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Five solo travellers at the airport ready to depart on their adventures Photographer Yakob

Your world. Your way.

Photographer Yakobchuk Olena

Just landed …

FlixBus launched in Australia in November 2025, now connecting Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney

Coach travel offers solo travellers the opportunity to move and connect slowly and rediscover the gems along the way. In the company of Yvan Lefranc-Morin, an industry insider and experienced solo traveller, we explore why coaches remain one of the most generous ways to see Australia and beyond.

Published 4 February 2026

Departures

Photographer Ivan Dimitrov Unsplash

Perspectives

Stepping away from the algorithm is not an act of rebellion, but of paying attention to the genuine independence and freedom we find when we stop following pre-lived journeys and start trusting the road instead.

Published 30 January 2026

Photographer Bernardbodo iStock

Health and Wellbeing

Jet lag is the often gruelling space between where our body lands well before our capacity to function has caught up. Guided by emerging research and insights from three members of our global solo travel community, we look at how to move ourselves through that space more gently and effectively.

Published 29 January 2026

Photographer Laula Co on Unsplash

Perspectives

On Valentine’s Day, love often means pairing. But for those who travel solo, it can just as easily be a celebration of being fully present, chosen, and free.

Published 27 January 2026

Africa’s highest peak Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli National Park, Kenya Photographer Naepho

Destinations

With a long-standing reputation as a classic safari destination, Kenya is emerging as one of the world’s most welcoming and culturally alive destinations. From the capital Nairobi’s year-round festival scene and women-led conservation to a quietly confident food movement, this is a country redefining what meaningful travel looks and feels like.

Published 24 January 2026

Photographer Sunrise through an aircraft window Patrick Rosenkranz _ Unsplash

Health and Wellbeing

Long-haul flights can feel like a test of endurance but knowing what’s really happening to your body and mind, and why, can change the experience. Understanding the manufactured environment in which we fly, and the effect it is having on us, is key to ensuring the experience of a long-haul flight isn’t the mind-bending ordeal it can be.

Published 23 January 2026

The most powerful way to understand a place is share time in it with the people who call i

Culinary experiences

For solo travellers, shared meals are emerging as a powerful antidote to isolation on the road. Eatwith replaces solitary dining with meaningful connection, inviting travellers into local homes and cultures through food. By centring local voices, lived knowledge, and genuine hospitality, Eatwith offers a vision of travelling solo shaped by depth, cultural exchange, and belonging.

Published 20 January 2026

Albert's Lyrebird Photographer Phototrip

Nature and Wildlife

Why are birdwatchers turning their binoculars toward Queensland’s Scenic Rim? From rare lyrebirds and glossy black cockatoos to rainforest choruses at dawn, this ecotourism-certified region is fast becoming one of Australia’s most rewarding places to slow down, listen closely, and let the forest’s winged residents reveal their magic.

Published 18 January 2026

A hand-illustrated Momento Pet Portrait of Yoda

Our most popular features this week …

Photographer Bernardbodo iStock

Health and Wellbeing

The most powerful way to understand a place is share time in it with the people who call i

Culinary experiences

Taleesha detecting in the remote goldfields of outback Western Australia

Departures

Based on the total number of page views from 23–30 January 2026

BASK AROMATHERAPY

Field Notes

‘Field Notes’ is where curiosity meets practicality. Our curated solo traveller destination snapshots, ‘solo smart’ tips, insights, treasures, and listicles are distilled, direct, and ready when you are.

Our latest Field Notes …

The Edge of the World Riyadh Photographer Khalid Elkady
A man writing in a notebook Photographer sutadimages
Istanbul Airport, Turkey Photographer Artem Bryzgalov Unsplash

News and updates

Links to official travel advice and updates

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Australia

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United Kingdom

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Canada

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New Zealand

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Europe

Confidence and Safety

Solo smart, aware, and in control. Insightful stories and thoughtful strategies for travelling solo boldly, wisely, and well.

Photographer Sinitta Leunen Unsplash

How do we navigate consent and sexual health when travelling alone in unfamiliar cultures? This piece explores the importance of communication, boundaries, and self-trust to help solo travellers stay safe and respectful.

By Geoffrey Williams | January 2026

Arrivals hall Photographer Dimitris Asproloupos

The first 24 hours in an unfamiliar city is always invigorating. From airport halls to the first steps outside, our senses sharpen as we navigate new light, air, smells, and rhythm. We invited members of our international community of solo travellers to share their insights into managing the sensory overload that is ‘Arrival’.

By Michael Webster | December 2025

A brick wall Photographer Deepal Pallav Suthar

Eating alone on the road is one of those defining solo traveller moments. We explore how solo travellers can reclaim the experience with confidence, curiosity, and a little help from experienced solo travellers who’ve discovered ways to match the challenge of dining alone.

