In a country made up of some fifteen million Theravada Buddhists, I struggled to enter a meditative Buddhist state of compassion as the whirring air-conditioned bus I traveled through Sri Lanka was filled with meaningless chatter and a touch of travel braggadocio. . As someone who enjoys exploring off-the-beaten-path destinations, usually solo and almost always on local buses and trains (where daily life moves at a slower pace), I felt slightly nervous that I’d signed up to spend 12 days cooped up in a minibus with nine strangers.
During the tour I had to bite my tongue several times and later found out that others in the group did the same. That’s the thing about putting together a group of strangers of different ages (my group ranged from 31 to 49 years old), from a handful of different countries – you won’t always have the same outlook on life, values, or interests. So just some is the appeal of group travel in your thirties and forties?
Curious about the astronomical rise in the popularity of group travel, I joined Flash Pack’s ‘Inside Sri Lanka’ trip. Since launching in 2014, Flash Pack has organized thousands of group trips, and since battling COVID, they have seen 100 percent year-on-year growth in recent years, with 60 percent of their total travel revenue coming from the US. travelers. Similarly, G Adventures’ estimated annual turnover currently hovers around £424 million ($532 million) per year, while Intrepid is also growing rapidly and has an ambitious growth strategy to ‘become the world’s first $1 billion adventure travel company by 2025’ . This is serious business.
As someone who has never been on a group tour, the concept is quite foreign to me, especially as the cost of the 12-day Sri Lanka trip is £2,300 per person. That doesn’t include flights, alcoholic beverages, most lunches, and additional nightly fees if you don’t want to share a bedroom. The itinerary took us on a whirlwind tour of the country, including climbing to the top of Pidurangala Rock, cycling around the ancient city of Polonnaruwa with its Buddha monolith petroglyphs and ornate temples, a quick stop in Kandy, an outdoor yoga class, a train ride to tea country, a safari in Yala National Park, a night in Galle Fort and a few nights relaxing in Kosgoda, staying in mainly four or five star hotels and moving on to the next destination every one to two hours.
Whatever you want, you can probably get it, every need is met – it’s pretty impressive.
Everything is taken care of along the way, down to the handing over of toilet paper at public toilets and hand disinfectant when necessary. ATMs, chilled towels and refreshments at the mountaintop, and makeshift gin and tonics were all thrown into the mix along the way. Whatever you want, you can probably get it. Every need is met – it’s quite impressive.
During the 12 days in Sri Lanka we had our own driver, the very efficient Shantha, and his cheerful right-hand man Sachintha, who ensured that we never had to lift our luggage during the trip. Backpacks and suitcases were seamlessly transplanted from bus to bedroom and back, at each destination – an aspect of the tour that felt indulgent, but made traveling much easier than my usual solo experiences. And this is where the appeal lies: joining a tour is undoubtedly the easiest way to travel, plus you get to see a hell of a lot in such a limited time frame – it’s perfect for anyone who’s short on time, big on money and is curious about another country.
If I had traveled the same route alone and by public transport, I would not have seen all the places in the time we traveled. Sure, I would have loved to have spent a few leisurely days wandering through the awe-inspiring ancient ruins of Polonnaruwa instead of half a day, and yes, I would have loved to have spent a few days walking through the cloud forests and tea plantations of Haputale, but I’m very sorry. aware that most people’s vacation days are limited. It means that a tour like this is the ideal way to make the most of your limited annual leave.
Flash Pack also highly promotes the friendship aspect of joining one of its tours. The Instagram account muses how they are: “On a mission to create a million meaningful friendships around the world.” If you quickly scroll through their feed, you’ll see inspiring quotes about being single and traveling later in life. They’ve tapped into a growing market, and it really works.
For me, the first few days of the tour were quite awkward as people got to know each other. As in most environments with a mix of personalities, the loudest voices dominated the conversation, and a few outdated opinions irritated others, but on day six, something fell into place. On the scenic train journey from Kandy to Nanuoya, where we chugged through verdant tea plantations past waterfalls and village life, I had one of the most beautiful conversations of the trip with two incredible women. In fact, I enjoyed the company of all the women on the trip and one of the guys from Great Britain. With these people, as the small talk faded and we spoke honestly and openly, the travel experiences I love began to unfold, and from then on it was mostly smooth sailing.
As the small talk faded and we talked honestly and openly, the travel experiences I love began to unfold, and from then on it was mostly smooth sailing.
For most people in the group (four guys, six women), this wasn’t their first Flash Pack experience. Many had taken countless trips, while others had tried different tour providers such as G Adventures or Intrepid. I found that the luxury feel of Flash Pack’s tours was the main appeal, along with the convenience and variety of trips offered. The company currently offers 51 trips to countries such as South Korea, Colombia, Rwanda and Albania. For the women in my group, the appeal of traveling to places where they would normally feel unsafe as a solo traveler was a big draw.
At the helm of our tour and the real highlight of the entire trip was one of the sweetest souls I have ever met. Our group tour leader Suranga, or Razz as he likes to be called, has the patience of a saint, a truly addictive smile and a nothing-is-too-much-problems attitude. Every day I was in complete awe of his patience, his knowledge and the love and passion he has for his beautiful country.
On day eight, just over halfway through the trip, we visited Yala National Park, bordering the Indian Ocean, and learned how adolescent male elephants leave their herd at about age 13 and take on a solitary existence. I had a difficult relationship with them. As much as I loved being driven around, and never having to think – aside from which cocktail to order – I will most likely return to my solitary travel experiences.
Flash Pack is a great concept and lucrative business model, but personally I love the random travel experiences I encounter when traveling alone. Like when I met a local family on a bus on the way from Medellin to Jardin and was invited to their home for dinner; or the time I rented a shed for the night with a fellow backpacker in Hampi, India, because every room was occupied because it was Gandhi’s birthday; or drinking red wine with a random Airbnb host while reminiscing about life and love.
But I would go back to a Flash Pack trip in a heartbeat, if only for Suranga, Sri Lanka’s best, utterly joyful guide. Along with the girls I met on the trip (all of whom I’m still in touch with), he was the real highlight – I just hope Flash Pack knows how lucky they are to have him.
Flash Pack group tours start from around £2,075 per person. For more information or to book, visit flashpack.com.