Trips for female travellers
Trips for female travellers Written for Go Overseas
About Women traveling the world is nothing new: from the fictional Henrietta Stackpole, the feminist journalist traveling in 19th century Europe in The Portrait of a Lady, to the very real Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly non-stop across the Atlantic, women have always had a thirst for adventure. Solo female travel (#solofemaletravelers) is currently having its social media moment – and it’s increasingly popular for a number of reasons. Friends and family don’t always have the time or inclination to travel to the same places, or at the same time. And traveling solo doesn’t have to mean truly alone, with group tours, activity retreats, and new-found hostel friends all ways of making connections on the road. The modern adventurer has a lot of support, so however you decide to travel - holidaying with friends or family, joining a group tour, or hitting the road solo – it’s going to be memorable.
Backpack around Europe
Best time to go: Spring and Fall
Highlight: Hiking the Amalfi Coast, camping in Switzerland, cycling through Provence, or sailing in Croatia Why is Europe a good destination for women travelers? Because, although each country has a diverse political and social climate, for the most part Europeans are liberal in their attitudes towards women. European women work, study, and travel alone, meaning no one will be surprised that you do, too. Europe’s cities are highly walkable, its trains high quality, and its bus networks well connected. Your hostel will be buzzing with people ready to share their experiences and recommendations, and ready to make connections. A European tour can be done independently, or as part an organized group. Many tour providers have tours especially for young travelers that include flexible schedules and options for in-depth tours within a single country.
Attend a yoga retreat, anywhere
Best time to go: it depends on your location
Highlight: improving your yoga practice in a chilled-out environment There’s a lot to like about yoga: it helps iron out the back pain that come from sitting at a computer all day, it improves muscle tone and flexibility, and it provides an overall sense of wellbeing. Combining yoga and travel helps create the perfect vacation – and choosing to join a yoga retreat removes those logistical hassles associated with travel. A yoga retreat is like a package holiday tour for the modern woman. And a trip organized around a specific skill – if not yoga then wherever your passions lie - is a great focus point for solo travel. Not only will you spend your days surrounded by others who share your interest, but you will go home with a new-found confidence in your yoga (or other) practice. Yoga retreats typically include accommodation, meals (often vegetarian or vegan, possibly organic), yoga classes, and other sessions or workshops.
Join a women only tour in India
Best time to go: between September and March
Highlight: exploring India’s ancient culture, delicious foods, and diverse landscape Beautiful India can be an overwhelming destination – its chaotic mix of colors, sights, and smells, plus its enormous size and wealth of potential destinations, can make it difficult to know where to start. Therefore, traveling with a tour group is one way to maximise your experience in India, and avoid touts and scammers. Joining a women-only tour group, either alone or with a friend, means you will be exploring India with other like-minded women. A number of women-only tours are specifically designed for women and offer trekking, city tours, and tours with a focus on craftswomen and women’s crafts, such as henna and sari dressing. Other companies (http://theholidayscout.com/women-travellers-tours-inindia.html) specifically offer tours in North India, a region promoting gender equality, which is free of dowry, child marriage, and female foeticide.
Planning your trip Women can, and do, travel anywhere in the world. So is there anything different about planning a trip as a woman?
What to look for in a trip When choosing a tour or a country to visit, a little research is always a good idea. Even when traveling with friends, women usually have more safety concerns than men do. Knowing a culture’s customs and attitudes towards women can help you to be prepared, and help you know how to respond when facing any unwanted attention.
Types of trips
There are so many types of trips available for the woman seeking travel and adventure. Some women holiday with friends, while others prefer to traverse the globe alone. A number of femaleonly tours are curated specifically for women, while other tours will be a mix of singles, families, friends, or couples. If a multi-city tour isn’t for you, consider a retreat, or attending a workshop or language course based in another country or city.
