Today I was this many years old when I learned I can hop on a plane, travel thousands of miles to a destination, meet a group of women I’ve never met before, and have the time of my life.
I’m talking having my face muscles so sore from smiling and laughing so much!
Oh, and I also learned an unopened beer can will float…
More about that later.
I would like to thank Sisterhood Travels for inviting me on this trip. This is an authentic, unbiased review of my experience.
Sisterhood Travels Review: Solo Female Travel Groups
When an opportunity came up to join one of Sisterhood Travels’ most popular yearly vacation tours, the Girlfriends Getaway, I jumped on board.
I updated a blog post called “The Best Women’s Only Travel Groups” last summer and since then it is hands down my most viewed post. I obviously struck a cord with an ever-growing segment of the traveling population; the midlife and beyond age group of women that are thirsting to take on the world on their own. They are timid about totally going solo and doing all their own planning. They long to find others who share this goal, so they are looking for women’s only travel groups like Sisterhood Travels.
I wanted to find out more about this growing women’s only group travel company. Its mission aligns perfectly with mine. Encouraging midlife women to live a joy filled life through travel. Travel is not only about the destination, but the freedom, empowerment, and self confidence that blooms inside with each mile. My focus; solo travel, Sisterhood’s focus; mature women’s solo travel in a group setting.
Sisterhood’s founder, Stacey Ray, traveled extensively with her husband and previously owned a travel company with him. When he passed away, she was left without a travel partner, but the travel bug continued to take a bite. She shifted her travel focus and came up with the idea of women’s only travel. A safe and inspiring place for women like her without a travel partner, to meet and travel with other solo women. While destinations, cultures, and food leave a lasting imprint on the travelers’ soul, it’s often the people we share that with and meet along the way that touch us the most. Often forming lifetime friendships with others that share a special bond, like a love of travel.
Sisterhood Travels offers women’s only luxury trips all over the world. The trips consistently have high demand and sell out. The private active Facebook group is over 40 thousand strong. It’s filled with seasoned women that have been on sisterhood trips, those awaiting their first trip, and those that are looking for the inspiration to take the plunge.
Typically, when I travel solo, I am completely on my own. Planning everything and doing everything on my own. I thoroughly enjoy this. It serves my introverted side, and I’m never lonely. But…
I absolutely love meeting people, so this would be a great opportunity to meet like-minded, similar in age, women with a love of travel. Ninety percent of the women were solo and had never met each other. I would not be alone.
Booking and Pre Trip Information
When you are deciding on the trip you want to take, make sure you look at the activity level and know your limits. This is not only for your benefit, but for your fellow travelers as well.
The booking process is easy. Select your trip on the website and book. You will go on to the nitty gritty. To avoid any surprises, make sure you read the policies before. I would highly suggest getting the travel insurance. You never know what can happen. It’s better to be prepared.
Airfare is not included, so you can book that yourself, or have Sisterhood Travels book it for you for an extra fee.
Often a private Facebook group is set up for your particular trip. It’s a good way to communicate. For the Girlfriends Getaway, Stacey made an informative video and put out all the information you needed beforehand. The itinerary is set up in the app Trip Plans. On this trip the main way of communicating during the trip was through WhatApp. That was effective for immediate communication between sisters and the leaders, and the sisters among themselves.
Choosing A Room To Yourself Or Should I Be Placed With A Roommate?
Because of the trip being sold out and a recent cancellation, I would share a room with the friend of the woman who had canceled.
I’ll admit, I was a little nervous about this. They provided me with my roommate’s name and email address before we shared a room for seven days, so we could start contacting each other to get to know each other a bit.
I had one bad roommate experience in the past, which put me on guard. I reached out to Ellen through email, introduced myself, and quickly received a reply with her telling me a bit about herself. It settled my anxiety a bit. I was sure we would be fine.
Sisterhood Travels usually have a few single rooms available. Many times, in order to save money, travelers will select the roommate option. The company will pair you with a roommate unless you list another person’s name on your registration. The single supplement with group travel is something that often deters women from this type of travel, because it can be a steep added cost.
It takes a great deal of upfront open communication with a roommate you’ve never met before. Will you stick together throughout the trip? Or are you more of an independent, wanting a little breathing space to do your own thing? It’s okay to go your own way. It’s also important to be honest. Are you a night owl? Or wake up at the crack of dawn. Be courteous. Bring earplugs and an eye mask.
Read this article about being a great roommate.
Arriving At Margaritaville in Riviera Maya
The Girlfriend Getaway trip took place for seven days at Margaritaville Island Reserve, its newest property in Riviera Maya Mexico. The resort is all-inclusive, with a nice sized multi pool area, outside bars, restaurants, and outside activity area. Its medium size impressed me, as it made it perfect for almost 100 of us to have a getaway. The only thing that was a little disappointing was the beach area. To make up for it, the resort ran shuttles to the sister property about five minutes away, which has a nicer beach area.
