The Best Countries For Traveling Solo As A Woman
Solo travel is having a moment. For me—a backpacker at heart, with a penchant for arty, boutique hotels—that moment began around 20 years ago when I embarked on my first solo sojourn to Central America, inspired by the Latin-American craft store I was working in at the time. After saving relentlessly, I took off, and the solo travel bug firmly took hold. I haven’t looked back since.
I still enjoy holidaying with friends and have backpacked with a boyfriend on a seriously tight budget ($20 a day for a year), yet I always return to traveling solo, especially during trips when I’m away for prolonged periods. Good books and new acquaintances keep me company, and I like to travel slowly, often by local bus or train. This style of travel affords me time to think and ponder and to truly drink in the experiences I have without too much distraction.
Of the 30-plus countries I’ve visited solo, some are better suited to female travelers than others. For example, India is one of my favorite countries in the world, having spent over six months traveling through its varied and wondrous landscapes, first with a companion and second alone. But it’s one of the harder countries to navigate solo, in part due to its size, huge population, and large amount of unwanted attention. Should it be discounted as a woman? I’d say no, but extra precautions should be exercised. It’s not one for the fainthearted.
Whereas places like Italy and Georgia, for example, would suit first-time solo travelers perfectly. While I’ve always organized and researched my trips, preferring to travel independently, these days there are a range of companies offering group tours to a staggering array of countries around the globe. Less experienced travelers might prefer the extra element of security or ease that traveling as part of a group brings, but I’d urge anyone joining these tours to do their homework since many U.S. and U.K.-owned tour companies often tout local experiences—many in developing countries—as their main selling points. A tactic I’m wary of, since guides on the ground rarely have contracts or workers’ rights and oftentimes aren’t fairly compensated, having to rely on tips to make up the majority of their pay.
One way to remedy this is to travel solo, booking locally owned accommodation and visiting locally owned businesses along the way. Chances are you’ll meet fellow travelers anyway, but this style of travel ensures a better chance of understanding and experiencing a country organically rather than through a sanitized Western lens. Ready to take the plunge? These are my absolute favorite countries for traveling alone.
Colombia
(Image credit: Lydia Swinscoe)
Since Colombia is pretty huge, it suits travelers who have a bit more time to spare, which is why I opted for the vibrant country for a three-week extended vacation. With a long history of kidnappings and guerrilla warfare, this South American country hasn’t always had the best reputation, especially for females journeying alone, but times have changed, and I felt safe during my trip.
After hopping from Bogota to Baraquilla, before stopping in lovely Cartagena and spirited Medellin for a few days, I took a local bus to my favorite destination of the trip, majestic Jardin. Filled with brightly painted wooden chairs and low-stack buildings, the whimsical countryside village has a lovely sense of community, with real-life cowboys convening in the main square and chatty farmers selling brilliant bunches of pink bananas—a true highlight for those going it alone.
Georgia
(Image credit: Lydia Swinscoe)
Thanks to the country’s inexpensive marshrutkas (minibusses) that zip from town to town, getting around Georgia is pretty effortless, making it the ideal destination for solo travelers. I spent six weeks taking in the impressive sights of the country, from the idyllic town of Sighnaghi in the east to the curious city of Batumi on the shoreline of the Black Sea in the west, interspersed with extended periods in the hip capital, Tbilisi. Well-designed Airbnbs, creative hotels, hip coffee shops, an impressive array of local wines, and a dining scene that never once failed to excite all add to Georgia’s appeal. Moreover, I never once felt threatened or unsafe in the country.
(Image credit: Lydia Swinscoe)
Due to an abundance of Casa Particulars (family homes open for travelers), Cuba is a great place for solo travel. Aside from the country’s machismo attitude, I enjoyed traveling from Havana to Viñales Valley and Trinidad alone, following a short stay in the capital with a friend. Meeting fellow adventurers came easily too – I hitchhiked a ride with two German girls, dined with a woman from Montreal, and hit Fábrica de Arte Cubano (an old factory turned art and dining space) with a British guy in his 70s.
Unfortunately, as catcalling is common on the island, it’s best to ignore it and keep your wits about you, especially when out at night, as streetlights are few and far between. A ride out to Ernest Hemingway’s old home, Finca Vigia, in the suburb of San Francisco de Paula is well worth the trip to see the writer’s belongings still in situ, including his old Corona Three typewriter and stacks of books and magazines. Hail a vintage Impala or 1950s Cadillac to make the journey in style.
Italy
(Image credit: Lydia Swinscoe)
Of the bucolic Italian cities I have visited so far, I’d recommend pretty Florence and gritty Naples (not forgetting a quick trip to the idyllic and little-visited island of Procida) for females traveling alone. While Florence impresses with winding cobblestone streets, gelato shops, awe-inspiring architecture, gorgeous hotels, and top-class restaurants, Naples is its sexier, edgier cousin.
