Loading...

Category Archives for Solo Female Travel

8 Inspiration Ideas That Will Have You Booking Your Solo Trip Today

8 Inspiration Ideas That Will Have You Booking Your Solo Trip Today

 

Exmouth Western Australia
Exmouth Western Australia

 

Solo travel may sound like a crazy concept to some people. They wrinkle up their noses as they spit out the words; a bitter taste in their mouth that they disagree with.

Just like your preferences in food, solo travel is not going to be to everyone’s taste.

Ask you father, your grandmother, your colleague or your best friend. I bet more than one of them has something negative to say about solo travel.

And that’s fine. I didn’t mean to start this article off in such a way as to completely put you off the idea. It was more to emphasise the point that your choice to travel solo may set you apart from the other’s in your life, because they do not share your vision.

Which, in case you are now panicking, let me reassure you is totally ok.

 

Where does travel inspiration come from?

What makes this process most difficult for you is knowing where to look for solo travel inspiration. Where will that spark of wanderlust come from that fuels you to organise and embark on your trip?

Luckily for you, solo travel inspiration is all around.

Even if you struggle to connect with likeminded people in your inner circle, there are swathes of bad-ass females out there all smashing their personal travel goals.

Travel research can sound incredibly unsexy and is something that I can be notoriously haphazard about. However, I can’t deny the power of research to motivate me into making a decision to travel. So, however I phrase it, it’s the research stage where you can gain the most inspiration and get you fired up to travel solo.

Ready to feel inspired? Here are my eight favourite ways to inspire solo travel.

Fiordland National Park New Zealand
Fiordland National Park New Zealand

 

Join female travel groups

The chances are high that you have access to some kind of social media. If so, it’s time to set your Facebook to work! Instead of aimlessly scrolling through pictures of other people’s kids and videos of cats falling off chairs, harness the power of what Facebook really is: a social network.

Jump into that search bar and start looking for female friendly groups that encourage travel. Join a few and you’ll realise you have just tapped into a network of likeminded women from all over the globe. See where they have been, engage on threads, share a little about yourself. Ask questions and give feedback in return.

You will be exposed to a whole host of travel information through these kinds of groups, but also think about liking pages for the countries you’d like to visit. Most countries have an official tourism page where they share great content about the destinations to visit within their country.

 

Read a tot of travel blogs

Build up a core of go-to travel bloggers to check out when you need inspiration.

Who are the women travelling in the countries you’d like to visit? What are they doing there, what experiences are they having?

Search for blogs about the specific areas you are interested in and you’ll find that there are sensational girls out there producing stellar content to inspire wanderlusters such as yourself.

If you’re struggling to find people to follow, turn to social media again. As much as we love to hate the ever-so-sneaky algorithms that power sites like Facebook and Instagram, their ‘recommended for you’ section isn’t always such a bad thing. Ever noticed that when you follow or like something another five pages or groups pop up? Inspirational gold can sometimes rise to the surface of the swirling social media soup.

 

Pinterest

I know I’ve been banging on about social media already, but I feel like Pinterest deserves a separate category. Pinterest isn’t actually a social media per se (more of a search engine), but it is the place to head for inspo on just about everything you can think of: from smoothie recipes to how to plan an epic road trip.

Plug in a few keywords into the search bar and you’ll be treated to a never ending stream of ideas. Build yourself an array of mood boards categorised around your travel dreams: safari in Africa? You’ve got it. Hiking in Patagonia? Yep, you can do it.

So, put Pinterest to work. Remember that it’s not just useful for getting novelty decoration ideas for your sister’s hen party.

Kalbarri Western Australia
Kalbarri Western Australia

 

Podcasts

I’m a huge podcast fan. I love to listen to them when I’m out walking. I’d never even touched the podcast app on my phone until recently. I had no idea that I was missing out on loads of free content that was jam-packed full of incredible travel stories.

Whether you use iOS or Android, you should be able to access thousands of podcasts on your device. Simply click onto the search bar and type in the topics you’d like to listen to. Alternatively, you can access a heap of podcasts through the Spotify app.

