Women are travelling with other women for: 'Dangerously independent', 'just-for-me', 'guilt-free' trips

On her 50th birthday, 57-yearold Gowri Reddy decided to take a trip by herself – without her family – for the first time since she got married. When she turned 50, she saw an opportunity to finally say, “I am going alone this time. It’s my 50th birthday, and this is how I wish to celebrate it.” The destination didn’t matter – what mattered was stepping out without the weight of being a wife or a mother and travelling on her own terms. That experience completely changed her perspective on travel. Like Gowri, many older women are opting for women-only travel groups, which offer a structured, secure way for them to explore independently while still enjoying the comfort of a community – whether they are hiking through the Himalayas or taking a trip to Greece.

Last year, Shefali Shah had opened up about travelling to Rishikesh alone after failing to make a family-trip plan work out. “A decision like this does not come without its moral dilemmas,” said the actress, adding about how her “middleclass values” made her undervalue herself. “Before I gave in to my Sati Savirtri conscience, I do the bookings. I look deeply into the eyes of this guilt-ridden ‘I don’t deserve anything’ woman and holler, Ja Simran ja, jee le apni zindagi”

‘After a certain age, women become dangerously independent’
Anita Krishnan (43), a professional motorcyclist who organises women-led biking expeditions, believes that women become “dangerously independent” after a certain age. “Once you’ve raised your kids and fulfilled your responsibilities, you reach a point where you think — ‘Now, I’ll live for myself.’ And that’s where these groups help you. I love travelling with my husband too, but the freedom I feel with my women’s group is different. There’s no societal pressure to behave a certain way.”
The most important thing, according to Anita, is letting go of guilt. “Before leaving, I make arrangements for everything. I know I’ll return to some mess, but I’ve learnt to be okay with that. Once you’re on the road, you feel a sense of freedom — you’re on your own, somewhere else, and just living in the moment.”
‘Travelling alone or with men can be intimidating; women don’t want to feel self-conscious’
Sumitra Senapaty, founder of a women-only travel group, shares that such trips offer women a much-needed breather. “Some older women have led very sheltered lives, never having worked in offices with male colleagues. Travelling alone or with men can be intimidating for them. They don’t want to feel self-conscious. That’s exactly what these trips offer — the freedom to explore without judgement.” Recalling an incident, Sumitra tells us, “I remember a 52-year-old woman who joined one of our trips to a winery in Cape Town and had never had a drink in her life but wanted to go for wine tasting. She refused to follow the sommelier’s advice to spit out the wine before tasting the next. She just enjoyed herself, saying, ‘No, no, I don’t want to spit it out!’”

‘I realised I had let go of my passion for biking when my friends asked, ‘What happened to you?’’
For Taruna Singh, a biker over 55, a college reunion at 45 was a wake-up call. “I had been a biker since school, but after I got married in 1995, I got busy raising kids and managing my home. At my college reunion, my friends reminded me that I used to be such a dynamic biker. ‘What happened to you?’ they asked. I told them I had been busy raising kids, and that’s when it hit me — I had completely let go of my passion. When I came back home, I decided to buy myself a bike.” Then Taruna met a younger biker, and together, they rode from Delhi to Jaipur and then to Agra. “On the way, we met so many bikers who cheered us on and even rode with us for a few kilometres. That gave us confidence. For my 50th birthday, I rode from Delhi to Vizag with a group of women. When you travel with other women, you feel a security blanket around you.”
‘It’s about learning to do things without guilt’
Gowri, who has now travelled to Antarctica, Corsica, and the Galápagos Islands with a women’s travel group, believes the biggest hurdle for women is their mindset. “Women need to stop thinking they are indispensable. You just have to make the decision and do something for yourself. Since that first trip, I have travelled to incredible places, and it has given me not only adventure but also deep bonds with other women. It’s about sharing experiences, forming a community, and learning to do things for yourself without guilt,” she says.