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 female travellers who move through the world independently, often alone, and with instinctive confidence. Jessica Nabongo is one of those women. Long before global accolades followed, she had already travelled solo through more than 100 countries and explored more than half of the United States on her own.
Nabongo is best known as the first Black woman on record to have visited every country in the world, a milestone she reached in 2019. That achievement encompasses all 193 United Nations member states, the two non-member UN observer states (Holy See and State of Palestine), Antarctica and all 50 US states, much of it undertaken solo. It is an extraordinary achievement, and one that lends particular weight to her role as the opening voice of Women Travel Solo.
It is no accident that the book opens with Nabongo’s foreword. Published by Lonely Planet, Women Travel Solo brings together 30 deeply personal accounts of women travelling alone. The stories explore why women choose to travel solo, what they discover when they do, and how moving through the world independently reshapes identity. Nabongo’s opening words bring an immediate sense of confidence to women travelling alone.
Across its pages, women travel while pregnant, with children, in recovery, in mid-life and beyond. Some journeys are physically demanding, others quietly transformative. What unites them is not bravery in the dramatic sense, but decision-making: the choice to go, even without certainty, and to trust oneself in unfamiliar terrain.
The strength of Women Travel Solo lies in its diversity of experience. The contributors come from different cultural backgrounds, life stages and motivations, yet the emotional throughline is consistent. Solo travel is not portrayed as isolation, but as a catalyst, a way of sharpening intuition, fostering connection and discovering a deeper sense of independence.
Importantly, the book does not romanticise travelling alone. Many contributors write candidly about exhaustion, vulnerability and moments of self-doubt. These are balanced by experiences of unexpected kindness, cultural immersion and the confidence that comes from navigating the unfamiliar on one’s own terms. The result is honest rather than idealised, a quality that sets this collection apart from much contemporary travel writing.
Women Travel Solo also expands the definition of adventure. Some stories involve extreme landscapes or ambitious physical challenges, while others celebrate quieter acts of independence: eating alone, staying present, moving slowly through a place without compromise.
What emerges is a powerful reframing. Travelling alone is not positioned as a substitute for companionship, but as a legitimate way of experiencing the world. The contributors do not reject connection; they deepen it, often through local relationships that might never form when travelling in groups.
From my own experience, the appeal of solo travel lies in its simplicity. There is no need to coordinate travel dates, negotiate itineraries or compromise on interests. You choose where to go, what to see and where to eat, guided entirely by personal curiosity. It is a rare opportunity to be fully present with yourself, and it often leads to deeper engagement with others.
Ultimately, Women Travel Solo is less about where these women went than who they became along the way. It affirms that independence is not a personality trait reserved for a few, but a muscle that strengthens with use.
This is a book that belongs on the shelf of anyone who has ever hesitated before booking a trip alone, and a reminder that sometimes the most important journey begins with the decision not to wait.
“Women Travel Solo”
Book shoot with Deepa Lakshmin
To purchase Women Travel Solo by Lonely Planet, (RRP $35.99)by Lonely Planet: shop.lonelyplanet.com
