At Wild Women Expeditions, our entire team works remotely. Often, we are working from even more remote locations around the world to share stories and images from our adventures as they unfold. If you’ve been part of a Wild Women trip with a member of our staff, you’ve probably seen us squeezing in social posts over coffee or trying to find connectivity from a safari lodge in the Serengeti.
Everyone loves to disconnect and we encourage you to do just that on your Wild Women journey! It’s our job to take photos and post about the day so you can fully experience a destination without pacing and worrying about pesky wifi connections as scrolling smiley group photos slowly upload from jungle huts, national park yurts and solar powered ecolodges.
This fall, eight women from our company are on the move in all sorts of ways from kayaking expeditions to small ship navigations. Claire, our newest Client Care Specialist, has just returned from walking the legendary Camino de Santiago while Jenny (Director, Programs) is currently putting in the legwork as she trains for the famed W Trek in Patagonia in November.
It’s integral that our team experiences the same adventures as our Wild Women community from a participant perspective. We need to make sure that the itinerary is as smooth as pudding and that we’re delivering everything that we’re advertising. Also, who doesn’t want to attend a chocolate-making workshop and photograph Machu Picchu at sunrise ‘for work’?
Behind the scenes, Megan (Director, Sales and Client Care) and Jen B (Partnerships Manager) will be attending two major events hosted by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA). Megan will be learning about the latest travel trends while mingling with over 800 tour operators, destination reps and thought leaders in Panama at the Adventure Travel World Summit in October. In November, Jen B. will be schmoozing with local suppliers, media, keynote speakers and attending workshops on new adventure product offerings at the Tour Operator Marketplace at ATTA’s AdventureNEXT event in Costa Rica.
Just like you, our team feels the same jangly nerves of excitement and pre-trip anticipation. When it comes time to pack, the feeling is universal. It’s a semi-frantic time of second-guessing and double-checking, right? That’s the beauty of having your Wild Women’s private Facebook page to lean into. One is set up for each trip departure, it’s the perfect place to bounce ideas off each other and ask, “Hey, how many pairs of socks are you bringing? Are you packing hiking poles?” We lean on each other, too, and ask the same questions!
If you’re thinking about a particular trip, our staff social media posts provide a sneak peek at everything really, from the birds you might see on an Amazon river boat to the lunch menu in Labrador to the hiking terrain of Chile to the seascape of Loreto. You can check out what kind of trail runners everyone is wearing too!
We asked our Wild Women Team adventurers what they’re most excited about when it comes to their trips this fall.
Claire, Client Care Specialist:
My first thought was, wow, I am doing this! I need to get physically ready for the Camino ASAP! My second thought was one of gratitude to have an opportunity to experience an adventure that most women only dream of. To prepare, I listened to a podcast called YOU on the Camino de Santiago to help expand my knowledge of the Camino and what the pilgrimage route means to different people. Ultimately, I’m looking forward to challenging myself physically and mentally to really tap into who I am and what I’m capable of. I’m also excited about connecting with new people and places along the way each day.”
Did you see Claire’s Camino de Santiago Hiking Adventure reel on Instagram? You can check it out here. Stay tuned for her full Vlog coming up soon!
You can follow in the wake of Cline (our Community Engagement Manager) and Raakhe (Client Care), who will share the hosting role on Wild Women’s 15-day Greenland and Wild Labrador sail departing September 28th.
Cline, Community Engagement Manager:
When I was first asked to host the Greenland and Wild Labrador trip in 2022, I had to reluctantly turn it down because of a previous commitment that I couldn’t shift. When the opportunity came around again this year, I didn’t hesitate. One of the draws of this trip for me is that we start our trip north of the Arctic circle in Kangerlussuaq and head south along an immense fjord to follow the coast of Greenland to Nuuk. I’ve guided many trips in Canada and Iceland that come close to being in the Arctic, but have never passed north of the 66th parallel. I love visiting the polar regions and in 2023 I joined an Antarctic small ship expedition that crossed the Antarctic circle. I never dreamed I’d cross that imaginary line before the one in the northern hemisphere. Two other added bonuses of this trip are that I will visit Greenland for the first time, and get to spend time exploring the Arctic while hanging out aboard the Ocean Endeavour with a fabulous group of Wild Women.”
Raakhe Kapila, Expedition Experience Manager:
I’m looking forward to getting back to Greenland and hopefully seeing Nuuk. Being able to visit the Canadian Arctic and Torngat Mountains National Park with its array of colors, mountains (and fingers crossed, northern lights!) will be a dream turned into reality. I’m so grateful to experience this trip with like-minded women. This will actually be my first Wild Women trip!”
For a taste of Panama and Costa Rica, look for Megan and Jen B.’s upcoming posts from Central America. Did you know that Wild Women’s Costa Rica Explorer is a brand new addition to our 2025 program?
