At AdventureWomen, it is our goal to provide you with adventure travel vacations that are loads of fun as well as comfortable and safe. Our women’s vacations are designed with the first-time traveler in mind, but are also exciting enough to thrill the most seasoned women travelers traveling solo or with friends and family.

On all of our trips, we have experienced, vetted local guides who are native to the country we are visiting. These guides, well-versed in the rich cultural tapestry and historical significance of their respective regions, bring destinations to life with their extensive knowledge and passion for storytelling. On many trips we also send along an AdventureWomen Ambassador to accompany our groups. Each Ambassador–sometimes a long-time AdventureWomen guest herself and sometimes a woman local to the country we are visiting–is chosen for her leadership, communication and organization abilities, as well as her personality and enthusiasm!  Meet a few of our many wonderful AdventureWomen Ambassadors!

 

Ali Riley 

What is your favorite adventurous activity?
I love being active: hiking, biking, paddle boarding – you name it, I’m game! Add a little bit of adrenaline, and I call that a good day. My most recent favorite adventurous activity was gorilla tracking in Rwanda.

What do you have a passion for?
Like so many of us, I have a passion for travel. Experiencing a different culture and stepping outside your comfort zone forces you to look at the world with fresh eyes. What a gift!

What is your favorite country you have visited?
My favorite country would have to be Tanzania; I am moved with every visit. The wildlife, the landscapes, the people… I could go on about it for days! To sum it up, it’s a place that touches your soul.

What is something about you that you’d love AW guests to know?
I’m a foodie (tops in the cheese category), and even more so – a wine enthusiast. I’ve found food and wine to be the great equalizer in any culture. Break bread with people and you’ve got a friend, indeed.

Erica Landerson 

What is your favorite adventurous activity?
Take me anywhere with a big backpack, a tent, and a WhisperLite stove and I’m at home!  I also love yoga, running and climbing, but forced to chose, it would always be backpacking through the wilderness.

What do you have a passion for?
When the air smells pungent, bubbles are hissing in jars, whey is dripping and dough rising, it is then that I am in the middle of my passion: fermenting foods.  You can find me making and eating sauerkraut, kimchi, sourdough bread, kefir and yogurt to name just a few!

What is your favorite country you have visited?
I would love to go back and learn more about the ancient country of Japan.  I’m in awe of the art and culture, inspired by their values and belief systems, and fascinated by the incredibly rich and long history of the oldest monarchy in the world. And don’t even get me started on the food!

What is something about you that you’d love AW guests to know?
I’m a rock enthusiast! I studied geology at university. I have been known to bring back vast amounts of rocks from my travels. If I can get through the staggered airport security, that is. My most recent attempt left me almost empty handed as I was forced to leave a particularly nice assortment of fossils behind on my departure from Mongolia. Luckily, I had a few hidden in my pocket.

Megan Murphy

What is your favorite adventurous activity?
Zip-lining! I started out hiking into the high trees of a small Costa Rican island and landed right on the sandy shore next to the water. It was famous for being the only zip line that lands on the beach so you can take a dip right after. I am headed back to Costa Rica soon and hope to zip again. A close second is kayaking and that feeling of moving quickly through and so close to the water with long, powerful paddle strokes. The views are usually amazing!

What do you have a passion for?
I’m passionate about creating a full, balanced life for myself and my family. That includes always striving to be an open-minded listener, an active participant and volunteer in my community and greater world, travel to broaden my perspective and to learn, yoga and running to stay healthy and grounded and to be a kind, curious, thoughtful person, mother, friend and employee.

What is your favorite country you have visited?
Tough question! Vietnam. I am fascinated by many countries in Southeast Asia, but Vietnam’s welcoming people, beautiful handicrafts and textiles, delicious food, incredible energy and outstanding coastal and countryside adventures all make it first on my list!

What is something about you that you’d love AW guests to know?
Despite having traveled to about 90 different countries, I have yet to visit Iceland and am so thrilled to be a part of the AW trip! As a Mom of young twin boys, traveling in the company of like-minded adventurous women is very hard to come by. This is a really special opportunity that I feel so fortunate to be able to do.

 

Becca Murphy

What is your favorite adventurous activity?
Traveling is always an adventurous activity- especially if things don’t go exactly as planned or scheduled- and I love to explore new places.

What do you have a passion for?
Which brings me to my passion: to make sure our public lands and water remain public, safe and accessible for all to experience and enjoy.

What is your favorite country you have visited?
It is hard to tell you a favorite country in the many places I have visited, every trip has added something wonderful to my life.  I do have a “most memorable moment” that continues to influence how I see the world.   I will never forget the awe I felt floating the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon:  the power of the water that created a place of  such stunning beauty, and the feeling of being very small and insignificant in our sleeping bags under the stars.

What is something about you that you’d love AW guests to know?
But as much as I love to experience new places and people, I love coming home to Montana where I have so many opportunities to ski, hike, and fish right in my back yard.

 

Stacy Bengston

What is your favorite adventurous activity?
I love adventures such as hiking, skiing, bike riding but I would have to say my most favorite adventurous activity is traveling. It is always so exciting going somewhere I have never been before and interacting with the native people and seeing how they live. And learning about their culture and their country.

