Where to next?
NORFOLK ISLAND
ZAMBIA SAFARI
SPAIN
GREECE & ISLANDS
ITALY THE SEQUEL
FRENCH BARGE
ITALY ORIGINAL
GREEK ISLANDS
TUSCAN VILLA
FRANCE
MOROCCO
Travel the World
From Rome to Paris, Barcelona to Casablanca, we offer the most memorable experiences
Do it Your Way
Catering for women of all ages, interests and travel experience
Dedicated Tour Manager
Our marvellous tour manager will travel with the group ensuring support, care & fun
Welcome to a different way of travelling!
Begun in 2005, our company is designed for women who want to be able to travel alone and still feel part of a group if they choose.
As a member of our group of 10 “independent-thinking women”, you will be able to share experiences outside the itineraries of ordinary tours.
We are still there when the piazzas empty and the tour buses go home. Our small group makes it easy to wander around in places “off the beaten track”.
With the extra time our tours provide, the beauties of Italy, France, Spain and Morocco are there to absorb. There are no early starts or one night stays. Each tour is based for 4-5 nights in one place and explores out from there.
All-inclusive: Tours are all-inclusive.
Cost includes:
- double room/single use
- return economy airfare
- transfers, tips, gratuities
- 2 meals each day
- entrances, tickets
- private guides
- special events: eg: concerts, cooking classes, perfume-making, artisan visits, cultural displays…
- accompanying tour manager
- personalised photo album of your tour
Private guides: We employ local guides, women who have their own small business and know the area inside out.
Private entrances and tours: We never queue! Entrances are private and pre-booked. Those queues at the Vatican are not for us! Some of our visits are arranged only for us, so we are alone in palazzos, wineries and galleries etc.
Private transport: We have our own minibus, boats, water taxis and cars. Long distances are covered in First Class train carriages.
Special Events: Each tour includes specific special events/ experiences. Some of these are: an evening at the opera; learning how to make Puglian pasta; grotto explorations; chocolate tastings; art historian discussion; an evening tour by gondola; Berber desert excursion…..
Our hotels: We choose each of our hotels to be authentic to each region. They are always boutique-style. Many have roof-top gardens. Each is situated close to the ‘centre of town’ so our clients can experience surroundings on their own, should they wish (there is always time to explore).
Where are you going to next?
ITALY
Early 2023
Slip past the queues to the Vatican museum, to the magnificent Uffizi museum and to the exotic places in Venice…. coffee or prosecco while the orchestra plays in Piazza San Marco, take a gondola to dinner…. Let our private guides introduce you to ancient crafts and their modern artisans, dine under the Tuscan stars and above Florence. Our private boats take us to islands of Venice and of Lake Como…. we walk through countryside scattered with poppies to visit relics of empires long gone. And – we spend time in country markets of both fresh local produce and bric-a-brac; tasting cheeses, meats, wines, oils, biscuits, fruits…. life in Italy…
FRANCE
Cruise Paris’s Canal St Martin, afternoon tea where Chanel took hers, private visit to chateaux and gardens… discover the quiet spots of Provence and taste the wines of Chateau Neuf du Papes…. Come with us to magnificent Mont Saint Michel, witness the skills of a truffle dog and be one of a small group to see Cro Magnan Man’s wall paintings in the Dordogne. We lunch where Renoir painted “ Luncheon of the Boating Party” and on a goat farm and in a chateau’s orangerie
SPAIN + MOROCCO
Second half 2023
Experience the unique art and architecture of Barcelona with vibrant tiles, abstract figures and shapes, alongside elegant palaces…. the grandeur of Granada with its magnificent Alhambra Palaces and extensive gardens. Stay in converted palaces, or paradores, to experience a life of Spain’s historic past. Watch a performance of ‘airs above the ground’ from the royal horses at Jerez, then retire for a tasting of the town’s famous wine; travel to the unique desert land of Morocco and learn the traditions of the Berbers, spend time in the famous markets of Marrakesh amid the perfumes from the souks…. drive with our experts out into the desert to experience the red clay towns. Moorish castles and temples with iconic designs and shapes…
* All of our tours are underwritten by our partner; a registered travel agent. They secure your payments and manage the air bookings.
Testimonials
Frequently Asked Questions
By contacting Penny King who will introduce you to the Travel Agent.
Because our tours are arranged to be out of the high tourist seasons, the weather will never be HOT. We travel in Spring and in Autumn, so expect similar weather to that of Australia for those seasons.
Very occasionally, it can be humid in Florence. To counter that sticky feeling, we usually pack a couple of cotton/natural fibre tops – fabric that breathes!
We may be joined by women from all over Australia – each requiring different connections.
Your travel, before and after our tour, does not have to be included in our pricing structure. This allows you to choose the most appropriate options to suit your plans.
A group will fly from Australia to rendezvous at our hotel for the start of the tour. You may choose to fly with this group or to meet us there.
Varied dining experiences are a highlight of the tour. Because of this, the itinerary provides for four-star restaurant as well as local, popular trattorias and even picnics of regional specialties.
Expect to eat meals prepared from seasonal, fresh produce. We will cater to any allergies and to vegetarians – please let us know when you register..
Breakfast is provided each day in the dining room of our hotels. This is generally a mixture of breads and cereals, cold meats and cheeses, as well as fruits, yoghurts and pastries.
On a few occasions you will have the chance to choose a meal on your own. During these times your guide will also be dining at a favourite place and of course you will be welcome to join her too. (These few meals are at your own cost)
Most meals are included in the tour price –it does not include drinks.
The places we will visit are best seen by walking. Many of our walks will take us over old, cobbled and uneven walkways.
You will need to be able to walk at a leisurely pace, for tours of about 2 hours’ duration.
(Of course we will stop along the way)
To prepare yourself, we suggest that you embark on some preparatory walking daily – preferably in your traveling shoes.
Should you not be able to participate in some of the walks, we will organize for you to meet us at the site by taxi. The cost of this taxi will be borne by you.
Your luggage will be moved by porters at each stage, however, there will be a few brief occasions when you will need to carry it. With this in mind, we recommend packing as lightly as possible. A suitcase with wheels is always helpful too.
We recommend a suitcase no bigger than 64cm.
The best clothing for the trip has proven to be the layered approach. This means that no matter what the weather, you can always add or subtract a layer! A light coat will also be useful, as sometimes the evenings can be cool. (Wonderful silk scarves can be purchased once you arrive!)
Whatever we do will generally require casual clothing with comfortable footwear. Should our tour occur during the opera season and we have a night at the opera, then you will need to wear something better – no sequins & furs though!
Visits to the Vatican and other churches will require you to cover your shoulders.
To help you with your packing, we have arranged a “packing with colours and fabrics” workshop for everyone held six weeks before departure.
Deadline is 60 days prior to departure.
Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for full details of cancellation charges. Terms and Conditions are sent to you on payment of deposit.
We strongly recommend that you take out private travel insurance as soon as you pay your deposit. Our travel agent will assist you with that.