By Geoffrey Williams | December 2025

Inspirations

Solo traveller reflections from the road that stir the soul. Honest and insightful solo traveller stories to inspire your next adventure.

A young woman sits on a hilltop admiring the view of the ocean Photographer Myles Tan Unsp

Not every solo journey needs to be epic. In 2026, travellers are embracing long weekends and brief escapes as meaningful pauses within our busy lives. These journeys offer space to breathe, reflect, and reconnect without the pressure of big plans, bigger budgets, or long absences.

By Emily Clarke | January 2026

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Photographer Tobias Fischer

When Jillian Schedneck takes up a position teaching English to a classroom of students in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, she is young, idealistic, in love, and ready to take on the world. But it is not exactly what she anticipated …

By Jillian Schedneck | October 2025

If you are travelling solo and want to combine adventure with purpose, International Volun

Travelling with purpose takes solo travel to a new level. Volunteering abroad lets you connect, contribute and find meaning beyond the itinerary – one community, one conversation, and one shared moment at a time.

By Emily Clarke | October 2025

Departures

Meet the people behind the scenes – tour operators, guides, and local experts – who have walked the path you may be considering exploring. Insightful, unpolished, and always independent. Think of it as a window seat into someone else’s world.

FlixBus launched in Australia in November 2025, now connecting Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney

Coach travel offers solo travellers the opportunity to move and connect slowly and rediscover the gems along the way. In the company of Yvan Lefranc-Morin, an industry insider and experienced solo traveller, we explore why coaches remain one of the most generous ways to see Australia and beyond.

Published 4 February 2026

The Big Buddha statue in Bangkok Thailand Photographer oNaYa iStock

Your Thai Guide specialises in private, fully customisable tours led by licensed local guides in Bangkok and across Thailand. Designed with solo travellers in mind, their experiences balance cultural highlights with neighbourhood-level insight, offering freedom, context, and genuine connection without the crowds.

By Tiffany West | 6 January 2026

Taleesha detecting in the remote goldfields of outback Western Australia

For solo travellers today, Gold & Relics Gold Prospecting Adventures offer a slower and more intimate way to engage with place – part treasure hunt and part meditation – where the real reward is often the experience itself, not just what may eventually glint in your pan.

Q&A | December 2025

Destinations

Where to next? Discover places that move you, challenge you, and change you, one solo step at a time.

Africa’s highest peak Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli National Park, Kenya Photographer Naepho

With a long-standing reputation as a classic safari destination, Kenya is emerging as one of the world’s most welcoming and culturally alive destinations. From the capital Nairobi’s year-round festival scene and women-led conservation to a quietly confident food movement, this is a country redefining what meaningful travel looks and feels like.

By Tiffany West | January 2026

The Neck on Bruny Island Image courtesy SeaLink Marine Tourism

Bruny Island has long been framed as an easy day trip from Tasmania’s capital Hobart, but this unique Tasmanian island rewards travellers who stay the night, move at their own pace, and settle in as the island reveals the extent of its countless wonders.

By Tiffany West | December 2025

Sunrise on Mt Gayasan Image courtesy Rustic Korea

Step beyond Seoul’s skyline into Seongju’s quieter world, where sacred mountains meet candlelit concerts, and melon fields shimmer beneath sacred sites, and Korea’s spirit hums softly through forest trails and temple courtyards.

By Josh Chandler | November 2025

Perspectives

Solo travellers experience the world differently when we move through it alone. Perspectives gathers thoughtful observations from solo travellers, shaped by what the road reveals when there is no one else to filter it.

Photographer Ivan Dimitrov Unsplash

Stepping away from the algorithm is not an act of rebellion, but of paying attention to the genuine independence and freedom we find when we stop following pre-lived journeys and start trusting the road instead.

By Thomas Osborne | 30 January 2026

Photographer Laula Co on Unsplash

On Valentine’s Day, love often means pairing. But for those who travel solo, it can just as easily be a celebration of being fully present, chosen, and free.

By Geoffrey Williams | 27 January 2026

Bangkok, Thailand Photographer Worachat Sodsri Unsplash

As Bangkok reaches record visitor numbers and overtourism reshapes the city, what can solo travellers do to experience it more meaningfully? Natt Opasanon, Founder of Your Thai Guide, offers practical ways to engage with a more authentic Bangkok in 2026.

By Tiffany West | 5 January 2026

Tools and Tech

From planning and navigation to safety, connection, and decision-making, solo travel asks more of us. Technology now shapes almost every stage of the journey, but not every tool earns its place. Here, we look at the apps, platforms, and technologies that genuinely support independent travellers in practical and meaningful ways.