What do you have a passion for?
Being outdoors is one of my passions. Both of my jobs are outside and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

What is your favorite country you have visited?
I have 2 favorite countries that I have visited. Nepal and Botswana Africa. Nepal for the amazing Himalaya’s, beautiful scenery, great trekking and the wonderful people. Botswana for the wild animals, beautiful birds, wonderful night sounds and the beautiful country that it is. What a trip that was!

What is something about you that you’d love AW guests to know?
I love to travel and love meeting new AW Women on my trips and getting to know them. It is an amazing bond we get traveling together. So many trips we are all strangers when we first meet but become great friends when we go head back home.

 


Judi Wineland

What is your favorite adventurous activity?
I love hiking into remote villages and stepping into another world so different than mine.

What do you have a passion for?
Animals…simple…any kind …any where…and day …let me be around animals.

What is your favorite country you have visited?
That’s hard…Tanzania, Bhutan, New Zealand…but since Tanzania has the largest biomass of animals…I’ll choose Tanzania!

What is something about you that you’d love AW guests to know?
I’d like to be known as a pioneer.  Much, not all, of my travels have been adventurous, but being in the adventure travel business has always been adventurous and pioneering.  Starting in 1978 at the age of 28 I’ve never stopped and now to be with AdventureWomen is a gift!

 

Emily Vaden 

What is your favorite adventurous activity?
I love anything active as long as I can be outdoors. Hiking, biking, running, kayaking, and snowboarding are some of my favorite.

What do you have a passion for?
One of my lifelong passions is playing soccer. I played through college and I still love playing today. What’s amazing is that soccer/futbol is a universal language. You can always find a soccer match on TV when traveling, and I have many fond memories of sitting in small, local bars watching Euro league or World Cup games. You can visit any country with a soccer ball, and you will inevitably find a game that you can join. I’ve played soccer in Brazil, Tanzania, India, and beyond

What is your favorite country you have visited?
I’ve been to 20 different countries, and lived in France and Tanzania. My all-time favorite is Morocco, although Tanzania is a close second. In Morocco, I love the fact that you can be in a bustling city full of vibrant colors and noisy street vendors, and then the next day you can be in the quiet and calm desert riding a camel. In Tanzania, the wildlife is incredible, but I absolutely love the spice island of Zanzibar. Probably because it reminds me of being in Morocco!

What is something about you that you’d love AW guests to know?
I haven’t owned a car in over a decade. My bike is my main mode of transportation. Whenever I visit a new city, I always try to rent a bike to tour around. It’s the best way to explore any new city!

 

Caprice Stoner

What is your favorite adventurous activity?
My favorite adventurous activity is backcountry alpine skiing. I love the solitude and the possibility of wildlife encounters and exploring fresh snow.

What do you have a passion for?
Although I crave learning about other cultures my biggest passion is for wildlife of any kind. I feel there are so many life lessons to learn observing animals. They keep me humble and help contribute to my inner peace.

What is your favorite country you have visited?
My favorite country I’ve traveled to so far is Nepal. I find the people so gracious and they project true sincerity. The mountains are spectacular.

What is something about you that you’d love AW guests to know?
This summer will be my 12th as the Great Alaska Bear Camp Manager. It is important to me that people realize how much I enjoy sharing my experience and knowledge of these amazing beasts. It’s always a thrill and a tremendous payoff when I see the twinkle in our guests eyes as they learn something new about the bears I’ve come to love so much.

 

 

Katie Bartel 

What is your favorite adventurous activity?
This is such a tough question! Hiking/backpacking was my favorite for a long time, and it’s how I discovered the White Mountains in 2007. Since then, I’ve planned increasingly adventurous treks around the United States and the world, including a thru-hike of Vermont’s Long Trail in 2016. At its core, backpacking is about simplicity. It imparts a sense of freedom, independence, and self-reliance. I love that I can only get as far as my feet can take me.

What do you have a passion for?
I’m passionate about mountains, nature, and the outdoors in general. Lately, however, hiking has evolved into a passion for climbing. I started rock climbing in South Africa, ice climbing in New Hampshire, and mountaineering in Uganda’s remote Rwenzori Mountains. I love to share my passion for high places and adventure with others, especially all of you!

What is your favorite country you have visited?
It’s so hard to choose just one, but if I must, then it’s Ghana. I grew up traveling and exploring other countries, but Ghana’s vibrant culture, history, and people captivated me more than any other place. I have been back four times since my first visit in 2005, exploring from Accra to Cape Coast, Kumasi, the shores of Lake Volta, and beyond. Chilean Patagonia is a close runner up, though!

What is something about you that you’d love AW guests to know?
I love snow and ice. I grew up in Wisconsin, which may have something to do with that. One year, I celebrated the solstice by driving up to the White Mountains in the middle of the night in order to start hiking at exactly 5:43am, when winter officially began. I enjoy winter in all its variety, but there’s nothing quite like the adrenaline and beauty of trekking on a glacier high above the world.