it was draining in a way that builds up over time, until you realize you’ve been tolerating things you never should have had to in the first place.

For a first experience as a solo joiner, this set the bar incredibly low.

And honestly, it shouldn’t be like this.