TRAVEL FOR WOMEN HAS NEVER BEEN SO EASY!
There are literally dozens of websites which cater for women travellers, and some of the best are New Zealand grown.
I am aware there can of course be disappointment. A 'charming spot
on the Mediterranean' we once booked turned out to be a cramped basement in an English urbanizacion, but it was clean and the owner was helpful. I would always employ a travel agent for the long-haul bookings
and itinerary juggling. But, instead of agreeing to anodyne global hotel chains, I recommend starting the adventure at home, spending many happy late night hours on the Internet. The little secret is that you may get far more than you expect for far less than budgeted; a second, practical, little secret is to use sites aimed at people like you – some intelligent research will soon sort out the clean from the dirty. The raw and random search can be simplified by looking at sites
recommended by a local, such as Women Travel the World, see www. womentravel.info. It has articles, tours and adventures by women who have been there, done that, and written the blog. You can find inspiration, advice, and links to other enticing web-based travel sites. I recently found a new site called www.soulsistertours.com, written
by a woman I would like to know judging from her biography and expeditions. I loved her desire to combine the outer journey with a spiritual focus. Would I give her a go? Why not? We gave it a go in Istanbul – where we were picked up by a dodgy
taxi, whisked along crazy, crowded streets in an unexpected direction. I was still muttering about the white slave trade and disappearing Kiwi tourists when we pulled up outside our tiny city hotel. There we ate the best baklava and the juiciest fried aubergine ever. We also got an offer of marriage and the promise of 20 children if only we would step into the Turkish carpet shop, but that is another, slightly dirty, story for another day. Ceridwyn Parr www.womentravel.info
Rosemary Neave is the networking energy behind Women Travel.
Ceridwyn Parr is a regular contributor.
www.facebook.com/womentravel gowomentravel
WOMEN TRAVEL BLOG
www.womentravelblog.com Stories of women's travels from around the world
WOMEN TRAVEL THE WORLD
www.womentravel.info Over 200 Tours listed which have been designed particularly for women Over 200 accommodation options especially for women travellers
WOMEN TRAVEL NZ BLOG
www.womentravelnz.com Stories by and for women exploring New Zealand
WOMEN TRAVEL NEW ZEALAND
www.womentravel.co.nz Tours and accommodation for women within New Zealand.
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I have cruised down the Canal du Midi, ridden camels in Morocco and explored the streets of Hanoi's old quarter. It's fabulous travelling with a small group of women. And what friendships we have made along the way!
" www.womentravel.info www.hermagazine.co.nz | 115 womentravelnz
