female travel
The girl's guide to all things travel; optimal itineraries, recommendations and more for solo female travel and group trips alike.
How to Be a Solo Female Traveller Extraordinaire
While the first time around can be intimidating, travelling alone can be really rewarding. For female solo travellers, there are a few extra precautions that are worth taking, but you can still travel very safely in most areas.
By Ashley L. Peterson7 years ago in Wander
Home Is Where Your Heart Belongs
There are lots of people who decide to try themselves abroad. They are trying their luck—with balls—in the world. They stand up to the challenges. Then all of the sudden a feeling hits them stronger than any adventure and devotion: the homesickness. Far away from home we become astonishingly nostalgic and everything becomes better at once—our childhood, our hometown, even the housing estates and the raunchy corner shop. They miss the Hungarian flavors like Petőfi* misses brown bread.
By Kate Murphy7 years ago in Wander
Why I Was Scared to Travel in Bali
Bali, Indonesia; full of beaches, palm trees, smoothie bowls, surfing and good times. A dream destination for many, especially me. When I realized how accessible Bali was going to be to me whilst in Thailand this fall, I decided to book a ticket from BKK to DPS and explore the island. I wasn't nervous, of course. I had travelled both Vietnam and Thailand by myself, and knew that Bali was going to be a walk in the park. The only thing I was nervous about was that it was going to be absolutely packed with tourists, which let's just say isn't my favourite. As per usual, I was right. Tourists everywhere! (Mainly Aussies) But to be quite honest, it wasn't horrible. The tourists were usually friendly, understanding, and not intimidating. I talked to many people that said they felt bad for vacationing in Bali because they felt as though they were using the Indonesians and bragging about their wealth to them. When you are in Indonesia, it does feel like the locals are catering to your every need. The whole island is a part of this massive tourism industry and I'm sure not one local is not affected by it somehow. In my opinion, I think that it's great; Bali is somewhat of a poverty-stricken island, with many people living in either concrete or bamboo shacks if outside of a city centre. When you are in Bali, you do get hit with this wave of realization that you are vacationing in what you see as heaven, but what locals may see as hell. That is why there are a lot of escorts in Bali; the women want to meet white men with money that can get them off of the island. Now, other than escorting, most people feed into the tourism industry by owning souvenir shops, restaurants, hotels, or transport services. It's great that they have a way of making ends meet and that they are allowing more tourists to visit Bali, but the effect of the poverty-stricken island follows them and the tourists no matter what.
By Bekah Boudreau7 years ago in Wander
Visiting Cairo as a Female Tourist
I recently went on my honeymoon to Cairo, Egypt, and was mindful of the fact that it is a country with different views on what is considered appropriate to wear, especially for women. Whilst these may not be views that I can relate to, I wanted to be respectful to their views while I was visiting but still be comfortable in the heat.
By Chloe Schemanoff7 years ago in Wander
Being a Female Solo-Traveller
The first time I travelled by myself (other than to my grandparents an hour away from home) I was 16, naive and ready to take on the world head-on. Of course I decided to choose the beautiful country of Thailand to travel to by myself, but I didn't take into account how much of a culture shock I was getting myself into. Of course I knew the food was going to be different, and the language was going to be foreign, but I never estimated how differently I would be treated in Thailand compared to my home country of Canada. Luckily, my travels were a part of a Rotary Youth exchange program so I had a local family that I lived with and my host-mom would travel with me absolutely everywhere. But, despite having a great inside to the world of Thai people, I was still hit with an extreme force of what I had gotten myself into. Constantly being stared at, men and women coming up to me and saying that I was "S̄wy" (meaning "beautiful" in Thai), swimming in the ocean and being swarmed with groups of people asking for a photo with me, and many other incidents that left me shaken and worried for what was to come next. Although all of these strange occurrences happened to me, I was surprised, but still felt a sense of security knowing that I had someone to travel with, and thought that it was great that I had these stories to bring back to Canada.
By Bekah Boudreau7 years ago in Wander
A Waddle in the Woods
On a sweltering Friday morning in July, we woke up at zero dark thirty and got ready to head out on our adventure. Our group was myself, my husband Greg, and our neighbor Lou. Greg and Lou are both experienced hikers and backpackers. I would say that while I'm not a beginner hiker, I lack in experience. The longest hike I had ever done was about 10 miles. And this chubby girl was ready to collapse at the end of it. This adventure was to take us two days and over 21 miles. I had never gone backpacking before, so I was nervous. Thoughts swirled in my brain about what we would encounter along the way. I was worried about missing my children, Ella (4) and Rory (1). In the days, weeks, months prior I had done quite a bit of hiking and biking and water aerobics, just to build up some strength and stamina. I was ready... gulp!
By Karley Kincaid7 years ago in Wander
St. Louis—Kansas City—Somewhere in Iowa—the Entire State of Nebraska—Wyoming
I’m sure a lot of you didn’t think I was going to ever leave St. Louis. Hell, I didn’t think I was going to leave St. Louis. Car problem after random thoughts of fear and doubt later, I fucking made it.
By Christina Hendry7 years ago in Wander
Taking Risks like Vitamins
I took a risk and it ended up being the best decision of my life. I took a plunge. A leap of faith, if you will. I left behind my family, my friends, everything I grew to know and love. My hometown, my comfort zone. I left my hometown of 3,500 people to embark on a new journey to the city. A city with a population of 350,000 people. A city where I didn’t know a soul and not one person knew my name or better yet, my story.
By Mandee Prado7 years ago in Wander
The Beginning of the Lady Pirate’s Life
The life and times of buying my first boat (home) in Hawaii. It seems like a normal routine to live close to or even on the water when living in a place like Oahu, Hawaii. One would think everyone had their toes in the water, alas, the city cries day and night for the attention of those who will listen.
By Jessi Schultz7 years ago in Wander
Tips for Women Traveling Alone in India
India is a beautiful country that's filled with a rich culture, delicious food, and some of the most breathtaking sights in the world. Home to the Taj Mahal, Bollywood, and a wide range of incredible landscapes, it's easy to see why so many people want to visit this sunny country.
By Skunk Uzeki7 years ago in Wander
