I am fabulous, since I am in Ecuador, today flying with our group to the Galapagos Islands after having had an amazing time in the Amazon. We've seen some incredible wildlife, and today we will board our luxury expedition catamaran to explore The Galapagos Archipelago: Genovesa, Santiago, Chinese Hat, Bartolome, Mosquera
βFollow along in Instagram stories to see what we are up to and get a behind the scenes insight into our trip through the Amazon, Quito, the indigenous area of Otavalo and the Galapagos Islands.
I will be here for another full week after our tour, on another catamaran trying out the boat we have chartered for 2027, so get ready for more close up wildlife encounters with cute penguins, friendly sea lions, birds of all kinds, iguanas and more.
Next year's Ecuador & Galapagos tour is almost sold out but we have 2 spots left and I'd love for you to join us and experience this amazing place that cannot be compared to any other.
Our 2027 Kilimanjaro climb is now live, come join us for a trip that changes lives, both of the climbers and the porters helping you to the top
This week's podcast episode is a really good one packed with insights and expert tips from Sabrina, a modern day homeless person who has been traveling the world for the last 20 years and lived across all Southeast Asian countries. She has house and pet sit more than 200 times and has a wealth of experience which she very generously shares in this episode. You can't miss this one!
We have been running climbs up the mountain since 2021 so that means next year will be the 7th consecutive year!
Since we started, we have partnered with the Tanzania Woman Guides Foundation and Glory, our lead guide, to provide training, official certification and on the job experience to dozens of female guides and porters, both on Kili and on safari.
I am super proud of all the women who have become porters and then undertaken the Government course to become certified guides. They are forging new paths for women in the industry and changing the dynamics of an industry with 6,000 male guides and approx 60 female ones.
While we are far from equality, they have come a long way from the 2 female guides that existed 10+ years ago.
In the words of Janie, one of the guests from the 2023 climb:
βThis is the only company you should be going to Tanzania with! Glory is one of the most incredible women I have ever met and I have great stories to tell from this trip for the rest of my life.
The level of care and professionalism of the whole guide group who helped us ALL summit Kilimanjaro was incomparable. We were certainly the most fun, energetic, and close group heading up and down the mountain. We were definitely the most bad ass group on safari.
Donβt make the mistake of being one of the jealous onlookers by booking with anyone else. Through the whole trip the food, transport and accommodation were fantastic. I have made friends and memories for life from this incredible, life changing trip.β
Indeed, a group of 100 women between guides, guests and porters twerking and dancing up Kili, definitely turned heads and showed girls a job they were told only men could do.
If you want to be a part of this change, come climb with us in 2027, and make it to the top with the support of the Tanzanian women making a difference.
Dates: 12 to 22 June 2027
Itinerary: Click here to see the full day by day itinerary on our tour page.
Here is what you can expect from our Kilimanjaro women-only climb.
An all-female guide team + a mostly female porter crew
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Our Kili climb is fully powered by women.
All the guides will be women and there will be a minimum of one for every 2-3 guests. Some of the guides may be in training, climbing alongside our very experienced guides.
We will also hire a majority female porter crew to support you and the guides in reaching the top of Africa. If you wish to have your own porter carry your day pack, that is something you can add during the booking process.
We have helped fund the training of more female guides and porters since we started. Your climb contributes to this effort and makes the travel industry more equitable for women
We treat guides and porters as family, and pay them above market
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Cheap Kilimanjaro climbs are unethical, they do not pay the porters and guides the minimum required by law, they do not provide them with food (they must carry their own) and they carry more than the maximum 15kg per porter stated by law.
They also use dated, broken and uncomfortable equipment for you that leaks, has holes or is inconvenient and uncomfortable to eat and sleep in.
As you can imagine, if guest accommodation equipment is subpar, cheap climbs do not provide minimum camping arrangements for the guides and porters or may force men and women to share.
We compensate our team fairly and above market rates; we provide them with 3 nutritious meals a day, we only let each porter carry 15kg and we supply proper accommodation for them. Porters and guides are our family and we treat them as such, not as cheap labor.
Lemosho route, one of the best for success
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We are climbing via the Lemosho route and taking extra time in Arusha to settle in and make sure you brought the right gear with you. The Lemosho route is great for acclimatisation, the biggest threat to success.
Comfortable mattress, pillows and a flush toilet
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We include excellent technical gear to ensure you are comfortable, as warm as possible and well taken care of.
Tents that are in great shape, thick mattresses, pillows, tables and chairs for meals, hot water to wash yourself every morning and a portable flush toilet at camp.
We want you to feel taken care of, and we know the team will do just that with warm tea, popcorn, warm cakes cooked at altitude and delicious hot meals and snacks.
High success rate
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Most of our guests have reached the top in the last 6 years.
We obviously can't guarantee that you will make it to the top, but what we can guarantee are the best conditions for you to do so.
Our team will sing and dance with you to cheer you up, encourage you to keep going when you think you can't continue, keep you energized and loved as you approach higher altitudes and coach you based on years of experience.
This week's podcast episode has me talking to my friend Sabrina, a modern day homeless person.
Sabrina has been living around the world as a digital nomad and expat for close to 20 years and has been pet sitting, cat sitting to be precise, for many of those year, having stayed at over 200 homes around the world, primarily in Southeast Asia.
To say that she has tips to share would be an understatement.
She has ALL the tips you will ever need to get started and to thrive as a pet and house sitter and more, plus some fun anecdotes.
Listen to me and her catch up (we have been friends for a few years) and share all the useful things you need to know before your first pet sit, why cats are great pets to sit for, how to set boundaries and ask for what you need and what red flags should make you run for the hills when it comes to a house / pet sit offer.
Check out all the details of the podcast here, listen to the episode and start following us [Solo Female Travelers Podcast] on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss an episode:
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