Transportation & housing Common advice for female travelers is to always arrive at your destination before dark. Arriving late at a deserted train station and searching for your accommodation in an unknown city in the dark is never fun. If arriving after midnight is your only option, research in advance how to your accommodation or, better yet, book accommodation close to your arrival point. The quality and reach of public transportation will vary between countries. However, public transportation is usually safe due to the sheer volume of people who use it. If you do feel uncomfortable, sit next to or near another woman, other travelers, or a family. On longer train journeys you can ask them to watch your bags when using the toilet or visiting the dining cart. Your accommodation options will depend on your budget. Many hostels offer single rooms and female-only dorms or floors. If booking accommodation through couch surfing or in private homes, be sure to read all the reviews. Particularly for couch surfing, look for reviews from other female travelers.
Packing tips Try to keep your luggage light. If traveling alone you will want to be able to get on and off trains and buses unaided. Unofficial porters and volunteers may try to carry your bags for you, but know that they will expect a tip. Consider the culture of the countries you will be traveling in. You don’t have to adopt the same style of dress as the locals, but following similar levels of conservative or formal dress can help avoid unwanted attention. This means covering up in more conservative countries, and dressing appropriately for cities. Keeping your luggage light may mean leaving some things at home – so take a look at your usual morning routine and decide what you can live without. Two things you don’t want to forget when packing are sanitary items and any required medicines. Tampons, for example, may be harder to find in some parts of the world (or consider investing in a reusable, eco-friendly menstrual cup).
Activity risks Safety tips Safety is one of the main concerns for female travelers, especially when traveling alone. The amount of autonomy afforded women varies in countries around the world. This means that in some places, the locals may find it strange that a woman is traveling alone. While both men and women need to stay alert and pay attention when in new environments, there are some increased risks for women. Don’t walk alone at night. When you are out, act like you know where you’re going. Checking the map before leaving the hostel and striding with purpose will prevent unwanted approaches.
If anyone starts following you, or won’t leave you alone, try entering a store or finding another person or group to walk with. Always follow common sense and trust your intuition. Leave details of your accommodation and travel itinerary with family or friends, and check in with them regularly.
About Women traveling the world is nothing new: from the fictional Henrietta Stackpole, the feminist journalist traveling in 19th century Europe in The Portrait of a Lady, to the very real Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly non-stop across the Atlantic, women have always had a thirst for adventure. Solo female travel (#solofemaletravelers) is currently having its social media moment – and it’s increasingly popular for a number of reasons. Friends and family don’t always have the time or inclination to travel to the same places, or at the same time. And traveling solo doesn’t have to mean truly alone, with group tours, activity retreats, and new-found hostel friends all ways of making connections on the road. The modern adventurer has a lot of support, so however you decide to travel - holidaying with friends or family, joining a group tour, or hitting the road solo – it’s going to be memorable.
Backpack around Europe
Best time to go: Spring and Fall
Highlight: Hiking the Amalfi Coast, camping in Switzerland, cycling through Provence, or sailing in Croatia Why is Europe a good destination for women travelers? Because, although each country has a diverse political and social climate, for the most part Europeans are liberal in their attitudes towards women. European women work, study, and travel alone, meaning no one will be surprised that you do, too. Europe’s cities are highly walkable, its trains high quality, and its bus networks well connected. Your hostel will be buzzing with people ready to share their experiences and recommendations, and ready to make connections. A European tour can be done independently, or as part an organized group. Many tour providers have tours especially for young travelers that include flexible schedules and options for in-depth tours within a single country.
Attend a yoga retreat, anywhere
Best time to go: it depends on your location
Highlight: improving your yoga practice in a chilled-out environment There’s a lot to like about yoga: it helps iron out the back pain that come from sitting at a computer all day, it improves muscle tone and flexibility, and it provides an overall sense of wellbeing. Combining yoga and travel helps create the perfect vacation – and choosing to join a yoga retreat removes those logistical hassles associated with travel. A yoga retreat is like a package holiday tour for the modern woman. And a trip organized around a specific skill – if not yoga then wherever your passions lie - is a great focus point for solo travel. Not only will you spend your days surrounded by others who share your interest, but you will go home with a new-found confidence in your yoga (or other) practice. Yoga retreats typically include accommodation, meals (often vegetarian or vegan, possibly organic), yoga classes, and other sessions or workshops.
