Solo travel is one of the best gifts anyone, but especially women, can give themselves. And as these female travel founders know, it’s even easier today when there’s so much help available to plan a solo trip, design bespoke itineraries and even meet fellow travellers on your journey.
From Singapore to South Korea and Canada, these pioneering women are changing the travel landscape, not only for female travellers but for the women-owned businesses and initiatives they partner. All are dedicated to empowering women to discover more of the world, and themselves, through travel.
To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, they share their favourite travel memories, and what solo travel has taught them.
Jennifer Haddow, owner of Wild Women Expeditions
Runs the world’s largest adventure travel company for women
Jennifer Haddow’s travels with Wild Women Expeditions were life-changing in more ways than one: she became such a fan of the all-female tour operator, she bought it.
“My passion has always been women’s empowerment,” says Haddow. “I knew travel could be a powerful way to give women sustainable livelihoods, especially in parts of the world where opportunities are limited.”
“Travelling solo empowers you to take on new challenges and adventures that you’d never have thought possible”
Since its start in Canada in 1991, Wild Women Expeditions has not only offered all-female tours but hired female guides, enlisted women-owned partners and supported women-led initiatives wherever possible.
Its itineraries include everything from weaving classes in Peru to treks across Japan. The focus, regardless of programme, is to create inclusive, supportive environments for women to thrive.
“Our guides around the world are incredibly talented and it is an honour to work with women who are changing their communities and giving back to other women,” says Haddow. “We are truly a global sisterhood.”
What benefits does travelling solo offer women?
“Travelling solo pushes you out of your comfort zone and empowers you to take on new challenges and adventures that you’d never have thought possible. Solo travel is also an independent journey physically, mentally and emotionally. It’s total freedom to challenge yourself and do what you’ve been dreaming of without being influenced by anyone else.
“That’s why Wild Women Expeditions exists. You may travel solo but you’re never alone! We’ll match solo travellers with a roommate, and don’t charge a single supplements fee. You’ll have an instant group of built-in companions. The bonds that develop between women as they push and challenge themselves to new adventures is a beautiful thing, and always results in a few tears, lots of laughter and stories that last a lifetime.”
The bonds that develop always results in a few tears, lots of laughter and stories that last a lifetime
What was your most memorable solo journey?
“Trekking to Everest Base Camp in Nepal was one. Watching the sun rise over the highest point on the planet was a life-changing moment. It is incredibly inspiring to be led by local women, who are amazing guides and can tell the story of their country and share their culture.
“When I travel I am always most excited to meet local women and learn from them. I remember sitting with a group of Egyptian women on a mango farm on the banks of the Nile, sharing hibiscus tea with the grandmother and mother and aunties and daughters in their village home. The pyramids were fantastic, but it is connecting with the local people that is most heartwarming.”
Manisha Pande, co-founder of Village Ways
Empowers communities through low-impact tourism
Village Ways is an India-based travel operator and social enterprise that Manisha Pande and her colleagues started in 2005, to help remote communities in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. With limited opportunities for farming in the area, tourism became a way for locals to create new jobs for themselves and thus stem the flow of young people leaving for the cities.
“To support the communities and sustain rural life we helped set up responsible walking holidays from village to village. They’re linked with specially created guesthouses, and provide villagers with training in hospitality and guiding,” says Pande. “All income is shared between the community, and the guesthouses are owned and run collectively by each village.”
Today, Village Ways works across 27 villages in six Indian states, providing direct and indirect benefits to around 600 families. Women participate equally in the villages’ organising committees.
The younger you start, the greater the positive impact it’ll have on your life
How has solo travel changed you?
“My first solo travels had been for work, and these learning experiences helped me gain confidence. I was able to focus on my own preferences and get to know myself better, and this eventually led to a love for travelling independently. You prioritise your choices, enjoy your time more freely and notice and appreciate the little things. It clears your mind and refreshes your spirit. Travelling by yourself is important for women, and the younger you start, the greater the positive impact it’ll have on your life.”
What was your most memorable solo journey?
