I’ve been to 31 countries as a solo female. Here’s where I’d recommend (2024)

I have long been a fan of solo travel. And while women striking out on their own is hardly a new phenomenon — Gertrude Bell, Martha Gelhorn and Dervla Murphy were pioneers in the late 19th to mid-20th centuries — the sheer number of #solotravel posts by women on Instagram suggests it is a growing trend.

Over the past 20 years I’ve visited 60 countries, more than half of them on my own. Travelling alone allows me to shake off the shackles of the person I am at home. I can enjoy long conversations with new people, wander slowly and observe everything, eager to soak in each second of the experience — something I find hard to do when I’m in company.

Many of my most memorable travel moments wouldn’t have happened had I been with a companion. Being invited back to family lodgings for home-cooked meals in Colombia, for example, or chancing upon a shaman ritual at a Bribri village in Costa Rica. Low points have included being groped in India, mugged in Chile and flashed in Cuba and Turkey, but these incidents have done little to deter me.

There is so much goodness and beauty in the world, and the kindness of strangers never fails to move me. There’s nothing more exhilarating than solo travel. My top picks — away from the obvious backpacker trails — are based on the friendliness of the locals, the range of affordable, quality accommodation on offer and ample public transport, to get you further (safely and cheaply).

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Safaris and homestays in Sri Lanka

Verdant jungle dotted with bright-white Buddhist stupas, a high concentration of wild leopards and elephants, rugged beaches and picturesque temples — it was an easy decision to extend my two-week trip to Sri Lanka (I’m still here now). I took a high-low approach by staying in cute Airbnbs and well-run homestays — a great way to experience local life and home cooking — so that I could splash out on a special night or two. The highlight of these was a sleepover at Wild Coast Tented Lodge on the edge of Yala National Park, with its exquisite poolside suites that have freestanding copper bathtubs (all-inclusive doubles from £537; resplendentceylon.com). The rate includes daily game drives into Yala — on one 6am excursion I saw blue-tailed bee-eater birds, tufted grey langurs somersaulting through the jungle, juvenile elephants and three leopards lazing on rocks. Outside the luxe lodgings, women travelling alone should take precautions such as avoiding beach walks after dark, dressing modestly and, if you’re visiting remote archaeological sites, going with a group of fellow travellers.
Don’t miss Expertly blended arrack co*cktails at the Ropewalk bar in the Unesco world heritage site of Galle Fort (co*cktails from £5; instagram.com/ropewalksl).
Make it happen Intrepid Travel has an affordable, solo-friendly group tour of Sri Lanka exploring the ruins of Anuradhapura by bike, visiting the Sigiriya rock fortress and beaches of Mirissa and meeting Tamil tea farmers. Fourteen nights’ B&B starts at £1,805pp, including transfers, activities and some extra meals (intrepidtravel.com); fly to Colombo.

Rainforests and beach days in Costa Rica

With its ancient virgin cloud forests, more than 2,500 plant species and pura vida way of life, Costa Rica was one of my most relaxing solo trips and a highlight of 2022. It’s a country in which I felt incredibly safe and if, like me, you adore the natural world, it’s a must-visit. I filled my days cycling along coastal paths to national parks on the border with Panama, hiking through rainforests and relaxing on the paradisaical beaches of the Caribbean coast. Because I met friendly locals and fellow travellers wherever I went — on buses, in bars, on walks — I never once felt lonely. In fact some days I wondered whether I’d get an hour to myself.
Don’t miss A few nights at the utterly gorgeous Hotel Aguas Claras near Puerto Viejo, where sloths laze languidly in the trees above (room-only doubles from £245; hotelaguasclaras.com).
Make it happen G Adventures runs group tours to Costa Rica for solos, including some in its new “Geluxe” collection aimed at travellers aged 40 and over. Its nature-focused Tortuguero, La Fortuna & Rio Celeste seven-night itinerary, with extra-comfy places to stay, costs from £2,649pp, including mostly full-board accommodation, tours, excursions and ground transport (gadventures.com); fly to San Jose.

Tapas and trains in Spain

After spending three months travelling through Spain in 2021 — from buzzy Madrid and historic Pamplona to Barcelona, Valencia, Calpe (for a quick look at Ricardo Bofill’s postmodern apartment complex La Muralla Roja), Seville and Menorca — it has become one of my favourite European countries to explore on my own. Spanish trains and buses are efficient and relatively affordable making it simple to get around; hostels are plentiful and it’s easy to find Airbnb rooms when hotel prices skyrocket during peak season. The local people I met were always eager to share tips or check in on me once they found out that I was travelling alone — something I haven’t experienced everywhere in Europe. The tapas is also a huge draw here, especially at old-school bars tucked away in side streets. Since small bites, or pintxos, are often complimentary and served alongside drinks, it’s easy (and great value) to spend lazy afternoons sampling a whole array of Spanish delights, often to a 1980s soundtrack.
Don’t miss A day trip from Madrid to Chinchon, the town where the Wes Anderson film Asteroid City was shot; it takes just over an hour by bus from the city centre.
Make it happen Solos Holidays focuses on walking, foodie and cultural tours for those mostly aged 40 and older. Its Walking the Sierra de la Nieves group tour takes like-minded ramblers through the Ronda Mountains in Andalusia, via dramatic scenery and sociable dinners. Seven nights’ half-board costs from £1,659pp, including flights to Malaga (solosholidays.co.uk).

