Travelling on your own can be both exciting and exhilarating; it’s daunting being in a foreign destination but it comes the opportunity to be surrounded by people you’ve never met before.
So it’s no surprise that those looking to become solo travellers are turning to group travel to experience the best of both worlds – travelling on your own in the company of likeminded people.
Women, especially, are taking advantage of this new trend with global travel brand Trafalgar reporting a 15 percent increase in women opting to go it alone to Europe and a 17 percent increase to Canada with popular destinations such as Italy, Ireland, Scotland and the Rocky Mountains high on the list of places they visited.
For 2016, the guided holiday brand has already seen an increase in exotic destinations gaining the attention of female travellers including Iceland, Japan and Morocco with all three destinations in the top 10 holidays booked by solo travellers.
To help celebrate International Women’s Day today, here is a of perfect travel destinations for the first-time solo female traveller who is ready to take the leap and explore the world on their own (and in company):
Iceland
One of the most talked about destinations for 2016, Iceland’s beauty is the capturing the attention of travellers far and wide. From spectacular glaciers, lava formations, geysers and fjords mixed with the world famous Blue Lagoon and getting up close with national treasures – the Icelandic Horses, this is a destination that will take even the most avid traveller’s breath away.
Japan
For the first-time traveller to Japan, navigating your way around its cities can be overwhelming at the best of times, especially with Tokyo alone having the equivalent to more than half of Australia’s population living in the one city. For those women looking to immerse themselves in the Japanese culture, wander its parks dripping in freshly bloomed cherry blossoms and taste authentic Japanese food, Trafalgar’s Splendours of Japan guided holiday is the perfect answer.
Italy
Explore one of the world’s largest cultural hubs as Italy’s cuisine, art, history and traditions come to life on the perfectly-planned Best of Italy guided holiday. With plenty of free time for you to get lost in Italy’s cobbled streets, markets and small villages, you’ll also have the opportunity to connect with other travellers as you venture from Rome to Sorrento, Assisi, Venice, Lake Maggiore and Florence together.
Britain and Ireland
Britain and Ireland have been the number one destination for female solo travellers for the past two years. Trips such as the Britain and Ireland Grandeur and Britain and Ireland Panorama that mix both Ireland’s rugged landscape with England’s modern and medieval cities along with the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands are being lapped up by the adventurous female. Go back in time and experience a Downtown-Abbey inspired evening as you’re hosted to a Be My Guest experience at a grand private home in York.
Canada
It’s no surprise that women are being lured by the peacefulness of Canada’s natural surroundings with the destination becoming more popular than ever as a place to escape to for a solo adventure. With an abundance of wildlife, spectacular rock formations, thunderous waterfalls and tranquil emerald waters, these just skim the surface of what are enticing women to travel to this magical location with solo numbers among female travellers more than tripling on Canadian departures.
Morocco
A country riddled with eccentric tiles, grand architecture and will send your sense into overdrive; Morocco has become a must-visit destination for 2016. Embrace the delicate tastes of roses and oranges and marvel at the endless shades of red, from earthy terracotta to fierce magenta, as you watch the stained works hand-dying material in the old tannery pits of Fez.