I’m Alecia Caine and I’ve had a passion for France ever since I’m a little girl when I first heard the French language spoken. I fell in love with this beautiful language and that’s when my love affair with France and all things French began. I guess you could say France is my soul mate. If a place can actually be a soul mate. Read Alecia’s Blog and find out about her tours for women in France
Gadgets are a girl’s best friend. Well, they are if you’re a chronic traveller like us!
Gadgets and technology can really improve your travel experience by helping you keep in touch with friends and family back home, connect with new friends you meet on the road, find your way in a foreign city, or keep your favourite books and reading material with you in an ultra compact way. But there are definitely some gadgets that are better than others when it comes to choosing what you should take with you for long term travel. So before you rush into your nearest The Good Guys or Apple store, take a look at our top list of recommendations for the best and worst gadgets for women on the go. Read more
Guest post by Alessandra Bianchi who enjoys the mountain life and writes on travel blogs.
Many people head to the major cities like Rome, Florence and Venice when they visit Italy on holiday. Others travel down the Italian coast, which is another popular option. However, I’d like to tell you about the place where I live, which is still unknown to many tourists and can therefore provide you with an experience unlike any of the classic holidays in Italy. Read more
Indigoa is an extraordinary Accommodation and Cooking School based in Goa South India. It was created by Coral Taylor-Robinson. Here she shares how this venture started.
Indigoa was created from my own amazing solo travel experiences to India.
It’s been a fascinating journey suffused with anticipation, meaningful moments, mouth watering cuisine, warmth, friendliness, spirituality and so much more. Read more
Guest Post by Jenny Baker writing about Ice Lolly – the Holiday Comparison website.
Spring has been slow to arrive this year in the UK, leaving many of us to daydream about getting away from the British weather and taking a holiday. It isn’t difficult to make this dream a reality, and heading online means that this option is affordable too. Great low-cost holiday deals can be found by visiting Ice Lolly, which features foreign destinations to suit all tastes and budgets. Read more
A guest post by Sarah Fox Growing up in South Africa, Uganda was one country I had always been eager to explore and getting the chance to do was a dream come true. Read more
A Guest Post by Denise Bevan
After living in Antigua for a year I decided it was time to learn to sail! Antigua really is the Mecca of sailing in the Caribbean, so this was the place to do it I thought. After making some enquiries, I decided to make a booking with Miramar Sailing – a company based in Jolly Harbour where I live.
Being a complete beginner, I was advised to book the RYA Competent Crew Course; there was also the opportunity to book this for a “Ladies only week”. Sounded like lots of fun I thought. As the date was getting nearer I had a couple of apprehensions: maybe I will get seasick, maybe I would miss technology (especially Facebook and email!) and how am I going to remember all the knots (making knots was never my strong point back in the girl guides!).
Packing was supposed to be very light – another difficult task for me but I managed, in fact it’s quite liberating not packing makeup, high heels and carrying a selection of dresses and handbags – all of which are really not required whilst sailing on a yacht for a week (unless you are featuring in a Duran Duran video!)
My course started on 8th April, I was ready to go! Read more
Guest Post by Katie Hunt of Earthwatch
The group I went on my expedition with, I am in the front row with the teal neck bandana!
The first question we get asked by people is: What the heck does Earthwatch actually do?
I start off with: “well, we organize these scientific expeditions all over the world, but for people who aren’t scientists . . . it’s like they’re on vacation, but they go to do research on the environment and culture and other stuff . . . it’s really great!”
This summary would always lead to more questions than answers. The people who go on Earthwatch trips aren’t scientists? Then why are they doing research? Who wants to go on a vacation like that?
Now I’ve just returned from my first Earthwatch expedition, and I know exactly who wants to go: people who are curious about the world and hungry to learn more about it. Read more
Homeric Writers Retreat
and Workshop
Greece 1-7 of August
The Isle of Ithaca
A blissful location, plus some very skilled instructors all focusing on fine tuning your writing skills.
