September 2022 marked my first –and definitely not my last– tour with London-based company Flash Pack. What’s weird about the group tour industry is that companies seem to either cater to an affluent, relatively sedentary senior crowd or the backpack & hostel 20-something crowd… and there’s really nothing in between. Flash Pack uniquely fills that gap, offering adventurous itineraries (with beautiful accommodations) to groups of 14 solo travelers who all have to be in their 30s or 40s, pretty much guaranteeing a like-minded group with an instant connection. I found their website and fell in love with their itineraries right before the pandemic hit, so was anxiously awaiting the world to reopen so I could sign up for one of the adventures.
And what an adventure! We rappelled, snorkeled, e-biked, hiked, zip-lined, gorge-swinged, safaried, and wine & gin-tasted, all while exploring gorgeous Cape Town, wild and expansive Kruger National Park, and history-rich Johannesburg. Flash Pack’s promise of creating lasting friendships was fulfilled, as our whole group (all coming from different US, UK, and Canadian cities and towns) instantly clicked. Even with an incredible itinerary, the group was the best part of the trip – I think we’d all agree that we’ve made friends for life.
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All photos are mine unless otherwise labeled (click on any to see it bigger). Also, I added some music to a bunch of these videos, particularly of the animals – this was usually because either the audio was either loudly whipping wind or the engine of our vehicle, or someone (probably me haha) was randomly talking about something that had nothing to do with the animal. Why not add a little soundtrack instead.
Also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank our photographer Rachel whom Flash Pack sent along to capture some marketing materials, but who for all intents and purposes was a member of the group, became a friend, and ended up being an unexpected lifesaver in the second half of the trip (see Day 7). I’ve included a lot of her group shots here (of course credited as such) – it was so great to have someone capturing us all.
Anyway, I had started this site really just as a way for me to personally remember and relive my travels, but hope as friends and family you can get a taste of our South African adventure! Enjoy!
