Why solo travel for women is the greatest way to travel:
5 Well-being Tips for Finding your Zen on the Road!

There's no doubt that solo travel for women has always been a truly life-changing experience. And guess what? It's been on the rise for centuries! From the courageous Jeanne Beret, who in 1776 became the first pioneering adventurer in history, disguising herself as a man to explore the world, to the incredible Cassie DePecol, who set the Guinness World Record in 2019 as the fastest woman to travel to 196 countries. It's crystal clear that traveling solo is one of the most thrilling adventures a woman can embark on. So, if you've got that itch-to-travel bug, this article is tailor-made for you! Get ready to be inspired by remarkable female travelers and gather some mindful tips for your next mind-blowing adventure. Are you ready to spread your wings and embark on your next solo trip? Let's go!

Wander Women: Why do they Travel Alone?

Many sources of inspiration have encouraged women to step out of their comfort zones to cross borders, by visualizing it in their minds before hitting the road. So, all that power, courage, and imagination is clearly appreciated nowadays in the solo female travel industry.

According to research from RV and Playa, 64% of travelers worldwide are female.¹ However, beyond the skyrocketing increase in numbers, what’s fascinating is why they choose to travel solo. Solo Female Travel Trends & Statistics² notes the main reason women travel alone is because they want to, not because they don’t have a companion. Some other reasons include freedom and flexibility (87%), breaking the routine (83%), and challenging themselves (76%), among others. A compilation of some key interesting facts include:

• Among the best solo trip for women, they choose Japan, Iceland, Denmark, Slovenia, New Zealand, and Portugal.³ However, the best place for a first solo journey is Spain, Italy, and the UK.
• Three in four women chose cultural, natural, and adventure trips as their top activities.⁴
• Their main concern? Personal safety. Although there’s scant collected data regarding acts of violence on solo female travelers, safety should always be a single woman’s travel main priority.⁵

The Magic of Solo Travel: Loners but Never Lonely

Even after countless centuries, the allure of women traveling alone, with their incredible bravery and courage, has remained strong.

Let's start with Jeanne Baret, who is considered the very first woman to travel around the world. In 1766, she embarked on a daring voyage disguised as a man, wrapping her chest with bandages and assuming a new identity.⁶ Talk about being a modern and audacious woman! She fearlessly challenged the norms of a male-dominated world, navigating the treacherous seas aboard an 18th-century sailing ship. As a French botanist and scientist, she embarked on a dangerous journey that not only gave her life a deeper purpose but also fulfilled her sense of adventure.

During her expedition, she explored the far corners of the globe, collecting over 6,000 plant specimens and defying the societal expectations imposed on women at that time.⁷ Similarly, let's fast forward to a more contemporary traveler, Lori GS Gámiz. This modern-day woman also ventured to all the continents on her own and she’s been traveling for more than 20 years. As an English teacher and translator, she faced challenges head-on, including battling dengue fever while working with children in Asia and enduring days of solitude in a hospital. She even suffered a terrifying horse bite, but nothing could deter her from pursuing her dreams and embracing the joy of travel.

Despite the centuries that separate these remarkable women, they share common traits: bravery, confidence, resilience, and an unwavering spirit. It's worth noting that neither of them achieved fame during their lifetimes. However, like thousands of other fearless female explorers, they found true fulfillment in traveling alone, triumphing over adversity, and passionately embracing life's adventures.

5 Powerful Well-being Tips to Travelling on Your Own

No matter what century we find ourselves in, following certain recommendations has always been a big deal. So, if you're eager to embark on a new adventure or simply enhance the quality of your travels, let's explore some well-being travel tips together!
Now, we won't dive into the common advice of packing light, researching local culture, making new friends, or prioritizing safety, as you can find an abundance of information on those topics everywhere you look. Instead, let's shift our focus to well-being:

1.  Lose Yourself, but Really, Just Do it: “Traveler, there is no road; you make your own path as you walk.” As the Spanish poet Antonio Machado suggests, lose yourself deeply and trust your gut. It doesn’t mean not planning your trip; on the contrary, it’s about enjoying deeply what you’ve planned, discovering new experiences, and awakening your senses to the fullest.
2.  Cultivate Humility: Take a cue from Jessica Nabongo,⁹ the first black woman to visit all the countries in the world by the age of 35. In a National Geographic interview, she emphasizes the importance of humility. It allows us to connect with people from all walks of life, as Nabongo points out, “whether it's a person sitting on the floor of a local market or the CEO of a luxury hotel.” By seeing others as human beings, we activate empathy and open ourselves up to embracing and understanding different realities.
3.  Practice Self-Care: Embarking on an adventure can be thrilling but navigating new terrain can also be stressful. Taking a moment to tune in to your needs and prioritizing self-care can be the key to a truly transformative journey. Then, ask yourself: Am I sleeping well? Am I eating well? What do I need at this moment?
   Sometimes, in the excitement of traveling, we forget to take care of ourselves. Stay hydrated, wear sunscreen even in winter, maintain your workout routine or incorporate some stretching, and remember to find moments to connect with yourself. For example, pause and soak in the breathtaking view from a scenic viewpoint.
4.  Embrace Personal Growth: When traveling alone as a woman, you’re constantly challenging yourself while you’re immersed in unfamiliar surroundings. Whether it's navigating foreign cultures, overcoming language barriers, or trying new activities, traveling pushes us to face our fears and grow as individuals. Through these experiences, we gain a greater sense of self-awareness, develop new skills, and discover strengths we may not have known existed before. Ultimately, traveling can help us to become more confident, adaptable, and resilient individuals, better equipped to tackle the challenges of life.
5.  Looking for Inspiration? Just Read and Read: Some books that are sure to ignite your adventurous spirit include “Alone Across the Arctic: One Woman's Epic Journey by Dog Team,” which chronicles an incredible solo journey through the Arctic wilderness, and “Mutant Message Down Under,” by Marlo Morgan, a thought-provoking tale of one woman's journey into the Australian outback. For those seeking to embark on their own solo vacations, “The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost,” by Rachel Friedman offers valuable insights into the transformative power of travel.

Let's come together to share tips, stories, and advice, creating unforgettable experiences for women traveling solo. Join the conversation and let's inspire each other to embark on incredible journeys!