Join a women only tour in India
Best time to go: between September and March
Highlight: exploring India’s ancient culture, delicious foods, and diverse landscape Beautiful India can be an overwhelming destination – its chaotic mix of colors, sights, and smells, plus its enormous size and wealth of potential destinations, can make it difficult to know where to start. Therefore, traveling with a tour group is one way to maximise your experience in India, and avoid touts and scammers. Joining a women-only tour group, either alone or with a friend, means you will be exploring India with other like-minded women. A number of women-only tours are specifically designed for women and offer trekking, city tours, and tours with a focus on craftswomen and women’s crafts, such as henna and sari dressing. Other companies (http://theholidayscout.com/women-travellers-tours-inindia.html) specifically offer tours in North India, a region promoting gender equality, which is free of dowry, child marriage, and female foeticide.
Planning your trip Women can, and do, travel anywhere in the world. So is there anything different about planning a trip as a woman?
What to look for in a trip When choosing a tour or a country to visit, a little research is always a good idea. Even when traveling with friends, women usually have more safety concerns than men do. Knowing a culture’s customs and attitudes towards women can help you to be prepared, and help you know how to respond when facing any unwanted attention.
Types of trips
There are so many types of trips available for the woman seeking travel and adventure. Some women holiday with friends, while others prefer to traverse the globe alone. A number of femaleonly tours are curated specifically for women, while other tours will be a mix of singles, families, friends, or couples. If a multi-city tour isn’t for you, consider a retreat, or attending a workshop or language course based in another country or city.
Transportation & housing Common advice for female travelers is to always arrive at your destination before dark. Arriving late at a deserted train station and searching for your accommodation in an unknown city in the dark is never fun. If arriving after midnight is your only option, research in advance how to your accommodation or, better yet, book accommodation close to your arrival point. The quality and reach of public transportation will vary between countries. However, public transportation is usually safe due to the sheer volume of people who use it. If you do feel uncomfortable, sit next to or near another woman, other travelers, or a family. On longer train journeys you can ask them to watch your bags when using the toilet or visiting the dining cart. Your accommodation options will depend on your budget. Many hostels offer single rooms and female-only dorms or floors. If booking accommodation through couch surfing or in private homes, be sure to read all the reviews. Particularly for couch surfing, look for reviews from other female travelers.
Packing tips Try to keep your luggage light. If traveling alone you will want to be able to get on and off trains and buses unaided. Unofficial porters and volunteers may try to carry your bags for you, but know that they will expect a tip. Consider the culture of the countries you will be traveling in. You don’t have to adopt the same style of dress as the locals, but following similar levels of conservative or formal dress can help avoid unwanted attention. This means covering up in more conservative countries, and dressing appropriately for cities. Keeping your luggage light may mean leaving some things at home – so take a look at your usual morning routine and decide what you can live without. Two things you don’t want to forget when packing are sanitary items and any required medicines. Tampons, for example, may be harder to find in some parts of the world (or consider investing in a reusable, eco-friendly menstrual cup).
Activity risks Safety tips Safety is one of the main concerns for female travelers, especially when traveling alone. The amount of autonomy afforded women varies in countries around the world. This means that in some places, the locals may find it strange that a woman is traveling alone. While both men and women need to stay alert and pay attention when in new environments, there are some increased risks for women. Don’t walk alone at night. When you are out, act like you know where you’re going. Checking the map before leaving the hostel and striding with purpose will prevent unwanted approaches.
If anyone starts following you, or won’t leave you alone, try entering a store or finding another person or group to walk with. Always follow common sense and trust your intuition. Leave details of your accommodation and travel itinerary with family or friends, and check in with them regularly.
