From Detroit to every corner of the globe, Jessica Nabongo has reshaped the concept of solo travel for women. As the first Black woman to visit every country in the world, she has become a powerful voice for representation, cultural curiosity and a more inclusive way of seeing the world.
Nabongo occupies a space that…
From pregnancy and parenthood to recovery, reinvention and adventure, Women Travel Solo brings together 30 women who have travelled alone and discovered confidence, connection and self-trust along the way. With a foreword by Jessica Nabongo, the book reframes solo travel as an act of choice rather than courage.
I have always been drawn to pioneering…
Sipping herbal tea harvested from the jungles of northern Thailand, I sit with Athu at his Akha cultural centre, perched among the rolling hills of the Golden Triangle. He speaks in broken English, his third language, wearing a black shirt and a small brown fedora. Around us, Akha's tools, clothing, and ornaments fill the room,…
We arrived in Spain by train, crossing from France into a new country and a whole new rhythm of travel. Four days in Barcelona, followed by a single night in Madrid before flying home. A short trip, deliberately so, as this time I’m not flying solo. I’m travelling with my sixteen-year-old daughter, Luca, which, for…
Call it luck, chance or manipulation, but I recently suggested it was important that I collect my daughter after her six-week exchange in Lille, and since I had to be in France, five days solo in Paris beforehand felt entirely reasonable. Completely unscheduled, and the rare luxury of time I hadn’t planned for but was…
Australian travel, it turns out, has developed a split personality. On one hand, we are creatures of comfort, loyal to destinations that feel familiar, forgiving and reliably good at delivering sunshine and smooth airport arrivals. On the other, there’s a growing cohort of travellers quietly slipping further from the map’s centre, chasing stories instead of…
When I was a little girl, the youngest of four kids, we would be packed into the back of the car and Mum would drive us to the airport to farewell Dad on his overseas business trips. We’d watch with our faces pressed against the wire as Dad walked across the tarmac.
Is this…
A recent collection of inspiring solo travel stories from Lonely Planet's new book 'Women Travel Solo' spotlights the remarkable journey of American psychologist Meri Murphy, who set off on a solo retirement adventure from her home base in Cromwell - and found love along the way.
I travelled solo at age 29, and again at…
The biggest travel trends of 2026 aren’t defined by a single destination, but by a radical shift in resource allocation. According to Booking.com’s latest predictions, Australians are moving away from "one-size-fits-all" holidays in favour of extreme intentionality. Faced with a complex economic climate, the 2026 traveller is no longer just "going on vacation"; they are…
If the idea of waking up to ocean views one day and mountain peaks the next sounds like a dream, then van life might be calling your name. More and more women are embracing the freedom and self-reliance of traveling by van whether it’s for a weekend escape or a months-long road trip. And with…
