It was the final day of a month-long trip around Sri Lanka. I had been learning to surf, doing yoga, hiking and learning to cook local dal with its warm and rich aromas, perfect after a day in the water. While it had been a full-on four weeks, there was still time for one final adventure - a sunrise hike to the top of the Adam’s Peak. We had began to make our way up the 2,243m (7,358ft) mountain at 3am, and faced a gruelling 5,500 stone steps on the way.
Despite the struggles of the staircase and the bleary-eyed tiredness, hitting the top of the peak in time for the sunrise drum ceremony - with a group of newly garnered friends that I'd met across the month - was a feeling like nothing else.
The shared camaraderie and sense of achievement hit differently having done it together, having come from different countries, with different backgrounds and all doing it at different stages of our lives.
It’s refreshing to meet cool people, step away from the planning process and enjoy the adventure. Different travel styles open up different experiences.
On the whole, I would say that I’m a capable independent solo traveller. Do I get anxious sometimes, wandering around a new city at night? One hundred percent. But for the most part, I enjoy setting my own itinerary, wandering aimlessly through back streets and rambling around the world on public transport (with varying degrees of success).
Historically, group travel has been perceived as a halfway house for travellers who aren’t quite ready to step into the world of solo travel, but don’t want to wait for their friends to be available. There can be some snobbery from the solo travel community when it comes to group trips. Certainly, there was a point in my life when I was guilty of it. Surely travelling solo was a badge of honour? A sign that you were capable and confident of exploring on your own: cycling through the countryside freely, rather than bumbling on behind with training wheels on.
My first ever small group trip was a two-week adventure through Eastern USA and Canada. After a break-up, I had the classic realisation that the world was wide and I didn’t have to wait for others to explore it, so I booked the trip. The people I met along the way were wonderful. One introduced me to the wonderful world of MLS and to rowdy Ultras in New Jersey. Another struggled on the cycle up the hill to Mont Royal viewpoint in Montreal alongside me, after a hefty breakfast of pancakes and maple syrup. It was a relief not to have to worry about logistics, getting from A to B or booking excursions to make the most of my time.
We travelled through the cities: New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Toronto, Montreal, but the real magic came in the camping and wild places along the way. Kayaking through Algonquin Provincial Park and returning to shore to see a bear was a standout moment. We roamed the coastline of Cape Cod, eating enough lobster rolls to make Anthony Bourdain proud, and enjoyed the peace of Allegany State Park in Pennsylvania, after a few days of city hopping.
Camping was part of the draw of this trip for me. Not only did it keep costs down, but it meant we stayed in places beyond the typical guidebook. One thing about group camping that works well in a situation like this is that you get to know people really well and really quickly. Everyone has to pitch in (pun intended) to set up and break down camp, and to help get meals ready. You get the measure of people pretty quickly in these circumstances.
More often than not, the small group trips I’m going on are active adventure ones. This gives me a safer, more supportive atmosphere, where I'm able to get out of my comfort zone...
Small group travel is often touted as a way to avoid the dreaded single supplement (an extra fee charged to solo travellers when they occupy a hotel room or cruise cabin alone), but the cost of this particular tour didn't feel cheap. Of course, every operator prices their trips differently, but the surcharge for convenience and competent guides here seemed hefty. So, if it’s cheaper to do it yourself, and you’re competent at finding deals and building itineraries, why go on a group trip at all? Well, that’s a question that I ask myself a lot.
For me, the question often comes down to two things: location and activities.
If it’s a location that I feel somewhat comfortable with, like a city or somewhere with decent public transport, I’m probably not going to shell out the premium for a small group tour. However, group tours can also open up destinations that may not be as accessible for solo female travellers or may be more intimidating.
Similarly, if the trip is more about exploring touristy sites, then I can probably sort that out for myself. More often than not, the small group trips I’m going on are active adventure ones. This gives me a safer, more supportive atmosphere, where I'm able to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. Before I set out on a group Hadrian's Wall trek, for example, I'd never done a multi-day hike. I was a relatively experienced walker by UK standards, but stacking four days of hiking across Northumbria in a climate that changed from rain to blazing sun in minutes was not something I'd have felt comfortable doing solo for the first time.
Sharing the toughness of the hike, the sore legs in the morning, and the well-earned pint at the end...
I recently went on a group trip to the Lake District. Now, being based in the northwest, I’ve been to the Lakes plenty of times with friends, loved ones, and indeed on my own. Getting there by car or by train only takes a few hours, there are plenty of hostels full of friendly faces, and the trails are all well-marked. It’s a straightforward itinerary, perfect for solo travel, so why did I join a group trip?
Well, simply put, for the social element. As a society, we’re becoming less social. The weekend trip I joined included workshops from OS Maps, a 10-hour hike with qualified mountain guides and paddleboarding on the lake outside of the Youth Hostels Association in Ambleside, where all our meals were included.
It also brought women from their mid-20s to 50 plus together with a united love of being in the great outdoors. While some were more experienced than others, everyone was up for adventure and generally for having a convivial time, sharing the toughness of the hike, the sore legs in the morning and the well-earned pint at the end. Finding other like-minded women to adventure with is an incredible feeling. So much so that a few of us who met on the trip have already planned a follow-up weekend in the Peak District for later this year.
That’s the beauty of a group trip, no matter how confident you are as a solo traveller. Sometimes, you just want someone to share those experiences with. Sometimes, you want the reassurance of safety and someone else sorting out the logistical headaches for you so you can turn up and relax.
Sometimes, you want the reassurance of safety and someone else sorting out the logistical headaches.
My next group trip is a women-only trip to Kyrgyzstan. It combines women-led cultural experiences with world-class hikes and three days on horseback.
Could I put this together myself with enough time and planning? Maybe. Would it be as comprehensive and stress-free? Absolutely not. Would I meet amazing women along the way and have the support and safety necessary for an adventurous itinerary overseas? Again, no.
Any snobbery which remains around group travel is misplaced. Just because you can travel in a certain way doesn’t mean you have to.
It’s refreshing to mix it up from time to time - to meet cool people and step away from the planning process, relax and enjoy the adventure. Different travel styles open up different experiences. Not better or worse, just different. By writing off group travel just because you’re a confident solo traveller, you’re leaving incredible, unique experiences and long-lasting connections on the table.
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