Farm life in Cumbria
Alison O'Neill was brought up in the Howgill Fells in Sedbergh , where the Lake District melds into the Yorkshire Dales. A qualifi ed shepherdess, she now runs walking holidays as well as her family farm with help from her husband, aunt and niece. In clement weather, husband John turns up at a pre-designated spot with a picnic, while in summer Alison will encourage you to go for a swim in the river or walk barefoot. Guests can stay on the farm or in gypsy caravans, help out on the farm or get stuck into WI-style baking marathons; the farm provides much of its own food, with a particular emphasis on cakes. A two-night weekend break costs from £325 , including all meals and guided walks.
• 015396 20134; shacklabank.co.uk
Shopping in Sri Lanka
Anjuli Flamer-Caldera, a recent graduate of the LSE, fl its between London, New York and Sri Lanka. When she's in Colombo, she can provide an exhaustive trip to Sri Lanka's finest boutiques, jewellers, furnishing and antique shops (her mother is one of Sri Lanka's best interior designers) as well as tips on restaurants and nightclubs. Tours are available to travellers on a holiday with Ampersand Travel , which offers a range of itineraries to Sri Lanka. Eight-night holidays cost from £1,920, including flights, accommodation, plus car and driver.
• 020 7289 6100, ampersandtravel.co.uk
Outback experience in Australia
In the 1990s, Sara Henderson wrote a series of books about running a 500,000-acre cattle station after she was widowed. Bullo River Station in the Northern Territory is now run by her daughter Marlee and her husband. Described as wife, mother, bull catcher, pilot, cattle musterer, cook, bulldozer driver and accomplished horsewoman, Marlee and her husband also now run the cattle station as a guesthouse. Guests can join in with the farming activities and also go fishing. The Bullo River, which feeds into the Victoria, is famous for its barramundi, and also thread fin salmon, jew fish and black bream - more remote spots are reached by helicopter. Doubles start from AU$750 (£345) including all meals and most activities.
• 00 61 8 8354 2719; bulloriver.com
Wildlife safari in Kenya
Run by Anne Huysman, Kenyan by birth, and her Dutch husband Peter, Ontdek offers women-only safaris that are lead by female guides – an extreme rarity in the world of safaris. As well as wildlife safaris, guided walks and bird watching tours, an Ontdek holiday gives you the chance to visit local markets and villages, all with your female guide, offering a unique insight into the life of women who live on Kenya's plains. Women-only tours are available, as well as private safaris and group tours.
• 00 254 20 352 4405; ontdekkenya.com
Gorilla-spotting in Rwanda
Offering a rare chance to meet Rwandan women, the Kinigi guesthouse was set up after the Rwandan genocide to benefit and find jobs for local women. Located at the bottom of Sabyinyo mountain, the guesthouse – which accommodates more than 40 people – is an ideal base for a gorilla-spotting trip, with the chance to gain more of an insight into local Rwandan life by talking to the women who run the guesthouse. The manager, Ms Mukangenzi Beatrice, has plans to introduce local community tours and traditional dance shows in the evenings, and all profits from the guesthouse go towards helping to school local orphans and other community projects.
• rwanda-kinigi-guesthouse.com or email rwanda-direct@hotmail.com
Trekking in Nepal
Lucky, Dicky and Nicky Chhetri were running a guesthouse in Pokhara, and heard repeated stories from western women travellers of problems with their male guides. Lucky, the eldest, had trained at the Himalayan Mountaineering Training Institute and they decided to set up a guiding business with two aims; to off er safe trekking for solo women travellers, and to bring new possibilities and opportunities to women living in rural communities. When they began the company in1994 there were no female guides; over the years they have created a training scheme to allow other women to lead treks. They also own a guesthouse outside Pokhara and along with trekking can also organise rafting trips and jungle safaris to the Chitwan and Bardia National Parks. They off er a range of treks, some of which offer the chance to meet local village women, while others involve camping. They offer women only treks and use profits from the company to fund projects to empower local women. Treks cost from £200-£900.
• 00 977 61 46 20 66; 3sistersadventure.com
Teaching English in Peru
Responsible Travel's Teaching English in Peru trip offers the unique chance to work with women's craft groups in villages outside of Cusco. The idea is that you live with a family and spend time learning weaving and other crafts from the local women, while teaching them English to help them sell their products in the tourist markets. During the placement you get to know the women of the village and have a rare insight into Peruvian culture and mountain village life. The Teaching English in Peru trips range from two to 12 weeks and start from £695, excluding flights.
• 01273 600030; responsibletravel.com
