OUR
FAQ
WHAT MAKES TRAVELING WITH WHOA DIFFERENT?
When you travel like WHOA, you’re getting a life changing travel experience that will help you step far outside of your comfort zone. Sharing these adventures with like-minded women from around the world creates an energy that’s unstoppable -- something that's invaluable when you’re taking on an epic trek like Kilimanjaro or paragliding over the Bavarian Alps! (It also makes everything exponentially more fun!) You’ll find that after a WHOA adventure, you’ll leave with a new perspective on the world, sense of self, and crew of awesome, life-long friends.
On top of that, we’re all about combining our passion for adventure with compassion, and do this by connecting with local women and their causes everywhere we go. Supporting women is at the heart and soul of what we do, and it's what makes the WHOA experience so much more meaningful for everyone involved. We take lots of care to ensure that wherever we are in the world we are offering safe, authentic, sustainable experiences. When you travel with WHOA, you can rest easy knowing that our itineraries and partners have been vetted and adhere to our high WHOA standards. Through our passionate, knowledgeable local guides and partners you’ll get to see and understand a new part of the world with an insider’s POV, while also being a responsible traveller and supporting the local community.
I LOVE THAT THERE’S GIVING BACK BUILT IN TO EVERY ADVENTURE! WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO?
“The best way for us to cultivate fearlessness in our daughters and other young women is by example. If they see their mothers and other women in their lives going forward despite fear, they’ll know it’s possible.” - Gloria Steinem
We’re proud to be a company by women for women and feel lucky to live in a country and come from families where we are able to pursue our passions and dreams. The sad truth is that in many parts of the world, women are denied the most basic rights like education and control over their bodies. As global citizens, this is a problem all of us need to take on, and one that we can collectively overcome.
With every WHOA adventure, we work closely with local women and their causes to do something that is meaningful and sustainable for them and their families. The specifics of each project vary from location to location and situation to situation, but we like to focus on something we call Experiential Giving Back. We believe that actively taking on challenges and adventure is a powerful agent for personal growth and building leadership, that’s why we include local women in the adventures that we take on. No matter your background or day-to-day struggles, when you’re white water rafting or trekking to a mountain summit, you have to dig deep and you begin to discover all that you are truly capable of achieving. The gift of adventure gives local women access to a powerful shared experience that they might not have had otherwise. It creates an opportunity for women from all corners of the world to spend quality time together, get a better understanding of the world, and to ultimately be empowered by each others strength.
ALL WOMEN?! WHY?
Why not!? The energy and support system that is created when we’re together is incredibly unique and powerful. You know how great and recharged you feel after a night out with your girlfriends? The silliness, the laughter, the dance parties, the empathy and the heart-to-heart conversations? Well, that’s the vibe you can expect on a WHOA adventure.
How is whoa going above and beyond to be an environmentally friendly and sustainable company?
At WHOA, we take pride in our commitment to be sustainable and responsible adventurers! We honor Mother Earth by respecting and protecting the environment, and we believe in finding partners who share the same commitment to our planet. Bottom line, we want to be a force of good in the adventure travel space and minimize the impact of our travels by leaving places the same, or better, than we entered them. Here are some of our initiatives:
More than just leaving no trace and packing in & packing out our garbage, we do trail cleanups on our adventures.
Carbon offsetting flights for WHOA employees and group leaders, and encouraging our travelers do the same.
Participating in reforestation efforts, most notably in Iceland and Chile, by partnering with organizations doing sustainable tree planting projects.
Encouraging adventurers to pack sustainably and minimize their waste creation by utilizing reusable products, like dry bags and stasher bags, and to avoid buying and bringing single use plastics altogether from the snacks traveler’s bring to water bottles to toiletries.
Most importantly, we aim to educate our travelers to think about the environment and what kind of impact they're having. Our goal is to collectively create less waste and leave a positive impact in the regions we’re adventuring to.
Learn more about our WHOA ECO sustainability initiatives >>
CAN I Go By MYSELF?
Of course! In fact, most of our adventures are a spilt of solo travelers and small groups of friends. WHOA adventures are a great way to meet other awesome like-minded women! We’ll match you up with another solo adventurer to share a room, or if you prefer to stay on your own, we can work something out too. Just let us know ahead of time.
WHAT TYPES OF WOMEN GO ON WHOA ADVENTURES?
Single ladies, wives, mothers, sisters, photographers, writers, doctors, students, body builders, empty-nesters, bartenders, surfers, yogis, east coasters, west coasters…you get the idea, right? We’re less of a specific demographic and more of a mindset. We’re the type of women that don’t fit into a specific box -- we’re an eclectic group of strong, curious and adventurous women!
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A WHOA ADVENTURE?
A WHOA adventure is incredibly unique and special. We pride ourselves on the built in camaraderie you feel from the moment you start the adventure. We all quickly become friends, and that friendship is what we believe make our journeys so successful! You can bet that the bonds and friendships formed on a WHOA adventure will continue to flourish and grow long after the adventure itself. After a WHOA adventure, our community sticks together, thanks to technology and social media, it's easy to stay in touch, share photos, memories, and plan future travel together. Also, we are very proud to say that many don't stop with one WHOA adventure, we see repeat customers on almost every trip we take, which is also the perfect way to reconnect with WHOA friends you met before! As Gloria Macapagal Arroyo says, "The power of one, if fearless and focused, is formidable, but the power of many working together is better."
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON EACH WHOA ADVENTURE?
It totally depends on the adventure. There's a sweet spot in group travel depending on the itinerary and location, and we pride ourselves on offering adventures that have the right size to create an intimate group dynamic for the challenge at hand. For example, our annual International Women’s Day Kilimanjaro climb is always one of our largest, while our Bavaria & Oktoberfest Adventure is limited due to the coveted Oktoberfest table reservation.
DO YOU PUT TOGETHER PRIVATE ADVENtuRES TOO?
Yes! A WHOA adventure is a great way to getaway with your family and friends. Whether it's a milestone birthday, company retreat, or just because, we can help you plan an amazing custom adventure in any of our locations. Send us a note HERE about what you’re looking for and and we can get started planning your adventure of a lifetime ASAP.
WHAT IF I HAVE NEVER DONE AN "ADVENTURE TRIP" BEFORE?
There’s no time better than the present to step out of your comfort zone! We love taking women on their maiden adventure and we can work with you to make sure you are comfortable and prepared for whatever you take on. Our only caution is that you will get hooked!
WHAT ALL IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE? IS AIRFARE?
Airfare is not included in the price, BUT under most circumstances all your ground transfers upon arrival are on us. All other inclusions/exclusions are linked and outlined on the adventure pages. We design our itineraries to give you the right balance of authentic, must-do experiences, while also giving you the freedom to explore independently. We encourage you to take advantage of the location and take a few days before or after our adventure to travel the region on your own. We can help you extend your stay and give recommendations of things to do and see nearby, so just let us know and we’ll help you out!
WHAT KIND OF TRAVEL INSURANCE DO I NEED?
Travel doesn't always go as planned! That's part of the adventure, and it's also the reason we require all of our adventurers to have a travel insurance plan that includes medical coverage and emergency medical evacuation. We HIGHLY recommend purchasing a travel insurance plan ASAP to cover you financially with any costs that can come up like trip interruption or cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances. The IMG LX plan is one option that offers excellent medical and evacuation coverage, has no altitude restrictions, and offers cancel for any reason but do your research before purchasing a plan to make sure it works for you and your situation!
WHAT DOES WHOA STAND FOR ANYWAY?
Women High On Adventure. But we’ve also heard Women High On Awesomeness, Women Hooked On Adventure...which we think work too!