Women only adventures
To the world's most interesting places

An unexpected bonus in my role as a Booking Manager is listening to our guests after they return from their trips. It’s become a highlight I never foresaw – hearing the little moments that made them laugh, amazed or challenged them. 
 
The latest trip to return has been Uzbekistan, and wow – I’ve been in for a treat! 
 
Guests can’t stop talking about the beautiful history, architecture and culture. The Savitsky Museum in Nukus blows minds on every trip and wandering the back streets of Khiva feels like stepping straight into the 16th century. 
 
Patchies were especially fascinated by embroidery workshops and pottery studios, where they could feel the passion of local artisans. Even those who don’t usually consider themselves creative found these hands-on experiences so satisfying, especially among monuments, parks and charming streets. 
 
And then there’s Botir, our much-loved guide! He’s endlessly knowledgeable, but it’s the way he delivers it with humour and heart that makes him unforgettable. Guests love how he reads a room, looks after those who aren’t feeling their best and adapts on the fly. Whether it’s handling busy sites or sharing little insights that bring history to life, he makes every trip richer, easier and more joyful. 
 
But the best part is hearing about the connections our guests make with locals. Sharing meals in family homes, learning the traditions behind the crafts or simply engaging in bread-making... These are the moments that really stick with people. 
 
Of course, not everything always goes perfectly. A tricky hotel room, a late meal, a busy day... Adventure travel isn’t flawless and that’s part of the experience. But our guests’ feedback leads to improvements and tweaks that make future trips even better. I’ve been so blessed to have dedicated my working life to this industry and yet I’ve never experienced feedback that creates change in real time from trip to trip. 
 
It’s a wonderful reminder of why I love this job – helping people see amazing places, meet incredible people and create memories that last a lifetime. I’m so grateful to our Patchies for sharing their stories and feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it. 
 
Claire xx ...

Hi, my name is Radina, and I’m part of the Patch team. 
 
Earlier this year, I went on a trip to Mongolia – yes, the one I bragged about all over social media 😄 – and it was amazing. 
 
But I’m not here to talk about Mongolia. 
 
On the first day of that trip, during introductions, one of the ladies said something that really stuck with me. She was a returning Patchie – super well-travelled, knowledgeable, and just radiating passion for exploring the world. When she introduced herself, she mentioned that this was her second Patch trip. Her first one? Romania. 
 
And then she said: 
 
“Romania is very, very high on my list of great experiences.” 
 
That line hit me. 
 
This woman has travelled pretty much everywhere, including the Arctic, completely different cultures and countries, yet our Romania trip made her top list. 
 
And here’s the thing: Romania was a debut trip in 2025. 
 
Debut trips are like trying on a new pair of shoes – they fit, but you don’t know if they’ll be comfortable right away. 
 
We’re always so excited to take you to a new corner of the globe. To show you its culture, people, food, and everything that makes it special. But debut trips are also challenging. There are so many moving parts, and even when we give our best, sometimes things don’t go perfectly. 
 
Maybe a pickup gets missed. Maybe a hotel booking needs tweaking. That’s all part of the process. 
 
But here’s what I love about debut trips at Patch – we learn, we adjust, and we make them better. Every. Single. Time. 
 
Our first debut trip to Romania in 2025 turned out to be an absolute success. 
 
So many five-out-of-five ratings. So many smiles. 
 
Our local team was incredible – truly exceptional – and we can’t wait to run it again in 2026. ...

Saudi Arabia wasn’t on our radar. 
 
We’ll be honest about that. 
 
It only opened to tourists in 2019, for the first time in modern history. Over 24,000 people visited in the first 10 days. 
 
But a country opening to tourism doesn’t automatically make it worth visiting, right? 
 
What really caught our attention was: 
 
🇸🇦 Hegra, home to 111 Nabataean tombs (think Petra, but without the crowds) 
🇸🇦 Diriyah, a mud-brick city where the Saudi Kingdom began 400 years ago 
🇸🇦 Ancient rock carvings in Jubbah, some possibly 10,000 years old 
🇸🇦 Red Sea coastline, with its diving and coral reefs 
 
This isn’t just another destination opening up. This is a country with legitimate world-class treasures finally sharing them with the world, at a time when you can still experience them without the crowds. 
 
That’s rare. Really rare. 
 
So when we asked ourselves, “Should we do Saudi Arabia?” 
 
The answer became pretty clear: Absolutely. 
 
Our Patchies like to be pioneers. 
 
To visit places that have been closed to the world for generations. To form their own opinions about a country that most people have never considered. To meet the local people and hear their stories. 
 
That’s why we said “yes” to Saudi Arabia. 
 
Because this is what we do. We take you to places you had no idea existed. Places that expand your understanding of the world. 
 
And right now, Saudi Arabia is that place. 
 
The first group of Patchies just landed there a few days ago and yes, you’ll get to see tons of photos! ...

Why I keep coming back to Northern Thailand...

Aidan here. I ended up in Chiang Mai purely by coincidence, and it was one of the best non-decisions I’ve ever made in my life.

The first thing you’ll notice about Chiang Mai is how insanely GREEN it is. One step out the door and you're instantly surrounded by hills covered in trees.

I’ve always been a ‘beach > mountains’ type of guy, but there is just something so comforting about being tucked away between those hills. It’s like you’re a baby bird in a big green nest.

