Which way forward? For this young woman on the Big Creek Greenway in Alpharetta, Georgia a map helps. But the ability to break away from the pack and exploree the world on your own begins with desire and inspiration.
Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively, unless you can choose a challenge instead of a competence.” Those are the words of Eleanor Roosevelt. During her time as first lady, Mrs. Roosevelt was an avid traveler who journeyed far and wide to further the advancement of women in both the workplace and the social sphere.
Mrs. Roosevelt loved travel, something she has in common with many of her modern counterparts. According to the Travel Industry Association, 32 million American single women traveled in 2018. And of those 86% say they are not afraid to travel alone. So with female travel on the rise, where are women jetting off to and why are they going there?
For recent college graduate Andrea Mangulabnan, her first solo travel experience came along by accident. She was studying abroad in London during the spring of 2019 when she decided to cross the Irish Sea and explore Dublin, Ireland. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find a travel companion whose schedule matched hers. So she decided to go alone. “This was something that I really wanted to do and I didn’t want to sacrifice the trip just because no one else would come with me,” she remembers. So, after talking to people who had been there and looking at travel blogs about the Irish capital written by people who were around her age, she decided to go by herself. “Besides,” she smiles, “Dublin is pretty close to London and very inexpensive.”
On her weekend trip, Mangulabnan visited the famous Guinness Storehouse where she tried her very first pint. The Marketing major also spent hours exploring a floor of the Storehouse completely dedicated to Guinness Advertising, something she doesn’t know if she would have been able to do had she been with a group of people.
Confidence gained by traveling alone soon led to other excursions. Upon returning to London, she visited many museums on her own. She also went skydiving alone in Switzerland when her travel companion decided not to join her. “I began to feel free and comfortable with myself, knowing that I could do whatever I wanted.”
The one downside? She remembers initially it was a little awkward asking someone to take photos of her, but she did not let their confusion at her being alone get her down.
Iconic landmarks in India like the Taj Mahal are very safe for adventurous women traveling solo. Guided tours are easily arranged through most hotel concierges.
Where to Start
Rebekah Anaya, the Study Abroad and Peace Corps Prep Coordinator, at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, is a seasoned world traveler and has been to 26 countries on six continents. While living in Spain, she made frequent solo visits to towns such as Grenada and Seville. She also visited Belgium, intrigued by the food in the country and set off to do some solo culinary exploration.
Now a professional in the travel industry assisting college students create their own study abroad experiences, Anaya has some suggestions for safe places where women traveling alone can go. She says Western Europe, Canada and the Australia – New Zealand areas are good options for novice solo travelers because they are generally safe and fairly easy to navigate. They also speak English, host many American students and are used to having American tourists in their cities.
Language barriers can be one of the biggest issues solo travelers confront, says Anaya, so she recommends you know some basic phrases and slang before you take off. Hello, Goodbye, Thank you, and I don’t speak that language are essential. Also good to know: How much is…, Where can I find a taxi, bus, train? and I’m really not interested.
Custom and what is considered polite and impolite can vary greatly from country to country, so Anaya also recommends doing some cultural research ahead of time. In Thailand, for example, you never touch anybody’s head or sit so that the sole of your foot points at another person. Some populations don’t like to be touched by strangers. That’s why in India, Thailand and Burma people wai instead of shake hands. Going to China? Then be sure to take a debit or credit card. Merchants there no longer like to accept cash.
What to Wear
When she travels, she also always tries to adhere to the country’s modesty standards to avoid standing out as a tourist. For instance, if you are visiting a Muslim country, leave your short skirts and shorts are home. Hijabs are not mandatory for Western women but they are a sign of respect that Muslim men and women will appreciate if you are walking through a crowded market.
If you’re a woman, you probably do not want to go to Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq or Iran due to restrictions on women. But you’ll have a great time in Jordan, where you can take a bus down to Petra, stopping off at the Dead Sea for a mud bath, and visit ruins of old Crusader Castles along the way. After spending a full day wandering around Petra, head for Aqaba, a resort city on the Gulf of Aqaba that doesn’t mind women wearing bathing suits on the beach. On the drive back to Amman, stop at Wadi Rum, where responsible Bedouin guides will take you into the desert for a closer look at The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, a rock formation that British soldier T.E. Lawrence used as the title of his autobiography.
There are several travel companies that specialize in tours for single women. One such group in Annapolis, Maryland is Women Traveling Together. Founded in 1997 by a single woman who wanted to travel but did not want to be the only single woman on tours primarily designed for couples. WTT seeks to create an enjoyable and safe experience for all who are willing to contribute to the group as a whole.
Once upon a time, New Guinea’s Mud Men were remote and mysterious. Then Cathay Pacific Airways placed an ad in print magazines throughout Asia showing its flight attendants talking to tribesmen in their village. Since then, Mud Men living just out side the capital of Port Moresby supplement their income posing for photos with adventurous tourists.
The company has tours all over the nation ranging from hiking in West Virginia to touring the bright lights and city streets of Manhattan, to relaxing in the Florida Keys. Most trips last less than a week and allow participants to immerse themselves in various cultural experiences. It also has trips to the Albuquerque Balloon Festival in October and to New York City in May to experience Manhattan’s different neighborhoods.