Best Places for Women: Solo Travel

Safety is the First Thing on My List

Feeling safe and happy in a country encourages me to visit many times. 35 countries later, these astonishing places immediately leap forward in my mind for solo travel:

Italy

Thailand

Cambodia

Bali

France

 

Why? 

I’ve had thrilling adventures in all of these countries and traveled solo by motorbike, bus, train, share jeep, ferry, plane, and car and lived to tell the stories.

So let’s plunge in now.

                                                     Photo: Lovely Daniela and Francesco, I Rent their Apartment in Sicily

Italy is Easy to Fall in Love with Because it Has the Best Food on the Planet.

Advice on Italy Travel Itinerary here

One thing to note is this. People go out in groups here so get familiar with being asked, “How many in your party?” at every restaurant you go to.

You get used to it. How? Tiny tables to sit at, barely big enough for two humans in most restaurants. And you’re new in town, you haven’t made friends yet and you’re not renting any.

Because Italians are friendly and talkative, you’ll be invited to eat with neighbors or join them on their adventures. This happens.

Go with the Flow and Start Conversations with Unknown People

You’ll be surprised at how patient people can be while you kill their language. 

First Day of the Pandemic in Palermo, Sicily

I was doing my morning run. Suddenly a barbecue party appeared in front of me. ImmediateIy I was eating pork chops and ribs with a fun family who invited me to join their gathering. 

They tried speaking English when they heard me murdering their language but we had a blast. And insisted I have wine too.

See the video here

Do you like walking?

In Italy you’ll do so much of it you might lose weight! But even if you don’t; you’ll be able to eat the pastries and gelato because you’ll be walking 6 miles a day. One year I lost a few pounds but the next trip to Italy I was smarter and ate even more! 

But I did double up on my gym activities when I returned to the USA.

You Don’t Need a Car in Italy or Any of the Countries On This List

If you book lodging in the center of town, you can walk everywhere. If you want to rent a motorbike in Cambodia or Thailand, be cautious and I say this from experience.

After 11 months in Thailand I had a major crash in Chiang Mai on my motorbike.

Because the traffic is insane and people don’t stop if they hit you. It happened to me. So I went back to walking.

 

Thailand

I love Thailand! Why?

Because it has a welcoming attitude for solo women.

And it’s clean, has delicious food, temples you can stay at, and immerse yourself in the experience of Thailand, and unlimited Thai massages and body enhancing treatments for low cost.

What’s not to love?

Read about my 12-month stay in Thailand and considering it as a home base.

You’ll be surprised at the low cost of housing, transportation, and eating out.  Food markets are in every town so you can eat out and not cook unless you want to.

My favorite meal was barbecued catfish with sticky rice while I was living on Koh Phangan, an island in the Southern part of Thailand.

 

Photo Above: this is where I worked in Pai Thailand on my laptop, it was the perfect cafe!

And your options for where to go are endless: 

The islands in Southern Thailand, mountains near Chiang Mai, Pai (so many hot springs) above Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and Isan in the rural north which used to be part of Laos so it has a remarkably different culture than the rest of Thailand.

Isan is where I lived in Tubmingqwan temple for two months shooting video and photos for the head abbott.

He said, “Stay here as long as you like and work for me!” So I stayed for 60 days and loved it. I even got used to getting up in the morning at 3AM to go pray with the nuns and monks.

Many Temples in Thailand Allow Foreigners to Stay and Pray or Meditate.

And you don’t have to set it up ahead of time. If you want to go to the temple I stayed at in Loei, Thailand the name of it is Tubmingkwan Temple.

You can practice with the nuns and monks and give an offering. My offering was doing extensive photography and videography for the monastery. Once I got used to waking up at 3AM I loved this experience.

Photo: Bangkok Thailand

 

Transportation in Thailand is Easy and Low Cost.

So you don’t have to navigate the chaotic traffic in the cities. I enjoyed taking the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, you can get a sleeper compartment so you’re able to stretch out and relax.

Or you can take the luxury bus.

One thing to prepare yourself for is this: the bus usually blasts Air Conditioning on the passengers so bring warm clothes for your journey so you can sleep in the icy winds blowing on you.

 

Pai Thailand

Chiang Mai Transportation

You can take the red songtaw trucks where you climb into the covered truck bed for about a dollar. 20 to 30 Thai baht.

Low cost flights between the cities in Thailand are also available but I prefer taking the train. Just be aware if you take the bus the TV will be tortuously loud (it’s possible) so  bring ear plugs.

And sometimes I book two seats so I can have more room to myself.

