By Liz Prado | Extract from Lonely Planet’s Women Travel Solo
“Sometimes, even your dream job can leave you feeling lost.”
After years on the road as a full-time travel writer, I had reached a breaking point. Deadlines, assignments, and endless words had drained the joy from the job I once loved. I needed…
There is a moment on every woman’s first solo adventure when something inside her shifts. It might arrive quietly, like the soft glow of sunrise spilling across a balcony in Cambodia. Or it might strike with full force as you step off a plane into a city where no one knows your name. Somewhere between…
For over two decades, my identity was deeply intertwined with being a mother. Raising my two sons, now 22 and 18, was my daily role, my anchor, and my identity. But when my youngest moved out a few months ago to start his own journey in Sydney, I found myself standing at a crossroads of…
How Dr Verena Meraldi, Chief Scientist at HX Expeditions is leading the way in a sea change in responsible exploration.
It’s a chilly Nordic morning in Tromsø, Norway, as HX Expeditions’ MS Fridtjof Nansen prepares for another voyage to the polar extremes. At the heart of this pioneering journey stands Dr Verena Meraldi, Chief Scientist…
From anxiety to alignment: Sydney-based artist Zahrina Robertson shares this story about her transformational seven week trip abroad.
When I left Sydney, my suitcase was on its last legs and my family had claimed every charger I've ever owned. There was nothing glamorous about airport queues or negotiating the window seat, but I knew I…
Fresh from a bracing plunge in a Scandinavian-style pool, I walked into The Peacock Room at The Oriana Retro Hotel with the kind of optimism that usually precedes disappointment. In Orange, however, a regional city increasingly confident in its own charms, that optimism is often rewarded.
Explore this beautiful golf course in Orange, NSW, surrounded…
Once regarded as a niche activity, solo female travel has blossomed into a global phenomenon. Over the last two years, an unprecedented number of women embarked on solo journeys.
Not to escape, but to explore. This surge is more than anecdotal; it's supported by compelling statistics and societal changes that signify a broader transformation in…
“That’ll cost you the price of a smile.” — a local at the Murrurundi sausage sizzle, capturing the country spirit perfectly
The Magic of Slowing Down
Everybody dreams of village life — even city dwellers. Deep down, we all crave connection: that feeling of belonging where neighbours wave as you drive by, your barista knows…
There’s a hush as you step onto the Routeburn Track. The beech forest swallows sound, its moss-draped branches filtering soft light, while the river rushes somewhere below, crystalline and untamed. Here, in the wild meeting place of Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Parks, every footstep is part of a larger story; one of deep history,…
The 16th Epson International Pano Awards, the world’s largest global competition for panoramic photography, has unveiled its 2025 winners, showcasing artists who expand our perception of space, light, and landscape. From the icy peaks of the Dolomites to the shimmering northern skies over Senja Island, these images invite us not merely to see the world,…