Cooking and street tours in Colombia

When I told friends and family that I was heading to Colombia alone at the start of last year, many people queried my sanity. The country’s narco past, guerrilla warfare and history of kidnappings meant that, for a long time, it was a no-go area for solo travellers, especially women. Today, Colombians detest its drug-riddled past and the glorification of the notorious trafficker Pablo Escobar. Instead they’re eager to showcase the country they adore. According to Juan Sebastian, a lawyer I met on a bus from Medellin to the quaint town of Salamina, “Escobar’s reign was one of the worst chapters in Colombia’s history” — a sentiment shared by many I met in the country. Sebastian introduced me to the whimsical town of Jardin, taking me to his favourite restaurant, Doña Hilda (mains from £4), and showing me impressive waterfalls, many of which weren’t listed in my guidebook. The days I spent in Medellin, Cartagena, Bogota, Barranquilla and Jardin provided me with some of my most precious travel moments, including dreamlike solo hikes through pink banana plantations in Jardin and a colourful street-art tour of Medellin. I felt safe throughout my time in Colombia, especially in the countryside, where farmers and children were always eager to chat. I always organise my own trips, but there are a range of companies offering group tours to Colombia, adding an extra element of security and ease.
Don’t miss Leonor Espinosa’s 12-course tasting menu at her Leo restaurant in Bogota, with its focus on regional ingredients, sourced from 52 areas across Colombia. It is a delight from start to finish (from £80; restauranteleo.com).
Make it happen The solo travel company Flash Pack specialises in group tours for lone travellers in their thirties and forties; its Vibrant Colombia tour digs into the local scene with cooking classes in Medellin, rum tasting in Cartagena and visits to the Rosario Islands and a coffee farm. Eight nights’ B&B starts at £2,620pp, including all activities, domestic transport and eight other meals (flashpack.com); fly to Bogota.

• 11 of the best group tours for solo travellers
• Best city breaks for solo travellers

Mountain hiking in Nepal

As the gateway to the Himalayas, Nepal stuns at every turn. The remarkable country captured my heart in 2015, during a monthlong solo jaunt in which I trekked with two female Nepalese guides through hypnotic mountains to Annapurna Base Camp, at a heady 4,130m (13,551ft). Alone with my thoughts most days, I was forced to look inward, helping me to make sense of a messy recent break-up. The soaring mountains and ethereal beauty of the landscape made me realise the insignificance of our time on the planet. After seven days of hiking and sleeping in some of the basic teahouses that dot the hillsides, I awoke to catch the sunrise turning the peak of one of the highest mountains in the world to gold. Kathmandu and Pokhara, the jumping-off point for hikes into the Annapurna range, are well equipped for solo travellers, with a range of great hostels, restaurants and cafés where crossing paths with fellow adventurers of all ages is easy.
Don’t miss Catching a glimpse of the Living Goddess Kumari at the Kumari Ghar in Durbar Square, Kathmandu. It is believed that the goddess is a manifestation of divine female energy and she occasionally makes unscheduled appearances on the balcony of her palace.
Make it happen Much Better Adventures runs 16-night treks of the Annapurna Circuit for groups of up to 12 (active) travellers. Rated as “challenging”, its trips put you up in guesthouses and teahouses and include free time for exploring Kathmandu. Sixteen nights starts at £1,230pp, including guides, porters and five meals (muchbetteradventures.com); fly to Kathmandu.

Great food in Naples

I don’t want to draw comparisons to the Eat, Pray, Love memoir, but Italy is one hell of a draw for solo females — especially if you love to eat. Ahead of my monthlong, summertime trip to the country, friends balked at the idea of spending August in Italy: “Too hot! Too expensive!” But I couldn’t disagree more. As I wasn’t interested in the Amalfi coast, I stuck to Naples, and my Airbnb host quickly became my guide to the vibrant city, offering daily recommendations: Mennella for dreamy gelato (from £2; pasticceriamennella.it) and Buatta di Angela Gargiulo for the best pasta in town (mains from £9; buattanapoli.com). I also took captivating day trips to Pompeii and the unsung island of Procida.
Don’t miss Banksy’s Madonna With a Pistol mural, next to the Church and Convent of the Girolamini.
Make it happen Four nights’ room only for two at Palazzo Adele, just along the coast in Ercolano and rated “exceptional”, starts at £386pp, including flights (expedia.co.uk).

Which countries have you travelled to solo? Share your tips in the comments below

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