I am home on a small break between trips and preparing for the month-long journey through Central Asia that will take me to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
If these are countries you'd like to visit, get on the waitlist so you are the first to know when they go live.
On this week's podcast episode we dug deeper into the needs and wants of women traveling solo, and into the things that worry or even stop them from traveling solo.
It's based on the research we have been conducting annually since 2020, so it's backed by data and not based on our opinions because, spoiler alert: our opinion are not representative of the majority of you.
On the topic of data which I ❤️, here is some podcast data: Apple ignores shows unless they get reviews. They just simply don't show them to anyone. We are currently at a 5* rating, but we only have 20 reviews across countries.
If just 50 of the 35,000 who read my newsletter every week left a quick note, just a very short and quick review, right now, we would crack the Top 20 Places & Travel charts by tomorrow.
Could you do this for us? 🙏
Every episode is the labor of love of 3 or 4 of us at Solo Female Travelers. It takes over 10 hours to produce one episode, and we do it with so much care and appreciation, we'd love for more wome to come along for the ride!
Here is a photo of Meg and I yesterday recording a future episode on what's inside my handbag when I travel. It will be a fun one, gosh I keep weird and wonderful things inside my bag, around the world 😅
My back-up phone has probably been to 50 countries inside my bag!
Now, on to this week's travel tip: How not to be left behind by your tour group when traveling solo. Yes, it happens, apparently quite often!
How not to be left behind
The underground tunnels at Milestii Mici
I recently returned from Moldova and took a couple of day tours to Milestii Mici winery, which counts almost 200 km of underground cellar tunnels, and to the unrecognised territory of Trans-nitria, a unique place with its own currency, passport and borders that sadly, no other country recognises.
In both cases, I was on my own and there were other solo, couple and even small group travelers in the group, and it made me think of the recent conversation in the group about precisely this topic: How not to be left behind when you are solo traveling with a group.
You have probably seen this situation before: You need to use the bathroom at one of the stops and worry that they will leave without you. Or the group will move on and you won't see them do so.
There were a couple of moments when this could have happened, although a good guide would never leave a traveler behind and would count every time the bus departs. But it could, especially if the group is very big, or if there are changes in guides or if the guide simply miscounts. They are human, they can make mistakes.
I know that this is one of my biggest nightmare situation on our tours: leaving someone behind, so we are counting heads all day long...
So how do you avoid that? Here are some tips from other members:
"I usually tell the guide at the beginning “hey, I am solo, don’t lose me”"
"Write down the number of the guide so you can call if you get lost / left behind"
"I GLUE myself to the guide as much as possible."
"Never be the last one"
"I usually try to connect with at least one or two people and the group leader with a smile or ask a question or something, and also to clock what a few people are wearing so I can spot them if needed"
In my case, i definitely stick to the guide, I was always the nerdy student sitting in the front row, and that has not changed :)
I also paid for a group tour because I want the guide to explain things and I am there to learn, so I don't want to miss out on anything being said.
And if I need to go to the bathroom or separate myself from the group, I will tell the guide so she knows.
Have you ever been left behind? I'd love to hear your story.
Our 2026 / 2027 calendar of tours
See the full list of our future trips below.
Sea lions in the Galapagos
✅ = Trip is confirmed
☑️ = SOLD OUT
💃 = I or Meg will co-host these trips
📸 = Photographer accompanying the group
Available 2026 trips:
Almost 200 of you will travel with us in the last 3 months of the year to Iceland, Tanzania, Morocco, Egypt, Bali, Scotland, Japan, Galapagos, Australia, Antarctica, Oaxaca and the Xmas markets. These are the only trips with spots left:
🌮 Oaxaca: ✅ 11 to 17 Oct [1 SPOT LEFT] || ✅ 29 Dec 2026 to 4 Jan 2027 [2 SPOTS LEFT] >> Book here
🎄 Xmas markets: ✅ 21 to 29 Nov [2 SPOTS LEFT] || ✅ 5 to 13 Dec [3 SPOTS LEFT] >> Book here
2027 trips:
🌴 Caribbean island hopping: 📸 📸 💃 💃 ✅ 13 to 20 Feb, 2027 [Photographers onboard, both Meg and I will host this trip] >> Book here
🥘 Barcelona & Beyond: 📸 29 May to 6 Jun >> Book here
