Ways for Women Travelling Together to Bond

Cynthia Ord
25 February 2011

I’ve seen a lot of travel articles written in praise of solo travel for women. They’re great. I’ve done a good amount of travelling alone and I do love the independence and self-fortification as much as the next girl. Yet, it has its limitations. I’ve found that there are certain things I’m just more comfortable doing within the safety of numbers and these pursuits are often a little livelier in good female company. While soloing is great, there’s really no substitute for travelling with friends.

So, women wild for non-solo adventure take note: here are five travel activities, some of them more intense than others, to look back on together as little old ladies. After all, reminiscing together in years to come is also part of the fun!

I would never have ventured to hitchhike alone in Albania, but with a Peace Corps Volunteer who knew the ropes, it turned into one of the most culturally interactive experiences of my trip

Hitchhiking

It’s impossible to generalise about women hitchhiking, a travel practice the acceptance of which is anchored in local circumstances and norms. But it’s probably safe to say that there are very few places where it is advisable for foreign women to hitchhike alone. Even in pairs and groups, it can be risky business.

In some parts of the world, however, hitchhiking is nearly as systematised as public transit. When in doubt, my advice is to ask someone familiar with the local culture about the reliability of hitchhiking, in terms of both tolerance and security. Peace Corps Volunteers, for example, are usually very well versed in the safety issues of a location.

The TAZARA train from Tanzania to Zambia

The TAZARA railway runs from Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, to Lusaka, Zambia. For these two Zambians, the slow journey with possible delays means guaranteed time to catch up with travel companions. Photo courtesy of Gina Ord

Taking a Train

In the Wes Anderson film The Darjeeling Limited, a long train ride teaches lessons in brotherly love and male bonding, offering numerous chances for repairing strained relationships and wounded hearts. A slow train ride really is as classic a bonding scenario as screenwriters have imagined it to be, for sisters as well as brothers. A trip spanning several days of shifting panoramas serves as a natural setting for getting closer.

During a backpacking trip in Eastern Africa, my sister and I took the train from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to Lusaka, Zambia. What was supposed to be a three-day journey turned into more than four. All the downtime was actually a great chance to reconnect with my sister after years of living apart.

My good friend Laura (right) and I found a couch to surf for five days in Cagliari, Sardinia (Italy). It was her first Couchsurfing experience, so she was glad to have a more seasoned surfer lead the way.

Couchsurfing

My first Couchsurfing experience was an epic road trip from Colorado to New York City with my friend Jamie. I had read a magazine article about this social networking site for hospitality exchange, but I was wary of trying it alone. Jamie and I built our profile together; we were ‘two girls and a station wagon.’

Since then, I’ve done plenty of solo Couchsurfing, emboldened by my first experiences as a pair. Yet, the most photos and most revisited memories still come from that first trip and from other times I’ve crashed couches while in the company of my friends. Current pending couch request: Vancouver in British Colombia, Canada, with my sister.

In some climates, such as the warm sunny coast of Tanzania, no fancy camping gear or men are needed. We just had a simple tent and a place on the beach to pitch it.

Camping

Not enough women go camping together. We seem to think that guys are needed to do things like build fires and pitch tents, which is false. Build your fire using the classic cabin or tee pee structure, and if that doesn’t work, just use some hairspray or perfume on it.

Maybe it’s the security factor that makes men seem necessary for camping, but this ignores the laws of the wild. If some predatory animal trespasses on the campground, it is not going to know the difference between male and female campers. A good guard dog or some rocks to throw is equivalent to having a man around. Your best defence: be brave, stand your ground.

One of the best thrift stores I found was this one in Granada, Spain. My sister Diana, our good friend Melanie and I tried on the collection of vintage flamenco dresses.

Thrift Store Tours

The holy grail that I always look for in new places is a good thrift store. Used clothing is for sale all over the world and thrift stores are a familiar frontier for bargain hunters. My most beloved clothing items were all found secondhand in other countries.

Of all five activities, this one is possibly the most dangerous to do solo. Mirrors sometimes lie about how well a floral silk scarf will ever match anything you own, convincing you it’s a good idea. It’s always best to have an honest friend there on tacky patrol, because there are just too many ways to go wrong in a thrift store. Be wise and get a second opinion before buying.

Cynthia Ord

Cynthia Ord discovered the WHL Group while interning with the local partner Outdoor Albania for a summer. She is currently based in South America, working with WHL Assist, helping out with The Travel Word, and planning her next trip. On the side, she writes about the impacts of tourism for her blog, tourism, people and the earth.