Girls On Tour-Women Only Travel

24/06/2024

Another lovely testimonial from our recent trip to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam:

“I welcomed the opportunity to experience the culture of these 3 lovely countries. Siem Reap was a place I had long wanted to visit, especially as UNESCO had declared Angkor Wat the 8th Wonder of the world. Luang Prabang in Laos, is a magical town on the river, also with a UNESCO listing.
I want to give a BIG shout out to the amazing Big Brother Mouse charity in Luang Prabang which is trying to improve Laotian literacy. It was a joy to spend time there with a fellow traveller and assist in a small way. Hanoi was special because of the marvelous French colonial influence in their architecture. Having seen Lenin’s mausoleum in Moscow I was happy to add the Ho Chi Minh one to my list. Every town had its special charm and Buddhist temples. Hue had the ancient Citadel complex and a cruise on the Perfume River. Hoi An was delightful with a speciality in tailoring which I took advantage of. Our trip to the Ba Na Hills and the Golden Hand Bridge was just a fabulous day to see this iconic sight. Saigon provided us with a memorable night at the magnificent Opera House to see the world renowned Bamboo Circus.
So many wonderful and diverse experiences and always a delight to be on a tour led by Judy Polkinghorne. She is highly experienced, always supportive, a true professional.”
Margaret. 2024

23/06/2024

Welcome to the working week. What beautiful sunny days we're having. I'll start the week with this lovely testimonial from Kym and wish you a great week!

Testimonial GOT Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam 2024

"Thank you Judy for a wonderful trip. Angkor Wat has always been on my bucket list. It was as amazing as I expected. When we moved on to Laos some of the ladies heard about "hero rats" that find land mines to be deactivated and told the rest of us. Judy spoke to our guide and arranged that we stopped there the next day. These African Pouch rats have been trained to sniff out explosives or TB. It is these extra impromptu visits that make this trip special. Vietnam had so many highlights including train street in Hanoi, Ha Long bay cruise, beautiful Hoi An and extras like seeing a Bamboo Circus performance at the Saigon Opera House. I can highly recommend Girls on Tour.
Kym"

20/06/2024

Woohoo congratulations to The Africa Safari Co. who I’m proud to say are our suppliers for our upcoming trip to East Africa and our Southern Silo Tour.

19/06/2024

Those of you who were on our trip to Iceland will remember this amazing place......... Thanks 1000 Places to See Before You Die for the memories and great footage!

16/06/2024

Welcome to the working week. What stunning weather we're having. A little on the chilly side but the sunny days are spectacular.

I had great response to all 2025 tours when I released the teaser last week and hope to have at least some of the tours out in the market place by the end of this week.

The first one to be release to the ladies who have previously sent in their EOI will be "Treasures of Tasmania" followed by "UK and Republic of Ireland" so keep an eye out.

Have a great week!

15/06/2024

This would be amazing to see.

This is Hokkaido beach in Japan where snow, sand and sea meet each other

12/06/2024

TESTIMONIAL - GOT CAMBODIA, LAOS AND VIETNAM 2024
'Thank you again for the opportunity to do another ‘Girls On Tour’ trip with you.
Every day was so interesting and exciting and I just loved it so much. There were so many highlights for me, although our time on Halong Bay was so relaxing and amazing and I will never forget Train Street in Hanoi…an incredible experience! I have so many happy memories of all three countries. The guides, Mr Vien and Mr Hung deserve special mention, as they went above and beyond their duties to ensure we were taken good care of. I hope to do another ’Girls On Tour’ trip with you Judy,' Carolyn D. NSW

04/06/2024

Hi ladies, I don't often promote tours for other suppliers but as this trip is being escorted by Susie from The Africa Safari Co. who are our suppliers for our upcoming trip to Africa and also our Silo Art Trail tours, I'm happy to share this on their behalf especially as we are not travelling to Egypt in 2024.
They have a few places left on their 2024 escorted trip to Egypt which as it turns out the departure is booked with ladies only. If you'd like more details please contact Susie Potter at [email protected] for full details.

03/06/2024

And not before time..........

Qantas is introducing a new boarding process for domestic flights in four of the country’s biggest airports to reduce the time customers spend lining up at the gate and make...

03/06/2024

Welcome to the working week!! It's already a week since we returned from our amazing Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam trip and it's now only 35 days until our next adventure in The Kimberley with Adventure Wild Kimberley Tours and we can't wait.
I'm super excited that we already have 5 bookings for our 'Antarctica and A Taste of Argentina - including Iguassu Falls' that was released last week.
I'll soon be releasing other 2025 tours and they will be released firstly via my newsletter so if you haven't already subscribed, now is the time to do so as those ladies will receive details first before they go on my website and Facebook. We are returning to some favourites in 2025 as well as new and exciting destinations! Have a great week...........

28/05/2024

Fantastic concept.

We are so thrilled to announce that a very special project is being launched today in the Blue Mountains!

Called Homes for Older Women (HOW), it aims to match older women (55+) who are housing insecure/homeless with homeowners who are prepared to rent a room/unit/home at an affordable rate. The project was conceived by the members of Blue Mountains Older Women's Network and many of them will be helping out as volunteers.

