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What happens when the life you planned falls apart? For Mark, our founder, a house purchase falling through turned out to be the best thing that ever happened. Instead of finding another one, he went travelling. Three months turned into three years, guiding trips in Australia and Thailand and meeting Joe, the mate who would become his co-founder.
Fast forward 13 years and TruTravels has gone from four paying customers on a single Thailand trip to group travel adventures across the globe for 18 to 35s. But the mission hasn’t changed: giving you the confidence, friendships and fresh perspective that travel gave him.
We sat down with Mark to find out what Leave Ordinary Behind really means, what he looks for in a Local Legend and the one thing he’d say if you keep putting your trip off until “one day”.
What were you doing before TruTravels, and what inspired you to create TruTravels?
"I was working in real estate, saving for a house and doing all the things I thought I was supposed to do. Then the house purchase fell through, and instead of finding another one, I went travelling. What was meant to be three months turned into three years.
During that time, I ended up working in travel and guiding trips in Australia and Thailand. I also met Joe (my co-founder). We experienced first-hand how travel can change your confidence, your perspective and the people you surround yourself with.
Eventually, we both came back to the UK, and I went back to working in real estate. A couple of years later, we met up for a beer and started reminiscing about how much we’d loved that life. That became a conversation about starting our own travel company.
We had some clear ideas about what we wanted to do differently: include more of the experiences people had come for, and recognise that the evenings mattered just as much as the days. Some of the best connections happen over dinner, at a night market or watching the sunset together. We wanted to create the kind of trips we would have loved ourselves, and give other people a chance to experience what travel had given us."
How has TruTravels evolved in the last 13 years?
"Our first trip in Thailand had four paying customers, a few mates, and me and Joe. At that point, we were just putting everything into making sure those people had an amazing time. From there, we grew across Southeast Asia and eventually into other parts of the world.
COVID forced us to stop, listen and rethink. We spent a lot of time talking to our customers, and that helped shape new destinations and different ways to travel as the world opened up again.
We’ve also grown in our understanding of the impact we can have. Creating opportunities for local people, supporting communities and developing our own team have become a bigger part of how we build the business.
But the biggest evolution is how we understand and explain what makes Tru special. We’ve always been good at bringing people together and giving them the time of their lives. Now we’re much more deliberate about creating those moments of connection, confidence and belonging and building a community that continues beyond the trip."
What does “Leave Ordinary Behind” mean to you? Why was now the right moment to put that belief at the centre of the brand?
"For me, it means being open to the possibility that life could look different from the version you’ve planned. My own story started with a house purchase falling through. Taking a different direction changed everything.
You don’t have to go away for three years to experience that. It could be travelling on your own for the first time, trying something you’re nervous about, or putting your phone away and being completely present with people you’ve only just met. Those moments can change how you see yourself and what you think you’re capable of.
The timing feels right because we’ve spent years talking internally about our purpose: changing lives through travel. People who’ve travelled with us often understand that instinctively, but we haven’t always been as good at explaining it before they come.
“Leave Ordinary Behind” gives us a clearer way to express that belief. It also challenges us to deliver it through the experiences we design, the people we hire and how we bring our community together. It’s something we want people to feel throughout their experience with Tru."
What do you want someone to feel on the last night of a Tru trip?
"A little bit gutted that it’s ending, if I’m honest! But mostly, I want them to feel that they’re so glad they came.
I want them to look around at people they didn’t know at the start and feel completely comfortable being themselves. To be laughing about things that happened during the trip, already making plans to see each other again, and thinking, “I can’t believe I nearly talked myself out of this.
I’d also love them to feel proud of themselves. Perhaps they arrived nervous, travelled alone for the first time or did something they didn’t think they could do.
That’s what I hope stays with them when they get home: the friendships, the confidence and the feeling that there’s more out there for them."
What makes a great Local Legend? What do you look for?
"Someone who makes people feel at ease and brings them together. Our Local Legends are our entertainers, our connectors and storytellers, the front line of our brand. They bring everything Tru stands for to life on a trip and take a real interest in our customers.
They should love sharing the place they call home: the food, the stories, the people and the little things you’d probably miss on your own. But they also need to understand the group. Who needs encouragement? Who hasn’t quite found their feet yet? When does everyone need a laugh, and when do they need a moment to slow down?
Our best people spot opportunities in the moments between the activities. A conversation on a journey, an introduction to someone local or a bit of encouragement can become the thing a traveller remembers most.
I look for people who care enough to make that extra effort. It should feel like you’re travelling with a mate who happens to know the way. Someone who wants you to love their home as much as they do, and makes you feel part of the group from day one."
If you could say one thing to someone who keeps putting their trip off until “one day”, what would it be?
"Don’t wait until you feel completely ready. You can spend years waiting for the perfect time, the right person to go with or everything else in life to line up.
The magic happens when you step outside your comfort zone. It could be finding a confidence you didn’t know you had, meeting new friends or discovering opportunities you’d never have imagined back home. You only find out by giving yourself the chance.
I thought I was going away for three months. I had no idea how much that one decision would change my life.
You don’t need to know how the whole story will turn out before you start. Give “one day” a date and take the first step. You might be surprised by what follows."
Quick-fire questions:
Window or aisle? Aisle
Favourite Tru trip of all time? OG Thailand Island Hopper
Most memorable day on a Tru trip? The best memories made are those ones not scripted in the itineraries.
Best street food you’ve ever had? Any Thai Food (hands down)
One thing you never travel without? Rennie tablets. lol
What’s next on your travel bucket list? Brazil & Argentina cannot wait
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Ready to leave ordinary behind?
Whether you’re travelling solo for the first time or finally ticking off that bucket list destination, our group trips are built for 18 to 35s who want more than just sightseeing. Think Local Legends who feel like mates, evenings that matter as much as the days and a community that sticks with you long after you land home.
So stop waiting for the perfect time. Give “one day” a date.
