Our podcast is live! + 250 OFF Japan, Bali, Croatia, Tuscany, Barcelona
Published 20 days agoย โขย 4 min read
Hi Reader,
I hope you are doing well wherever you are.
I am writing this from Kyoto, where we just finished our first tour to Japan.
This was an absolutely wonderful experience that I shared with 11 guests all but one of which had previously traveled with us, so it was nice to catch up with old friends and meet new ones!
Japan is a place that stays with you; The very considerate and thoughtful way of life coupled with a culture that honors traditions while also merging them with modernity makes this a country that changes you. It is spiritual in a way that is meaningful, and it can make you feel Zen without you trying.
The concept we have heard most often during the past week is "One time, one meeting", a Japanese proverb that teaches us that every moment is unique and impossible to replicate, and should therefore be treasured. It encourages mindfulness, presence, and embracing the fleeting nature of life.
There have been so many such deeply irreplaceable but fleeting moments during the last 11 days.
From the burning ceremony at a family temple led by a nun to the medicinal lunch with herbs we just picked in the countryside, the lunch with Ama divers or the private mini Noh performance in Kyoto. Every day has been filled with awe and rooted in tradition.
And all this with against the backdrop of a perfect cherry blossom which bloomed on the day the trip started in Tokyo and is ending with the petals floating in the air engulfed in sakura snow as trees return back to their naked branches.
Needless to say, we also had a fabulously fun group of women who came to have a great time and had just that. There was a lot of laughter, new friendships and a little too much shopping!
โ
Everyone should visit Japan once in their life, if only for its teachings in mindfulness, meditation, grounding and being respectful and considerate of one another. The world would be a better place if we were all a little more Japanese in our dealings with each other and our appreciation of the nature around us.
I am still sharing the last days of our trip on Instagram stories and you can still join us in June (late spring) or October (fall leaves). See tour details here.
๐ฉ On this week's email
Our podcast is now live! Listen to the first episode on your favorite podcast platform.
We are closing bookings on our summer trips so we are offering 250 EUR off on the last remaining spots available
Our podcast is live!
โ
We have been working behind the scenes on the Solo Female Travelers podcast for a year and I am so so excited that the first episode is finally live - yay!
This one is an introduction to the team, how we got started, how we met and our travel life, sprinkled with soke anecdotes and funny moments.
You can get to know me, Meg and Anastasia better through the never before shared insights into our early travel life. You can also learn how to say my name (wink wink), how Meg invented the first form of spam and how Anastasia moved from Belarus to the US.
Each episode will be hosted by one of us, and some of them by 2 of us, depending on who knows what topic best.
This podcast is not going to be like any other podcast; if I can promise you something is that we will be asking the questions others don't, reflecting on controversial topics, taking you behind the scenes of the travel industry to challenge what is considered responsible tourism, and introduce you to fun, fearless and bold women from around the world.
I hope you will follow us along on this wild ride, and add us to your weekly playlist.
A new episode will be published every Tuesday, just like this newsletter.
Find us on your favorite platform and follow the podcast to avoid missing out on any fun episode!
You can find us under Solo Female Travelers on all other platforms
Let me know what you think of our first episode!
Don't forget to submit your embarrassing travel stories! The first one will be included in the next episode.
All podcast episodes are also on our website here.
250 EUR off all summer trips (till April 15)
โ
Summer holidays are upon us and we still have very few spots left on some of our trips, but we need to close bookings soon, so we are offering 250 EUR off the available spots if you book before April 15th:
This photo was quite a hard one nobody guessed, and I agree there were not enough clues for it.
It was taken in the San Blas archipelago, in Panama, 3 year ago when I spent a few days there with a friend. We chartered a catamaran and a private plane to take us there from Panama City and had the best time. A boogie trip indeed...
This week's photo
Can you guess this week's photo?
โ
In case you missed it
Interesting travel news, discussions in the group and other important travel updates:
Ryanair is not flying to many places this yer, and it's not because of the fuel costs but because of it's disagreement with airports over airport charges. See full list here.
Scam uncovered in Everest where a group of sherpas, helicopter operators, agencies and hospitals got together to scam insurance companies out of evacuations that were never required by poisoning trekkers. More here.
Impact of the Iran way you may not be aware of. See here.
The ethical implications of "slum tourism" in viral posts of influencers in Rio's favelas. More here.
Sending hugs from Japan and Egypt, where Meg is with our group
Solo Female Travelers Co-Founders
โ
Solo Female Travelers S.L.โ C/ Europa 18 5-2, Sitges, 08870
โ