Top 10 Women Only Vacations

As fun as family vacations or romantic getaways are, sometimes a girl just needs a break from all the testosterone. There are plenty of female friendly vacation options out there for when nothing will do but the company of your best girlfriends. If you're ready for a break from anything male, take a look at some of the vacations suggested below.

1. New York City - Take a page from Sex and the City and shop, bar hop and brunch with your best friends. Most guys would not properly appreciate the miles of clothing and shoe shops and a nice pink Cosmo will finish off a hard day of bargain hunting in proper style. Not to mention the theater, parks, architecture and pizza - there's always something to do in New York.

2. Spa vacation - Total pampering, totally guilt free. For when recharging the batteries means nothing less than a hot stone massage, a pedicure and a serious facial there is nothing like a spa trip to get it done. And while a modern guy might be willing to get his nails buffed right alongside you, spa wing man is really a job only a woman can do properly.

3. Nature retreat - Commune with your inner goddess while surrounded by nature. The seeming opposite of the suggestion above, this vacation involves dirt, sweat and bugs. While it may seem those are all things that manly men adore, it is the ultimate in girl power to strap on a hiking pack and climb that mountain or navigate that forest with no one but yourself and other women to count on. There is nothing better to boost confidence and bring mental peace than a few days without a cell, makeup, demands or expectations.

4. Get thee to a nunnery - Convent retreats, such as The Sisters of St. Margaret Convent in Boston or one of the many Roman convents for an affordable Italian vacation. Simple but clean and safe they strip a vacation to the bare bones, leaving peace. On a more practical level these women's hostels are a great home base from which to see a new city or country.

5. Amsterdam - According to USA Today, Amsterdam is one of the best all around vacation spots for women. This is due to the violent crime rate being low (insert joke about peaceful stoners) and also due to the great historical and architectural sites that abound in this ancient city. With wide canals reminiscent of Venice and plenty of female friendly activities, Amsterdam is on the rise as a tourist destination for more than college kids on the lookout for recreational herbs.

6. Costa Rica - One of the safest spots for women in Latin America, it also made USA Today's list. Not only is it safe and beautiful it is, compared to North American prices, very cheap. This means that shopping, dining and exploring can all be done for a fraction of the price as in most European or American cities. Who doesn't like a bargain?

7. Culinary tour - No need to worry about your clothes getting a little tight with only your best women friends around. What's the point of being fashionably slim if if means never eating a perfect bite of triple cream brie? There's no better time to calorie splurge than when trying an assortment of delicacies dreamed up by a chef trying to impress you and your friends. Feel free to dine on sweets, savory treats and anything else that strikes your fancy guilt free, and for years to come the smell of a certain spice will bring the fun of that trip rushing back to enjoy all over again.

8. Biking tours - Let's face it, Lance Armstrong aside, most men don't look great in biking shorts. Why not take your girlfriends on a tour of Italy or the Canadian countryside by bike? This has the double advantage of gaining you some great muscle tone while taking in the sights and hopefully getting to enjoy some great side of the road food and wine. After all, you need to fuel up somehow.

9. Milan Italy - Milan is the fashion capital of the world. Need I say more? While also home to some beautiful architecture Milan is a working city and not a tourist destination - but it does have great shopping. With many designers making Milan their home base the shopping is unparalleled. Not only that but the famed Italian culinary skill is evident in full force in this northern Italian city. Plus, Milan is only hours from the Alps - for skiing - and the coast - for tanning and swimming - so there's not many cities better situated for an all around good time.

10. Road trip! - Why worry about sharing a hotel room with the guys and having to listen to sports on the radio for miles and miles on end? Grab your girls and some junk food and go cross country for an empowering adventure Thelma and Louis style, minus the dramatic cliff dive at the end. A road trip is a great way of squeezing in a whole bunch of site seeing all at once while leaving plenty of time to gossip, philosophize and sing along.

If none of those spots seem right for you then just grab your friends and find somewhere that is. Men are great, really, but sometimes a break from them is more than needed. If you're at the point where the sound of a deep voice leaves you feeling more frenzied than flirty, consider taking a few days away. In the long run your boyfriend or husband will be as grateful for it as you are.