Finding Your ‘Sisters’ Through Travel: Sisterhood Travels Helps Widows and Solo Women Build Self-Confidence

What makes women-only travel different

Designing women’s trips requires a very different set of skills, Ray says.

“I create all the itineraries myself, and I’m very invested in them,” she says. “There are certain components that are critical to me. One is that, above all else, we must be good global citizens. That’s huge. Number two, I try to allow, in every trip we do, opportunities for cultural immersion and special experiences with who I call ‘our sisters’ in these destinations.”

On some trips, Ray arranges for women to meet the leading human rights advocate in that country; a woman who has helped change laws in that country. Or, she might take women to a woman-owned restaurant that shares her story of how women can be self-employed and be successful. Or, there might be a dinner with an influential woman such as an author.

“Our women love these experiences,” she says. “We do a lot home visits on our trip, to families who want to do that as a money-making experience for themselves that they need. But also, they love the cultural exchange as well.”

When it comes to empowering women, however, Ray says it’s not just about travel. Travel is a huge learning opportunity when it’s done right, she believes.

“It’s also things like how do you navigate an airport?” she says. “Or, how do you decide whether you want the chicken or the fish for dinner? They become skilled, but primarily, we want them to have confidence. And you can’t teach confidence. It has to be built and develop on its own.”

“Through travel, I’ve learned so much more about myself,” Ray says. “I’ve learned who I am. What my boundaries are. How compassionate, really, am I?”