Epic destinations for women who travel solo
Love exploring a place on no one else’s timeline but your own, but worry about safety? We asked seven women where they went on their own, why they loved it, and what their solo travel strategy is. Here are 14 epic destinations tested by women who travel solo – plus seven useful tips.
1. Piketberg, Western Cape
Recommended by Helen Walne
Helen Walne is a writer who likes to head off on solo trips into rural regions where the only threats to her safety are poorly made fires, stray dogs and her terrible sense of direction.
I’m perpetually working on a novel and every few months I take myself off to a farm cottage for 10 days to write and make extremely bad fires. My routine goes like this: start working at 8am, drink tea at 9am, fiddle around with resident dogs at 10am, work until 1pm, eat broccoli, work until 3pm and then walk or run for an hour. In the evenings, I might venture into a nearby village for beer and company.’
Stay here The Old Kapteinskloof Guest House near Piketberg in the Western Cape is a beautiful historic cottage with exposed beams and thatch. the cottage is divided into two and can sleep either two or six. 0837109017, kapteinskloof.co.za
2. Bolivia
Helen’s best international trip
In 2015, the novel still wasn’t writing itself, so I went further afield – to Bolivia – to stay with an author friend whom I hoped would encourage me to write. Instead, I did a lot of travelling. Who wouldn’t? I did a solo trip to the mountain area of Sorata, taking a three-hour ride in a minibus taxi that seemed to be stuck together with pan pipes. But once there, I hiked alone, my only safety concern the numerous stray dogs that sometimes bared their teeth.
Stay here I stayed at Altai Oasis, a good-value eco-lodge just outside the village of Sorata comprised of rustic yet comfy cottages.
Helen’s tips
I make sure the cottages I stay in are quiet and private, yet near enough to a main house in case of emergencies. If the cottages are pet-friendly, I take my dogs – for protection and company. I speak Spanish, which made getting around Bolivia easier, and I generally chose accommodation out of the main towns to avoid noise and drunk men. And I always hiked with a stick to ward off any miscreant dogs.
3. Inner-city Johannesburg, Gauteng
Recommended by Joonji Mdyogolo
Joonji Mdyogolo is head of content at Livity Africa and a columnist for City Press. She travels whenever she can and her favourite trips are when she can immerse herself in the history and future of a city.
‘That building there that looks like ulusu (tripe) – follow it to get home,’ my mother used to tell me when I went off to explore Joburg’s inner city as a teenager. That skyscraper, the Southern Life building, was one of the places where taxis to Pimville Zone 1, Soweto, lined up. It was – and still is – my North Star. Exploring the city alone without the burden of someone else’s itinerary reveals a marvel of gems – from old buildings (like my favourite, the Post Office on Rissik Street) to bargain buys on the street. As a first-time traveller, though, you have to stay alert as Joburg’s streets can be as busy and confusing as New York’s. Without a landmark to lead you safely home, I recommend you ask for help from strangers: ‘Sawubona, mama (or baba, sisi or bhuti). Bengicela ukubuza…’ is the best place to start.
Stay here The Reef Hotel on 58 Anderson is in the financial district. It’s got lovely views of the Johannesburg skyline if you get a room on one of the top floors. It’s right next to the Standard Bank headquarters, so if I’ve got time, I like to visit the Standard Bank Gallery.
4. Kampala, Uganda
Joonji’s best international trip
In Kampala, I didn’t feel the need for vigilance. Seeing young women walking the streets well past midnight made me vow to come back again to really party. My Ugandan girlfriends were invaluable in negotiating with private taxi drivers, who will drive you from spot to spot and wait, for a fair price. So was the watchman and gardener at our AirBnB rental, who organised boda (motorbike) drivers so we could zip around the hilly suburbs.
Stay here Yellow Haven, which overlooks Lake Victoria, has a pool and modern rooms.
