Meet likeminded travellers and gain a ton of new experiences
Adventure awaits for the young and the restless! If you're itching to see the world your way, but prefer some company on the ride, we've got just the thing. Introducing KILROY Tripmates for 18-24 and 23-31 year-olds – two unique group travel experiences tailored just for you. Whether you're in it for a short escapade or a longer expedition, we've got options that promise big adventures without breaking the bank. Join forces with fellow travel enthusiasts, dive into epic destinations, take on new challenges, and vibe with the amazing folks you'll meet along the way. Perfect for the newbie backpacker, the fresh grad, or the young professional on pause, Tripmates is your ticket to an unforgettable holiday. Keep reading to discover why a Tripmates tour should be your next travel move!
1. Be part of a community of likeminded travellers
Our Tripmates tours are true small group adventures. And that's great, because small groups affect the atmosphere and community feeling of the group you’re travelling with. With Tripmates 23-31, you'll share an interest with your co-travellers (we know that because you picked a specific trip!), but most likely you'll have a lot more in common.
Tripmates tours have been designed to fit people in their mid 20s to early 30s. We’ve found that it’s in the moments you might feel a bit disconnected from your old friends if they’re starting to have other priorities than before. Maybe they’re focusing on their careers more than you, maybe they’re starting families or want to settle down in other ways, while you’re still hungry to explore and learn more about yourself and about life!
This is your opportunity to meet other people with a curiosity about a certain topic such as surfing, nature, hiking, free-diving, and more. It is also your chance to grow your international network and make friends that you can explore your new skills with even further – maybe in a new place? Believe us, it's a great thing to have friends all over the world!
2. Challenge yourself and learn new skills in epic places
For Tripmates 23 to 31, each trip is built around new experiences that stay with you for life. Take for example our Tripmates - Hiking and Exploration in the Balkans, where the skills are all about surviving in nature, learning how to climb rocks in a range of different ways and how to hike like a pro. These are skills that you might not need in your 9-5 when you first think of it but consider the overarching theme of connecting with nature, and the seemingly basic skills in regards to communication, teamwork and problem solving skills you learn on this journey start to become usable for real.
You can learn a lot from nature. Not only about the natural world, but about most of what we do on an everyday basis – whether that is taking care of people, working with computer systems, or in construction and everything in between. When you think about it, everything has been inspired by nature in one way or another. By reconnecting with nature, you’ll discover new ways of solving problems, you might even surprise yourself with your abilities and see yourself in a whole new light.
3. Go beyond the beaten track
Most people with a minimum of travel experience can find their way to the most popular destinations. Unfortunately, popularity can also lead to over-tourism, which is not only bad for the local community, but it’s also bad for your experience if you’re seeking something more genuine. Sure, sometimes you just want to see where Game of Thrones was shot, or resemble the picture taken by your favourite Tiktok'er– we all have bucket lists. We’re confident you can do that on your own as those places often have solid tourist infrastructures.
What you get with Tripmates are places that are either slightly or completely out of the epicenter of mass tourism. Often you can reach some of those places before, during, or after your Tripmates journey, but it won’t be where you have your base.
4. Small groups are the best possible experience
Both for you, the destination country and the local people - small groups are the best experience. Not only is it great to be part of a community of likeminded travellers (as we've talked about at #1), you get to do activities and gain experiences you You limit the negative impact of your stay if you go in small groups. That’s why there’s a maximum number of participants on each of the Tripmates trips. This way, a place is not overwhelmed by too many people at one time, and you can enjoy real encounters with the place and the people calling it home. This gives nature a chance to rebuild and the local community a chance to stay local while benefitting from your visit.
5. The local approach
If you’re seeking something authentic and real, then going local is what you’re looking for! However, those true local experiences can be difficult to find if you’re not an experienced traveller – and some people might even associate it with greater risks of having a really bad experience compared with something more established and ‘mainstream’.
With Tripmates 23-31, we’ve carefully chosen local partners that have a passion for their destination and culture. Most of the time, they’re born and raised in the area you’re visiting and can tell you local stories and anecdotes you will most likely miss out on otherwise. It's also a great opportunity to ask questions and get extra insights into the places you're visiting.
6. Travel slower, experience more
By slowing down, you get to take more in and connect with the local community and surroundings in a completely different way than when you race through a destination. Fast tourism is frowned upon in many travel communities because there’s a preconception that you don’t really get under the skin of a place if you don’t have time to appreciate it. Some even argue that you haven’t really been to a place unless you slow down and actually connect with the place and the people calling it home.
On each Tripmates 23-31 trip, you have planned time set aside to do you. This could be at any point in the journey, whenever a location calls for it. Free time can be spent however you want to. It could be exploring the area on your own, hanging out with your new travel friends, recharging your batteries, doodling, journaling, walking, resting, etc. Some might even catch up on emails or social media, but we don’t recommend it - the world out there is way more exciting!
There are many benefits of slow travel including the impact on the destination, the immersion level of your experience, and it’s more budget-friendly, to mention a few. If you’re interested, we’ll do another post diving a bit deeper into the topic.
Check out our Tripmates trips
Or reach out if you have any questions for us. We are more than ready to help you find your next adventure, whether that's as part of a group, completely solo, or with friends. Our Tripmates adventures are awesome, but if you prefer a different travel style we have plenty of great experiences waiting for you. Reach out through the button below and start travel planning!
Talk travel with us