Thinking of solo travel but not sure where to start? START HERE!
Perhaps you're a seasoned traveler who's seen it all, so the question stumps you: where should I travel next?
Or you may be new to travel and bewildered by all the holiday destination choices out there.
Or maybe you're an armchair traveler, at least for now, wanting to dream about travel rather than experience it.
Don't worry - you'll find plenty of inspiration here.
You can start by clicking through to the thumbnails below: they will lead you to specific travel guides for women, stories of my own travels, memories... this isn't a traditional "what to do' destinations section (although you'll find plenty of that) but one stuffed with history and observations and anecdotes.
Not sure which continent is for you? Then keep reading!
Coming up with the best travel ideas is hard work.
Imagine having to choose between going to Madrid and Milan, Malaysia or Morocco...
How on earth do you make up your mind?
Of course it's part art (flair, instinct, desire, dreams) and part science (budgets, visas, distance, time...)
But knowing that doesn't necessarily help.
Here's what does: QUESTIONS.
Each time I can't decide my next trip, I ask myself questions to help narrow my choices and move me towards clarity.
This is the first — and main — question.
It's not always obvious.
Usually, it's because you have a destination in mind — a country, a region, a city.
But your travels can be about many other things, so understanding your motivations and your desires will help you decide.
Here are some typical travel motivations...
Ask yourself...
The lemurs of Madgascar, the whales and dolphins of British Columbia, the magic of Lake Song Kul in Kyrgyzstan or the beauty that is Lake Malawi
Think of Costa Rica, the Kinabatangan River in Borneo or the Brazilian Amazon
South Africa is ideally diverse and Malawi is working hard to attract visitors to its game parks. That said, you can view wildlife without leaving town in Nairobi.
The Grand Canyon or Alaska, perhaps? Iceland's glacier caves? Australia's Great Barrier Reef or the Gibb River Road?
You can't go wrong with places like Italy, Turkey, Greece, India or Peru, and certainly China is replete with history.
To secret places like Mamoiada in Sardinia or hidden places in the Philippines — the world is full of sacred places.
Your ideal destination could be Paris... or Florence... or perhaps in the casinos of Las Vegas?
You'll find Bangkok, Lisbon or Kuala Lumpur a bit more affordable — and this cost of living chart can help (so can this one).
The world is full of fabulous markets — from Istanbul's Grand Bazaar to the flea markets of France.
Then it's Rio for the Carneval, Hong Kong for the Dragon Boat races, New Orleans for Mardi Gras...
That will get you to France, California, Chile, Australia, Italy... This list grows and grows.
This is one of my favorites! I've tried them in so many cities... - and then there's this amazing food market in Lyon... and these markets in Madrid. I could go on. And if you're hooked on coffee, there's a visit waiting for you in Colombia's coffee triangle.
So many places have wonderful street food traditions — Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok...
The Colosseum in Rome? The pyramids of Egypt or Mexico or Central America? The best chateaux of the Loire Valley?
You might choose one of the safer destinations for women — like Singapore or perennial favorites in Europe, like Portugal
Some countries simply lend themselves to independent travel because they are so organized and simple to navigate, like Switzerland or South Korea or Singapore
Now that's not (at all) me but - there are few places you CAN'T indulge in your sporting passions. An up and coming adventure sports destination? Albania!
Sample the beaches of Turkey, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Zanzibar or the Seychelles... or one of my top destinations, Sabah, Malaysia.
You could follow in Birgit's footsteps and climb Kilimanjaro, or walk around the Mont Blanc.
Try spending a week in Sri Lanka, exploring Saharan sand dunes in Morocco or bumping along the roads of Brazil (and stopping in Rio for a while) or Cuba, utterly unforgettable.
There are so many interesting travel destinations out there. It's not hard to find top 10 lists online...
You can follow the footsteps of great explorers like Freya Stark or Alexandra David-Neel or Marco Polo
If so, consider visiting places considered safer for solo women.
Some destinations are absolutely hostile to gays and lesbians so think twice if you belong to the LGBTQI community. Others are not particularly welcoming to women, especially solo travelers. Do your research and choose accordingly.
You may decide to avoid certain countries because of their politics, and reward others for theirs.
Your travel destinations could be Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan, for example), Iran, Inner Mongolia — or why not one of the world's unrecognized countries?
In which case you could try the safety of Doha, or the mysteries of Muscat, Oman?
Like Nairobi in Kenya, or Vietnam?
You'll always have the world's dangerous places — though I wouldn't encourage you to put yourself in danger..
Pick a region and organize an itinerary that takes you there in depth — the cities of southern France, for example. Or, use a single city as your hub and then get out to explore the region: Annecy, France can be your jumping off point to the French Alps.
There's Cape to Cairo, Bangkok to Hanoi, the Panamericana or the Silk Road, London to Istanbul, Beijing to Moscow, the Trans-Siberian... Or why not one of the world's great railway journeys (I'm partial to long journeys!)
Budapest, Bulgaria, the Baltic States, or even Moscow. Or my little favorite, Moldova.
If medical care abroad is an issue, make sure you choose a destination with adequate emergency medical care available throughout the country. These would be countries in North America, Europe and several countries of southeast Asia. And whether this is an issue or not, please make sure you travel with travel insurance — World Nomads if you're younger, and any company on this page if you're older.
How to decide where to travel is a highly personal quest, and half the fun of travel is choosing your vacation destination (at least it is for me).
Still can't decide? Then, drumroll: here are...
Amangiri/Lake Powell, Utah/Antelope Canyon, Arizona – Forbes
Panama – CN Traveller
Bhutan – Lonely Planet and Elle
Gzira, Malta – Smarter Travel
Los Cabos, Mexico – Good Housekeeping
Tokyo, Japan – Rough Guides
Chad – Robb Report (this is my top choice from this list!)
Georgia (the country) – Travel Lemming
Salta, Argentina – Refinery29
Prague, Czech Republic – The Zoe Report
Here's how I made the list.
There are so many top 10, top 25 destinations or top 50 vacation spots that I looked at the leading ones and chose the #1 destination from each. So there you have it, from the experts, in no particular order, the list of Number One travel destinations!
(Of course you could do it the fun way and just throw a dart on a map and see what happens. I sort of did that.)