Contiki friendships: Unexpected meetings turn into life long bonds across the world

I never expected to meet some of my closest friends while dealing with the previous night’s regrets in a hotel bathroom in Lima. But that’s where this Contiki story really began. 

Rewind to a few weeks earlier: A friendly stranger named Alice, who seemed just as excited (slightly nervous) about the trip as I was, had posted in a Contiki forum asking if anyone else was doing the same trip through South America. As it so happens, I was, and from there, our online chats turned into plans to meet a day before the tour. On our first morning in Lima, we met for breakfast in the Selina Miraflores lobby – excited, slightly nervous and ready to explore. Cue Kia – energetic, bubbly and loud! She was eavesdropping and announced she was also on the same tour. The three of us teamed up and decided to go exploring together. 

First stop, hire bikes. I had mentioned to them that during my first Contiki in Europe, I’d had difficulty with my bank card and another girl had offered to pay for my bike hire. Well, we all ended up laughing when, once again, I had trouble trying to hire a bike, only this time the app wouldn’t work. Thankfully, I had another new friend to help me out in this familiar situation.  

Once we got that sorted, we spent the morning riding around Lima, and got to know more about each other whilst avoiding getting hit by cars as we walked up a busy highway, ending up in an Irish pub later that afternoon to toast our new friendship. By dinner, we were bonding over UFC, with me passionately explaining the Pay-Per-View as if it were a religion. 

The next morning’s kickstart meeting came far too early. Slightly worse for wear, Kia snuck off to grab us some Gatorades, whilst I dealt with the consequences of having a little too much fun. That’s when I met Annie, who offered me a throat lozenge in my time of need. 

That moment of shared chaos set the tone for what would become one of the best spontaneous friendships of my life. As fate would have it, Alice and I were roomed together. Our online connection had already made us feel like old friends, and it was comforting to navigate a new continent with someone familiar. 

In the days that followed, a tight crew began to form: myself, Alice, Kia, Annie, Aisleen, Alec, Ashleigh, Gráinne, Jemilla, Kerry and Luke. Somewhere along the way, we named ourselves the Tinchey Sliders — don’t ask, it made sense at the time. 

We celebrated Alice’s 30th in the Peruvian Amazon. We conquered the Inca Trail and Rainbow Mountain together. We crossed borders into Uruguay and Paraguay just so we could tick another country off the list. We shared tears when things got tough, comforted each other through homesickness and culture shock, and laughed until we cried over the tiniest things.

As someone who struggles to meet new people, finding my place within this group really meant a lot. I had found my people – the ones who didn’t judge, who didn’t care how loud I was, the ones who made sure I felt seen and was included.  

As the trip came to an end, Aisleen and I headed to the tattoo parlour, hours before we were due to fly home, and got matching ink. Once the pictures hit the group chat, Kia also got in on the matching ink action. 

As we all went our separate ways, we knew it wasn’t goodbye. Since then, we’ve reunited across the world. Annie had a Halloween birthday bash in NYC. Gra has hosted a few of us in Ireland. Aisleen and Kia have crossed paths in at least half a dozen countries. Alice, Ashleigh and I also did another Contiki in the Middle East, where we celebrated another one of Alice’s birthdays. I also met up with Aisleen last year in Malaysia. Gra and I send each other daily Instagram reels like long-distance besties. Kia and I are still counting the days until our next reunion. And in true Contiki fashion, romance flourished — Luke and Kerry got engaged and had a baby! 

Next up? Gra’s hens party and wedding. 

People often ask me what my favourite trip has been. I’ve travelled far and wide, but I always find myself thinking back to South America — not because of the sights (though they were breath-taking), but because that trip gave me the most memorable friendships of all. 

Sometimes it’s not about the journey, or the destination. It’s about the people you meet along the way.  

Contiki gave me more than a stamp in my passport — it gave me a global whānau (family).