BALI
Bali is, of course, known for its beaches. Ensure you take time out for a dip.
Bliss Sanctuary for Women has been described by OK magazine as “the ultimate place for some R&R”. This stunning property promises a blissful Bali retreat experience offering a spa vacation and healing holiday for the body, mind and soul. Your break, at either of the two locations, Canggu or Seminyak, is personalised to help you feel reinvigorated about life and yourself. And the venue caters to lone female travellers or small women-only groups. Out and about, there are animal welfare issues in Bali and the elephant rides and activities are best avoided, but if you want to get up close with local wildlife, pay a visit to the Sacred Monkey Forest of Padangtegal, Ubud, which is home to over 300 cheeky grey-haired macaques. Shoppingwise, there are plenty of modern air-conditioned malls, but don’t pass by the street markets where you’ll find everything from designer duds to awesome art.
Colourful street markets sell everything from clothing to trinkets and decor.
Join in a healing water ceremony at Tirta Empul Temple.
Make sure to try freshly caught seafood along the coast at Jambaram.
Tanah Lot Temple is famed for its unique offshore setting and crashing waves.
Bliss Sanctuary for Women offers various retreat activities to leave you feeling relaxed and revived.
Make sure the cheeky inhabitants of the Sacred Monkey Forest don’t steal your lunch!
FINLAND
Head to northern Lapland between September and March for a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights.
An ultra-luxurious, women-only island retreat is to open off the Finnish coast this summer. Created by Kristina Roth, founder of SuperShe, a female-centric online community which helps influence and guide women embarking on their own businesses, the retreat features 10 cottages equipped with fireplaces, decks and designer linens. It aims to give women a place to relax, unwind and concentrate on wellness, both mental and physical. But, to get there, there’s a Skype interview with Roth and you’ll need a referral from SuperShe members!
Make it through the vetting process, then followup your girls-only break with a road trip to see some of Finland’s other weird and wonderful sights such as The Silent People at Suomussalmi, more than 1,000 scarecrow-style ‘people’ standing in a field watching over the road; or Oranki Art, a little-known sculpture park of contemporary environmental art in a Lapland forest.
Chill out in the womb-like Kamppi Chapel in Helsinki, described as an alien church.
Check out environmental pieces at Oranki Art.
Discover fantastical animals constructed from junk at Alpo Koivumaki Safari Park.
Put your own interpretation on The Silent People, creator Reijo Kela refuses to explain!
Book your trip in August and take in the increasingly popular Air Guitar World Championships.
Pass the vetting to visit the female-only island.
LANZAROTE
Castillo de San José is a gallery and modern art museum in the surroundings of an old fort.
A long-time favourite destination with Brits and Germans, this easternmost of the autonomous Canary Islands is known for its year-round warm weather, beaches and volcanic landscape. Timanfaya National Park’s rocky landscape was created by volcanic eruptions in the 1730s. Cueva de los Verdes has caverns formed by an underground river of lava and the east-coast resort of Puerto del Carmen is home to whitewashed villas, beaches and many good dive centres.
For a proper girly getaway, head to Famara where Birgit and Julika, aka the WaveSisters, run fun surf and yoga camps for women. Only around 10 per cent of surfers are female and the pair want to grow this number. They cite studies that show women learn more quickly in a single-sex environment, so they’ve put together a women-friendly package which includes 20 hours of surf lessons and three 90-minute yoga sessions, staying in a shared apartment.
The annual Visual Music Festival takes place in the Jameos Caves.
Visit La Graciosa, a tiny island off the north coast. No roads, just fabulous beaches.
Go for paella and chilled grape at Bogavente alongside the extraordinary volcanic beach at El Golfo.
Timanfaya National Park is an awe inspiring sight.
Take to the water in a girls-only group.
Visit traditional vineyards in the almost lunar landscape.