 

Loei Thailand

 

Cambodia

Cambodia is a Country You’ll Fall in Love With. I did.

Visiting Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Kampot, Kep, and Otres Beach will thrill you to the core. It’s a magical country with excellent coffee, low prices, rivers to swim in, and oceanside fun. 

Discovering Angkor Wat is a Southeast Asia Must Do Highlight.

Do this if you have a limited time in Cambodia, it’s the largest religious monument in the world. And its a huge complex, after 5 visits I still didn’t see all of it. 

Visiting for a month or two you can see a lot but visiting for a week?

Stay in Siem Reap with a short visit to Phnom Penh. 

 

Bali

Bali is bursting with music, temple ceremonies, friendly people, and flying around on a motor scooter.

Safety for women?

I visited the first time after the nightclub bombings in Kuta and felt absolutely safe. Since tourism numbers were low it was an intriguing time to be there without the crowds.

And Bali’s number one moneymaker is tourism. So residents were appreciative of any tourists arriving post-debacle.

Facts to keep in mind:

Going to a ceremony at a temple in Ubud?

Wear the proper clothing, you can buy blouses and sarongs at the main market in Ubud. And at the same time see tons of dazzling flowers and fruit used for the offerings, be enchanted!

Arriving in Bali:

You’ll touch down at the airport in Denpasar. Where will you go? Ubud, Seminyak, Kuta, Changgu, Sanur, and this enchanting place, Uluwatu. See it in my most viewed video here.

Ubud is where I like to stay, why?

You’ll have a thrilling time taking photos, meeting other tourists, talking with locals, and exploring temples. Eating food in this town is fun, you can eat local food or go vegan, and experience ultra fine dining.

Festivals happen quite often on Bali. Care for a Cremation? These events are packed with color and chaos you don’t want to miss. Just wait and something amazing will happen and you’ll see things you’ve never seen before while being on Bali.

 

 

France 

 

France Delivers Exquisite Food, Ravishing Architecture, and Residents Who Know How to Live Well.

Fast becoming one of my top five favorite countries, I’m falling in love with it, why?

Walking in Paris is like swooning on two feet.

You’re over the moon seeing the stunning buildings and exhilarating gardens. You’ll walk 9 miles without realizing this. I did.

Being in Paris makes you excited to discover the food, croissants, people, and beauty.

Stunned the first time I saw the Eiffel Tower. It’s huge!

Suddenly you’re staring at this monolith of design perfection and you can’t stop looking. The stunning simplicity of it takes your breath away.

But I was starving so after dancing around this beauty I popped into a lively bistro and had a glass of wine. 

Tip: Don’t go to cafes or restaurants near major tourist attractions. Walk further away 10 to 15 minutes, and you’ll find more delicious food, better service, and lower prices. 

Paris France Highlights

My favorite hotel in Paris is here. I’ve stayed in this hotel three times and it’s close to everything you want to see and do. Many boulangeries, restaurants, and stunning gardens to explore.

The Latin Quarter is lively as the Sorbonne is here so there are tons of students. It’s an invigorating environment, always something to see or do.

 

10 Days in Lourdes France

This small town in the French Pyrenees calmed my spirit.

And gave me a peaceful re-ignition for my soul. I could live here for a few months but instead I got an apartment and settled in for 10 days of long walks to the Sanctuary, slowing down, and praying.

The Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette here, who became a saint after she died.

And the holiness is palpable: miracles happen here. People are healed of illnesses and disease so you can’t help but feel the awe inspiring ethers of the divine in this place. 

And the water from the grotto is holy so take some home with you.

 

This restaurant was close to my apartment and I was immediately curious when I saw it was packed for lunch. Looking closer I noticed the menu, 3 courses and dessert for 10Euros, wine only 3Euros per glass. But it was actually a tumbler-full.

Yummy food and it was artfully presented. And I appreciated it so much as I’d been shopping the food markets and creating meals in my kitchen to wow myself.

It worked, I’m going back to stay longer but first returning to Sicily, my true love.

Leaving Sicily was shocking but it was a soft landing in Lourdes with the divinity pulsating through the sky and streets. Every time I visited the sanctuary I felt my prayers were answered and my divine connection with God was on going.

My heart feels happy when I think of Lourdes.

So are you ready to leap into a new dimension? 

Get in touch if you need travel advice, or you want to move to a new country, I’ll share all my contacts and expertise with you.

[email protected]

You’re invited to travel with me and a small group of solo travelers to Mexico, details here.

My 6 books on Amazon, the 5-book series on my travel adventures and how to change your life

Ask me a question here and I will answer it.