The Night Train

Last night we caught a sleeper train from Hanoi about 9pm to Lao Cai, very close to the China Border – in fact this town was decimated when the Chinese invaded 1979. Its a junction point rather than a destination, and its just a 45 minute drive to Sapa – and serious mountains.  We arrived at 5.30am, so we see the sun rise and the light filter into the valleys as we zig zag our way into the hills.  The clouds hide the mountain tops, and rice terraces line the lower slopes.

Sapa itself is a town of 30,000 hanging off the side of a mountain and looking down into the valley of minority villages with their huts and rice fields. Venus Adventures for Women have booked us into the Cat Cat View Hotel overlooking the valley that leads to Cat Cat village which we will visit later in the day. Read more

Geringer Global Travel, has just created an 11-day authentic trip to India combining local family home stays and intimate boutique properties. The package is completely customizable and starts at $1,759 per person, double (which includes everything except international flights).

A perfect option for the woman traveller! Read more

Fancy living in the wine region, welcoming the world to your door at a world class B&B – the fabulous Le Couvent is for sale.  I have stayed there and it is absolutely gorgeous – a dream come true for two English women who now have other dreams to pursue.  So you could make this your future. Read more

A guest blog post by Lucia Monlia about her Family Camping Trip in the Jura region of France

During the school holidays I went on my first camping trip with my husband, my two children and my rabid dog, it was at times an unmitigated disaster. To stop you from making the same mistakes I made I’ve compiled a list, I hope you can learn from my misery…enjoy.

Decked by a chair

Before going camping my husband kindly gave me the task of buying some deck chairs as well as some other bits and bobs. It’s fair to say teaching isn’t the most lucrative career but my decision to the buy our deck chairs from the pound shop is one I now regret. It was only the second day when reading through my latest novel the deck chair suddenly collapsed from under me only to be followed by eruptions of laughter from my caring husband and children.

Marshmallow meltdown

With our careful supervision the children toasted some marshmallows on the camp fire. On one occasion a marshmallow became engulfed with flames and in a mad panic my youngest son threw it in the direction of our dog, which steadily picked up the stick and flaming marshmallow before running in the direction of our tent. Luckily, the marshmallow melted and fell off the stick before our dog entered the tent.

Light my fire

On our first night, my husband, with his caveman like behaviour took charge of the fire. He had the kids collect the perfect fire wood and began constructing his masterpiece; I sat back in amusement a little smug knowing what will likely happen or not in this case. After 40 or so minutes all he had summoned were a few measly sparks, I was getting hungry and so were the kids. Somewhat dejectedly he reached for the lighter fluid and within seconds he had it lit. Please men don’t think you are Bear Grylls, it’s chilly and we’re hungry just get the lighter fluid and don’t be a hero.

Digital switch off

We let our eldest son take his new portable game console on the trip this was more to keep him entertained while travelling in the car. One day we decided to go hiking and we let him pack his own bag including a water bottle, chocolate bar, sandwich, another chocolate bar and unknown to myself and my husband his portable game console. Like all young teenagers he was at the back flagging, however, what we didn’t know was that while he was climbing over rocks and boulders he was also playing on his portable games console, impressive multitasking until he slipped and cracked his screen, he won’t be getting a new one.

Domestic Enemies

My husband the ever practical joker, thought it would be funny to move our tent while I was sleeping in it, right up against a wall. I woke up blurry eyed haven’t not slept very well due to the very raucous wildlife and climbed out of the tent head first straight into a stone wall. Be very wary of practical jokers, camping brings the worst out in them.

I’ve now got a cracked head, sore backside and an even grumpier teenage son. Maybe I’m a little crazy but despite all of the calamities experienced during our family camping holiday I would still go back. Life is about creating stories and camping facilitates this beautifully, hopefully for myself and my family this is just the beginning, chapter one.

http://www.keycamp.co.uk/ Camping Holidays in the UK and Europe

HostelBookers, the budget accommodation specialist, hand-picks the 10 best hostels around the world to suit women travellers for whom security, a spot of pampering or the feminine touch, really matters. 

Read their top 10 list here

Some of them look great and have excellent reviews, but of course HostelBookers are looking at the ones they have available on their website – and they are focused on hostels.

Women Travel the World

This amazing website has hundreds of women owned accommodation around the world .

Some great places – from the Women only B&B in Florence, Italy, or The Mermaid women’s accommodation in Wellington New Zealand.  There are some fabulous women owned accommodation around the world - click here to see the google map showing the hundreds of options.

Most are small boutique places run by local people, not large corporations, its a great chance to meet the locals and see the area through their eyes: Women Travel the World

Working in the city may have its compensations, but looking out the window sometimes we dream of a different lifestyle.  Christine Lewis left the corporate world in London and swapped it for a ‘tree change’ in the spa town of Hepburn Springs in Victoria, Australia. Read more

I have recently come across this great Indian Tour Company Periplus Getaways. There are quite a few women who lead some great tours for women to India, but Periplus is different in that is owned and run by a local Indian woman Nutan Thangan. Like Moksha of Back and Beyond Motorcycle Tours,  Nutan is keen to work with people in other parts of the world to organise tours for women in India. Read more

Dianne Lorae has just launched LadyBug Travels as a membership organisation . She wants to grow the membership globally through creating a unique travel opportunity or women travelers:

Since many women often have limited travel budgets and women centered needs I conceptualized this business to open doors of opportunities for independent women travelers.

Members join and when they want to make arrangements we contact one another directly, setting the accommodation dates and arrangements between the Hostess and the Guest. You don’t necessarily host the person who hosted you. Everyone travels to their chosen destinations with unlimited exchanges allowed for the price of the membership $19.95 US/Month ($239.40 US/Yr.)

All members post a personal and property profile along with photos. Photo postings are mandatory so that each member can discern their own comfort levels when considering a location.

I just launched my website this month and women are just CRAZY ENTHUSED about the idea -  I am very uplifted and encouraged by my business from so many women.

Join up and see the world and have the world visit you too!
LadyBug Travels

Over a period of 25 years Lyn Baker has taken over 1000 women on small group tours in India with her company Tiger Travel. She has just launched a new business Senoritas in the Sun – small groups of women enjoying the South of Spain. Women Travel caught Lyn between trips and interviewed her about her passion for India and more recently for Andalucia Spain Read more

Article by By Jodie Munro O’Brien

MEN have been banned from the floor of a hotel in Brisbane, with its owners saying the “Ladies Only” level was inspired by the increasing number of businesswomen travelling alone.

On the fifth floor of the Portal Hotel in the inner suburb of Spring Hill even the staff have to be women, in a bid to improve safety for guests.

Men probably wouldn’t want to check into the rooms anyway as they’re filled with scented candles, flowers, women’s magazines, bathroom products and hair straighteners.

A pamper bar replaces the mini bar and includes beauty products and other pampering items alongside the wine.

Portal Hotel owner Georgie Woods said the decision to make the floor women-only was based on demand.

“These days, women account for around 40 per cent of Australia’s business travellers,” she said. “That’s a lot of ladies travelling alone, often in unfamiliar cities without a good working knowledge of the area.

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