Solo travel changed me as a person.
It made me brave. It forced me to step out of my comfort zone, trust myself, be independent, and learn to love my own company - all while doing my favourite thing: exploring exciting new places!
If you can travel solo, you can do anything.
Over the years I’ve travelled solo to loads of different countries, but these five destinations really stole my heart. Whether it was the people, the food, the scenery or the magic of the moment - I’d go back in a heartbeat.
Here are my 5 favourite places I’ve travelled solo… and loved every minute of it.
1. Lisbon, Portugal
What I did:
What I loved:
- Joined a fab walking and food tour of Lisbon (hello, custard tarts and cheese!)
- Did an amazing Setubal Region wine tour day-trip
- Explored the charming streets and tiled alleyways of Lisbon
- Lined up at the famous Pasteis de Belem for their iconic pastel de nata
- Spent a full day visiting Sintra, Cascais and the vibrant Pena Palace
What I loved:
The dreamy pastel buildings, historic trams, beautiful tiled facades and incredible wine. It’s affordable, colourful and packed with personality - I felt totally safe wandering solo and was always surrounded by friendly locals and travellers alike. And did I mention the pasteis de nata?
2. Bagan, Myanmar
Where I stayed: Ostello Bello Bagan - one of the best social hostels I’ve stayed in (and they have private rooms).
What I did:
What I loved:
- Hired an e-bike every day to temple-hop across Bagan’s ancient plains
- Took a sunrise e-bike group tour (absolutely magical)
- Did a full-day temple tour with a bunch of new friends
- Ate incredible local food for super cheap
- Joined a chilled-out sunset boat trip on the river
What I loved:
Bagan felt like something out of a dream. Thousands of ancient temples scattered across the landscape, golden sunrises that felt sacred, and some of the kindest people I’ve met on my travels. It was affordable, awe-inspiring, and solo-travel friendly. (Visited in 2017).
What I did:
What I loved:
- Wandered the fairytale streets of the old town
- Joined a delicious local food tour
- Went to the Christmas markets every night
- Took a short trip to Lake Bled and stayed two nights to explore
What I loved:
Ljubljana feels like it belongs in a storybook. The bridges, cobblestone streets, pastel buildings and mountain views are just stunning. The Christmas markets made it even more magical – I drank hot mulled wine by the river, listened to live music, and felt completely at home wandering solo.
4. Chiang Rai, Thailand
Where I stayed: Maryo Resort - a wonderful hotel with mountain views and suuuper cheap for such a great room with a balcony!
What I did:
What I loved:
- Did a full-day Golden Triangle tour, including the White Temple, Blue Temple, Singha Park, travelling all the way to the top of Thailand where you can see into Laos and Myanmar
- Visited and fed rescued elephants at the nature reserve Elephant Valley
- Explored and shopped at the buzzing night markets
- Ate some of the most delicious Thai food I’ve ever had
What I loved:
Chiang Rai is such an underrated destination. The famous White Temple is absolutely mesmerising, but the whole region is full of peaceful landscapes and flavour-packed food. It’s a quieter alternative to Chiang Mai - perfect for solo travellers wanting something a bit different.
5. Krakow, Poland
Where I stayed: A charming loft Airbnb in the Jewish Quarter
What I did:
What I loved:
- Explored the ancient cobbled streets and main square
- Took a walking tour diving into Kraków’s rich history
- Joined a food tour (so much pierogi and soup!)
- Did day trips to Auschwitz and the Wieliczka Salt Mines
- Survived a 40-degree heatwave drinking delicious Polish beer in shady beer gardens
What I loved:
Krakow is steeped in history, yet still vibrant and buzzing. The architecture is stunning, the food scene is strong, and it’s a great city to just wander and soak it all in. I met other amazing travellers on the tours but also felt completely content doing my own thing.
Final Thoughts
There’s something so freeing about solo travel. You can go anywhere, do anything, and truly get to know yourself along the way.
Have you ever travelled solo? I’d love to know your favourite spots!
Final Thoughts
There’s something so freeing about solo travel. You can go anywhere, do anything, and truly get to know yourself along the way.
Have you ever travelled solo? I’d love to know your favourite spots!
(I’ve also loved loads of other places solo - Berlin, Bangkok, Siem Reap, Prague, Melbourne, Barcelona, Fiji, Vienna, Vang Vieng, Doha, Shanghai… I could go on. Is there anywhere I haven’t enjoyed solo? Yes - Jakarta! You can read my most popular post on my blog if you’re curious).
Check out my older blog posts on solo travel for more info and tips here.
Feel free to follow my latest adventures on Instagram.
Feel free to follow my latest adventures on Instagram.
No comments
Post a Comment