Traveller tips for women : HERmail.net

Travel is a thrilling adventure and gives us the opportunity to discover worlds unimaginably far-removed from home. What can be tricky is knowing where to start. Unquestionably, there is no one better to ask than an experienced traveller who can give you 'insider's advice.' HERmail is a woman's godsend when it comes to constructive, unbiased advice. Effectively, it is a free international directory that connects female voyagers from across the world, helping one another out before setting off on extravagant journeys.

HERmail is an invaluable accompaniment to conventional travel guides. Focused on networking rather than selling, women share tips; there is no ulterior motive and guidance is impartial, unlike with tour operators. What's more, it is possible to make contact with females from all over the globe; in fact over 15,500 women from 35 countries have signed up to date.

Despite functioning through email, a comforting aspect is that your email is never disclosed to third parties for security purposes. Instead contact is made with other users through a message form and HERmail makes anonymous contact on your behalf. Following this, it is at the user's discretion to share their email with their HERmail contact. Likewise, the site pledges never to use customers' emails for other purposes.

At first glance, users could find the website slightly bland and surprisingly unwomanly; the white background, plain text and odd scattering of the HERmail logo could appear somewhat amateur. Nonetheless, this no-frills layout is very user-friendly. Ladies can navigate using the simple user menu at the bottom of the homepage. For example, choose between the options of becoming a mentor, finding a mentor or subscribing to the travel tips newsletter. The '100 women-friendly travel tips' conveniently offers on-the-spot information. The link directs users to a page displaying a range of holiday ideas, from adventure trips and stay fit programs to learning holidays and relaxing yoga breaks. A disadvantage is that information is less exhaustive than travellers may hope; some links only provide two or three suggestions of destinations or tour operators across the world. Similarly, the information is limited in the 'Where do you want to go?' section.

Having said that, a particularly valuable feature is the 'What the HERmail users say' link. Here, travellers benefit from a dense list of comments left in English that recount personal experiences to reassure women before they make their booking. For many ladies, knowing what to wear and what not to wear when abroad is a major quandary; it is critical to know what is appropriate and what clothes will attract that unwanted attention. Thankfully, the website has detailed information when it comes knowing how to dress in any country, and navigation is easy given the alphabetical menu.

HERmail.net is comparable to the service provided by the similar website Expat Women. Expat Women, as well as being more aesthetically pleasing than HERmail, is packed with guidance ranging from stories, advice by country, confessions and a blog directory. As result, female holidaymakers have a wealth of personal experiences at their feet. An awkward aspect: Expat Women risks becoming out of date; the website has announced they are 'taking a break' and 'not sending out monthly newsletters, not accepting new links or partners, and not receiving emails.' For the future we therefore recommend women head for the HERmail website, which is set to expand as more female travellers sign up to network and mentor.