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“Am I supposed to be naked?” What it’s really like communal bathing in Japan
Travel writer Jenny Novitzky takes on Japan’s communal bathing rite… It takes a certain kind of bravery to swing open the door of your changing room cubicle completely starkers. This bravery must become foolhardiness when you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language, can’t understand the signs and have the ominous feeling that…
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How type II fun can transform your life
What’s your idea of fun? For ultra-endurance athlete Mark Beaumont, there are two kinds. Last year, the 35-year-old smashed the world record for circumnavigating the globe by bike, cycling around the world in under 80 days (he finished in 78). https://www.instagram.com/p/BY3HYgPHVNp/ This staggering feat saw him tackle an average of 240 miles daily from Paris…
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Why your 30s are prime time to seek out adventure and risk
In our 20s, we’re encouraged to roam free and do as we please. Go wild! the message from society reads. Backpack the world! Get that burning desire for more out of your system! But venture into the 30s, and we’re suddenly expected to put the brakes on that wayward streak. Mortgages, promotions and stability are…
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18 moments of adventure travel you don’t want to miss
Life can be a very restricting thing if you choose to play by unwritten rules. If you push the boundaries, however – well, that’s a different matter. Here are 18 bracing moments of travel adventure that will light up your horizons. Forget bland old routine and familiar comforts. These experiences are about stretching your limits…
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Why people who live single are often the least selfish of us all
With more and more people flying solo around the world, being single has evolved from a life stage to a state of being. Increasingly, it’s something that people are actively seeking out, as a means of finding fulfilment and purpose. Read more: Can adventure help you live longer? And yet, a common myth persists: that…
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“Sightseeing drones: a travel trend that’s nothing to do with travel”
The growth in sightseeing drones is yet another way to spoil travel and take away from the moment. Let’s stop trying to shortcut adventure, says Flash Pack contributor Anna Brech This weekend, the Times reported on a surge in “sightseeing drones”, whereby tourists abroad can plug into a virtual reality headset and explore nearby sights…
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“Hiking the Everest Trail helped lift my depression”
Tony Stevens recently travelled with Flash Pack on our first adventure to the Nepalese highlands, hiking the Everest Trail to the viewpoint at Farak Ri, at 5,000 metres. Here, he explains how escaping to the hazy Himalayan foothills helped clear his head, creating a new path forwards from a low period in his life Our…
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5 bucket list cities in Asia to tick off in a lifetime
Asia. Earth’s largest and most populous continent spans a staggering 17,000 square miles, give or take a few hundred, meaning there’s plenty to explore. We know, understatement of the century. Specifically, it’s a place home to some of the world’s most exciting cities. Cities that are often the jewels in the crown for our…
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Single in your 30s: the beauty of being selfish
I was listening to a podcast recently when the presenter used the phrase ‘positively selfish.’ It’s a phrase that seems to keep cropping up in my world, now becoming a mainstream term. I then began to ask myself if ‘positively selfish’ could be an empowering way of describing the advantages of being a single 30-something.…
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Can adventure travel help you live longer?
“Who wants to live forever?” sang Queen, over a heart-wrenching montage in Highlander, of the immortal Connor MacLeod watching his beloved wife age and die as he remains in his late Twenties. I’ll be honest, it’s not the best advert for eternal life you’ll ever see, and probably highlights why most people would answer Freddie…
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How to prepare for your first group travel adventure
So, you’ve taken the leap – you’ve decided to give group travel a go. But what should you expect? How can you prepare? What will it be like travelling with a total bunch of strangers? Give me 10 minutes and I will explain all… My name is Gav and I’ve experienced my fair share of…
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Quiz: What’s your adventure personality?
Travel-lovers, look alive. With Flash Pack trips in over 45 countries, we have a different adventure for every type of wanderluster. Not sure where to go? Take our dandy quiz below to discover what kind of explorer you are at heart. Each answer comes with at least three trip suggestions to fuel your globe-trotting soul.…
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Your best you: reinvent yourself with solo travel
Baggage is a concern when travelling. Have you got trousers for every occasion and eventuality without tipping over the weight limit? Are all potential leaks pre-emptively double-bagged? And, of course, the question only the gods can answer: will it all turn up at the same airport as you? But there is a different kind of…
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5 daring desert adventures to book right now
Want to tap your explorer within and send your comfort zone spinning? Don’t miss these spectacular desert adventures, from dune-bashing in the Wahiba Sands to sunset camel rides across the Sahara. From an ancient realm comes horizons new – and we’re ready to jump right in… Sundowners in the Atacama Desert, Chile The Valle de…
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6 alternative European city breaks to dive into this autumn
Fall is in the air, bringing with it the scent of change and horizons new. With the school crowds back at base and airline flash sales in full flow, autumn is a golden time for adventure. But when it comes to European city breaks, think beyond the obvious for the greatest treasures of all. Sidestep…
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Leave your comfort zone: how to face fear, by Ed Stafford
Hailed as “truly extraordinary” by Sir Ranulph Fiennes and “Britain’s most intrepid hero since Scott of the Antarctic” , adventurer Ed Stafford hit the record books after becoming the first man to walk the Amazon. The deadly journey took two and half years and, now a Discovery Channel documentary, ignited a career in solo adventure. Ed continues…
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Is it finally time for men to ditch the lads’ holiday?
It’s that time of year again. You’re staring at your inbox, waiting for a juicy discount code to appear, when pops up *that* group email: ‘Lads on Tour 2019!’ It’s an email that used to excite you, but now, be honest, does a lads holiday make you slightly anxious? When you were young, you and…
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Get lost in the world’s most walkable cities
There’s an undeniable romance about great city walks. There you are, on the brink of somewhere fresh and undiscovered, with the streets spreading out before you. Direction isn’t really important; you can just choose a neighbourhood and then wander around at your own pace. Perhaps you stop for a coffee in a leafy square along…
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How to drink with strangers: bartenders share their tips
Most solo travellers will agree that the most awkward time of any trip is the evenings. The galleries are closed, you’ve done 17 laps of the open-top tour bus, there are no more ‘activities’ to occupy you, and you begin to wonder: what would I do if my friends were here? But this shouldn’t be…
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Is solo travel okay if you’re not single?
Solo holidays aren’t necessarily singles holidays. Andrew Dickens explains why it’s healthy to travel alone when you’re in a relationship. There is a certain type of couple – you know them – who declare that they are effectively the same person, just in two separate bodies, which means it was fate or a near-impossible twist…