Of all the solo female travellers we have spoken to, for the most part, they like being in their own company, but that’s not to say never book group tours, in fact, Mintel says more single travellers are looking to do just that. As part of our #WomenGoSolo initiative, we interviewed a few members of the team who have recently been out on tour in Africa and asked them for their feedback on what it’s like to switch from independent to group travel as a single traveller.
Charnel is one of our friendly reservation consultants and she comes from right here in sunny South Africa. A keen traveller we’ve lost count of how many overland trips Charnel has under her belt, and she’s a long time solo wanderer. Already ticked off her bucket list are the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland (now Eswatini), Lesotho, South Africa, several western European countries, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore – so watch this space!
Would go solo out on tour again? Yes absolutely! The ‘travel bug’ has bitten me – it’s loads of fun to meet other like-minded (and not so like-minded) passengers from all over the world!
What are some good ice breakers when you’re single and joining a group tour? Are you a Fortune 100 child?’ results in all sorts of reactions, questions, opinions
What were the best locations for testing out your skills as a solo traveller and activities you can take up there? I would say try something fairly well-known the very 1st time (e.g. Victoria Falls, Zanzibar, etc) to ease into the experience & establish whether this type of travel is for you before you try something more specialised & off the beaten track like trekking in the mountains of Mongolia!
What did you learn about yourself from the experience? I could write a book & get philosophical…
What do you think are the plus factors for solo travellers joining group tours? Definitely less expensive than solo travel as a single person who is not part of a group. Groups usually have specially negotiated group-rates, which makes it more affordable.
What inspires you the most about solo female travel? The personal freedom to do what I like doing – travel!
Do you have any tips for women who might be thinking of booking as a single on a group tour? Try it at least once before you decide it’s not for you!
Be empowered to see the world solo and check out these words of inspiration from expert solo female travel bloggers.