One of my favourites at the moment has to be Zero To Travel, a show about creating a life of travel on your terms. The host, Jason Moore, runs a website called Location Indie and it’s a great resource for anyone who needs a bit of encouragement to travel solo.

 

Read a lot of books

Let’s get away from the online space for the moment and rejoice in the ol’ fashioned book. I love to read and nothing makes me happier than a well-stocked book shelf. I usually have at least four books on my bedside table at any one time.

Reading books about other people’s solo travel, and their experiences of travelling in particular countries, is incredibly motivational. Especially when the authors of these books overcame personal challenges to carry out their journeys or even get started in the first place.

Whether you choose to peruse your local library or charity shop’s bookshelf, or scroll through websites to purchase a book online, there are literally thousands of titles to choose from.

Pick a destination that interests you, a period of history, autobiography or fiction: it doesn’t matter. What matters is that reading is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the language, culture and essence of a place without actually being there.

 

Watch documentaries or movies

Who has never watched a brilliant movie set in a particular place and not wanted to see it for yourself? Whether it is Ryan Gosling in La-La Land that gets you dreaming about Los Angeles, or the sun-drenched backdrop of Mama Mia that has you wishing you were sunbathing on a Greek island – movies have the power to transport us places.

It’s not just Hollywood that can get us fantasizing about foreign climes. Documentaries are an invaluable resource to teach us more about the world beyond our garden gate. There are hundreds of excellent travel documentaries aired each year on channels such as the BBC. Travel inspiration may strike as you listen to David Attenborough’s calming tones whilst watching a programme about capuchin monkeys.

Costa Rica, here we come!

 

Talk to other solo female travellers

I know I started off this article somewhat dismissively by suggesting that you may know no one who approves of your solo travel desires. I didn’t mean to sound so negative, because I’m sure you will know a good handful of people in your circle – or extended circle – who has travelled solo before.

I wanted to add in the bit about the extended circle, because you may be reading this and firmly shaking your head thinking, “No. I know no one who has travelled before”.

This could very well be true.

But your extended circle can cover colleagues, your non-immediate family, someone from your church or your sports club. You may be part of a pub quiz team with an ex-globetrotter. Or someone may bring their partner to some after work drinks who used to live abroad.

Hopefully, you see that there will be several solo female travellers out there with whom you can connect. Tell them you’d love to hear about their experiences. Swap email addresses or ask them to join you for a coffee. If you express an interest in someone else’s travels you will almost always be greeted by willingness to share.

Once a traveller, always a traveller. Even if these people are no longer frequently travelling, they will love to share their story and feel like they are an inspiration.

 

Have a mini-break as a practice run

I’m going to pop this one in last as a little bit of a wild card. But, as it’s tip number eight I feel like you’re ready to hear this, my friend.

Going on a mini break may sound like a nerve-wracking step to a wannabe solo wanderer. How do you know where to go? What on earth will you do there? What happens if you suck at this whole solo travel thing and hate it?

That’s exactly where I am going with this.

Hop on the train and go somewhere for the weekend by yourself. Be comforted that it’s in your own country: you can speak the language, you understand the currency, and you’re not too far away from home.

It’s not until you’re on your own, walking through the streets of somewhere (slightly) unfamiliar to you, that you’re going to truly feel the buzz of solo travel.

As you take in the sights and sounds of a local market, or feel the wind in your hair as you gaze upon lakes or mountains, you will suddenly feel the biggest rush of inspiration of all.

Where do you look for travel inspiration?

Meander With Meg Western Australia
Meander With Meg Western Australia

 

MeanderWithMeg

Having spent the last six years living out of a backpack in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, Meg loves to champion solo travel. She blogs over at http://www.meanderwithmeg.com about fearless solo travel and when she is not travelling Meg can be found dreaming about her next road trip whilst enjoying a cup of rooibos tea.

