Travel connects you with refreshing and fun new people who share your passion and thirst for adventure. It also turns you into an explorer as you learn first hand about new and different cultures through its people, local cuisines and festivities.
Global population ageing is a triumph and a challenge for humanity. Did you know that worldwide, the proportion of people aged 60 and over is growing faster than any other age group?
Let’s get into the numbers! Between 1970 and 2025, the expected growth is approximately 694 million or 223%. In 2025, there will be a total of about 1.2 billion people over the age of 60 and by 2050 there will be 2 billion with 80% of them living in developing countries.
The reality is that we will all get there eventually and as we grow older, we will experience major life changes, including career transitions, retirement, children leaving home, the loss of loved ones and physical and health challenges. How we handle and grow from these changes is often the key to healthy ageing.
Few of us know ahead of time how to age well and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. In the 8 years of running the Silver Surfers Club, we’ve steadfastly disrupted perceptions of ageing and encouraged a positive outlook to growing older. The colours of life are beautiful at every stage. Ageing gracefully isn’t about trying to look younger, it’s about living your best life and having the physical and mental health to enjoy it. Like a bottle of wine, we can get better with age and with the right care.
We’ve witnessed first-hand how the friendships formed within the Silver Surfers Club cocooned our members with a strong support system, gave a new sense of purpose, empowered our members to be more active and allowed them to be seen, heard and included. Holidays to bucket list destinations soon became the delight and highlight of our community and 2022 saw the birth of our Travel Club, a concept that’s been brewing for the past 4 years.
Our motto at the Silver Surfers Travel Club is ‘Friends in Places’. For us, travel is not just about taking a vacation, it’s about allowing our active seniors to fulfil their bucket list destination dreams and to do so with easier-paced itineraries, accompanied by like-minded Seenagers that become friends along the exciting journeys. It’s also about breaking society’s stereotypes about how seniors can and cannot travel.
Nearing 80, Anil attempted his first river rafting excursion in Kashmir, inspiring courage amongst the younger members of the group. Aged 60 and 65, Savita & Mac were hailed as forever heroes for completing the hike to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan. At age 72, Uma refused to be left behind and wriggled herself into a kayak to paddle across the blue waters of HaLong Bay. Aged 73, Usha and 4 other Silver Surfers soared over Cappadocia, singing loudly to the skies in a hot air balloon. The common dominator between all these Silver Travellers? - Their indomitable will to have fun and feel alive.
We’ve seen the cathartic effects travel can have on the senior community. Our holidays have repeatedly proven to us that Travel is Therapy and creating memorable experiences is the way forward to live a happy full life, no matter your age. We are all up for creating opportunities to allow our senior community to feel fearless in their explorations and to meaningfully bond with their fellow travellers. I hope you will join us in wishing us well in our journey to bring fantastic escapades for those that are young at heart but slightly older in other places.
If you or perhaps your parents, an older relative, a mature neighbour or a senior mate could benefit from a wider friend circle and some Travel Therapy, drop us a line. We can’t help getting older but we don’t have to grow old!
This article is beautifully captured by team member Bhairavi, who also doubles up as Travel Tribe leader who loves escorting our groups of Silver Travellers as they strike off their bucket list around the world.
Looking to make new Silver friends or find your perfect travel companions?
Upcoming Holiday
We’re off on what promises to be an an exciting, adventurous and gastronomical 10 day holiday to Vietnam this February 2023! Are you joining us?
