The all-women outdoor community called PajelinTrip empowers participants to conquer the wild with confidence. (PajelinTrip pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: She came alone, shoulders tight, eyes darting between the trees and the unfamiliar faces around her.
“How do I even do this? What should I prepare? What can I expect? And… what about the toilet situation?”
She wanted to love the outdoors, to breathe a little easier. But the anxiety was loud, and her confidence small.
That first trip didn’t magically fix everything – but something lifted. A little comfort was enough to shift almost everything.
“Even though it was just 1%, she felt comfortable. And from that 1%, now she joins other, more adventurous groups,” said Fazleen Nazri, founder of PajelinTrip, an all-women outdoor community.
“Also, she’s helping other girls. I’m always happy to see women like her who start off timid but grow to help other newcomers understand nature and the outdoors,” Fazleen added.
Fazleen Nazri (centre) started PajelinTrip to create a safe space for women who wish to explore nature. (PajelinTrip pic)
Since its start in 2018, PajelinTrip has organised nearly 100 hikes, 70 camps, and 30 overseas adventures.
The community has taken women across Malaysia, Croatia, Bosnia, Georgia, Slovenia, Annapurna Base Camp and, most recently, Everest Base Camp.
Before all this, Fazleen was an accountant – “a nerd,” as she puts it – stuck in the same routine day after day. Weekend hikes became her escape, first small ones, then bigger climbs.
“Nature was the only place where I didn’t feel boxed in,” she said.
Friends joined in, even on her first trip to Indonesia – where the playful nickname “Pajelin” (a twist on her name) began.
Back then, her hiking group was mixed. But over time, she realised something important.
“Slowly in 2018, I could see that I was more comfortable with women only,” she said. “When you’re with women, you are safe from being judged. If you want to be sensitive, if you want to be pretty, if you want to wear makeup – it’s okay.”
Her decision wasn’t just about comfort – it was about safety. Fazleen has heard unsettling stories: women being filmed, followed, or harassed on trails.
“Some guys… they don’t understand boundaries,” she said. “When they see you as someone pretty, they feel they can snap your photo, record your video. It’s uncomfortable for me and other women.”
Many women have formed meaningful friendships through the hikes and camping events arranged by PajelinTrip. (PajelinTrip pic)
These fears grow in the wilderness. “Especially when you don’t have internet or mobile network coverage,” she added. “I just want to be myself. I don’t want someone flirting with me or staring at me. My intention is just to be in nature.”
That’s why PajelinTrip is a women-only space – and why preparation is such a big part of their model. Every trip begins with a detailed group chat, checklists, and guidance for beginners.
“Sometimes, I will go and experience the trail first before we bring our clients,” she said. Her team follows the same rule: they never bring women anywhere they haven’t tested themselves.
This structure also reassures families. “A lot of our clients are wives,” she explained.
“Their husbands may be worried about the presence of other men. So when they know it’s women-only, they feel comfortable. And when we give information beforehand, they feel safer and more willing to join.”
Surprisingly, the hardest challenge in the early days wasn’t logistics – it was public perception.
“The outdoors are dominated by men,” she said. “People thought we wanted to fight with men, say no men. Actually, it’s wrong. We respect men – we just want men to respect what we want as women.”
Her team still works with male drivers, guides, and logistics crews, but always with clear boundaries.
Fazleen (third from left) hopes PajelinTrip becomes part of Malaysia’s tourism narrative. (PajelinTrip pic)
Today, PajelinTrip has grown far beyond Malaysia, drawing women from Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, UK, Qatar, Saudi Arabia – and even hikers from Australia who found the community while planning their travels.
Looking ahead, Fazleen hopes to make PajelinTrip part of Malaysia’s tourism identity. “I want people from other countries to come and experience our nature with local women,” she said.
But despite the growth, her message stays gentle and grounded.
“I hope women feel stronger, more confident,” she said. “But slowly. Don’t force yourself. Rest, recover – your well-being is important. Slowly develop your fitness and stamina in nature.”
Because when women grow slowly and steadily, they don’t just become braver hikers – they become women who help others rise too, she said.
Find out more about PajelinTrip here and follow them on Instagram.
