Happy family group boarding a Kytrix Travel minibus for a day trip from the Isle of Wight

Meet the founder

Meet Dan

Founder of Kytrix Travel and Isle of Wight local who knows what it feels like to miss out on trips – and what it takes to make travel feel calmer, kinder and more accessible.

Isle of Wight basedFerry timings built inSmall groups

Founder story

A founder who has been the person left behind

Kytrix Travel is being built by Dan – someone who knows what it feels like to watch the coach pull away without you, promise yourself you’ll "do it next time", and then realise next time never really comes.

Growing up, trips to places like Blackgang Chine and school outings to the mainland were a big deal. When money, confidence or health got in the way, the message was simple: stay behind, make do, catch up on the stories later.

Years later, after weight struggles, gastric sleeve surgery and a long journey with mental health, Dan decided he didn’t just want to help people get from A to B. He wanted to build a company that quietly looks out for the people who usually sit these trips out.

Dan · Founder

Isle of Wight · Small-group travel

"Building Kytrix for the person who nearly didn't book."

Isle of Wight roots

Blackgang Chine, missed coaches and a promise

If you grew up on or around the Isle of Wight, Blackgang Chine is more than just an attraction. It's end-of-term trips, packed lunches, coach selfies and "remember when…" stories that get retold years later.

Dan remembers those coaches well – and not always from the same side of the window as everyone else. Sometimes the money wasn't there. Sometimes anxiety, weight or confidence got in the way. Sometimes it was just easier to say no than to risk feeling out of place.

It wasn't jealousy of the destination. It was the feeling of not being part of it.

Kytrix is, in part, a response to that younger version of Dan – and to every child, teenager or adult who has ever stayed home because the logistics, the cost or the headspace felt too much.

Health & headspace

From gastric sleeve surgery to getting moving again

Dan's health story is messy, honest and still in progress – exactly why Kytrix is designed for real people, not perfect ones.

Living in a body that didn’t feel like home

Before surgery, everyday travel was hard work: tight seats, crowded spaces and constant self-consciousness. Trips that should have been fun felt like risk assessments.

Gastric sleeve and the reality afterwards

Progress wasn’t a straight line – physically or mentally. That honesty sits at the heart of Kytrix: we don't pretend travel is always effortless, so we plan for the tricky bits.

Turning personal struggle into practical design

That experience shaped clear priorities: seats with breathing room, drivers who don’t rush, and itineraries with buffers built in for everyone.

Why travel?

Why someone with this story chose coaches and minibuses

The moment it clicked

Working around vehicles, helping on community transport and seeing how much difference a kind driver and a well-planned journey could make, something clicked for Dan.

He realised he didn't just care about destinations like Longleat or a big family day out. He cared about the person who almost didn't book because of cost, confidence, accessibility, or bad experiences in the past.

A small-group operator, built slowly and properly from the Isle of Wight, felt like the right answer. One place that thinks about ferries, timings, comfort and communication from the ground up.

Playing the long game

Kytrix isn't being rushed. Dan would rather launch a bit later with solid systems, safe vehicles and clear communication than rush something out.

That's why you'll see so much focus on policies, maintenance, training and honest messaging long before the first full calendar of trips goes live.

A note from Dan

Why your future trip matters more than my past

I've shared some of my story because it explains why Kytrix exists, but Kytrix isn't about me. It's about you, your kids, your school, your club, your friends and family.

My promise is simple: every decision we make at Kytrix will be filtered through Care, Comfort and Connection. If something doesn't serve those, it doesn't make the cut.

If you ever have ideas, worries or feedback about how we can make trips more accessible, I'd genuinely love to hear them. Kytrix is better when we build it together.

– Dan, Founder of Kytrix Travel

Next steps