SW Craft Travel Group » Travel Tips

Solo Women Travel : A Guide on how to link with a reliable Women Tours Operator

admin — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 17:18:50 +0000

Solo women travel has grown tremendously since the 80’s. What started with a few adventurous women who wanted different vacationing style than beach holidays has today become a full travel sector on its own. The solo women wanted to go out rafting, biking, walking and anything that could make them sweat.

The women pushed the demand list; they weren’t carrying the kitchen and the cleaning bucket to their holiday; accommodation had to be comfortable, in short no roughing it up. For this they got some not-so-polite words being bashed on them but they had tough skins and they hanged on. What a turn around today – nearly every mainstream tour operator has a women’s travel desk proving that the girls had a point!

Who are these solo women who want to travel in women-only tours? The demographics answer this straight away as there are more women than men, but today’s lifestyle means that there are many women who find themselves single with disposable incomes and a strong desire for travel.

When discussing travel for women, we must step outside the marital status box and define “a single or solo woman” in a fluid way, to cover any woman who for whatever reason is traveling alone.

With so many offers on female travel, it falls on individual women to seriously evaluate their women’s travel outfitter before they book a tour. Consider that women travel is not just about the destination you will visit, it is also about the sense of security and peace of mind in knowing that you booked with the best tour operator that your money could link you with.

Read and follow these 5 tips , they will help you link up with the right operator for your solo women travel:

1. Is your outfitter legal? Make this your main concern – the fact that a tour operator says all the best things about women travel does not mean that you let your guard down in checking the validity of what they say.

Just like in all other sectors of travel, women travel has its inside issues and it is upon you to check that you are dealing with a genuine women’s travel operator.

2. Is the tour operator female oriented? It does not necessarily mean that women adventure travel is best done by women-owned businesses but, there is a satisfaction of knowing that your operator has been there and done that!

3. Are they offering your preferred adventure? If you are at home in the water, go for a rafting or a kayaking vacation. It beats reason to book a hiking tour, hoping that you will fall in the step by the 5th day. You need to jump into the action straight away on day one.

Is the adventure to your ability? Yes, you want adventure but this should be in the context of a holiday not a test of endurance. Check if the activities are flexible to accommodate different abilities.

4. If booking a women group tour, what is the composition of the women group? It is important that group members give each other personal space but they should also click easily and be fun to be with.

This is more likely to happen with women travelers who are of about the same age. Really at 55yrs, would you want to be in a college girls traveling group? OK they are women, but can you last 2 weeks in their company?

5. Finally on price – the fact that you are going on a women-only tour should not mean that you break the bank. Price has to be a reflection of the value items in the tour rather than a tag for women travel.

If possible compare similar itineraries for co-ed tours and if you feel that the price is astronomical in the women-only category, ask questions and shop around for better deals.

Now that you know how to choose your women’s travel operator, hit the keyboard and you will not only get the women adventure tour that you want but also at the best price.

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What Can Women Do To Avoid Sexual Harassment When Traveling?

admin — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 18:01:17 +0000

The women of today are venturing out and traveling more globally then at any time in history. Female travelers, whether traveling alone or as a group, are encountering different cultures, religions, and societies. With this freedom comes some risks that men may never encounter. It is therefore a good idea for women to learn how to handle themselves when vacationing, studying abroad, or traveling on business.

There are some things that you can do that may help you have a safer and more enjoyable travel experience.

When traveling, or on vacation, your best protection is to understand the local culture and customs of that country. What you observe when watching how the local women behave and dress will give you valuable clues on how to avoid sexual harassment.

If the local women cover their hair, arms, and legs then you should do the same. Do not wear bikinis, swimsuits, or short shorts in towns where local women are covered up. You should dress conservatively.

Avoid direct eye contact with men as they might construe this as flirtatious. Do not talk, smile, or wave to strange men who smile or say hello to you. If a man follows you, cross the street. If this doesn’t work, find a policeman, or enter a store and ask for help.

If you need to ask for directions, always ask a woman. And, if you are traveling by bus or train, always sit with other women.

A great idea is to always carry a versatile head scarf in your handbag just in case you need to cover your head and arms.

Another tactic is to wear a fake wedding ring to discourage and help ward off unwanted male advances if you are not married.

You should wear a referee’s whistle around your neck under your blouse. It could come in handy.

Consider consulting guide books on the countries and areas that you are traveling to or through to give you an idea of what to expect. Also, take along a foreign language phrase book with you to help you communicate with the local people when you get there.

Do not wear expensive looking jewelry, watches, camera carrying cases, or even designer handbags. You don’t want to tempt any would be robbers or muggers. Take a conservative outfit along with you in case you need to wear one on certain occasions.

If you are traveling alone, it is best to travel light. For one thing you will be more mobile because you aren’t loaded down with luggage. If it’s not too small for your belongings, a wheeled, carry-on bag, or a backpack may be you best bet. It is important to try and have one hand free at all times. Having two hands free is even better. You should wear a shoulder bag that has a strong, wide strap that will fit over your head. Wearing the shoulder bag this way may help prevent someone from grabbing the bag and running away with it. The bag should also have secure, zippered pockets.

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Travel Luggage – What Features Should Travelers Look For?

admin — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 14:45:19 +0000

Almost all travelers have at one time have bought cheap travel luggage that literally falls apart after only a few years of travel and vacations. Most times in life you only get what you pay for, so it usually makes sense to invest in a more expensive, but extremely durable set of luggage. In the long run quality counts you can save a significant amount of money by not continually having to buy inexpensively made luggage.

Make sure that you always buy wheel-equipped luggage, including your carry-on. Check and make sure that the telescopic handles will lock in both the low and high positions. This is especially important if you are a tall person, as you don’t want to be always stooping over just to pull your luggage along.

Two of the top-of-the-line, wheeled, nineteen inch roller board carry-ons are TravelPro’s FlightPro4 and the Tumi.

It’s a good idea to carry luggage bungee cords with you to tie down any piggybacked luggage you may have.

What should you look for in larger-sized luggage?

Soft-sided luggage is superior to hard-sided suitcases as the locks on the latter can easily break open when your luggage is thrown around. Luggage handlers are not noted for being gentle when it comes to transferring luggage from place to place. The luggage should be made of strong, durable, 1,000 denier cordura nylon or polyester, and have double or triple stitching as well as extra reinforcing at all stress points. Each piece should have a padded, expandable handle that locks into both short and long handle positions. The luggage should also be light-weight, expandable, and have outside pockets. Brightly colored luggage is easier to pick out as it circles around the carousel. Lastly, your luggage should have large zippers and wide, rubber, recessed wheels.

Luggage reviews can be researched on the website LuggageOnLine.com.

Please note that if you purchase luggage that has detachable handles or straps, it is advisable to take them off as they can easily get hung up on airport conveyer belts.

What are the features that you should you look for when buying a backpack?

A backpack should be lightweight and feel comfortable while wearing it when it is full. A gender-specific design and a built-in lumbar support will greatly increase your comfort. It should have a weather resistant polyurethane coating, a zip-off day pack, outside and inside pockets as well as a hip belt with pockets, and adjustable, padded, wide straps. The carrying capacity of a backpack should be approximately 4,000 to 5,000 cubic inches.

A great feature of some backpacks is a light-weight steel mesh sewn inside to prevent valuable personal items from falling out if it is slashed by a robber while it is being worn.

Some top-of-the-line backpack brands are GoLite, ArcTeryx, and REI.

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