Our story
Encounters began long before it had a name.
We were always the ones bringing people together: planning getaways for friends, discovering new places, coming home already wondering where we’d go next.
Then our own journeys took us further. Kilimanjaro. Machu Picchu. Adventures that challenged us, changed our perspective, and showed us something we hadn’t expected: the extraordinary bond that forms when women experience something meaningful together.
We came home wanting more women to have that: to go somewhere they might not go alone, to challenge themselves, to connect, and to return with more than photographs.
That became Encounters.
Why women?
Travelling with women creates something different. It creates the freedom to say yes to an experience you may not have chosen to do alone. But it is what happens along the way that matters most. Women encourage one another, show up for each other, and somewhere between the unfamiliar places, the difficult moments and the laughter, strangers become friends. The destination may bring us together, but it’s often the people we share the journey with who stay with us long after we return home.
More than a destination
We don’t travel simply to see the world. We travel to encounter it.
Its people. Its cultures. Its wild places. Its challenges. And sometimes, parts of ourselves we haven’t met before. Every Encounter is a small, women-only journey, thoughtfully curated with trusted local partners, built to take us beyond the obvious and closer to the heart of a place.
Adventurous Encounters
Some journeys ask more of us. That’s why we take them. A mountain. A trail. A remote corner of the world. Adventure takes us beyond what’s familiar and shows us what we’re capable of when we keep going. The challenge is part of the Encounter. So is the person you meet on the other side of it.
Cultural Encounters
Go beyond seeing a place. Understand it. Meet its people, hear its stories, taste its food, and experience the traditions that shaped it. We travel with curiosity and an open mind, because encountering another culture often changes the way we see our own.
Purposeful Encounters
Travel should have the power to give something back. Through trusted local partners and community initiatives, we look for meaningful ways to contribute to the places that welcome us. We listen first, and support where it matters. No contribution is too small. We believe they add up.
Wild Encounters
Some encounters can only happen in the wild. From extraordinary wildlife to remote landscapes, these journeys bring us closer to the natural world, with wonder, respect, and the responsibility to protect what we’re privileged to experience.
Soulful Encounters
Sometimes the journey is about slowing down. Space to breathe, move, reflect and reconnect: through nature, wellness, and experiences that give us permission to step away from the noise. Because sometimes, doing less allows us to experience more.
We created Encounters to see more of the world. Along the way, we created a community.
Shumous & Amira