Females are fierce, and our travel style is no different. The new year promises even more epic travel opportunities as we slide into 2019, so we hope you have your passport handy. We're craving diversity, far-flung destinations that promise adventures to remember, and refreshing our bodies and minds with a side of surrounding ourselves with strong women. Oh, and heavy on the culture, please. We're about to dish up some inspiration from your fellow jet-setting females based on upcoming travel trends for the new year. Follow suit, or forge your own way: either path will have you pioneering 2019 in various corners of the world, or, perhaps in your own backyard.
It's not just destinations that are trending; it's the type of travel luring us there. We've gathered trend intel from some top touring companies about how 2019 is shaping up for women specifically, and it's got us ready to book a flight (or 10). If you're into trekking, there are multiple locales beckoning you this year. If foodie travel is the name of your game, then get a whiff of some upcoming hot spots. Whether you're thinking of embarking on a solo venture or joining a group of badass explorers, there's a trip idea for everyone here.
While we can't predict everything on the horizon in the New Year, there is one thing for sure . . . 2019 promises a hard lean toward adventures of every kind. Are your bags packed?
A tried and true classic, road trips allow you to be in charge. After all, it is the best way to explore a new place, stopping when and where you'd like to gawk at views. Raising the bar in 2019, we're trending toward giving the traditional road trip an adventurous makeover by cranking it up a few notches. Getting behind the wheel to explore on your own schedule, crafting your own brilliant plan, and forging your own way around every corner — this is the way to tour a destination. And the best part? Endless roads around the world are waiting for you to drive them. Plus, road trip snacks.
Where to Go: The Faroe Islands offer an untouched, savage road trip escape with stunning scenery, and this is the year to do it before it gets overly popular. Discover tiny Viking villages, moody oceans, and curvy roads dotted with sassy sheep. Other increasingly popular road trips to consider include the Isle of Skye in Scotland, New Zealand, and the Balkans. Off the beaten path, here we come.
Where work and holiday collide . . . in the best way possible. Coworking spots are popping up all over the world, and 2019 is the perfect year to take a month and work remotely (if your job allows). Reliable internet, productive work spaces, and communities of like-minded individuals make coworking an ideal adventure for both city and middle-of-nowhere-lovers. A solid choice if you have flexibility within your job, this allows you to fulfil your desire to delve deeper into local life by having a home base where you're travelling.
Where to Go: Work from the jungle at Outpost in Ubud or try out Selina in one of their Central or South America locations where you can have tacos nightly, if you so please. Or get your California on, and base yourself in San Francisco with Roam. Client meetings at 11; surf's up at 3. Where do we sign?
Women are interested in putting themselves out there in more far-flung destinations, but in a safe way, a representative for G Adventures told POPSUGAR. This includes guided small group tours to remote locations. Women are trusting this type of travel experience to tick off places on their farther-flung bucket lists while staying safe.
Where to Go: According to data provided by G Adventures, the destinations with the highest growth over the past year for American women have been Ethiopia, Egypt, Jordan, Sri Lanka, and Rwanda. Morocco, Nepal, and Colombia have also become more popular among female travellers.
With the rise in popularity of using DNA and ancestral technology like Ancestry.com and 23andMe to uncover our cultural roots, the next natural step would be to head to the homeland. Inspired by your results, you may be curious to learn more about your background with firsthand experience. And if that means travelling to where your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents hailed from, then that seems like a completely reasonable excuse to travel. Having a personal connection puts a whole new level of meaning behind this kind of trip, and we're in full support of this "back to your roots" trend. Maybe you'll even find long lost family and they'll invite you over for dinner after throwing you a parade. A girl can dream.
Where to Go: Pick a heritage from your background, and book a ticket! Who can argue with "I'm 37 percent Italian, so I'm gonna need to go eat all the pasta in Italy." Seems pretty solid to us. I mean, we're just doing homework on our history, right?
Learning a new skill is becoming a fun, engaging part of travel and a surefire way for ultimate culture connection. More and more, we're drawn to hands-on experiences, and learning how to do something new while on a trip is definitely hands-on. If you're looking to push your boundaries, test your limits, and try all the new things, this travel trend is for you — even if it means fishing with your hands in Greenland.
Where to Go: Take a surfing lesson in Hawaii, a cooking class in Thailand, or learn how to dye textiles in Indonesia . . . all part of the experience in a destination. In a remote valley in the Tyrol region of Austria, you can even enrol in a farm school where you'll learn how to milk goats, hike with them, building traditional wood fences, and mow field grass the old school way. You'll definitely have some good stories from this one.
According to TourRadar, in-depth cultural experiences are topping the travel trend charts for females in the upcoming year. Choosing travel itineraries where we can soak up as much culture as possible and experience the authentic side of a place is most definitely something we're focusing more on when choosing trips. This means tasting local cuisine, staying in guesthouses, and learning about the history and culture in a way that's connected to the local community vs. just rushing through to see main attractions and snapping a picture to say you've been there.
