A Great Gift for the Women Travelers in Your Life

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

Email Christine Sarkis at editor@smartertravel.com.

See recent posts by Christine Sarkis

In my early twenties, I read somewhere that women, as travelers, tended to be more adventurous than men. I have no idea if it’s true, but the thought that wanderlust was a birthright has, in the ensuing two decades, inspired me to always say yes to travel.

From February 27 to March 1, women who just say yes to travel will be gathering in San Francisco at the Women’s Travel Fest 2015. The festival and conference, now in its second year, is a mix of celebrations, speakers, and seminars for all women with an interest in exploring their world. Presented by the Go! Girl Guides travel book series, speakers at this year’s event include journalist Laura Ling; Patricia Schultz, author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die; Felicity Aston, the first and only woman to ever cross-country ski Antarctica; and Paula Froelich, editor-in-chief of Yahoo! Travel.

With presentations on everything from budget travel tips to women’s travel safety, there’s something for women travelers of all ages. According to founder Kelly Lewis, at last year’s event (held in New York City), grandmothers brought granddaughters, friends came with friends, and women young and old flew in from around the country to celebrate all things travel.

Tickets for this year’s Fest are on sale now. General admission (which combines the kick-off party on Friday night plus the day of events on Saturday) is $105, and admission to all three days (the third day is a series of workshops on topics such as travel writing, volunteering abroad, and career-break travel) is $186. Looking for a gift for your favorite woman traveler? This just might be it.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story listed Samantha Brown and Jacqui Gifford as speakers. They were both speakers at last year’s event.

(Photo: Woman on Kayak via Shutterstock)

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