Sisterhood Travels arranged the transportation to and from the airport in Cancun. During this trip, the husbands of two of the leaders greeted guests as we came out of baggage claim and ensuring we got on shuttles throughout the arrival day. After a day full of delays, I finally arrived six hours later than originally scheduled. I was exhausted and seeing those guys was reassuring. It thrilled me I could just sit back, relax, and not have to worry about getting myself to the resort.
Once at the resort, my roommate came to greet me. She and the bellman escorted me to the room, explained all the lights and other room features. I tried to listen, but all I saw was the bed and I wanted to just crawl in and get some sleep.
I chatted with Ellen, and got settled. She had graciously left me half the closet and shelves, so I had plenty of room to put my stuff.
Getting To Know My Fellow “Sisters”
The next morning, I was well rested and ready for the week. Ellen and I went to breakfast at The Boathouse which had a spacious buffet spread with everything from made to order omelets to grilled veggies. We found a large group of our fellow travelers to sit with. The required purple lanyards we wore around our neck with our names and states identified us all.
I found it easy to break the ice. Small talk isn’t my thing, but it was easy to ask where everyone was from, if it was their first “Sisters” trip, and how was their flight, ect. We also joked about trying to remember the names of everyone we met. I knew this would be my weakness.
I made sure after breakfast to get out and walk through the pool area and say hi to all my fellow sisters I came across. Some already knew each other, but it seemed every time I encountered a group, they were welcoming and invited me to join them.
And that’s how the week went. By Wednesday, it was clear some women had gravitated to some and not others. It was a natural progression. One thing I learned is it is impossible to meet everyone in such a large group. I was okay with that. I had formed friendships with a group of women, but tried to make it a point of talk to as many women as I could.
Fun In The Sun: When It Was Out That Is
I won’t get into a play by play of what I did all week. It was windy and cloudy most of the week, but that didn’t deter me from spending time at the pool sipping a few Miami Vice frozen drinks. We had opportunities to go on excursions that were not included in the trip price. I choose an ATV tour to the Cenotes (natural sink holes that have filled with water), where we could swim. It was worth the extra cost and any time an ATV is involved, I’m game.
A highlight of the week was the luxury catamaran which was scheduled to take us out to snorkel, swim, have lunch, and enjoy music. The extremely high winds kept us inside the safety of an inlet, but we still could swim, have cocktails, watch full beer cans float after being tossed from the boat to thirsty women in the water. Was it a bit disappointing we couldn’t go farther out? Sure, but the vast majority of us had a great time anyway. At one point I looked beyond the confines of the inlet to the fierce waves beyond, thankful for a crew looking out for our safety.
We had other scheduled activities. A welcome dinner and party with a DJ was so much fun. This was when I danced like it was 1999 all over again. No one cared how you danced. We all took turns in the middle and we all cheered for whoever was in the middle like they were the stars of the dance floor.
In order to mix and mingle a bit, we had the scheduled “Dine Around” activity. I enjoyed this because there were a couple of women I would not have gotten to know if it hadn’t been for this.
My favorite scheduled activity was the Forever Young Fiesta and Tutu Parade. This entailed a tutu contest! A tutu??? Of course, I was going to buy myself one and go all in. This was more fun than I even imagined. Can you imagine 70 women of a certain age parading around in tutus? I didn’t win, but I sure enjoyed myself. Another DJ spun tunes that prompted us to hit the floor again. On lookers watched us from the balcony of their rooms, envious at how much fun we were having. I would have envied us too.
With the exception of a little hiccups, everything ran smooth. The leaders and staff of Sisterhood Travels worked nearly 24/7 to answer questions, help when needed, and be true ambassadors of fun.
Solidifying New Friendships
The week came to an end with a final dinner. Most everyone gathered in the main lounge area after for drinks and to say goodbye. New friendships were solidified. Plans were made for a next Sisterhood Travels trip.
My new friends and I sat outside. Others came and chatted with us. It was too beautiful outside to be inside. The night was warm with a hint of ocean breeze and a salty tang in the air. Throughout the week, I was able to learn about my new friends families, their lives, why they travel, and fun facts that make them special (Camille, I’m talking to you!! :-)). Hugs were exchanged all around. It wasn’t goodbye, it was a beginning.
I believe I was actually the first sister to leave the resort early the next morning. I had an ungodly early flight to Honolulu. It was going to be a long day of travel but the joy and lightness I felt from a relaxing and extraordinary week would get me through.
After taking this trip with Sisterhood Travels, I am officially hooked on this company. The beautifully crafted itineraries that Stacey puts together herself aren’t your typical cookie cutter tours. So much care and time goes into each one, with the soul purpose of fostering an unforgettable experience for each of the women in the “sisterhood”.
But the big takeaway, the thing that separates Sisterhood Travels from other women’s only travel groups, is the community. Sisters looking out for each other. Sisters lifting each other up. A policy of kindness, inclusion, and no judgment. A community of women bonded together by a love of travel.
Learn more about Sisterhood Travels and its upcoming tours here.
Join The private Facebook community here.
Sisterhood Travels seems like a great option for women over 45 who are interested in traveling solo. The author enjoyed meeting other women who love to travel and found the trip to be well-organized.