The Mercy Foundation supported the project with a grant so a part-time staff member can be hired for one year. We're hoping that this project can lead to many more in the state because we know that there is a dire need for affordable housing for older women who are finding it difficult to make ends meet.

Please join us in wishing this project success so we can advocate for more Homes for Older Women! Take a look at the website to find out more, and if you're a homeowner in the Blue Mountains, we hope you will consider reaching out to join the program.

https://how.ownnsw.org.au/

28/05/2024

This is incredible footage.

25/05/2024

GOT CAMBODIA, LAOS AND VIETNAM 2024 - Saturday 25 May - SAIGON TO HOME
Well that’s our trip done and dusted. What an incredible adventure we’ve had. All credit to the ladies for soldiering on through the unexpected heat wave and embracing all that these exciting countries had to offer.
A huge thank you to Miss An from Southeast Asia Voyages our inbound operator and Sue McPherson Tours and Travel our Aussie supplier who allowed me the freedom to tweak our itinerary to suit our demographic.
We have dined in top class restaurants and stayed in luxurious accommodation and have had wonderful guides in all three countries who have shared not only their knowledge but their own personal experiences and history.
I think this has been by far the most comprehensive visit for GOT to date to these countries and I’m very grateful to everyone who has made this trip amazing!!!

24/05/2024

GOT CAMBODIA, LAOS AND VIETNAM - Friday 24 May - SAIGON
Today was a free day to relax and explore the city. Saigon is a very walkable city and as the streets are predominantly one-way, it is quite easy to cross the street safely. Don’t ever assume though that the “green man“ at the crossing means you don’t have to do battle with motor bikes. Many of the girls set out to explore the markets, museums, food expo and monuments of the city and by all accounts, everyone has had a wonderful last full day in Saigon and Vietnam. I set out early this morning and walked to the Ben Thanh market and then found the Saigon Square Market on the opposite side of the road and injected a little more into the economy before heading back to the post office for another look. On Margaret’s recommendation I walked over to Book Street which is just a little pedestrian area with all things books and stationery.
Our farewell dinner tonight was an all you can eat seafood buffet which started with lobster entree on the tables. Between Mr Hung and myself we arranged for a combined birthday cake to celebrate the four birthdays that were during our tour, Vicki, Robin, Marianne and Christine. We were delighted when the hotel manager came out with complimentary bubbly to share!! The icing on the cake so to speak. All in all a wonderful last day of the tour. A late check out tomorrow before we head to the airport.

24/05/2024

I just had the most beautiful and humbling experience on the streets of Saigon. On my way to the Central Post Office I passed a man who was quite obviously disabled and he said “you help me madam?” I didn’t stop then as I was on a mission but when I was walking back to the hotel I looked for him and went to buy something from him. I was only going to buy one thing but as he didn’t have any change for big notes I bought 5 items and said I didn’t want any change. When he gave me a bag to put the fridge magnets in he also gave me the biggest smile and a “souvenir“, two Aussie 50 cent pieces and told me his name was Mr Wang.
I got quite emotional thinking that he gave me so much when he has so little. Very grounding and humbling experience.

23/05/2024

GOT CAMBODIA, LAOS AND VIETNAM - Thursday 23 May - MEKONG DELTA
Another birthday celebration today as we wished Christine a happy birthday. A lovely surprise from the staff of a cake and song at breakfast.
We left the city again today, this time for the Mekong Delta driving about two and a half hours south of Saigon. We boarded our boat, Cai Be Princess and for the next few hours cruised up and down the river. First we headed upstream and at the T junction, turned left towards the South China Sea. Had we turned right it would take us to Myanmar. A delicious morning tea of local fruit and green tea was served not long after boarding. Along the way we stopped off at a workshop that made popped rice and popped noodles, coconut candy and rice wine. It was very pleasant on the river today with none of the debilitating humidity that we’ve experienced in other places. The Mekong Delta doesn’t flood and doesn’t have typhoons. They lead a very relaxed lifestyle knowing that they can plant crops without fear of them being wiped out and they can fish and farm as much as they need to.
Lunch was in a very elegant and historic house that could have been a movie set.
We boarded the boat after lunch and made our way back towards the jetty as we were serenaded by our guide Mr Hung on the harmonica. A wonderful way to spend a Thursday and our last day of touring. Happy hour on the 20th floor to finish the day. Tomorrow is a free day to relax, explore and shop!!

23/05/2024

Life along the Mekong.

