Brave Travel is launching new women-only trips to Pakistan and Nepal.

Traveling alone as a woman can be scary. Safety concerns, women’s health needs and the lack of travel experience for women are some of the obstacles women travelers face when considering starting a new trip.

The number of women seeking positive, equitable change in travel should not be overlooked. Intrepid Travel, a small group adventure travel company, recently released findings from a survey of 2,027 American adults ages 18 and older, and found that 83 percent of women ages 18 to 34 wish the travel industry could create more personalized experiences. Especially for women.

When we consider what the real travel experience entails—including remote locations, unfamiliar culture, and language barriers—it’s no surprise that women want to stick together when they leave home. Take security and protection for example. 64% of all women surveyed listed safety as the top factor influencing their travel decisions.

The convenience of staying safe while traveling has a lot to do with who you decide to share the trip with. According to Intrepid Travel research, this is a very important factor for women, and 93% of women agree on the importance of being comfortable with other travelers on a group tour.

Currently, it should not be That’s what he said. Difficult to travel as a woman. In the year In 2018, Intrepid Travel launched the Women’s Travel Collection, the company’s women-only experiences category. These trips allow travelers to engage with authentic cultures around the world and support employment opportunities for women, led entirely by female leaders. They strive to respect and empower women by addressing gender-related issues that arise when traveling as women. The initiative was extremely successful.

“Embracing equity is a fundamental part of Intrepid Travel’s mission, and our women’s trips highlight our efforts to create opportunities for women from all walks of life, facilitating meaningful connections,” Jenny Gray, Intrepid Travel’s Senior Product Manager (which created the trips) told Thrillist in a statement. “This range of tours has been our most popular in Intrepid’s 30+ year history, proving that this type of representation and experience is in demand by women.”

This year, in an effort to continue breaking down travel barriers and gender stereotypes, Intrepid Travel is bringing two more trips to its Women’s Travel initiative. As of 2018, the company offers women-only trips to culturally rich destinations, including Morocco, India, Jordan and Iran. Now, for the first time, Intrepid Travel expands its South Asian offerings, bringing female travelers to Pakistan and Nepal on two new itineraries.

Scheduled for its first departure on September 17, Pakistan Travel will guide travelers through the vast beauty and fascinating culture of Pakistan for a total of 12 days. Travelers on this trip will learn about authentic culture and tradition through the eyes of local women and visit one of Pakistan’s few women-only salons in Gulmit, where hijab-wearing women can safely and respectfully get their hair done. Guided by Pakistan Tourism Leader Aneka Ali, travelers will get a chance to discover the often misrepresented and overlooked aspects of Pakistani culture.

“Even the most adventurous travelers around the world don’t know much about Pakistan. When travelers want to visit, especially women, they want a female tour guide because of the news they hear about Pakistan, but if you look at the tourism industry in Pakistan, it’s like a man’s world,” Ali said. Why not change what you want to see in the world?’ I thought so.”

During the 13-day Nepal trek, the all-female guide group will make the trekkers visit all the women’s monasteries, where they will meet and learn about the problems faced by local Buddhist monks, including those imposed by patriarchal traditions. Travelers will have the opportunity to meet with an NGO that supports women and works to end the illegal but common practice of chowpadi, which bans menstruating women from homes, schools and temples.

During the trip, trekkers will undertake a five-day trek to discover the magnificent Annapurna mountain range, and experience local Nepalese cuisine in a traditional cooking class.

The new women-only tour to Pakistan and Nepal is set to launch this year. Others who are part of the Women’s Travel Initiative are already working. To book your reservation and know more about the trips, you can visit Intrepid Travel’s website.

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