- Joined
- Jan 18, 2010
- Messages
- 7,177
- Points
- 48
They were on a joint family holiday when mums Anna Koh and Tan Lay Suan suddenly realised that vacationing was tiring.
They ended up packing and unpacking, and played mediator when family members wanted to do different things.
"We realised that it was a common theme among women, especially mums.
"When we return from vacation, we feel like we need a holiday from the holiday," says 47-year-old Madam Koh with a laugh.
So the duo started Stilettos Travel, a for-women-only travel agency.
They aim to create vacations where women have a proper "time-out".
And they are serious about their no-men policy.
"A client's husband came along for a pre-trip briefing and asked if he could go on the trip to Bhutan.
"Of course, we had to politely tell him that it's not possible," Madam Koh says with a chuckle.
"It's about providing a time-out, time away without the stresses of being wife, and mother especially. Just time in the company of other like-minded women," says Madam Tan, 45, who has been married for 20 years and has a 17-year-old daughter.
Her friend and business partner, Madam Koh, has been married for 21 years and has two children, aged 17 and 20.
"It's an extension of your day-to-day friendship, especially when you travel with very good friends. It's a very comfortable feeling since you're so used to one other," says Madam Koh.
Their clients are between 30 and 70 years old, and are usually married with children.
When they opened their agency, they offered tours to four destinations. Six months on, they have expanded the options to 10 different off the beaten track locations.
They travel mainly to destinations in Asia for now - even if they are more remote. Think Mongolia, Luang Prabang in Laos and Yangon in Myanmar.
"We wanted to organise tours to places which would not typically be so accessible, and realised that there were many beautiful, relatively unexplored places in Asia," says Madam Koh.
Although they admit that they've had only about 60 customers so far, they reckon it is not bad for a small boutique agency like theirs.
"The number of women who approach us to join the tours is increasing, but it's still a very niche market.
"We don't foresee becoming a big travel agency catering to the masses," says Madam Koh.
The upside to having a small client base is highly personalised service, she says.
"I can remember all my customers' names and I can easily recall what their needs are."
Being women-centric means tailoring the experiences to suit women - ample time to indulge in "girly activities" such as handicraft sessions and even visits to orphanages.
Improving the lives of the less fortunate is something that has resonated with women.
"We have ladies asking how many boys and girls there are at the orphanages so that they can pack suitable gifts,"says Madam Koh.
Tour packages begin at $1,000 and can cost up to $5,000 for a 13-day trip to Bhutan, which includes a special photography course conducted by a local photographer.
Prices are about 20 per cent more expensive than regular travel agencies.
But the women say that it is fair because the groups are contained to a maximum of 10 people and lodging is always arranged at upmarket boutique hotels which they have inspected themselves.
These premium places are unlikely to be located in shady areas, so women travellers can feel safer, Madam Koh and Madam Tan say.
They also pair women who want to travel but would like to share costs.
"We often have women calling up and telling us they want to travel, but cannot find appropriate travel partners," says Madam Tan.
The women have mostly been courteous to each other, although some friction is inevitable.
"There have been times when we hear some ladies say they don't want to talk too much to one within the group because she's too fussy, but generally, we haven't had serious complaints," she says.
Ms Doris Lim is one convinced customer.
She was paired with Ms Raji Sekaran, who is in her early fifties, for a trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia, in March.
"We stayed up till one or two in the morning just chatting and getting to know each other," she says.
She enjoyed herself immensely, especially on a quad bike going through paddy fields. And she is leaving for her second trip with Stilettos Travel tomorrow to Bhutan.
[email protected]