Confident man using his phone for directions as he walks along a street in Italy Photograp

eSIMs are changing the way solo travellers stay connected. This practical, plain-English guide explains what eSIMs are, how they work, and why they’re worth considering. Written for non-techy travellers, it offers clear advice, honest limitations, and simple steps to help you decide if an eSIM is right for your next journey.

By Geoffrey Williams and Josh Chandler | January 2026

Tracking a trip on the Polarsteps App.jpg

Travel apps don’t just help us navigate unfamiliar ground – increasingly, they reveal how travel itself is changing. When millions of journeys are tracked anonymously and collectively, patterns emerge that go beyond individual itineraries, offering a snapshot of how, where, and why we’re moving through the world.

By Josh Chandler | January 2026

Transitions

‘Transitions’ is where the ‘business’ of solo travel meets the soul of our journeys. Whether you’re adjusting to time zones, navigating gate lounges, hotel rooms and transit options between meetings, presentations, gigs, or seeking meaning in the margins of a packed itinerary, this space is for you. 

High tide in a hidden Airbnb in Gozo, Malta’s sister island

Friska Wirya is a self-described “borderless multihyphenate” – a person with multiple skills and professions, and whose work intentionally blurs the lines between different fields and disciplines. Modern, non-traditional, innovative, and entirely transformational.

Q&A | October 2025

My trek to Birendra Lake on the Manaslu Circuit, Nepal Photography Naresh Dahal

For British-born, Kathmandu-based Naresh Dahal, travel is his business and his passion. “I often find myself travelling solo, exploring trails, ancient monasteries, and rivers, and even though I am a luxury travel operator, for me, travel is deeply personal, a way to feel present in each moment.”

Q&A | October 2025

Delivering a keynote to a packed audience, part of the rhythm of life on the road

Morris Misel is passionate about the idea that everyone deserves the chance to see a future and move toward it. “That comes from my own family’s refugee past, which taught me early that what really matters is being able to picture tomorrow, even when the present feels impossible.”

Q&A | September 2025

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Waypoint. Your journey. Your choice.

Every journey needs a moment to pause.

Waypoint is that place – a quiet corner of connection, curiosity, reflection, and discovery.

Our monthly solo traveller dispatch includes insider offers, thoughtful travel finds, and stories that move, crafted especially for those who travel independently and love the world deeply.

I would love to subscribe to Waypoint!

Meet your Fellow Travellers …

Michael Vater Esq The Traveling Lawyer Mississippi Stadium

Michael’s first solo trip occurred while he was attending college at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Even though he had always heard good things about the college experience at the University of Mississippi, he had never travelled to the American Deep South of Mississippi before. “It was an incredible trip, as even though I had lived my whole life in the United States, I had lived in the northern part.”

Jodi Finnan at Sydney Airport departures

Some solo travellers ease into independence slowly, but for UK-born Jodi, it was a one-way ticket, a backpack, and a hunch that freedom would teach her what she needed to know that set her off on what would become a lifelong journey of discovery. 

Our planet
The Big Picture

The Big Picture

'The Big Picture' is your global window to solo travel – an interactive map linking every destination featured on The Solo Traveller – from remote islands to bustling cities and everything in between.

 

Zoom in, zoom out, scroll around, and follow your curiosity across oceans and continents.
Because wherever you are in the world, adventure may be just a little red pin away!

The Wishlist

Some places live in our imagination long before we ever get there – and for many of us, that’s exactly where they’ll stay. ‘The Wishlist’ is for those dream-worthy destinations where indulgence knows no limits … with coordinates so exclusive that even your GPS gives up! Impossible? Maybe. Irresistible? Always. It’s pure escapism – and we’re entirely here for it!

Go!

… where our influence quite possibly meets your next adventure! The team at The Solo Traveller strives to inspire, empower, and support you as you explore your world, your way. We are proud to introduce you to these selected adventures from our trusted friends – curated especially for the solo traveller who’s ready to move from inspiration to action.

The Ivory Coast

West Africa

Hike to the roof of Australia, where alpine wildflowers meet wide open skies

Kosciuszko Explorer

The To Sua Ocean Trench, Upolu island, Samoa, South Pacific

Samoa

Travelling solo doesn’t mean travelling unsupported, and here we connect you to specialist agents personally selected by The Solo Traveller Group’s Founder and Publishing Curator, Geoffrey Williams, for their genuine understanding of, and passion for, solo travel. They are well-travelled, experienced experts who create bespoke itineraries for one (not small group tours in disguise), shaping journeys around your pace, your interests, and the opportunities that exist, while championing the independence and freedom that defines genuine solo traveller journeys.

Jess Zacker

Jess Zacker

Plus one …

Solo travel doesn’t always mean going it alone. We travel solo because we love the freedom, but sometimes the occasion calls for company. A friend joins for a few days or a group plan feels right. ‘Plus one …’ is all about saying ‘Yes’ when it suits you and celebrating your independence while enjoying the shared rhythm of the road.