FacebookPinterestInstagramTwitter

 

Tourlina – First travel app which is only for female travellers – find your female travel buddy

 

My First Time Traveling Solo

My First Time Traveling Solo

My First Time Traveling Solo
My First Time Traveling Solo       (Photo:Lolostock/Shutterstock)

 

 

You want to travel, but your friends are busy, don’t have enough money to travel or don’t want to go to the same places you do. Have you ever thought about solo travel? It is an amazing and empowering experience. Here you can read about, what kind of experiences 10 female travel bloggers have made during their first solo travel trip:

 

Alice   –   Teacake Travels   –   Vietnam

My first time travelling solo was about proving to myself who I was, what I could do, what I could achieve and who I could become as a result. I was a stubborn, independent traveller and needed to tackle my adventures alone to become the woman I am today. Looking back on it, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I left the safety of teaching English in South Korea to really go it alone and ended up riding solo on a motorbike through Vietnam for three months. There was literal blood, sweat and tears. I had to learn how to drive treacherous Vietnamese roads. I had to learn how to make difficult decisions by myself. I had to learn what the hell to do when my bike broke down on a steep mountain in the pouring rain with no-one around. I had to learn how to keep myself together when I didn’t see another English-speaking person for a week in the far north. It was brilliant! If you want to learn about life, go to solo travel school. Onwards and upwards ladies!

 
 

Alyssa   –   My Live’s a Movie   –   Sydney

Fateful, organized chaos, is how I’d describe my first time completely traveling solo. I had just traveled to South Africa to volunteer, then Thailand where I met up with some friends I knew, then the next stop was Sydney, via a Malaysian Airlines flight, which was completely empty since I took it about two weeks after the second….incident.

The first thing I did when I arrived in Sydney, was go find a Western Union in the airport, because since I had gotten my debit and credit cards lost/stolen in Thailand, I had no money and my mom had to wire me some. It was raining, and cold, which is rare for Sydney, but of course just my luck, especially since I was staying near the infamous Bondi Beach, but I decided to make the best of it, and find an indoor activity instead.

The Sydney Aquarium seemed like a good idea, so I bought a ticket on the bus and went, not finding it odd at all that there was no one up front to take my ticket. Long story short, I got locked in the Sydney Aquarium on my first day there, alone, for about an hour before I busted open the emergency exit and escaped.

The next day it was still cold and dreary out, so I sat alone on Bondi Beach in my giant jacket trying to take GoPro pictures of the surfers. Apparently one of them noticed, and came running up to me like a taller, tanner, David Hasslehoff, and after hearing my miserable story about the money and aquarium, ended up inviting me to hang out with him and his friends.
Since it was my first time traveling solo, I was extremely reluctant (even though he was really cute), but I ended up going, and meeting a ton of awesome Aussies, and getting to experience Bondi from a local’s perspective rather than a touristic one!

 
 

Christine   –  Tour de Lust   –   Amsterdam

It’s been over 7 years since I graduated college. I had no job lined up and no obligations after graduation. So what could I do while waiting for someone to hire me? I had never thought about traveling solo, but a few of my friends were backpacking through Europe and gave me the idea to travel! My family is very traditional and thought I was insane because I’m a girl and shouldn’t be traveling alone. I went for it anyway! I decided to take my very first solo trip to Amsterdam! I chose Amsterdam because it’s a big city, very safe, and most people speak the same language. At times it can be awkward when there is no one to take my photos or eating alone at a restaurant, it takes time to get use, but I began to ask strangers to take my photos and sat at the bar to talk to bartenders at restaurants. Something I don’t have a problem with now! Amsterdam has a lot of museums, which is a great way to spend alone time. I wanted to feel safe and be surrounded by other travelers, so I decided to book a well known tour company halfway through my trip! This was a great idea because I met so many other travelers just like me! As a first timer it allowed me to feel safe. I did not feel alone and got to experience Amsterdam with other solo travelers. My first solo trip was one of the best experiences ever and it was when I officially got hit with the travel bug!

 
 

Laura  –   dreamgazer   –   Southeast Asia

My first solo travel experience changed me but for the better.

