When the Going Gets Wild: Womens' Adventures for 2015

Wild Women Expeditions has offered outdoor adventure-based travel for gay, bisexual, transgender and straight women since 1991. It's only been in the past five years, however - since Jennifer Haddow purchased the company - that WWE has expanded to serve up a truly dazzling array of journeys to the most far-flung reaches of the globe. Here are a few of our favorites still to come this year.

Iceland Golden Circle Horse Riding Adventure

A land of stunning and feral topography, Iceland may be best experienced by horseback. WWE is giving novice and veteran riders the chance to do just that with the Iceland Golden Circle Horse Riding Adventure, a nine-day tour beginning August 8. The fabled Icelandic horse, descended from the equines Vikings brought to the island a millennium ago, will ferry riders over volcanic mountains and past hot spring-fed lakes, along verdant riverbanks and through lonely moors. First, however, comes a morning of instruction followed by an easy trail ride.

Acclimated, riders will spend the next week crossing such mythic landscapes as Reykjadalur (Smoky Valley), with its mysterious hot springs and boiling mud pots. The best might be saved for last: a ride over the black lava sand beach at Thorl�ksh�fn.

Kilimanjaro Trek and Safari in the Serengeti

Also in August, beginning on the 21st, is what might be the greatest Wild Women adventure of them all, the Kilimanjaro Trek and Safari in the Serengeti. Hiking Tanzania's Kilimanjaro - at 19,341 feet one of the world's highest volcanoes - makes physical fitness a must. However, the climb is not technically demanding and rewards trekkers with passage through the mountain's gloriously distinct ecosystems, including lush rainforests rich with wildlife and the ice-capped Uhuru Peak itself, offering a 360-degree view of the plains below.

The eight-day trek is followed by an optional five-day safari in the legendary Serengeti National Park beginning August 29. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the most famed wilderness reserve in the world is home to the Big Five: lions, African leopards, elephants, black rhinos and Cape buffalo.

The Magic of Bali Adventure

Come September 7, The Magic of Bali Adventure, a kinder, gentler Wild Women experience, awaits. Exotic, erotic Bali unfolds like a tropical flower over this two-week journey that includes bicycle rides through picturesque villages, indulgent Balinese massages and visits to sacred jungle temples. The Indonesian island paradise, far from the pressures of the workaday world, is the ideal place to relax and recharge. This is a trip designed to restore body and spirit.

Among the highlights are a stay on North Bali's idyllic Pemuteran Beach, with plenty of time to laze on the sand; snorkeling in the national park reserve on Menjangan Island; beginner-friendly rafting on the Telaga Waja River; and even the chance to take part in a water-based purification ritual performed by a Balinese priest.