Q: Doni, for those who may not know much about Girls’ Guide to the World, can you tell us what you offer and why you set the company up in the first place?
A: Back in 2009, I launched my tour company without a formal business plan, learning and adapting along the way.
My aim was to attract people who typically weren’t drawn to traditional tours. To them, “tours” meant large buses, impersonal loudspeakers and segregated dining in banquet halls.
The very concept of a “tour” had become synonymous with mass tourism and its negative connotations.
Instead, I wanted to create experiences for inquisitive travellers seeking a deeper understanding of the country and its culture, not just a superficial checklist of sights.
Q: Has the success of Girls’ Guide surprised you or did you think the market was always there?
A: The market has grown exponentially over the past 16 years. I almost never get asked why it’s girls’ only; however, it used to happen a lot in the beginning.
The other gratifying thing is that women don’t say to me nearly as often, “let me ask my partner if I can go”.
The success of Girl’s Guide (now one of the largest in the business) has gratified me, but truthfully, it has always been a lot of work, but luckily, I love it!
Q: You must be very excited about the two new Galapagos and Amazon tours. Why did you choose these particular destinations?
A: We polled our community about what destinations excited them the most for 2026 and hundreds of responses came in. One of their top five bucket list requests was to take a private charter boat to the Galapagos. We made it happen.
Our first tour sold out so quickly that we’ve now put together a second trip heading out in the autumn of 2026.
Presently, we are working on another expedition from the same wish list heading to Lapland in February 2026 for the Northern Lights. While there, we want to learn about the Sami culture, see reindeer, go dog sledding and stay in an Ice Hotel. That should be ready to publish soon.
Q: Sustainability is a key component of this latest tour and indeed all your tours. How do you balance the impact of visiting destinations like these while also protecting such fragile environments?
A: This is an important question. I used to work for an environmental NGO so this is an important value for me and most of the ladies who travel with us.
We picked the outfit that we did for the Galapagos for three key reasons.
1) They are female owned – both the ship we are sailing on as well as the Eco-Lodge where we are staying in the Amazon are owned by two women.
2) They were the first in the industry to achieve CO2 neutrality plus the company has an active Green-footprint initiative.
3) Their Amazonian lodge is off the grid and they are working towards becoming completely carbon neutral. They also partner with the community on numerous projects, including one that supports the local women via their handicrafts. We are looking forward to visiting these women while there.
Doni Belau
Q: What do you hope your guests take away from a trip with Girls’ Guide?
A: Two key things:
1) Connection – not just connection with the other women on the trip, but connection with the country, culture and community that we are visiting, re-connection with our true selves and connection to the world.
2) Empowerment – By helping women travel independently and freely, we can help empower them to have the confidence to go it solo. This means they don’t need to wait for a spouse or partner, friend, or family member to say yes to an adventure!
Knowing you are ok by yourself in the world garners a sense of peace that is simply not understood by those who haven’t experienced it.
Q: I have to ask. Do you get many Australians on your tours and if so, do they make good guests?
A: We do get a fair amount, but I always want more. Why? Because typically they are our most friendly and laid-back customers – I once joked that I should pay Aussies to join us because they always add an extra layer of fun and joie de vivre!
Q: You’ve been to more than 80 countries (and counting). What do you find are the main differences between going on a mixed tour and a women-only tour?
A: I’m up to 84 countries at this point, with a wish list of another 58. There is a big difference between a mixed tour and a women-only tour.
All of us ladies know what it’s like to go out for a girls’ night. It’s almost the same, except we are traveling together for up to a week or more.
After the first night on the trip women begin the bonding process and by the end of the trip, they feel like sisters. Most all keep in touch, some will visit one another, go on another trip together or create a reunion the following year.
This bonding experience is the secret sauce of an all-girls trip and it just doesn’t happen the same way with men around.
Q: Finally, what plans do you have for Girls’ Guide in the future?
A: To keep growing and offering more trips and more retreats to even more countries than we have now.
Currently, we offer 65 trips to 40 different countries. But we always want to stay small in terms of how many people come on each trip because that is what creates the close bonding experience.
We want to continue to find lesser-known, less touristy destinations and unique ways of seeing the world by connecting with women on the ground in each destination.