The joy of Naples begins with its food, and since there are plenty of eateries, spanning low-key pizza joints to homely restaurants serving up affordable pasta dishes, it’s easy for solo diners to feel right at home. The colorful and often chaotic city has an energy like no other, and so my preferred base is the leafy, quiet Vomero district, accessible by a steep funicular. While Procida, a tiny island just off the coast of the mainland, wows with pastel-hued homes, secluded bays, and plenty of wooden fishing boats—head over for a day or two for long languid days in the sun.
Sri Lanka
(Image credit: Lydia Swinscoe)
The magical tropical island of Sri Lanka cast a spell over me as soon as I arrived, dazzling and mesmerizing at every turn. My month-long trip quickly turned into a deep nine-month exploration spanning much of the country, from Jaffna in the north (a place once off limits due to the country’s 26-year-long civil war), and Colombo, with its primary colored tuk-tuks and colossal hypnotic trees, to the palm-tree-backed beaches of the south and east coasts and the swathes of idyllic tea plantations covering the highlands.
Home to sloth bears, leopards, raucous gray langur monkeys, mugger crocodiles, Asian elephants, red and grey slender-loris, and hundreds of types of paint-box colored birds, Sri Lanka is a true haven for nature and wildlife lovers, but also impresses with large-scale monolithic hand-carved Buddha statues, fascinating archaeological sites, and little-visited ancient temples—there’s literally something for everyone. While females traveling solo should take precautions (as with any country), on the whole, I felt safer in Sri Lanka than I did living in London. By avoiding beach walks after dark, dressing respectfully, and buddying up with fellow travelers to visit remote sights, I, for the most part, avoided too much hassle, but that’s not to say I didn’t encounter any.
(Image credit: Lydia Swinscoe)
Safe, photogenic, and swirling with myth and legend, there’s no wonder Scotland is one of my favorite places for a solo jaunt. From the Isle of Skye’s Fairy Pools, where icy dips await, to hiking through the Old Man of Storr, the landscape impresses at every turn and through all seasons (I especially like winter when there are fewer people around). A car is recommended to reach some of my most loved spots, including one of Scotland’s most magnificent wild swimming spots, The Meeting of Three Waters. This series of calm yet invigorating pools are even more inviting since they’re backed by the impressive Three Sisters mountain range. And it’s around this area, particularly near the River Etive, where it’s possible to spot majestic stags, mountain sheep, and soaring golden eagles in the wild.
(Image credit: Lydia Swinscoe)
While most travelers head to Costa Rica’s northwest coast, I’d recommend that solo travelers beat the crowds and make a beeline for the country’s Caribbean coast, close to the border with Panama. Boasting an abundance of slow-moving sloths, hypnotic acid green jungle snakes, horseback rides through national parkland, and the chance to learn all about Costa Rica’s BriBri tribe who utilize the healing powers of local plants, it’s the place I retreat to when I need to escape. Here, I met plenty of fellow solo females, had some life-enriching conversations, and really didn’t want to leave.
(Image credit: Lydia Swinscoe)
Because the Maldives is synonymous with honeymooners and can be wildly expensive to visit, the island nation doesn’t get too much solo attention but hear me out. After spending 11 days island hopping solo late last year, I’d recommend the country to first-time solo-ers looking for a bougie, super safe yet extremely relaxing and beautiful break without an iota of stress or hassle. Everything about these islands is healing, from the impressive array of world-class wellness therapies to the meditative shades of azure, cobalt, and sapphire blue.
And since the Maldives’ idyllic atolls teem with all manner of bright and photogenic corals and sea life, from sleek unicorn and butterfly fish to painted sweetlips, it’s the ideal place for snorkeling and diving, too. Aside from the friendliness I encountered, from both fellow guests (none of which were honeymooning) and hotel staff, the highlight of my time in the region took place in Hanifaru Bay, part of the UNESCO Biosphere waters of Baa Atoll, where I swam alongside a mass of twirling manta rays, each one somersaulting through the plankton-rich waters, like angels of the ocean. The otherworldly moment will stay with me forever, and perhaps wouldn’t have happened had I been traveling with a companion.
Canada
(Image credit: Lydia Swinscoe)
After visiting Canada twice, I’m confident that a dual-city stay encompassing both Montréal and Toronto will impress solo travelers since both places are safe and sublime yet radically different. Montréal takes the top spot since it’s the perfect destination for a city break with an edge: small enough to get around on foot but large enough to have a burgeoning art and gastronomy scene, whereas Toronto gets under your skin with its addictive vibe and friendly residents. In both places, the food scene and street art seem to dominate, I’d recommend Café Nocturne, Larry’s, and Art Cafe for brunch in Montréal, and The Drake Hotel and Ramen Isshin for bites and drinks in Toronto.
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