Empowering Women of Nepal

Happy International Women's Day!! In honor of women everywhere and with the incredible efforts of the Gender Across Borders blog to have constant blogging on thoughts about equal rights, the latest post is still true to the nature of the blog - adventure travel - by writing about an opportunity that will help chisel away inequality in Nepal.

"Empowering Women of Nepal (EWN) is a non-governmental organization registered in 1999 under the social organization act 2034 of the Nepal Government. It was founded by the three Nepalese sisters Lucky, Dicky and Nicky Chhetri, pioneers in the promotion of female trekking guides in the Himalayas." The organization's goal is to improve the lives of disadvantaged women in Nepal - which they do through THREE SISTERS ADVENTURE.

The organization Empowering Women of Nepal aims to relieve poverty and empower women specifically through tourism. The founders, three sisters, believe that all women have strength and talents but because of the patriarchal nature of society and isolation in the mountains, women never have the opportunity to develop their own skills. Empowering Women of Nepal trains women to become trekking guides, opening an entire new career path for women. Empowering Women of Nepal and other organizations like it across Nepal and other countries are a wonderful way for travelers to experience a more unique, authentic and contributive international experience.

The way to continue empowering Three Sisters Adventure is to become a volunteer in their office. They run two one-month trekking guide training programs each year - one in January/February and the other in August/September, and encourage volunteers to arrive at least a month before training starts to allow for time to familiarize themselves with their specially designed English curriculum and prepare training materials. Your time will also be well spent with grant writing, web site design and in some cases, be an assistant trainer (outdoor experience, especially climbing, is necessary).

If all human beings consciously choose to become educated travelers who are invested in their temporary communities, social and environmental problems will suddenly be visible and can be addressed. Does this necessarily mean that one trek with EWN in Nepal will empower all Nepalese women? Of course not. But it does mean that one trek with EWN will mean you, educated traveler, has contributed to the spirit of one or two Nepalese women. It means that
you will have a genuine trek from guides for whom the Himalayas is their backyard. It means that you have integrity and social consciousness.

Happy Women's Day!

Read more on Three Sister's National Geographic Geotourism Win here and here

The Wild West of Ireland

The Guinness Storehouse. St. Patrick's Cathedral. Blarney Castle.


All very exciting, very important, very touristy places to visit in Ireland - and touristy for a reason! They are traditional stops on any Irish tour. What I implore you not to forget is the West Coast of Ireland - Connemara. The last wild pieces of the old Ireland with mountains, peninsula and the sea. When the British came, Irish moved west, because the British wouldn't follow them to Connemara. And while you're there, the best way to ensure some adventure is at the Killary Adventure Co.




Located in Leenane, Co. Galway, and named for the Killary Fjords around it, Killary Adventure is situated in one of the most beautiful places in Connemara. Check out the top picture to the right, on the about me; that is Killary Fjord. The nine mile long inlets provide not only beautiful photos, but an ideal place for kayaking, swimming and -yes!- cliff jumping! In addition, Killary offers zip lines, rock climbing walls, cycling and has the venues for multiple laser wars. Here is my group in full army laser regalia:

You can stay for a weekend at the actual program site, which is dormitory style with bunk beds, hot showers, and good food. Or you can make it a day trip out of nearby Galway City - a bus goes back and forth from the Leenane Sleepzone Hostel and the Galway Sleepzone once a day, making it an easy trip. This is definitely a great side trip for the exuberant, and a great way to give your liver a rest for a day after your guaranteed Guinness consumption (although if you can't handle the distance for one day..there are pubs in Leenane you can hitch a ride too).

Give the Gift of Sight in India

My next adventure advice chronicles again horses - although I promise it will not be a recurring theme! Relief Riders International (RRI) is a humanitarian-based, adventure travel company that organizes horseback journeys through breathtaking areas in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India. While frolicking through the desert a la Viggo Mortenson or Omar Sharif, you will also be giving out medical supplies in impoverished Indian villages.

Their free programs for the Indian people include: Give a Goat, Give the Gift of Sight (free cataract surgery), Free Dental Surgery and Pediatric and Educational camps. A maximum of twelve riders will journey through the desert for 15 days alongside the caravan and Jeeps, staying in mostly tents, with hotels and a haveli, a traditional Indian villa, thrown in. above, photo from post surgery
If you are not John Wayne in the saddle, never fear! They welcome novice riders, and because Relief Riders travel with so many supplies, the pace will be gentle by the caravan for you. If you are not going anywhere near a horse (thank you very much, crazy girl), then perhaps their new sister organization, Relief Workers International, will be the one for you. Their main focus is on the Gift of Sight program. The major difference? No horses. Instead, you will travel via bus and caravan.

In every program, all meals (sans alcohol), lodging, in-country travel, tours and airport transfer is provided. The only thing not included is your own transport to India..however, it still means the tab for this trip can run $5600-$6300 depending on whether you are a rider or a worker. However, it sounds like an experience that is worth every penny once you save up for it - and the 15 days/16 nights fits neatly into a corporate vacation slot, so happy traveling!

Both humanitarian-adventure combo companies have been featured in a multitude of magazines, including National Geographic, Forbes, Outside and Oprah. Read an article about them here.