“It was to the origin of the Narmada River in Chhattisgarh, India, a place that’s considered very holy and spiritually significant. Being on my own and getting to observe and absorb, this trip connected me closely to nature and spirituality. The tribal communities’ simple way of life, and the purity of their minds and lifestyle were very inspiring. It came at just the right time in my life, and left a lasting impression on me.”
Hyojeong Kim, founder of NomadHer
Built an app to connect female globetrotters
Founded in South Korea, NomadHer is a travel app exclusively for women. Once verified, women can connect with more than 150,000 others to share travel tips, arrange meet-ups and support each other’s journeys.
“The independence gained from navigating foreign environments alone is invaluable”
“At 19, I had a troubling experience with a Couchsurfing host, which propelled me to action,” shares NomadHer’s founder Hyojeong Kim. “I sought a community where women could support each other on the adventures that they embark on and share ideas for safe travels.”
Propelled by this experience, in 2019 Kim decided to create an app that would make it easier for female travellers to connect with one another for safety, solidarity and companionship. Since then, NomadHer has organised more than 1,000 meet-ups, such as hikes and surf camps, and its members represent more than 180 nationalities.
What was your most memorable solo journey?
“Travelling solo in India was both challenging and enchanting. I went to Goa because I wanted to escape city life. I stayed in the jungle, with no internet connection, surrounded by nature, for around three weeks. I could completely concentrate on myself. It was so peaceful. And I made a lot of local friends, which was the best moment for me.”
Krystal Tan, founder of Blue Sky Escapes
Merges the physical and spiritual aspects of travel
Whether it’s horse riding with nomadic tribes in Mongolia or a silent retreat in Laos (an especially popular choice among solo female travellers), Singapore-based travel consultancy Blue Sky Escapes spurs travellers out of their comfort zones, helping them learn more about themselves in the process.
“Travelling solo opens you up to the magic of spontaneity and self-discovery”
For founder Krystal Tan, solo travel often inspires personal and spiritual growth. “I have experienced first-hand the shifts in my own worldviews after an experiential journey, and it always leaves me with renewed perspective and clarity,” she says.
“In 2016, I worked with a ground partner to craft an experience in Mongolia where we would be the first foreigners to help several nomadic families migrate their animals to their summer location, on horseback. We camped in remote places that even our guides had never visited, helped the families set up their gers and sat in the meadows with them drinking vodka, eating fermented cheese and enjoying the banter. This experience made me realise we really don’t need very much to feel fulfilled. It was also one of the pivotal moments that drove me to take the plunge and leave law practice to focus on Blue Sky Escapes. I wanted to design experiences that could prompt similar shifts in others.”
“My time alone was my chance to integrate and embody all those experiences into one unified whole”
How has travelling solo changed you?
“Travelling solo opens you up to the magic of spontaneity and self-discovery. My first solo trip after having a baby was to Botswana. I was still breastfeeding, so I had to pump and freeze milk as I travelled, and I missed my baby when I saw lionesses with their cubs. Being away from my newborn, in a remote, natural habitat gave me the chance to process becoming a mother – after an unmedicated, 27-hour labour, months of sleep deprivation, breastfeeding, and then juggling all of that with a return to work, I had found myself questioning my identity.
“I shed tears when our guide cleansed my energy with wild sage, as was the custom in his tribe. It’s believed the fragrant smoke helps cleanse the mind, body and soul of stagnant energy that does not serve you. I was confronted with all the baggage I had brought along with me, yet also felt an overriding sense of peace, which moved me to tears. My time alone in Botswana was my chance to integrate and embody all those experiences into one unified whole. I found I was better able to accept it all as a part of me without any resistance, and returned home more enlivened and invigorated.”
What was your most memorable solo journey?
“My most memorable journey was the time we tracked endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda. It’s incredible how much of yourself you recognise in these intelligent beings – their hands, facial features, mannerisms. It’s a strange, charged connection words can’t fully capture. A truly humbling and grounding experience I’ll never forget, and certainly one that calls for protecting these animals.”
For more information on Singapore Airlines flights to the abovementioned destinations, visit the official website.