Joonji’s tips
Speaking to and making friends with locals makes me feel safe. I’m terrible at reading maps and directions, so people on the streets are my verification mechanism to get me where I need to go. Simply put, I prep as much as I can for solo travel, then I trust in people. Mostly they don’t let me down.
5. Balule Satellite Camp, Kruger National Park
Recommended by Melanie van Zyl
Melanie van Zyl was Getaway’s senior travel photojournalist who wants to be the most qualified adventurer possible. She’s an Open Water Padi Diver, a field guide and not scared of camping, 4x4ing or getting lost.
I’ve been to Kruger a number of times and to date this small rustic camp is my favourite. Named ‘Balule’ after the Tsonga word for the Olifants River, the small number of campsites – just 18 in total – makes this satellite camp an incredibly intimate and wild bushveld experience. Almost all the sites and the six rondavels are based at the fence, which acts as the only barrier between you and the hyenas that patrol the camp border every night.
Stay here Balule Satellite Camp is just around the corner from the main Olifants Rest Camp in the centre of the park – where you might even spot the elusive Pel’s fishing owl. The rondavels are very basic with shared facilities and I personally prefer camping, but neither option detracts from the cosy atmosphere.
6. Botswana
Melanie’s best international trip
I did a 10-day road trip through Botswana and up into the Zambezi Region with journalist Vuyi Qubeka. Just two women, a 4×4 and the open road and not once did we feel threatened. We capably camped our way around the country before heading into Namibia – but sometimes there’s nothing like a soft bed.
Stay here I love the quirky finishes at Planet Baobab. It’s also a great base for checking out the nearby Makgadikgadi Pans.
7. Port St Johns, Eastern Cape
Recommended by Vuyi Qubeka
Vuyi Qubeka’s favourite memory is dancing the pasada in a local spot in Maputo, Mozambique. She and her friends were headed to Tofo and hadn’t booked accommodation for the night – so they decided to forgo sleep and dance the night away instead.
Travelling solo to Port St Johns was one of my favourite sojourns and I revelled in the natural beauty, the simple way of life, the affordability and the friendliness of the people. It’s easiest to self-drive to the village, but once there, there are minibus taxis … and you can walk, and walk, and walk.
Stay here There are many backpackers where you can make friends, arrange day jaunts and get reliable suggestions for things to do, see and eat. My favourite was Amapondo.
8. Bus to Harare, Zimbabwe
Vuyi’s best international trip
It wasn’t so much about the destination but the journey. A friend was getting married in Harare and my twin and I took a bus there with Intercape. What an experience! It’s a Christian bus and there’s a prayer at the beginning, so you know God is on board (if you’re into that kind of thing). We sat at the top of the double-decker bus and the views of Beit Bridge were unimaginable. I loved that a community is formed during the trip, especially at the border stops, which can be quite daunting. It felt safe and I was able to observe the movement across borders that thousands of Africans undertake every day.
Stay here In Harare, we stayed at the gracious, 100-year-old Meikles Hotel.
A one-way Intercape bus ticket from Johannesburg to Harare.
9. Agulhas National Park, Western Cape
Recommended by Nicole Biondi
Nicole Biondi is a marketing and communications specialist, spoken-word artist, prolific public speaker, murder-mystery writer, half-marathon runner and is far too claustrophobic to be boxed.
A few years ago I had the enviable job of marketing the South African National Parks (SANParks) in the Cape region. While each of them has unique merits, my favourite visits were the ones that took me to the southernmost tip of Africa, to Agulhas National Park. The two-and-a-half-hour drive from Cape Town offers the opportunity for thoughts to turn inward, while sheep-dotted hills and sleepy towns with towering church steeples keep the eyes amused.
Stay here Agulhas Rest Camp is a haven of serenity. Nothing beats sitting on the deck of one of the fully equipped wooden chalets, smelling the sea mist-kissed fynbos, listening to an orchestra of birdsong and gazing out at the ocean.