Where to Go: Egypt, Morocco, India, Japan, and Sri Lanka are top picks for culture-rich travel in 2019 so far. Seems like a fantastic place to start.
Bucket list-inspired travels have always been a thing, but this trend isn't showing any signs of slowing down. If you want to get up and go, use your multitasking skills to check off some of your potentially elusive bucket list items as you travel. After all, these lists aren't going to check themselves off. Why not make 2019 the year? It's an exhilarating feeling knowing you're doing something you've always wanted to do, putting a dream into action. So it's no surprise that bucket lists are fuelling the travel fire in a real way.
Where to Go: Whether you want to check off seeing the northern lights in the Arctic, or taking a hot air balloon ride at sunrise in Turkey, let your list lead the way!
There's nothing quite like completing something that takes time, tests our endurance, pushes our limits, and exposes us to new things while forming bonds with others sharing the same challenge. All hail the multiday trek. Signing up for days of hiking against a ridiculously scenic backdrop with a pack of similar thinking people has a way of uniting us, feeling supported, and sending us home with a pocket full of epic tales. "Women are increasingly interested in travelling together in groups of other women, particularly those with whom they share a hobby, background, or affinity," a spokesperson for G Adventures told POPSUGAR.
Where to Go: Nepal anyone? This seems to be a favourite. New Zealand, Chile, and Peru are all chart toppers for trekking as well. There are paths to be trekked — lace up, ladies.
Foodie destinations are continually on the up and up, and we wholeheartedly agree. We're well aware that food isn't just the way to our hearts, but also one of the best (if not the best) ways to experience a culture through the most basic human tie. There's an ever-evolving list of emerging culinary destinations, and we're here for it.
Where to Go: Travellers are heading to some under-the-radar foodie destinations like Slovenia (try the pumpkin soup); Chattanooga, USA (try biscuits and spreads); and Lima, Peru (try chicharrón).
Discovery travel is more than what it sounds like, although yes, there is "discovery." It's about maximising your time by seeing as much of a place during your trip as possible, aka bopping around and getting a healthy dose of diversity in the time you have. Many of us lead busy lives, where our PTO is a precious commodity. We want to travel far and wide, but time is always of the essence. Discovery travel allows you to explore a destination with a "can't stop, won't stop" mentality, absorbing as much as possible in your allotted time.
Where to Go: According to TourRadar, this type of travel is already trending for female bookings in 2019, specifically for Southeast Asia and Europe.
The beach is always on trend but with a twist in 2019. Although there is a time and a place for all-inclusive vacations, we're itching to leave the resort life for bigger pursuits. Beach vacations with bountiful opportunities to venture beyond the usual boundaries are rising in popularity, even more this coming year.
Where to Go: Enter Tulum, Mexico, where you can relax on the beach in the morning per usual AND discover caves, cenotes, and more in the afternoon. Perhaps you'd like your beach cocktail after chasing waterfalls or dabbling in some coastline ridge hiking in Kauai. Or maybe your afternoon swim will be with giant sperm whales in the Philippines after basking in some sunshiny vitamin D with a good book on a Tuesday morning. Proof that the beach will never be boring.
It's easiest when you go cold turkey with no cell connection, so off the grid we go. With more of us needing a break from social media and technology in general, this trend is creating more opportunities to unwind unplugged in 2019.
Where to Go: You can DIY it, staying somewhere in a cabin off the grid, like in Alaska, or for the nonplanners out there, you can sign up for a special detox retreat with everything planned out for you, allowing you to disconnect and live in the real moment. Digital Detox Retreats even have a rule about leaving your "FOMO" behind. Well, if you insist.
We all love a good spa day, but how about a spa wellness week with all the feel-good-from-the-inside-out details taken care of for you at a wellness-specific resort. Whether you put together your own self-care trip or let a resort take care of all the particulars, one thing is for sure: you've earned this. Women are seeking out an all-around refresh as part of their travel experiences, and well, same. Travel is a perfect platform to practice mind, body, and soul wellness in order to recharge our depleted batteries.
Where to Go: There are a plethora of choices, depending on what kind of wellness focus you're interested in doing. Yoga-centric programs abound, with some top notch choices in Costa Rica and Thailand. Meditation, healthy eating, and fitness are all part of the equation as well, which can be uncovered pretty much wherever you fancy!
We can mostly thank social media (and the builders of interesting lodging) for this one, but we're not mad about it. Instagram accounts that feature cooler than cool cabins, treehouses to slumber in, or uber unique Airbnbs around the world are becoming steadily popular, so much so that it's been known to fuel travelling to a destination. I mean, who wouldn't want to sleep in an igloo with their best girlfriends or watch the sunset from a house boat or sip a glass of wine from your covered wagon with your bestie? Why the hell not.
Where to Go: The world is your lodging oyster . . . or something like that. The Pacific Northwest is known for having an abundance of unique, cosy cabins. Scandinavia boasts ice castles to channel your inner Elsa, and we're OK with that kind of magic. Glamping Hub is basically an online library of unique lodging. So for more inspiration, search their card catalogue of sleeps.
