Girls go on solo trips

Whether it’s Greece, Spain or Russia, have you ever dreamt of getting on that flight all by yourself and heading out to your dream destination? Well, many women travel solo and they are not alone in this. When Anu Madan travelled alone to Egypt, she was stranded with £30 on her and had to borrow some dough from a local guide to get through the last days of her solo travel.

Since then Anu has taken at least 20 solo trips across the world and they have been full of challenging and joyful experiences. “In 2002, I took a trip with Woman On Wanderlust or WOW (a company that organises all-women tours across the world) where I met other single women travelling alone. It was great because without boyfriends, husbands or families we could do our own thing,” says Anu.

Anu realised that she had to go it alone when her group holiday with her friends got cancelled and she was left with holidays but nothing to do. “Though I travelled alone, I met many women on these trips and made some friends for life who I travelled with later. Travelling alone is an awesome experience and you don’t have to do a thing when you have someone else to take care of everything, all you do is get on to the flight,” she says.

Increasing number of solo travellers now have help at hand with companies like this one. Sumitra Senapaty, who started the travellers group five years ago out of her own love for travelling and to help solo women take that lone trip, has been taking women to Greece, Egypt, China, Honkong, South Africa and many other places.

“Many times women want to go on a trip but don’t have anybody to accompany them. These women are apprehensive of going to the theatre alone, so travelling alone is a huge thing for them!                      
This is an ideal scenario where a woman can travel alone and meet with other single women who are lone travellers too. Everything is taken care of,” says Sumitra who even has a mother-kid tour to Bangkok.

But there are many girls who want to do it all alone— have their own set of experiences, live with tourists from all across the world and interact with locals. In such a scenario you’ve got to do it all by yourself. When 27-year-old Elisha Saigal decided to take such a lone trip, she approached a company  to help her with the itinerary, budgeting and booking at safe hostels.

“I was interested in beaches, culture and nightlife so I told them to make an itinerary accordingly. So they made a whole Spain and France trip for me. They even gave me tips on when to visit museums. Such customised trips helped me as I was all by myself,” says Elisha, adding, “I made loads of friends with complete strangers and didn’t miss having friends around at all!”