Magical Places for the Solo Traveller – Part One!

Loving life is easy when you are abroad. Where no one knows you and you hold your life in your hands all alone, you are more master of yourself than at any other time.

Hannah Arendt

When I first qualified as a nurse many moons ago, I decided that at that point the last thing I wanted to do was be a nurse! Thankfully, a couple of the friends I’d trained with thought the same and together, we bought round the world tickets and set off in search of adventure and enlightenment! That’s where I got my love of travel! Fast forward a few years and I met the perfect partner who shared my passion for travel and we made copious plans which actually, sadly became a bit of a bucket list.

I lost my love of travel and I stayed put until one day, I was flicking through the channels on my TV and came across a rerun of Michael Palin’s Full Circle. In the space of a few hours I’d realised what I’d been missing, two days later I’d booked a solo trip to Ibiza, an Island of nostalgia I loved very much. People thought I was mad, single female, traveling to a hot bed of hedonism, I thought, “bring it the feck on!!”

I loved that first trip, met some amazing people saw some amazing places and sadly saw no hedonism what so ever – I complained to the tour operator! Fast forward to now and I still love my travel, I have four overseas trips booked for this year already although one is to Milan in eight weeks’ time – that probably wont happen in the current climate!

This week I thought I do something different, I originally thought I’d write about some of the fabulous places I’d been as a single female traveller, the thing is there are far too many for a single blog so this week, to help you get to the end dear reader, I’m going to do this in two parts, welcome to part one!

I’ll write a little more about my motivations next week but for this week, lets just jump straight in with the first three!

Dubrovnik – Croatia

Dubrovnik was actually my first solo trip after Ibiza, I’d decided to go for a little more culture and as at that time it wasn’t long after the Yugoslav Wars, I wanted to experience the rebirth of an ancient nation‎. Croatia is a tremendously beautiful country, largely overshadowed by its Mediterranean neighbours like Greece and Italy. The old town of Dubrovnik is absolutely breath-taking! You can easily spend 2-3 days wandering the streets, looking in little shops, stopping at little bars and cafes. Although touristy and at times very busy, I felt remarkably safe and comfortable as a solo traveller. I’ve been back a few times now, the last time I used it as a bit of a base, You can take day trips to islands from Dubrovnik such as Brac or Hvar, or you can check out stunning Montenegro (Kotor Bay is FABULOUS), or you can explore the sleepy medieval old towns in white limestone. Try some burek and crni rizot (black risotto). Learn some history about former Yugoslavia, which has shaped what Croatia is today. I have to say at this juncture, the people of Croatia are some of the friendliest people I’ve met on the planet, it just adds an extra joy to the whole experience.

Santorini, Greece

Don’t let anyone tell you Santorini is just a honeymoon destination. I went alone and LOVED it, and I wasn’t on any honeymoon! In fact, I went in early May before the hordes of tourists arrived for summer, the weather was a bit chilly at night but hot enough during the day to soak up some lovely warm sunshine! When in Santorini you must, must, must see the sunset, it’s famed throughout the world and once you experience it, you’ll know why! If you’re in season you might have to muscle your way through the crowds but, you have to see the sunset from the tiny whitewashed village of Oia. Oia is a few km from Fira. Its sunset is the really famous one you see on all the pictures of Santorini. The beauty of this village lies in a spectacular location on a plunging cliff, at the edge of the breath-taking Caldera, (who knew it was a volcano!!). Have you ever seen a colour palette? Well, Oia is just that: a palette in shades of colours. The sunset simply changes the palette through whites and yellows into orange and deep, stunning reds which simply enhances the beauty of the entire experience. Price-wise, Santorini is not cheap, but if you go during the shoulder seasons, you can get some great deals on places that would otherwise cost an arm and a leg. I stayed in Oia, the picturesque village on the north end of the island with Instagram-worthy views. I did a day trip sailing throughout the caldera, swam in hot springs and enjoyed a fun lunch on board, where I met an amazing couple from Miami I still keep in touch with. For my gym bunny friends, you can hike from Oia to Imerovigli, it takes a few hours but every time you turn a corner you can’t help but gasp at the next beautiful vista! From Imerovigli you can take a bus to the volcanic beaches on the south side of the island. And Greek food and Santorini wines? TO DIE FOR!

Jaipur, India

Okay, so India may have stolen a HUGE chunk of my heart, and going there alone engulfed me in so many emotions that I will never forget the experience. Its dirty streets cleansed my heart, ironically, at the risk of sounding completely cheesy. The Indian people are some of the kindest and most humble people I’ve met, their generosity to solo travellers is boundless, I’ve lost count of the number of places people have insisted I stay, fed me and then refuse point blank to take any money from you! India gets VERY hot, (no shit Sherlock!!) so, I went in March, and on one trip I did a 4-day tour of the Golden Triangle with a private driver, where you see New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. While the Taj Mahal in Agra is a sight to behold, (it’s so moving I dare you not to cry!) and a must visit, Jaipur wins for a place for solo travel. Known as the pink city, the buildings do, in fact, shine in a salmon hues. Be sure to visit the Amer, or Amber fort, ride up by elephant if possible (a tourist cliché, but I was told their treatment is humane, before you judge me for exploiting animal rides!), and take in the majestic mountains of Rajasthan. Check out the Man Sagar Lake with the Jal Mahal palace standing erect among its placid water. I LOVE India!

That’s if for part one, four or five more next week however, what’s on this week?