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.
Cover your calves in India
In the southern state of Kerala, India, I stayed at 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.
Join a tour — but do your own thing too
When traveling by myself, I aim for a mix of organized tours and solo explorations. On 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.
Yoga can take you everywhere
I have attended yoga classes alone in Las Vegas, the Spanish island of Mallorca, and the tourist-friendly state of Goa, India.
A retreat at 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.
Sit at the bar when eating out
Dining alone can feel exposing, so I often look for restaurants where there are seats at the bar.
On a solo trip to 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.
Get off your phone
Call me old school, but I love a proper travel guidebook.
I find trawling endless online reviews for hotel or restaurant recommendations tedious and instead rely on “Lonely Planet” or “Rough Guide” books. It also feels safer — I’m less likely to have my phone in my hand scrolling on an unfamiliar street. Plus, it means I look up more and can take in more of my surroundings.
Guided walking tours are also a great way to explore a city without your nose in your phone. I took a walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City with GuruWalk, which runs on a pay-what-you-can basis.
Stay in a hotel with group activities
Hotels that offer activities can make for an easy solo trip. 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.
Guests can go on a kayak or paddleboard “safari” to an adjacent bay at Neilson’s Beach Club in Sardinia.
Source: Neilson
Meanwhile, British holiday company Neilson includes activities like cycling, tennis classes, paddle boarding and sailing in its vacations, and its social dining table can be a friendly place for solo travelers. Traveling during school terms increases your chances of meeting others who are vacationing alone — and it’s cheaper, too.
Certain activities attract solo travelers too. In Indonesia, I stayed at Bali Silent Retreat, where most guests were traveling solo. Not speaking for a few days felt liberating. However, if the silence is too much, the retreat offers short trips to a nearby hot spring, where talking is allowed.
Safety tips for solo travel
Traveling by yourself can feel hugely freeing. That said, I do take a few safety precautions.
Before I go away, I leave a detailed itinerary with my family, including the phone numbers of tour guides and taxi companies I’m using, along with my travel insurance information.
If you’re a U.S. citizen, you can register trips abroad with the government’s 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.
A cross-body purse is useful for valuables while traveling.
Mayur Kakade | E+ | Getty Images
When I told friends I was traveling by myself to India, some said they were concerned for my safety. But I found that when people approached me they usually just wanted to practice their English.
In Bali, meanwhile, traveling around the island is simple via the ride-hailing apps Gojek and Grab.
When it comes to accommodations, I avoid ground-floor rooms. I also utilize all locks on the doors, so that someone with a key can’t enter the room while I’m asleep.
And, I seek advice from local people, as well as other tourists, on areas to avoid or tour operators they recommend.
Finally, my best advice: trust your intuition. If a person, situation or place feels unsafe, leave or seek help.