So like many travels plans mine started out as scribbles in my notebook gathering inspiration, I had the ideas but it was putting them all into action that was the hardest part for me. You see I had put off going travelling for a few years, of the fear of not having anyone to go with. But this year I finally found the right person; myself. As soon as I booked my ticket to go explore SEAsia the nerves kicked in, knowing I was going to be completely out of my comfort bubble did scare me, but a few weeks later there I was standing at the departures saying goodbye to my Mum, the last question she ask was ‘are you sure you want to do this?’ That was when I knew this was going to be the best decision I had ever made.

Stepping off my plane into an unknown country I admit it was daunting and I was a little apprehensive about everything. However after a while my body got used to the time zone, my skin got used to the weather, my mind got used to the culture and most importantly I got used to being in my own company. I accomplished so much each day, even if it was the littlest things because you learn that you are responsible for everything. My journey wouldn’t of been the same without meeting like-minded souls on the way, most who were travelling theirselves, not forgetting the locals of each place I travelled to, the warm smiles and happy gestures that made you feel just at home.

The best gift that this trip gave me was realizing what freedom meant to me, being able to wake up and plan my day just for me and not having someone else dictate my plans. Feeling that pure bliss of happiness and love because everyday was lived right in that moment, realising every single day should be like that no matter where you are. So just book that ticket and go, you honestly won’t regret it.

 
 

Leah   –   Via Leah   –   Australia

I never really expected so many twists and turns on my journey, but I guess that should have been assumed when I decided to travel alone for the first time. To be honest, I never really counted my first solo trip until I booked something for myself by myself. I have flown to visit family in the past, but the adventure lies when your surroundings are unfamiliar. I traveled for more than 24 hours to Adelaide, South Australia. Flights were delayed and overbooked which had me sleeping on the floors in the airport. But once I got myself in the country, I realized how powerful that moment was when I discovered, “I can do this on my own… I did this on my own.”

I spent over half a year in Australia where I was tested culturally and personally. While visiting, I made an effort to meet as many people as I could and attend events weekly. I joined sports team, photographed for a local online magazine, contributed to the University paper, and did waitressing on the side. The truth was, I couldn’t afford the trip over to begin with so I only bought myself a one-way ticket. I had to work most of my time there in order to save up for a flight back to the United States. This highlights that there are always alternatives to getting where you want. You don’t need all the money in the beginning. Yes, it will cost you something to travel, but it will cost your heart more when you turned yourself away from an opportunity that could impact your life.

 
 

Megan   –   Mapping Megan   –   England/ Finland
Mapping Megan

I traveled solo for the first time at age 18. I boarded a plane to the UK and excitedly started my gap year abroad – I would be working as a teaching assistant in a boarding school, and have 17 weeks to travel Europe as I pleased.

There was no culture shock during my first few weeks in England – I was in a country which spoke the same language, and even though I had traveled alone, I was surrounded by other Australian teenagers at the school doing the same. My first experience of culture shock, and perhaps my first “real” solo journey, came during the first school break.

Excited to discover Europe, I jumped on a plane to Helsinki. It didn’t hit me that I was ill prepared until I arrived in Finland and had to attempt to find the baggage claim. This was the first time I had experienced a language barrier, and it hadn’t dawned on me that simple tasks like collecting my bag, or communicating with a taxi driver would be difficult things to do.

I found my bag after stalking a few other passengers from the same plane (which included an awkward toilet stop!), and managed to find a cab with a game of charades. Luckily, most people throughout Scandinavia speak fairly fluent English, so the trip overall was a blast. Though it taught me not to take for granted that everyone will understand you overseas. You’re traveling to their country, so it’s you who should make the effort, not them.

A little bit of language prep before a trip can go a long way, and just knowing how to communicate the basics will help to feel less intimidated on arrival, and you’ll often find you feel more safe.
 
 

Melodie   –  Adventures of Melodious   –   Australia

My name is Melodie, and I am a travel addict. I have just returned to Canada after over four years of continuous travel, much of it on my own where I met some of the most amazing friends a girl could ask for. The first time I truly travelled alone, not just to a distant relative or to meet a friend in another country, I was 25. I had an Australian Working Holiday Visa and had spent the previous three months making my way to Australia by visiting friends and family across Canada and the United States. A month after I arrived in Australia I was staying with a cousin in Canberra when I decided that I had to take the leap and book a flight somewhere where I didn’t know a soul. Within 20 minutes of that decision I had purchased a flight to Tasmania for a week later.