Megan, Director, Sales and Client Care:
Wild Women Expeditions is a proud member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA). It’s a global network that supports the adventure travel industry by providing resources and connecting professionals while promoting sustainable tourism.
As a member we connect with travel operators from all over the world. We have the opportunity to learn and to share our knowledge. As the world’s largest women-only adventure travel company we have a strong role to play in supporting women-owned businesses and endeavors. We can use our leverage to encourage more companies to employ, train and promote women in leadership roles. At the ATTA Summit in Panama City, I will have the opportunity to connect with travel suppliers who operate eco lodges, horse ranches, mountain trekking businesses, safaris and kayaking excursions and travel media from all over the world.
Before the conference, participants are invited to explore different areas of the country. I will be visiting Bocas del Toro and have the opportunity to learn about local indigenous traditions, regional crafting and nature-based adventures including snorkeling, ziplining and boat tours.
I’m looking forward to exploring a new destination, being inspired and spreading the word of Wild Women Expeditions and all we do to empower and elevate women.”
Jen B, Partnerships Manager:
I couldn’t be more thrilled, excited and proud to represent Wild Women Expeditions this November at an annual ATTA AdventureNEXT conference in Costa Rica. A like-minded group of adventure travel industry professionals will be gathering at the business-to-business event that’s entirely focused on the adventure travel industry. I will be connecting with Costa Rican suppliers and have a series of pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings. AdventureNEXT is a dynamic networking opportunity for Wild Women and Costa Rica is well-known as an adventure traveler’s haven for its biodiversity, mountain ranges, unspoiled rainforest and miles of beaches on both the Caribbean and the Pacific coast. I will have the opportunity to explore Costa Rica up close and personal prior to the conference. You will soon see me whitewater rafting, horseback riding, visiting national parks, waterfalls and of course, spotting wildlife! I’m happy to be able to experience all the country has to offer and embrace the pura vida lifestyle. I can’t wait for our 2025 Costa Rica Explorer trip to launch in 2025!”
And further south, in South America, Jenny (Programs Director) and our Adventure Expert (and star in-house photographer) Julie-Anne, will be reporting from Peru’s Amazonian jungles and Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park.
Jenny, Director, Programs:
For me, Patagonia has always been synonymous with adventure travel. It’s like the OG of eco-adventure destinations! This is definitely a dream come true trip for me. It will be my first time in South America and my first time south of the equator! I’m looking forward to experiencing spring in November and the incredible hikes along the W trek from the French Valley to Grey Glacier and the base of the Towers. I’m also looking forward to roughing it in dorms and tents with my fellow Wild Women group and then experiencing the ultimate glamping experience in the geodesic domes at EcoCamp Patagonia. I’m excited to experience WWE’s newly revamped itinerary that now includes seeing the Magellanic penguins in Punta Arenas and a full day of puma tracking in the national park. I’ll be turning 53 in October so training is important! I’ll be breaking in my new hikers and heading out on 10-20 km (6–12 mile) hikes with a weighted 10 pound (4.5 kilo) day pack. One of the great things about WWE’s Patagonia trip is that you don’t have to worry too much about altitude, but I best be prepared for some elevation gain, especially on the Towers climb!”
Check out our Patagonia Hiking Adventure itinerary here!
Julie-Anne, Adventure Specialist:
I’m really looking forward to the fact that on the Peru Explorer trip that we begin on the ocean, spend days immersed deep in the Amazon and then finish in the thin air of the Peruvian Andes at Machu Picchu. Serious diversity in one journey! I’m looking forward to lying in bed listening to the night sounds of the Amazon like the haunting call of the howler monkeys and buzzing cicadas—and all the unknown, goosebump-causing sounds outside! Meeting the local women along the way and experiencing the energy of Machu Picchu and gaining first hand appreciation for the Inca Empire—-and finally doing it not through images, but with my own eyes. As a mountain lover, I think just being in and near the Andes, a mountain range I have not yet visited. That may just be the thing that excites me the most about this journey.”
Learn more about our Peru Explorer experience here.
After tagging along with our team on the small ship expedition, whitewater rafting, ziplines and Tambopata river boats and on foot through Patagonia, don’t forget to set your sights on the sea, sun and serenity of Loreto in Baja California Sur, Mexico! Sonya (Programs) will be sharing her cilantro-tasting notes and kayaking highlights mid-November!
Sonya, Program Specialist:
On the upcoming Loreto Kayaking Adventure, I am excited to spend time on and in the water, kayaking and snorkeling. I can’t wait to see the cave paintings near San Javier as I’ve never seen anything like that before. I am also really excited for GOOD Mexican food and meeting all of the Wild Women on this trip!”
Where will you go next? After virtually tagging along with our Wild Women team, don’t be surprised if you find yourself daydreaming about that unfamiliar Amazonian soundtrack or the extreme fall colors of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Torngat Mountains National Park or simply, sharing tacos with new friends and kayaking partners in Loreto.
