Is Flash Pack just for single travellers? Everything you need to know
One of the questions we get asked a lot here at Flash Pack is, “are your adventures just for single travellers?” And to cut a long response short, the answer is: absolutely not. While a lot of people who join our adventures do happen to be single, that single element is just part of our wider vibe – and what we, as a company, do best.
Our concept of group travel is about bringing together groups of strangers in their 30s and 40s to share in the delights of global discovery. We attract *solo* travellers from all over the world, from the UK to Europe, America, Australia and beyond.
Some Flashpackers on our trips are indeed single, but others are in long-term relationships or marriages, and are choosing to pursue their love of travel alone (not all couples share the same appetite for adventure, after all). Some solo travellers who hop on board with Flash Pack are even mums or dads; individuals who are taking a short time out from the parenting game.
Breaking free from the everyday
The fact is, it’s not their relationship status that defines the individuals who are drawn to Flash Pack: instead, our global community is united by a shared appreciation of travel and the Great Unknown. They want to shake things up and put themselves out there, with experiences such as searching for octopi in the kelp forests of South Africa, or cycling in the Inca hills of Peru.
Flashpackers want to shake things up
Because they’re aged in their 30s and 40s, many of the Flashpackers who travel with us are also professionals who hold down busy jobs in their day-to-day lives. This means travel offers a means of escape for them: a chance to break free from the 9 to 5 and try something new, away from everyday stresses.
At the same time, a curated Flash Pack adventure takes away all the logistical legwork of planning a trip for professionals who are short on time and bandwidth. From hiking a secret back door route to the world wonder of Petra to glamping on a private Philippines island, our itineraries feature the kind of one-off activities that would be tricky to plan alone.
Finding friendship
So, although some Flashpackers are indeed single – and others even end up together as a result of our adventures – that’s not the focus of our trips. It’s really friendship that takes centre stage.
People are so busy in their day-to-day lives that it can be hard to find time to connect with others, or find a group whom you truly feel at home with. This is all the more true in a post-Covid age when loneliness is surging and we’re more lost to our screens than ever.
A group travel experience like Flash Pack, however, reverses this sense of disconnect. By immersing a group of strangers in a shared adventure together, we create the groundwork for lasting friendship. Partly, this is about time: away from the distractions of their day-to-day lives, Flashpackers are able to bond in moments of solitude.
This might mean rediscovering the joys of a long chat over cards on a Sri Lankan train journey, for example, or sharing a deep conversation on a sunrise hike up a Balinese volcano.
Friendship is also brought into play due to the dynamic, comfort-busting activities that we tend to arrange on day two or three of a Flash Pack adventure. In Jordan, for instance, Flashpackers embark on a canyoning expedition through the ravines of the Wadi Mujib on day two. In South Africa, they partake in a spot of abseiling from Table Mountain, right at the beginning of the trip.
These kinds of thrilling activities get Flashpackers working as a team, and bonding in the moment of the challenges they face.
A life less predictable
The combination of time and adventure allows Flashpackers to make lifelong friendships on our trips. Nearly every group stays in contact after, via WhatsApp chats or a series of reunion dinners.
People revel in the opportunity to find like-minded solo travellers that they have a genuine connection with. And because of the international nature of our groups, Flashpackers may well end up with beds to crash in, in cities all over the world.
A shared curiosity draws our community together
Above all, it is a shared curiosity and openness to the world that draws our community together. The people who travel with us have all been through different life experiences, but they’re united by a desire to cut loose from everyday routines and expectations. They gravitate towards vibrant experiences, the road less travelled and like-minded souls to share the journey with.
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