As Spring begins, Sara and I like to reflect on the season just gone. How did the holidays go, what were most popular, how many surveys were filled in by guests, and what did we learn? All of it helps us in our planning and especially as we plan for winter 2024. What adventures will we offer to help women through those darker, colder winter months? Will they fancy some warmth, will they want bracing coastal UK walks, or will they have a New Year’s resolution to try a new snowy sport? Or perhaps the misty mountains of the Himalayas have been calling…
Do tell us what you think by emailing contactus@walkingwomen.com
Now to our round-up of winter 2023 …
For the first time, we offered Christmas away to the fabulous island of La Gomera, one of the smaller and lesser-known Canary Islands. To stay in one of the best hotels on the island, chosen by us for its eco-friendly approach and its stunning position overlooking the ocean. To feel a little pampered with swimming pools, spas, ocean views, great food and the company of other women all wanting something different at this time of year. La Gomera has rainforests, mountains and coastal walks giving great variety to our hiking. Women walked or relaxed – this holiday was about doing exactly as you wanted. We are repeating this over Christmas and New Year this year and have listened to feedback and will be offering walks to stretch and the more relaxed ones.
The local guide, Rene, was superb…so uplifting and motivating.
UK winter hikes
And back home, we offered some UK winter hikes – not always easy to tempt people outside into the rain and cold! But sometimes we can be lucky, and the skies clear and the air is bracing. We like to keep active all year, so we do keep trying … and we know our doggies love it …
Arnside, Buxton, Bamburgh and Hebden
Snowy walks around Buxton, empty beaches where dogs run free and the stunning sunsets of Arnside in quieter Cumbria. Plus, we had a Get Goat Fit winter weekend in Hebden. We had small groups of women who all wanted to brave the elements and get out there.
It was a perfect return to walking – lovely countryside which I had always thought of as bleak.
Our guests were not disappointed by the walks and the surprisingly good weather. What we know is so important is to be able to return to a warm, cosy hotel. One hotel wasn’t up to scratch, which will change next year!
Winter Wonderland
And then we had our Winter Wonderland holidays – to walk in the snow, to try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, to walk on a glacier – to simply embrace what the magical, white wonderful chilly winter landscape is. Ginny was born in the coldest winter of 1963 in England and always feels at home in the snow!
This year we found snow in Switzerland, Slovakia and Norway and ice in Iceland.
Seeing women supporting each other to try something new and seeing the sense of achievement at the end of the holiday is priceless. Thank you to all our incredible guides who encourage, support and have fun making these holidays very special.
Adventuring further afield
And last but definitely not least, we decided to adventure further afield as we began our second year. Sara visited Tanzania to set up our summer holiday here, and we took small groups on Safari in Kenya and walked in the lower Himalayas of India.
Safari is not our usual walking, but we work with small local companies where you can walk amongst the animals safely and learn wildlife photography too.
In India, we have found the perfect partner in Sheetal and Rainbow Journeys, and we are offering an October 23 holiday with her as well as going again to walk in the Lower Himalayas in February 2024.
Loved all the experiences we had as they created a true sense of adventure and a once-in-a-lifetime experience
In our winter season wrap-up, we looked at our survey results – 100% of guests would recommend our holidays to others, and we thank you. Word of mouth is everything – THANK YOU.
