Eat with your guide in the Okavango Delta of Botswana

Traveling in Botswana's Okavango Delta is now so popular that there are multiple packages available to choose from. If you want an intimate experience with the wildlife and the waterways and lands of the Delta, book with an outfit that lets you sleep in a tent on an island and go on safari on foot rather than being overly-sheltered. African Excursions run by Seolebale Sammy Mokgadi in Maun, Botswana gives you the basic, no-frills, experience with a price to match. Also, I suggest you arrange to shop for food that both you and the guide can eat together (in African custom), rather than run with the classic division between guide and client. It'll be more fun. Buy more provisions than you'll need for the time you're out in order to give these to the guide afterwards. The guides are poling and taking care of you--doing all the work--but receive a small portion of your fee. Give the guide your pocket knife, or any other camping gear you have with you, and see his face light up. Tip generously to the guide.

Janet Grace Riehl is a poet, blogger, and Afrophile. You can read her work and join in the discussion at www.riehlife.com dedicated to creating connections through the arts and across cultures.

Dining delights in New York City...

Here's my woman-friendly good food tip for New York City. Giorgio’s of Gramercy offered my best dining experience while I was in New York. It’s a small, lovely restaurant with fine food. Solo diners may opt to dine while seated at the bar mingling with others. Very enjoyable. Address: 27 E. 21 Street. Tel: 212-477-0007.

If you happen upon a Tasti D-Lite shop, with many Manhattan locations, do yourself a favor and sample one of their yummy, ice-cream-like treats. At just 10 calories per ounce, with no artificial sweeteners and 99 percent fat-free, this is a guilt-free indulgence. Out of 100 flavors, there are several to choose from each day (I loved the German Chocolate Fudge and Chocolate Toasted Almond). Check locations and ingredients at www.tastidlite.com.

Sharon Wingler is a travel writing international flight attendant.

Never enter hotel elevator before kiddies...

When entering a hotel elevator always keep your children close and in front of you. Never enter first and assume they will follow. If the doors close too quickly you could be separated from each other. Always discuss with your children what your plan will be if you are separated. Example: Everybody goes down to the ground floor and waits for each other at the front of the elevators. With very young children keep a card with your name and cell phone number in their pocket. It pays to be prepared.

Erica Ehm is the creator of two gorgeous children and www.yummymummyclub.ca, a cheeky, playful site for women with kids, cuz mummy deserves to play too!

Florida's best fruit stand...

If you're in Miami or Everglades National Park, it's worth the trip to Homestead to visit 'Robert Is Here' http://www.robertishere.com/. The family-owned fruit stand overflows with a vast array of fresh fruits, as well as honey, preserves, pickles and sauces. Don't miss Florida's best milkshakes, made to order with fresh fruit. Try the key lime and strawberry combination! Click here for directions to 'Robert is Here.

Barb Kroll co-publishes the trip-planning website, KrollTravel, http://www.krolltravel.com/ with her husband, Ron.

Languages to go for the mobile woman...

Your overseas travel experience expands exponentially when you can speak the local language – even just a little. LanguagePods, a hot new product by Praxis Language, satisfies the desire for curious travelers, as well as serious language students. Entertaining and quintessentially mobile, these personalized learning systems allow you to download the language lessons you want onto your iPhone, iPod or PC. Whether you want conversation starters in Buenos Aires, are looking for the right bus in Rome, or trying to order your favorite Sichuan dishes in Shanghai, you can download and listen as often as you’d like. Currently available are Chinese, Spanish, French and Italian with plans for English, Japanese, Russian and Arabic.

Stacie Nevadomski Berdan spends her time writing and speaking on the topic of women and the international workplace. Check out her award-winning book at: www.getaheadbygoingabroad.com

It's best to travel with a male partner in the United Arab Emirates...

Women generally feel safe travelling in the United Arab Emirates. However, they should be sensitive to local customs by doing the following: (1) dress conservatively -- bare shoulders, midriffs, and legs (wearing shorts) should be avoided. (2) Avoid eye contact with staring males -- Many Middle Eastern males interpret eye contact with a Western female as an invitation to make sexual advances. (3) Avoid traveling alone if you can; a male companion often deters unwelcome encounters.

Ron and Caryl Krannich are the authors of 'Treasures and Pleasures of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, and Yemen: Best of the Best in Travel and Shopping. Website: www.ishoparoundtheworld.com

Bonus Book Box #5
Go Your Own Way

Go Your Own Way, women travel the world solo is edited by Faith Conlon, Ingrid Emerick & Christina Henry de Tessan. There is nothing quite like hitting the road by yourself to awaken your senses, sharpen your mind, and build your confidence. In 'Go Your Own Way,' twenty-three women who've traveled solo share their exhilerating stories -- the daring adventures, the comical disasters, the cultural revelations, and the powerful, private aha! moments of self-discovery that can only come from being in a foreign place. What's more, they show us that being alone doesn't have to mean being lonely.

Seal Press Website: www.sealpress.com