The story behind Girls' Guide

I fell in love with Paris when my sister took me as a high-school graduation gift. Ever since, I knew Paris and traveling would need to be a part of my life.

I spent the next 25 years visiting France as often as I could. Then, after a girls’ trip to Paris one year with friends, a light bulb went off. I realized something magical happens when a small group of women travel together to a place of great beauty and culture. The story-telling, the dreams, the heartbreak, the laughter and the discovery all meld together to develop a lasting kinship with one another. It’s a completely different experience than going by yourself, with your family, or with a partner.

So in 2009, I started Girls’ Guide to Paris so I no longer had to choose between what I did and what I loved. We began with small-group, women-only trips to Paris, then expanded to other parts of France ... then Bali, England, Greece & Morocco.

By 2022, we were traveling the globe to more than 40 countries, so we changed our name to Girls’ Guide to the World. My heart will always be in Paris, but the spirit of our trips transcends any one place.

I feel like the luckiest woman in the world; I get to travel to beautiful places and share the experience with incredible women who have so much to offer.

Come see the world with other women who share your appreciation for beauty and spirit of adventure. We are sisters who come as strangers and leave as friends.

Our Travel Code of Ethics

Girls’ Guide to the World is proud to be a part of the global Authentic Responsible Travel movement. We believe the way you travel and the choices you make along the way are just as important as where you go.

Authentic

Our trips are focused on engaging with the people and culture in the places we visit. When we understand the way other people experience the world – their histories, food, language, customs, values, and priorities – we honor their perspective. The commonality of our human experience reveals the connection that binds us together, even as we revel in the differences.

Responsible

When we travel, we’re visiting a place that’s someone else’s home. So we strive to make sure our effect on their home is a positive one. We consider and try to minimize our negative impact on the environment and the culture we’re there to learn about, and maximize the economic benefit for local people.

Led by our founder’s internal compass with input from organizations like Journeywoman (we’re a member of the advisory council), our commitment to Authentic Responsible Travel can be seen in every trip we lead.

1. We look to get off the beaten path to discover the true character of a place, as represented by the people who live there and the traditions they live day-to-day. When we do go to a popular area, we try to go off-season or during a shoulder-season so we’re not contributing to tourist over-crowding.

2. We strive to be responsible and thoughtful about our impact on the environment and our treatment of living beings. We believe in a deep respect for all humans, animals, plants and our mother earth.

3. As a woman-owned business, we strongly believe in supporting other women and girls, whether that’s a street-side memelita seller in Oaxaca or an organization like Beads for Education that’s working to improve the status of women in Kenya through education and women’s business development.

4. We take a deep interest in the culture of the places we visit; we don’t just check off sights seen. We love to sit down and break bread with a local, learn their customs and at least a few words of the language. We are guests not tourists. Discovery of the country we are visiting is all about its people, the history of the country, tasting its food and drinking its spirits.

5. We keep our hearts and minds open.

6. Safety and security are absolutely key, but we don’t let fear lead us.

7. When we fly, we will calculate and offset our carbon omission by making a contribution to save the earth and counteract climate change.

8. We treat our fellow lady travelers as our sisters from another mother, knowing that behind every face there’s an intriguing story waiting to be heard.

9. We won’t stay in a big chain hotel that’s trying to create a homogenous experience no matter where you are. Instead, we select lodging that’s representative of the places we visit – a private Chateau, a traditional Japanese ryoken or a welcoming but luxurious, independently owned boutique hotel.

10. We appreciate little luxuries like fine wines and turn-down service, but we can put on our big girl pants and roll own suitcase when we need to.

11. We say a prayer to our inner-goddess, and treat ourselves and our sisters like princesses. But we also act like the CEO’s of our own lives. We are never helpless and we can be righteous warriors.

12. We understand that travel is all about discovery. We keep an open mind to new places, new food, new people, new ways of doing things, and the ever-evolving world around us.

13. We remain grateful for the opportunity knowing how few people in the world have the means to travel. It is a true privilege.

Meet Our Founder

Who is Doni Belau?

An inveterate traveler, I’ve been to 85 countries (and counting). I come alive when I’m exploring and seeing, tasting and feeling something new. I love to help other women experience this sensation as I truly believe it helps us see a larger world of possibilities within ourselves. Girls’ Guide is an invitation to explore another part of the world while we explore another part of ourselves.

Before Girls’ Guide, I had a long career in television production, stayed at home when my kids were young (and am grateful for that), then tried to make a difference in the not-for-profit arena and politics. I co-founded a not-for-profit in South Africa helping kids with HIV in the Cape Town township of Khayelitsha – one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

I hail from Nebraska, but lived most of my adult life in New York. In 2000, we bought our first home in France, fulfilling a lifelong dream. I’ve been trying to live there full-time ever since. Recently we sold our house in NY, and when not traveling, are now dividing our time between France, New Orleans, and a sailboat named Relish in Connecticut.

I’m obsessed with food … gourmet Michelin star level meals to fish tacos at a roadside stand. I love finding that unique place with a chef who really cares what he or she is putting on the table. Plus, I’ll try anything once. Weirdest foods sampled to date: frogs legs (very good~), escargot & foie gras (duh!), eland and zebra (in Africa), fermented shark (in Iceland – GROSS) and fried grasshoppers (tasty!).

I’ve been a brunette and a blond and blond is better! I try to stay fashion conscious but sometimes I just have to throw on the mom jeans. I believe in the motto “Never act your age!”.