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She’s traveled to Bali, India and the U.S. alone. Here are her tips for solo female travelers

bilawalmaskin@gmail.comSeptember 15, 2025September 15, 2025013 mins

From mountain trekking in India to a silent retreat in Bali, I’ve been fortunate to travel solo multiple times in the past decade.

Over the years, I’ve found that mixing tours with independent travel helps me get the most out of my trips.

Meeting people is high on my priority list, as is feeling safe when I travel. Here are some tips to do both.

Soul and Surf, a guesthouse in the town of Varkala that specializes in yoga classes and surfing lessons. While on the resort’s grounds on a grassy clifftop, I lazed in a bikini among mainly western tourists. But in the center of the small town, I wore long dresses or pants and made sure to cover my legs and shoulders.

I reveled in waking up solo and being able to choose exactly what I wanted to do each day.

Local people dress modestly, and it was important for me to respect that: I also felt that I would be less likely to attract unwanted attention.

Kerala has a reputation for being more relaxed than other parts of India but I still covered up. Following local customs is a good way to fit in to any destination.

a trip to Vietnam, I joined a sightseeing tour of the Mekong Delta, a network of rivers and islands in the southern tip of the country.

While the tour was undeniably touristy, I got the chance to chat with others and hear their stories. We had evenings to ourselves, and I enjoyed swimming alone at the hotel’s pool and eating street food for dinner by myself.

The author on a tour of an island in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

Lucy Handley

After the tour, I enjoyed doing my own thing on Phu Quoc, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. I reveled in waking up solo and being able to choose exactly what I wanted to do each day.

I mixed tours with solo travel on my trip to Kerala too. After a few days by the beach, I joined an organized trek of the Western Ghats from the hill town of Munnar, hiking through tea plantations, cardamom fields and rainforests, where we had to get off the beaten path so as not to disturb the area’s wild elephants.

Villa De Zoysa, a family-owned estate in southern Sri Lanka, kickstarted my love of yoga, and it has helped me find community when I travel alone. For those who aren’t fans, language and dance classes could work too.

While cat-sitting in Mallorca, I joined classes at Bini Balance, run by yoga instructor Cristina Moragues. She invited me to join a retreat in the nearby Serra de Tramuntana mountain range that runs through the center of the island.

In Goa, I approached tourists who were walking on Patnem Beach, carrying yoga mats. They invited me to join a class, and we became vacation buddies, going on a boat trip to neighboring beaches and spending the evening at a silent disco together.

New Orleans to see Beyonce perform during her 2023 Renaissance tour, I had brunch at Willa Jean in the city’s central business district. I sat at the bar, enjoying avocado toast and a paloma cocktail, while chatting to a private jet company operator and an LVMH executive, who were both in town for business.

Sitting at the counter or bar at a restaurant can be a good way to meet other travelers when vacationing alone.

Westend61 | Getty Images

At Bearcat, also in the CBD, there’s a large menu with breakfast classics alongside Southern crab and lobster specials, and I found sitting at the bar a good way to take in the buzzy atmosphere.

GuruWalk, which runs on a pay-what-you-can basis.

Red Mountain Resort in Utah offers packages that include group guided hikes, classes such as Pilates, core fitness and meditation. While there, I found these activities made it easy to meet other travelers.

Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so you can be contacted if there is an emergency. There is no similar system in the U.K., but the government publishes a list of English-speaking doctors worldwide.

I book most of my transfers, accommodations and tours ahead, though I try to leave some flexibility so I can be spontaneous too.

When I’m out and about, I wear a cross-body purse and avoid keeping valuables in my pockets. I always pack a spare credit card and extra cash, which l leave in the hotel’s safe. When traveling by train, or rickshaw in India, I wore a money belt under my pants. Locals advised me not to walk alone late at night in New Orleans, and I made sure to book and wait for taxis indoors rather than on the street.