It is the most relaxing, calm, peaceful city I have ever been in.

I literally have no complaints, which is rare. In every city I’ve ever spent an extended time in, I’m thinking to myself, X is great, but I wish that it wasn’t quite so Y.

There is no ‘Y’ in Chiang Mai (literally haha).

A fellow traveller was trying to convince me that the reason Chiang Mai was so calm was because the magnetic pull of the Earth was equalised in that area or something.

I’m not so sure about this ‘magnetic pull’ – I’d rather give the credit to the root cause of this amazing feeling: the people.

They are so, so unbelievably calm, happy and friendly. I had a couple of interactions where they just did not really get the concept of worrying and why anyone would do it.

One thing I really love about North Thailand is that it is wayyyy less touristy. Developed enough that you will have the niceties and amenities (great internet), but unlike a lot of Thailand, you feel like you are face-to-face with Thai culture.

You have the opportunity to really interact with the locals and their culture and traditions, in a way you just don’t get to in Southern Thailand.

And those places are the sort of places that I love (and I know our Patchies do too).

Let me put it this way:
I originally booked a week in Chiang Mai….
I stayed for 2 months.
Then I went back again a few months later…
Now I’m going back AGAIN…

So maybe there are some magnets involved? Who am I to dismiss that theory?

All I know is that the place definitely has some sort of pull, because I keep ending up back there. ...

30% of the Mongolian population is nomadic.

True nomads that move at least four times a year with all their gers, lifestock, children and belongings.

These people are tough and live in very remote areas, their kids go to the nearby towns to school. They are between 30 to 50 kilometres away, some stay with relatives, some of them go to boarding schools.

Nomads live very simple lives with no access to running water, toilets or electricity. Some of them have solar panels and they use batteries to charge their phones and have light in their gers.

We stayed with Gala's family for two days and got to see how these people live their daily lifes.
They are always busy and constantly going. Gala's family had about 40 horses, 40 yaks, about a 100 sheep and goat. Everyone in the family contributed, even the kids. His youngest son wants to become a hurder like his dad.

It was a great honor to watch the family dynamics and how they take care of their animals, while cooking home-made food for 12 women.

We were there during the weekend, so all kids from the neighboring gers came and played along.

When Gala was asked "Gala, it's 21 century - what do you want from life?"

His answer was: "Rain".

That simple.

#mongolia #mongolianadventure #nomads #Patchies #patchadventures #adventures #women-only ...

Here’s one idea for souvenir-collecting.

A recipe book with all the delicious meals you’ve had on your travels.

You could find the instructions on how to make the most heart-stopping dish you’ve tried on the internet.

Then, try it out yourself, grade it from one to five and keep it in your cookbook for the next time you want to wow your guests.

Or, we have a better idea.

On your next adventure, ask your fellow Patchies to pack their recipe books. When it’s time to roll up your sleeves and try out local recipes, write down notes on the age-old cooking techniques.

It’d be so special to have your local chef/teacher sign your cookbook or write you a little note, wouldn’t it?

The same goes for your fellow Patchies and getting them to write down their thoughts about the dish. Who knows, maybe a ‘Who has the most local recipes’ competition would start?

Share your favourite recipe you’ve got from your travels in the comments.

Unless you’d rather keep it a secret🤫 ...

Patchies are tougher than I thought.

Radina here from the team at Patch, typing all of this from Mongolia.

I joined an incredible group of women on our Mongolia adventure and we’re on day five of our trip.

This country is absolutely mind-boggling, and just looking at the landscape leaves you speechless. I’m just not sure the pics do it justice.

But that’s not what this post is about.

It’s about our Patchies and what a resilient group of ladies we have as a community here.

This trip is not for everyone: long and bumpy rides for hours a day, drop toilets, lack of showers on some days, unplanned changes, homestays with very basic facilities.

But Patchies haven’t complained even once. What’s more, they’re embracing the conditions, the situation, and each other.

These women are admiring everything around them, in awe of the nature and our surroundings, thankful to the family we visited for their hospitality - and the best part is, we’re all laughing our way through Mongolia. Aussies and Kiwis have such an amazing sense of humour that I can’t remember the last time I had so many belly laughs with others.

Everyone is just embracing and loving Mongolia - so am I 😉 ...

Courtney from the Patch Adventures team here!

I just got back from a trip to Cambodia with my dad, and wanted to share it with you all! When Dad and I were deciding where to go, we actually both thought the other had suggested Cambodia (I still maintain that it was his idea 😂). The idea was to continue the “Southeast Asia” theme after we went to Vietnam in 2022. I didn’t really go with any expectations, and just before we left the land border between Thailand and Cambodia closed. We were about to learn a whole bunch of history in a very short amount of time!

We started in Siem Reap, which is full of cafes, restaurants, bars and markets, not to mention the hundreds of tuk-tuk drivers at your doorstep to whisk you around. We actually had female tuk-tuk drivers around the Angkor temple complex which was an awesome treat! Girl power!

Angkor Wat is really hard for me to describe. I’d seen photos of it so many times I thought I knew what it would be like, and I’ve never been happier to be proven wrong.

I didn't know that Angkor Wat was built as a Hindu temple, and then gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple. When you get up close, there are lots of carvings that started out as Hindu symbols, that were later ‘redesigned’ into Buddhist symbols. I sure wouldn’t have known from looking at them!

(Continues in the comments) ...