I would be lying if I didn’t tell you I was nervous to stay in a hostel wondering if I would make friends, but I must have picked the perfect place to stay. The first day I explored Hobart alone and it was a freeing feeling. Normally a social person I didn’t mind that I was doing hikes and eating at restaurants without anyone else. I did make friends later, on my second evening I befriended a free spirited French woman and fun girl from Korea. We ended up touring around for days and later exchanged contact details. This experience set the precedence for the rest of my journey. It just took one leap of faith, and suddenly I had the courage to book a trip knowing that at the other end there would be nothing waiting for me except for new experiences and some amazing new friends!

 
 

Nam   –   Laugh Travel Eat   –   Berlin

It was August, 2014. I was standing on a bridge across from the Berliner Dom, looking for a good spot to take a photo. It was the first time I had ever felt alone in the world even though I was surrounded by a crowd. Now you might think that it’s a negative feeling, but in truth it was refreshing and empowering. While we often end up alone in our city running errands or even just roaming around, it feels different when you are in a foreign place. I had no one to share funny moments or things that I noticed to or anyone to help me take photos or needed me to.

I was, frankly, out of my comfort zone. But without someone to talk to, I was able to focus more on my surrounding and absorb more of what’s going on around me. I had all the time to line up for a shot of the Cathedral without being hurried, but I also had to pluck up some courage to ask strangers to take a photo for me. I got to decide, alone, whether it was worth the entrance fee to visit and had no one else to blame when it turned out to be less than what I expected. I was completely by myself – and that’s something that doesn’t happen often in your life, and it helps me to be more independent.

 
 

Nicki   –   EATLIVETRAVELDRINK   –   Iceland/ Ireland

For me, part of being an experienced traveler was taking the plunge to travel solo. I knew I wanted to go to Ireland and Iceland, so I did a stopover in Iceland for a couple days and then went on to explore Ireland. Both countries were magnificent in their own ways.

Iceland was magical in that it was covered in snow, the sun rose late, the people were welcoming, and I felt safe the entire time. I froze to death because I didn’t pack properly, but it didn’t stop me from exploring the country. I went to the Blue Lagoon on my first day and relaxed in the waters to decompress from my flight. It is every bit as amazing as you would expect. The second day I did a full day Golden Circle Tour. Around every corner was an amazing site to behold in Iceland.

When I left for Ireland, the wind was blowing at nearly 60 miles per hour. How I made it to Ireland alive is beyond me. Upon arrival the winds were so strong that they could not give us our luggage. I waited 2 days for my stuff to come back. I didn’t let it ruin my trip – I purchased some items locally and went about touring. I stayed in a hostel that I loved, went on a rail tour to the Cliffs of Moher, tasted whisky, drank beer, saw the long library, ate amazing food, and walked almost the entire city.

I had already traveled extensively prior to this trip, so I felt like I would be ok. I never once felt unsafe and have nothing but good memories.

 
 

Sandra   –   Tourlina   –   Nepal

Sandra

Some years back, I heared from a friend an amazing story about a Reiki- and Yoga teacher from Nepal. As I practiced Reiki already for some time, I got curious. I wrote an e-mail to the teacher, asked him to be his student. Soon, I got a reply; telling me that I can come to Kathmandu 3 weeks later for 3 weeks. I booked the flight without knowing exactly what is expecting me and already 3 weeks later he welcomed me in Kathmandu. It got an amazing time with new insights into Reiki, Yoga and meditation, with visiting the awesome sights in and around Kathmandu in the afternoons, spending time with my teacher and his lovely family and traveling one extra week with the teachers daughter around Nepal. This story maybe is not about solo travel in a classical way. But like most solo travel trips, you start alone and you don’t know what will expect you. At the end you weren’t lonely one day, because you meet other people on your way, with whom you spend time together, which get travel buddies and sometimes friends for your whole life.

 


 
 

This website or its third party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. If you want to know more or withdraw your consent to all or some of the cookies, please refer to the cookie policy. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close