A small group of people watching a fireworks display Photographer Gabriel Mihalcea

There is a particular kind of companionship that only exists on the road. It is light by design, unburdened by expectation, and complete within its own meaningful window. You meet, you share, you part … and that can be enough.

By Emily Clarke | December 2025

Solo travel and the joy of serendipity

When we travel solo, something shifts. We become more open, more curious, and more alive to the moment. And in that space, magic can happen – strangers become soulmates, moments become memories, and fleeting conversations can shape entire chapters of our lives.

By Geoffrey Williams | December 2025

BCause Lead ID

cause …

Here at The Solo Traveller, we believe travel isn’t just about the places we go, it’s also about the values we carry with us. Whether it’s a grassroots initiative, an animal welfare organisation, or a community-owned program that empowers local communities in sustainability, resilience, education, and the environment, these are the projects that our global network of solo travellers have introduced us to – projects and initiatives that would love your support. Please consider helping them out in whatever ways you can.

Gaza, Palestine Photographer Mohammed Ibrahim.jpg

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders)

Dr Peter Hohenhaus donates to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders), who provide crucial aid in many dark corners of the world that need help and, who knows, these places may one day even become dark-tourism destinations. You can find out more about Médecins Sans Frontières here, and Dr Peter Hohenhaus here.

Sungai Watch, Bali Combating plastic pollution from the rivers of Bali which give so much

Sungai Watch

Friska Wirya introduced us to Sungai Watch in Bali, who develop and design technologies to stop plastic pollution from going into the ocean. You can find out more about Sungai Watch here, and Friska Wirya here.

Florence donates money to Animal Aid Unlimited, who looks after street animals in and arou

Animal Aid Unlimited

Florence Achery is passionate about helping to reduce the number of stray and free roaming dogs in the places she travels to.​ You can find out more about Animal Aid Unlimited here, and Florence’s Yoga Retreats and More here.

Gunjur dog patrol care for stray dogs

Gunjur Dog Patrol

Florence also donates money from her tours to the Gunjur Dog Patrol, who care for stray dogs in The Gambia, West Africa.​ You can find out more about Gunjur Dog Patrol here, and Florence’s Yoga Retreats and More here.

A sheep looks at the camera for Animals Australia charity

Animals Australia

Kehren and Rakesh from Pillow Menu Tours to India, recommended Animals Australia, telling us that “All animals are sentient beings and deserve the love we would also like to expect for ourselves.”​ You can find out more about Animals Australia here, and Pillow Menu Tours here.

Postcards

In the digital age of instant everything, the humble postcard still holds its own. These photographs are our little love notes to our world, and the wonder of our solo traveller adventures. Simply click on the postcard to find out where it is from.

Ushaiqer Photographer Emily M Wilson
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain Photographer Elizabeth Hanchett
Eagle hunting in Mongolia Photographer Fadhil Abhimantra
Aït Benhaddou Morocco Photographer Petar Milošević
Dhankar Gompa, Spiti Valley, India Photographer Dmitry Rukhlenko
Malta’s capital, Valletta, is the smallest capital city in the European Union by area and
Prague from the Powder Tower – a Gothic tower in Prague that is one of the original city g
Maastricht, Netherlands Sergey Konstantinov
Dinan, France Photography Pedro Lastra
Olomouc, tucked away in the heart of Moravia, is one of the Czech Republic’s best-kept sec
The Meteora is a rock formation in northwestern Greece, hosting one of the most prominent
St John’s Hospital was a medieval hospital in Bruges, founded in the mid-12th Century Phot
The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, located in northern
Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest
Moraine Lake is a stunning turquoise lake, cradled by the Valley of the Ten Peaks, located
The Karnak Temple Complex (Karnak) comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and a
Iguazú Falls
The only place on planet Earth where you can descend into a dormant volcano
The Lost City, Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Neimënster Abbey, a public meeting place, cultural centre, and former Benedictine abbey
Mount Augustus, Mount Augustus National Park, Gascoyne region, Western Australia

Launching December 2026 …

‘The Gate Lounge’ is a premium, print on demand magazine published by The Solo Traveller Group, the creators of The Solo Traveller, published twice a year in harmony with the northern and southern travel seasons.

 

Wherever you are heading on your next solo traveller adventure, our aim is to have you ready for boarding – empowered, inspired and supported.

Welcome to The Gate Lounge!

We are now booking a limited number of premium placement full page advertisements, so to enquire about our suite of commercial partnership opportunities, please email Geoffrey at The Solo Traveller Group.

Please note: This cover design is concept art for illustrative purposes only. Cover image, lead content and final design are subject to change closer to publication.

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