23/05/2024

In almost 20 years of touring we have never had a musician for our guide. Today as we glided down the mighty Mekong we were serenaded by Mr Hung with a beautiful rendition of Moon River. 💝

23/05/2024

GOT CAMBODIA, LAOS AND VIETNAM - Wednesday 22 May - SAIGON
We left the city today and drove to the area known as Cu Chi to explore the tunnel system which was used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War as their base. There are no winners in war and this reinforced as we walked through the area and saw rudimentary trap doors and b***y traps that were used. Some of the girls went into a section of the tunnels that has been widened for westerners but is still not for the faint hearted. Back to the city for lunch at the covered food court and a short tour of the Independence Palace or the Reunification Conference Hall as it is also known. It was stifling hot inside so the tour was only a short one. A stop at the beautiful 19th century Saigon Central Post Office to take a look inside. Outside, Mr Hung pointed out the building where the famous photo was taken of a CIA officer helping evacuees up a ladder onto an Air America Bell 204/205 helicopter at 22 Gia Long Street on 29 April 1975 as Saigon fell on 30th April marking the end of the Vietnam War. It is said that on all radio stations in South Vietnam on the 29th April, the Bing Crosby song “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas“ played continuously signaling evacuation.
In the evening several of the ladies went to the Opera House to a performance of The A O Show, phonetically pronounced Ahhh Ohhh. It is a blend of bamboo circus, acrobatics, contemporary dance and music and the girls loved it!!

23/05/2024

21/05/2024

GOT CAMBODIA, LAOS AND VIETNAM - Tuesday 21 May - HO CHI MINH CITY/SAIGON
Today was a travel day as we said farewell to charming Hoi An after four wonderful days and flew to Saigon. We said farewell to Mr Vien and thanked him for his wonderful guiding and knowledge.
On arrival in Saigon we were met by a new guide and made our way to our final hotel for the trip where we’ll spend the next four nights, the 1930’s Grand Hotel which is aptly named.
This is a very busy, bustling city which appears to be quite orderly but don’t take the road rules for granted, once again they’re just a guide.
A lazy afternoon to check out the surrounds and have some lunch before enjoying happy hour, dinner and live music on the 20th floor with spectacular views of the city. We had to dodge the daily downpour that happens almost like clockwork each day. The staff at the rooftop bar have the rain shuffle down pat.

21/05/2024

Hello Saigon 🇻🇳

21/05/2024

Thanks Belinda Alexandra for the gentle reminder 🥰

20/05/2024

GOT CAMBODIA, LAOS AND VIETNAM - Monday 20 May - HOI AN
The group travelled from Hoi An this morning to Ba Na Hills near Da Nang to see one of Vietnam’s most famous attractions.
At almost 1,500m above sea level, The Golden Bridge is a 150-metre-long pedestrian bridge in the Bà Nà Hills resort, near Da Nang, Vietnam. It is designed to connect the cable car station with the gardens of Sun World Amusement Park (avoiding a steep incline) and to provide a scenic overlook and tourist attraction. Today it was very crowded and it’s not even tourist season! Most of the ladies loved the site and especially the bridge, gardens, lunch buffet and cable cars but some felt it was too Disneyland like. One thing they all agreed on is how well they were looked after by our local guide Mr Vien.
On the way home they stopped at Marble Mountain to see how the marble that is extracted from the mountains is carved into statues.
Unfortunately I was sick and not able to go so I’ll just have to come back to see for myself another time 😂. A huge thank you to the ladies for sharing their photos of the day.

20/05/2024

GOT CAMBODIA, LAOS AND VIETNAM - Sunday 19 May - HOI AN
No breakfast for us today as we did The Original Taste of Hoi An Food Tour - Vietnam. We were met at the hotel by operations manager, Hien and transferred to our first location where we enjoyed our first tastings. We left the hotel at 7.20am and over the next 5 hours sampled foods and drinks from local cafes, restaurants and vendors with our local food and culture Teacher San.
Vietnamese love their food and so do foreigners like us.
From the 7th-century to 10th-century Hoi A was at the center of the Cham empire’s spice trading route. Later, from the 15th-century to 19th-century, it became a trading port for the Chinese, Portuguese, Japanese, Indian and Dutch with many of these traders settling here.
A standard meal in Hoi An would consist of soup, salad, rice, meat and fish and today we would plough our way through over 40 samples of food and beverages which are enjoyed by the locals including salt coffee, black sesame seed paste, green mango salad, Cao Lau (noodle soup), white rose, fried wontons and so much more.
We wandered through the streets and markets stopping at vendors and cafes where the locals eat before finishing at the Tasting Room where we sat in air conditioned comfort for the last couple of hours and learned more about the history and culture of Vietnam and their love of food from the founder Colleen and a very animated and passionate young local lady. For Vietnamese, it’s all about texture and taste.
A free afternoon to relax before heading back to the Old Town to collect finished garments from tailors and to have some fun with lantern making which turned out to be harder than it looks.
Some of the ladies stayed in the old town for dinner or to further explore.

19/05/2024

GOT CAMBODIA, LAOS AND VIETNAM - Saturday 18 May - HOI AN
Another highlight today as the ladies did a cooking class with Red Bridge Cooking School. Starting out at the local markets full of colour, sights and sounds and then going on the river to the cooking school. The ladies learned about the herbs and Asian greens and food carving and plate decoration and prepared several dishes before sitting down to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
The afternoon and evening were free to enjoy the hotel pool and explore the Ancient Town for a little retail therapy as Hoi An is a shoppers paradise. Some of the girls visited tailors to place their orders for custom made clothes.
Thanks to each of the girls who shared their photos.