For many, travel is about escape. Whether it’s car camping in Yellowstone, fishing the wilds of an Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, or sipping Mai Tais poolside in Cabo San Lucas, it’s about getting away from the ordinary, the 9-to-5, the grind. However, some of us seek bigger, better, more over-the-top experiences. Enter Black Tomato, a cutting-edge luxury tour operator who’s just announced the most kickass travel experience we’ve ever seen.
Black Tomato’s Get Lost travel experience is about (wait for it …) getting lost — literally, philosophically, and completely — in a way that allows you to find yourself. Let’s forget the woo-woo, feel-good marketing and focus on just how amazing a trip like this could be.
The company connects clients with a Get Lost Travel Expert for an initial consultation to determine their level of mental and physical ability, as well as what they’re hoping to achieve from the experience. Clients are allowed minimal input on the direction of their trip. In short, they have a say in what type of environment they prefer (e.g., jungle, desert, polar, mountain, or coastal) or, for those feeling particularly adventurous, they can opt for a trip that’s completely random. To bolster the client’s success, terrain-specific training is provided either in advance or upon arrival at their destination.
But here’s the kicker: Clients have no idea what they exact destination will be until they get there. The list of potentials is intentionally vague, but includes some of the world’s most far-flung outposts like Guayana, Mongolia, and Svalbard. Black Tomato provides private transportation to the drop zone via helicopter or jet, depending on the distance traveled. Clients are then outfitted with state-of-the-art tech to aid in their navigation, survival, and overall enjoyment. Every day of each multi-day expedition requires clients to use their wits, skills, and equipment to navigate a series of predetermined waypoints toward the final extraction point. The entire journey is closely monitored by Black Tomato’s highly qualified expedition team to ensure complete safety. However, they function as a guardian “eye in the sky” — never seen by the client, but always watching.
Get Lost is like your own Man vs. Wild experience (except for having to drink your own urine and subsist on sago grubs for days). It’s designed to be uniquely cathartic, exhilarating, and empowering. The goal is that, upon the trip’s completion, clients feel a distinct sense of earned reward. Every journey ends with a special celebratory send-off that’s indulgent and personally tailored to each traveler.
Until private space travel is available to the everyman, this may be the best way to truly escape the hustle and connectivity of everyday life. As far as Get Lost’s pricing, it depends on just how lost you’re looking to get. But, frankly, if you have to ask …
