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Life is uncertain - eat cake!
Travel has enriched our lives and broadened our minds, and our travel memories are little treasures that will stay with us forever. As females often traveling the world alone, we realized there was a need for women to be able to travel in the comfort and safety of a small group. Thus Venus Adventures was born.
There are many women out there who are keen to travel, but do not necessarily know how to go about it - perhaps you have no-one to travel with, or perhaps your husband does not want to travel. Or maybe you would like to take a holiday with your girlfriends. Venus Adventures wants to give women the opportunity to see the world.
There are a thousand reasons for going on a women-only trip, and everyone will have their own one . . . but the main reason has to be the opportunity to be yourself, and live it up a little. After all, you only live once . . .
Here at Venus Adventures we take pride in finding the right guides for the right trip. They are not only fun people to be around because they themselves lead interesting lives, but they are also well-organized, capable and professional. You are in good hands and will be well looked-after.
In our more "exotic" destinations we not only have a Venus Adventures guide, but also a local guide on the trip. This is for a couple of reasons: firstly, if there is anything you want to know about the local culture, then you have a local to ask, giving you a better insight into their country. Secondly, it is good to have someone around who knows the country/language and local mentality.
Our Venus Adventures tour leaders and local guides all aim to give you the best possible trip. The interests of the group and your fun and experiences are the guides' priority - if need be, and where possible, they can improvise to suit the group. It is your holiday after all.
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| Julie waiting for Lawrence of Arabia, Wadi Rum desert, Jordan |
Julie is the founder of Venus Adventures. After many years of guiding both mixed and women-only trips, she decided she really liked the relaxed atmosphere that develops in a women-only group. It's just great fun being with the girls, talking and laughing about things that women like to, well, talk and laugh about!
Julie herself is a modern-day nomad. As a child she traveled to distant places in her head whilst putting her sticky mitts all over the exotic souvenirs on her grandparents shelves, bought in countries thousands of miles away. Her grandmother's somewhat long and drawn out travel stories served to feed the flames of her travel desire, and at 18 years of age she left her native New Zealand. Her travels have taken her from North America to Europe to Africa to Asia and . . . literally . . . to Timbuktu - and back.
Julie has worked in tourism since 1992 in New Zealand and Switzerland, and has studied history and business. Her passion is travel: be warned, you may catch the travel bug off her!
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| You can never have too many scarves, girls! |
Jennie is one of our South East Asia specialists. She has lived and worked in Cambodia and Thailand for VSA New Zealand, and for UNHCR in remote northern Cambodia, an area recovering from 25 years of war and unrest.
Her love of South East Asia has taken her to many far flung corners, and thus she has a great understanding of the cultural heritage, history and more importantly, the diversity of the people living in this region.
Though now based back in New Zealand, Jennie returns to Southeast Asia several times a year, leading small groups of travellers and volunteers . . . and as aptly put by one of the people on her recent tours, "She has the energy of a 20 year old and the knowledge of a sage!"
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| Val and her Malian fan club |
Val is a Kiwi free spirit who has worked in tourism and the outdoors for many years. Her sense of adventure has taken her scuba diving in Papua New Guinea, camel trekking in Mali, sea kayaking on the Great Barrier Reef and to the Mardi Gras in Rio.
She loves people and nature and believes the more we experience, the more we can understand ourselves and the world around us. You will enjoy Val's company, her wild (but true) stories and her positive energy.
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| Dianne Sharma Winter |
Dianne was born under a wandering star. She first left home when she was 7 years old, an attempt at freedom that resulted in her not being able to sit down for a week!
Many years later, when her youngest child was in boarding school she hit the road again and headed to Nepal and India for the length of one school term. Since then she has rarely lived in one place for longer than it takes her to find a story to follow or a reason to chase it.
A writer and an explorer of the mysteries of life, India has become her university of life and learning. Twenty years of wandering and wondering about India has given her a unique insight and understanding of this amazing country.
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| Linda Smith |
Linda likes to think she is from every place she has ever been as she feels they all leave an impression on her life and attitude to it.
Originally a New Zealand 'Southern Girl' born of British immigrants, she grew up on her parents' sheep farm riding her Shetland pony in true Thellwell style.
Her quest for life experience has taken her to many places including much of Europe, some of Africa and the Middle East.
Linda went to Egypt as a curious tourist 8 years ago and she is still there, living in the beautiful Sinai desert on the Gulf of Aqaba where she indulges her passion for deserts, food, horse riding, scuba diving and belly dance; she also has a sneaking desire to own a camel.
Linda is looking forward to sharing her stories and knowledge with you through Egypt and Namibia. She is always up for relaxing sundowner or giving a belly dance lesson as the mood takes you..
Janice, NZ
