Meet like-minded travellers and gain a ton of new experiences
If you're itching to see the world your way, but don't want to do it alone, we've got just the thing. Introducing KILROY Tripmates for 23-31 year-olds – unique group travel experiences designed with your travel style, budget, and thirst for adventure in mind.
You get to meet up with fellow travel enthusiasts, dive into epic destinations, take on new challenges, and vibe with the lovely people you'll meet along the way. Perfect for those looking for a break from the ordinary life, Tripmates 23-31 is your ticket to an unforgettable getaway. Keep reading to discover why a Tripmates tour should be your next travel move!
Are you looking for a break from your busy life, but need more than just the typical vacation? Fed up with coordinating schedules with friends who can't travel at the same time or don't want to experience the same things as you? We can help you out.
Our Tripmates 23-31 tours are tailored small-group adventures designed with your budget, and hunger for exploration in mind. Travel with other young adults from across Europe on epic trips packed with nature, adventure and relaxation - skipping the usual tourist spots in favour of unique experiences.
1. Be part of a community of like-minded 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 for travellers in their mid 20s to early 30s. In these years you might feel a disconnection from your old friends at times - if they’re starting to have other priorities than before. Maybe they’re focusing on their careers more than you do, 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 certain subjects and skills like surfing, nature, hiking, free-diving, and more. This is your chance to grow your international network and make travel friends to continue exploring with – maybe even places you haven't thought of before? In any case, it's a great thing to have friends all over Europe!
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 tour, 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 studying, working with computer systems, in construction and everything in between. Everything in existence has been inspired by nature in one way or another. By reconnecting with it, 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 even a minimum level of travel experience can find their way to the most popular destinations. Unfortunately, popularity can lead to over-tourism, which is not just bad for the local community, but it also impacts your travel experience, especially if you’re seeking something more authentic.
Sure, sometimes you just want to see where Game of Thrones was shot, or recreate the picture taken by your favourite Tiktok'er– we all have bucket lists. We’re confident you can do that on your own or with help from our travel experts, as these destinations often have solid tourist infrastructures.
What you get with Tripmates 23-31 are places that are either slightly or completely out of the epicentre of mass tourism. Often you can reach some of the mainstream tourism hotspots 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 like-minded travellers (as we've talked about at #1), you get to do activities and gain experiences you would not get by travelling with just a partner or friend.
But there are more reasons why small groups are the way to go. Like lowering the cost of a trip while still getting experienced guides, and limiting the negative impact of your stay by putting less of a strain on local resources. That’s why there’s a maximum number of participants on each of the Tripmates tours. 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 should be your approach! 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 to more established and ‘mainstream’ tours you can book.
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 perfect 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. Some even argue that you haven’t really been to a place unless you slow down and connect with a destination and the people calling it home.
Slow travel has many benefits, like the increased impact on the destination (in a good way, spending more of your money locally), the immersion level of your experience (taking the time to explore, talk to locals, and just wander around), and it’s often more budget-friendly (buses or trains are much cheaper than flight hopping from place to place), to mention a few.
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!
