As keen a solo female traveller as you might be, some activities just lend themselves perfectly to the group side of nomading – and gorilla trekking definitely fits that bill. 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.
MJ is our super efficient Ops Manager and she ensures things run seamlessly here at Acacia. Another proud South Africa on our team, MJ was last out on tour with the Mountain gorillas of Bwindi impenetrable National Park.
One to add to your bucket list, Uganda took the number one slot on our top ten list of the most popular destinations to visit in Southern and East Africa (20 January 2019), the results compiled from expert sources and Instagram hashtags. Removed from the ‘critically endangered’ species list after last year’s census, the total number of mountain gorillas (living in the Virunga Mountains and Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park) is now believed to be above 1,000 individuals. The cost of the activity of gorilla trekking is also halved if you switch from Rwanda to Uganda – another sure fire reason to head to the Pearl of Africa.
So MJ, would you go solo out on tour again, and why? Yes, I really enjoyed the group side of travelling and the gorilla trekking was absolutely amazing.
What are some good ice breakers when you’re single and joining a group tour? Play games where everyone needs to tell something about themselves or why they chose to go to a specific country/continent.
What did you learn about yourself from the experience? To be open-minded and not compare food etc with how its back home. Enjoy new experiences.
What do you think are the plus factors for solo travellers joining group tours? You get to know so many other fellow travellers – it’s a blast!
What inspires you the most about solo female travel? The independence you gain from it. It makes you happy to get out of your comfort zone and experience new things.
Do you have any tips for women who might be thinking of booking as a single on a group tour? Be open-minded and respectful to others.
Be empowered to see the world solo and check out these words of inspiration from expert solo female travel bloggers Come and join us this Friday or if you can’t make it on International Women’s Day (08 March) search for the #WomenGoSolo hashtag to glean loads of helpful hints and tips for your solo female travel trip.