Hosted by Jessica Bell - if she could choose only one creative mentor, she’d give the role to Euterpe, the Greek muse of music and lyrics. This is not only because she currently resides in Athens, Greece, but because of her life as a 30-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, award-winning poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, whose literary inspiration often stems from songs she’s written.
With literary agent Katharine Sands and author Beatriz Badikian-Gartler
This retreat is about riveting your writing during a week of workshops, designed to hone your work, an immersive and intimate Homeric journey. Focusing on both craft and career, New York City-based literary agent Katharine Sands invites participants to their own private odyssey on the island of Ithaca …
- Up-to-the-minute tools to organize your thoughts and plan all aspects of your writing and book projects.
- Lectures and Exercises: In-Class Review of Writing, Projects, Query Letters, Proposals and Agreement(s).
- WORKS IN PROGRESS DISCUSSED AND CRITIQUED DAILY
You can even win a scholarship…
The Vine Leaves Literary Journal is offering you the chance to WIN A SCHOLARSHIP TO OUR RETREAT, which is worth 1,550 Euros, plus more! MORE ON THIS
A guest post by Mary Hamilton-Smith of AUSTRALIAN WOMENS TRAVEL.
Mary leads regular trips for women to India and Europe – why not join her?
Whist on our recent trip to India, my friend Ashiq’s cousin was getting married in Jodhpur, and so we were invited to attend. February is the wedding season in Jodphur and there were 28 on the night of the wedding we attended! The wedding celebrations go on for 4 or 5 days!! It is full on , and nothing like we are used to here in Australia! We were so lucky to have the opportunity to be a part of this celebration and where treated like celebrities!!
It was very important to the family that we looked the part for the BIG night of the celebrations and we where asked to dress like them. Ashiqs mother ,a beautiful and gracious woman, was given the task of taking us shopping for the occasion.
First stop the fabric shop, the outfits come in 3 pieces, fabric for the top, fabric for the pants and a ready made scarf.
We sat on the floor of the shop on a large white sheet ,as the shopkeeper undid packet after packet of combinations ,until we found the ones that we liked. Next stop the jewellery shop, where we once again sat on the display floor, a great deal of care was taken to find the perfect Jewellery to match our fabrics, It was hard to imagine we were only buying cheap paste jewellery, so much fuss was taken you would think we were in Tiffany’s New York !!
However ,we completed out transactions and came out with the appropriate earrings, bangles, necklaces and ankles chains ( one for each ankle) all large, glittery and full of BLING!
Next stop the house of the dressmaker, there was a lot of tooing and froing and advice being given to the dressmaker from every woman in the house (neighbourhood?), who had dropped in to give their opinion on how to dress these strange women. (How to make the limited amount of material they had go a long way, as we were all either taller or bigger than any of them). We then spent the afternoon getting our hands hennaed.
All the women and children in every household we visited prior to the wedding, were all running around with henna drying on their hands and feet.
Miraculously, oour completed outfits arrived late on the afternoon of the main ceremony and we rather self consciously got dressed, all of us finding ingenious ways to get our earrings to stay on, as the pins wouldn’t go through the holes in our ears. Cheered on by the crowd, the groom, who had been blindfolded by flowers ,wove through the streets on his white wedding horse. The band blared, ladies holding huge plastic chandeliers on their heads lit the way followed by a rather noisy generator, which couldn’t be heard above the din. )
A man ran ahead of the procession and let off fireworks every few minutes, that made us jump with fright every time! Each time we turned a corner the band stopped and energetic dancing took over . It was utter chaos, but its also vibrant and exciting, this is what we where there to do, experience India!
During the whole celebration and ceremony I couldn’t help but notice someone important is missing . “Where is the bride” I asked? “ “At home” was the reply, getting ready for her ‘Golden Night’??????? Oh and by the way the bride and groom have never met………
More Links for Women travelers to India
