Women and the Wild: Exploring the Emerald Isle

With stunning natural landscapes at every turn and an exhilarating adventure around every corner, it’s no surprise that holidaymakers are choosing to cross the Irish sea for their own action-packed getaway. Nothing should hold you back from experiencing nature in all its glory – so whether you’re male or female, young or more mature, make sure exploring Ireland’s wilderness is on your itinerary this August.

From experienced thrill-seekers to curious sight-seers, Ireland is the perfect place to help you feed your need for adventure. With National Women’s Equality Day on the horizon, adventure holiday experts from excursion companies such as Wilderness Ireland bring you the best white-knuckle activities to experience on the Emerald Isle. Ladies with an unquenchable thirst for adventure will need these top tips for exploration to help you plan your next trip.

Hike the jagged headlands

There’s nothing more rewarding than the superb coastal views of Irish peninsulas. For a hike like no other, challenge yourself to the coast-to-coast across this spectacular island. From the staggering 700 ft high Cliffs of Moher to the panorama of the Atlantic Ocean from the cliff tops of the Aran Islands, Ireland proudly boasts some of the world’s most serene scenes – and you won’t want to miss out.

Sea kayak along the coast

Sea kayak along the coast

If you’re getting excited about stretching your sea legs, there’s exhilaration aplenty when you explore the wild waters by kayak. Take to the open water for an adrenaline-filled afternoon of tackling the waves, where you can discover sea caves, islands and coastal coves – as well as getting up close and personal with some of the most spectacular sea creatures.

Ride through rugged mountain ranges

If you’re more at home on land, a ride through Ireland’s mountain ranges will show you this breathtaking country at its finest. Traverse beautiful peninsulas or challenge yourself to the ascent of mountain passes, where you can work up a sweat and be rewarded with unparalleled views. Whether you’re cycling through Connemara National Park or exploring the entire 202 miles of the western Irish coast, you won’t forget your ride around Ireland in a hurry.

Delve into the depths of history

Delve into the depths of history

Whether your getaway is based in the Republic or Northern Ireland, you’ll find yourself faced with fascinating history and rich heritage. Get up close and personal with Northern Ireland’s ancient volcanic eruption as you clamber across County Antrim’s Giant’s Causeway, or why not climb the steps of the legendary landmark Blarney Stone? From daring to explore the haunted Castle Bernard in Kinnity to immersing yourself in the local culture by learning Gaelic, Ireland is bursting with opportunities to try something new.

Whether you’re an amateur adventurer or an intrepid explorer, Ireland is a haven of adventure. Get up close and personal with nature this National Women’s Equality Day, and visit this isle of outstanding beauty. Sleep under the stars in style or rest your weary legs in a traditional manor house, but whatever you do, make sure this beautiful country is on your agenda this August!

Pella Roca, the Romantic Glamping Retreat

Pella Roca Cabins are a romantic Glamper’s dream. The cabins themselves are private and comfortable, with a style that epitomizes cabin chic fabulousness. Your stay can be customized to fit your desires, and planning your menu and romantic additions will make preparing for your stay part of the fun. The surrounding grounds and neighborhood offer a vast variety of activities, if you’re able to leave your porch. But once you set foot into your cabin, you will enter a new world of peace and luxury that is all your own.

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Set in the French Countryside, on a truffle farm no less, La Pella Roca feels separate from your normal world of schedules and stresses. Should you not want to explore the surrounding towns, trek, kayak or hang glide, you’ll have absolutely no reason to leave your cabin. The proprietress Isabella will fill your fridge with delicious sustenance to delight every palate and make you never want to leave. A local France charcuterie board (with additions from Isabella’s native Spain of course) on your patio with a crisp sparkling Rosé is all your summer is missing. Then when morning comes, you’re in for a treat.

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If you, like us, have never had a breakfast basket, you don’t know what your life is missing. Imagine a picnic basket delivered to your door with croissants, fruits, granola, yogurt, charcuterie, fresh juice, ok I can’t go on I’m hungry again. It is the intersection of charm, deliciousness and convenience and officially our new favorite way to wake up. The most fantastic part is that all of this delectable food magically appears at your fingertips, and you don’t have to speak to a soul to get it!

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Continue your day sipping espresso on your porch, or enjoying our favorite part of the cabin (yes, we haven’t even gotten to our favorite yet!).

Each cabin comes equipped with it’s own private sauna and Norwegian hot tub, both of which are as amazing as they sound. One of you can build up the fire, while the other pours champagne, and as the stars come out feel free to wonder if this place actually exists on this Earth. Go to sleep, wake up, and repeat.

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Or, if you wake up with a burst of energy, you can walk over to the pool to take a refreshing swim. Continue your lounging poolside or wander back to the cabin for a sauna. If you aren’t the lounging type of person (or are in a relationship with one who gets a bit stir crazy), never fear. Farther afield are medieval villages to explore and even caves containing Rock Art from 15,000 years ago. And of course, world-class restaurants for which France is known. In the winter, enjoy truffle season with bursting markets and cuisine. Summer offers a plethora of sporting activities from trekking to mountain biking to hang gliding. Reward yourself at the end of your day with a world-class French restaurant in the village. You can wear yourself out while knowing your private spa retreat awaits your return.

