Whoa Travel

I had a sabbatical coming up at work and knew I wanted to do something physically challenging and outside of my comfort zone, but didn't know exactly what. Then I stumbled upon WHOA and their Tour du Mont Blanc adventure. It was exactly what I was looking for and I decided to sign up, but I was nervous because I'd never done a multi-day hike before. WHOA made everything so easy - explaining what gear I'd need, ensuring that I was on track with my training, and bringing our group of 12 women hikers together virtually as we were preparing for our adventure so we had a chance to get to know each other. My hike on the Tour du Mont Blanc with WHOA was the hardest and best thing I've ever done. I'm so grateful to WHOA for making a trip like this possible for me. All of their communication was terrific and our group was well-supported before, during, and after our trek. I can't wait to do my next adventure with WHOA.

WHOA has provided two of the most memorable, life-changing, FUN trips I've ever been on. In addition to all of the adventure experienced, the caliber of ladies I was lucky enough to backpack with was unprecedented, and I've made life-long friends. Book with them! You will not regret it 😀

The entire WHOA team made my adventure in Iceland unforgettable and life changing! I have never experienced such untapped natural beauty, and we were incredibly fortunate to be able to take advantage of amazing opportunitires like driving the special F-roads right under the most active volcano Hekla! Our GAL Veronica went above and beyond to keep everyones comfort and experience at the forefront and she lead us through amazing reflections throughout the trip. The local team at Midgard, especially our guide Anna, made our trip so authentic and took us to the most beautiful hikes and waterfalls. I am so grateful for these amazing women and I can't wait to go on another adventure!

Ive been on two trips with WHOA (Salkantay trail & Mongolia) and will likely book another as they launch more unique locations. Trip leaders are fun, energetic & responsive to the group dynamic. This is a great company for those that don’t like traveling to over trafficked, touristy places. Although you bring most of your own outdoor gear, the tents, bikes & other essentials they provide made for a comfortable camping experience. Love the commitment to partnering with sustainable, women-centered local tour companies. I was blown away by the quality of the meals prepared by our local guides. Multiple courses & birthday bananas flambé off grid, are you kidding me? Many in our groups had allergies/dietary restrictions & I felt like they were able to eat well, too.

In June 2024 I went to Mongolia with WHOA travel for nearly two weeks. I’ve traveled mostly solo through 35+ countries, so I can be quite picky about the people and companies I’ll travel with. But as someone who values deep, authentic connections to local cultures, unique experiences, and traveling as sustainably as possible through some of the world’s most beautiful natural landscapes, WHOA is officially on my “approved” list of companies I’ll travel with! Traveling with WHOA definitely allowed me to experience Mongolia in a way that I wouldn’t have been able to on my own. I loved that we always had locals with us to help enrich our experience through education and translation, and that someone else was in charge so that I could spend more time enjoying the experience with new friends rather than planning or handling logistics. Even more so, I loved that all of this happened without it feeling like an orchestrated, cookie-cutter tourist experience. Their partnership with local guides (particularly Eternal Landscapes) who share similar, aligned values made me feel right at home with the types of people we were supporting and traveling with. I felt confident that we were traveling in a way that was respectful and fair to local communities, rather than worrying about whether or not we were being exploitative. Despite the fact that we were exploring a vast country with sprawling areas of openness, one of my favorite things about this trip was the level of connection I experienced—to the natural land, to the families we stayed with, to our local guides, and even within our own group of WHOA women. As an introvert, I personally enjoyed watching the others in our group overcome cultural barriers in their own way, and learned so much about how to communicate through language barriers and forge deeper connections while traveling, which is something I will carry forth on my solo adventures. The activity levels (biking and hiking) were just enough to keep us moving most days without being completely exhausting or solely focused on getting from Point A to Point B, which was nice to be able to slow down and simply enjoy the moment. I’ll never forget the immense peace I felt being so far from everyday life, particularly when looking around and seeing absolutely nothing across the Gobi Desert. Also the food was a delicious surprise for me, which may or may not have been due to our local guide, Hishka's amazing cooking skills. Overall I loved everything about my WHOA experience, and would absolutely recommend them to other women, whether you're a solo traveler or looking for something with your friends or family. I can't wait to take another WHOA trip, hopefully up a mountain next time, since I 100% trust that they would be the team to help me summit!