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The romance and relaxation surrounds and permeates every molecule of the Pella Roca Cabins and grounds. Allow the bubble to encapsulate the two of you, and enjoy precious moments of privacy and let the peaceful setting slow your breath and clear your mind. Enjoy the convenience, without any of the stress. And after your break from the world, leave more equipped to take on the world.

Jumbo Stay: Sleeping on the runway

First thing I thought when booking my incoming 11PM flight into Arlanda Airport in Stockholm was how I wasn’t looking forward to a late-night long commute. Luckily, the feeling didn’t linger for long. Off I got from the aircraft, carry-on in tow, and on to the next. Not to fly, but sleep.

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Open since January 2009, Jumbo Stay at Arlanda Airport, “one of the world’s coolest stays,” as the website so merrily claims, comes at the rescue of weary travelers like myself. Landing close to midnight and with energy on the low, spending the night on-board a real jumbo jet gave me a much bigger kick than hauling myself all the way into town.

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If I had only pushed the button for my stop… I hurriedly get off the free ALFA transfer bus, a station too late, crisscrossing questionable lawns to make my way back to the previous stop. The alternative would have been to wait it out, comfortably seated touring all terminals, but not unlike what I wanted to avoid in the first place – thanks but no thanks. Finally, the inescapable creature loomed on the horizon. I had doubts all along of how cool this would actually be, but now that I was looking at it, it did look the part. A Boeing 747-212B converted into upmarket hostel, the gigantic airliner once hopelessly parked, and unused, in the airport parking lot, emerges daunting, dimly lit, stretching out into the twilight of the Swedish night.

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Already past midnight, I make my way up to the reception area. A minute after I realize the elevator only works with the button continuously pushed down, I reach the top and open the glass door. I check-in uneventfully, and release a sigh of relief. The free Wi-Fi included works perfectly.

Aside from the lounge, to the left of the reception desk, casual yet stylish, a hint of a Mad Men-ish vibe thanks to the bright orange stools arranged around white tables, complete with a TV, stocked refrigerators and a self-service coffee machine, the rest of the cabin feels rather sterile. Just a long hallway, mostly white, with rooms on each side of the aisle (33 rooms in total). Convenience is evident once again, coziness is not; it was envisioned as a budget-hotel alternative by owner Oscar Diös (at least for Scandinavian standards) for late night arrivals, like myself, or early morning departures. And indeed it was.

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The single room I spend the night in includes two twin bunk beds (with a ladder for the upper), neatly arranged. Don’t expect any drinks, side tables, storage space, because there aren’t any. Just imagine your otherwise economy seats pulled out and made into a sleeping quarter. This is still more spacious. There are towels provided, thankfully, as I didn’t bring any. There is also a lamp, which slightly blinds me at 1AM when I get to sleep, and a flat-screen TV high up on the wall. Orange curtains, in agreement to the lounge stools, provide the only splash of color, behind which four passenger windows reveal the exterior, finally dark.

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Excluding the no frills ambiance, I sleep well through the night. Besides the sound of the central air conditioning, no other noise disturbs me, certainly not one of airplanes coming and going. I did hear the neighboring passengers toss and turn, so do pack your earplugs, and eye mask for that matter, as in no time in this part of the world during summer, there will be light again. The bathroom is shared (a single bed ensuite will cost you some 475 Kroner more, that’s $55 more), but only partially. Forget the usual hostel bathroom, with few showers lined up, one next to each here. Here, you get your own shower cabin, toilet and sink, which for a non-hostel lover like myself, feels a-ok. You just have to walk down to the rear for it. I steered clear from the clunky common washbasin made of aluminum all the way in the back, uninviting, even intimidating.

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Of course, there are also few luxurious options at Jumbo Stay, if one can call them that. The Double Bed Black Box Ensuite is most design forward and comfort friendly, while the innovative Cockpit Suite is exactly that, innovative but nothing more. Besides the ample terrace available for this suite alone, and the unique views that come along with it, the double bed parked where the once pilots sat is rather unnerving, giving the impression of a locked-in space. From the terrace, two engine rooms with a private entrance can be seen, a unique thrill for the aviation geeks but otherwise a laudable exercise of claustrophobia.

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The next morning, I have breakfast in the same bar/café lounge with orange stools (equally uncomfortable), a surprisingly generous offering of cold cuts, eggs and few types of cereal and fruit, included for all private rooms (dormitory guests can purchase it for some $7). Aviation fans can revel in the memorabilia hanging on the wall – posters of the jumbo’s historical journey – from its first flight in 1976, delivered to Singapore Airlines, registered 9V-SQE, to Pan Am as N727PA Clipper Belle of the Sky in 1984, to Swedish Transjet Airways in 2002. Plenty more in between attests to its long, bumpy ride until opening as Jumbo Hostel in 2009.

These days, it’s the opposite of bumpy. It’s unique, convenient and true to its Swedishness. I see a Shoes Off sign as I finally make my way out and into town. A nice custom when entering a Swedish house – too bad it wasn’t more visible, or made vocal, for bleary-eyed late arrival occupants.