In a world full of adventures waiting to be had, why wait for a travel companion when you can go explore on your own? On International Women’s Day, we’re shining a spotlight on 10 incredible female solo travelers who are changing our perspective on adventuring as a party of one. From highlighting the safest destinations to starting mentorship programs, here’s our list of fearless females inspiring others to reach new heights.
Jessica Nabongo | @thecatchmeifyoucan
As the first black female to have traveled to every country in the world, Jessica is the ultimate travel influencer. She was named one of the 50 Most Notable People by Travel and Leisure and her book, The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World, was an instant bestseller.
If you need some inspo for your next adventure, check out Jessica’s blog where she gives helpful hints and tips for solo travel, food and drink recommendations from around the world and honest reviews of places she’s visited throughout her life. Her stories and experiences have us longing for a vacation.
Alexx Hayward | @findingalexx
Alexx is a female solo traveler whose mission is to help others explore safely and confidently. She shows the reality of being an independent adventurer in her 20s, with emphasis on how to plan trips accordingly without breaking the bank. Alexx’s travel story started when she was 19 and decided to embark on a university exchange program. 10 years and 57 countries later, she’s now a full-time travel content creator who works with multiple travel and tourism brands around the world.
In 2019, Alexx made it a goal to visit a new country every week based on the cheapest flights available. She found a tool on Skyscanner that let her put in her origin and travel date, and searched for inexpensive flights to anywhere in the world. This tool ultimately led her to create 52 week-long itineraries, and make her way around the world on a budget. Read more of her story here.
Brooke Saward | @worldwanderlust
Brooke boarded a plane for her first solo trip when she was just 20 years old and hasn’t looked back. She has now been traveling for over a decade and wants to help encourage others to do the same with a unique approach to travel blogging that focuses on helping others get to where she is today. If you want to reach out to hotels and brands for your travel blog but don’t know where to start, Brooke has you covered. If you’re in a new city alone and want to ask a stranger to take your picture, Brooke has a step-by-step guide to help ease your anxiety. Literally anything you can think of, Brooke likely has an answer for. And if you’re interested in joining a group of other like-minded individuals, you can sign up for her solo traveler list for news and updates.
Michelle Liu | @chinventures
Michelle Liu (aka Chinchelle) is not your average travel influencer. She’s a solo female traveler who created a global phenomenon called “chinning.” Instead of taking aesthetically pleasing pictures of herself in the places she visits, she decided to flip the beauty standard and began to post “chinfies” of herself around the world. These selfies are at an angle that show Michelle from the chin up – an angle that not many people find flattering. She even “chinned” with Dylan Sprouse! Michelle is altering society’s views of social media while also changing the way women view traveling alone. Fierce!
Amanda Williams | @dangerousbiz
At the young age of 15, Amanda decided that she was going to save enough money to travel to New Zealand after graduating from high school. And in 2005, she got her first passport stamp from there. Since then, she has been to more than 60 countries and 6 continents and has become a full-time travel blogger. She’s all about showing people how to fit more travel and adventure into the lifestyle they already have.
One of the many things we love about Amanda is that she stays true to herself and encourages others to do the same. She makes it clear that traveling doesn’t have to be super luxurious or exotic, it just needs to be what you want it to be. That’s why her website offers things like 3-day getaway ideas and road trip itineraries.
Ciara Johnson | @hey_ciara
After graduating college, Ciara landed a 9-5 job at a Fortune 500 company. She quickly realized that the office life wasn’t for her and knew that she was meant for more. That’s when she chose to dedicate her life to making her dream of traveling into a reality. She has since been to 60+ countries and empowers others to take the travel plunge and live their best lives, just like she did.
Ciara’s blog includes everything from the ultimate packing list (that’s been 7 years in the making!) to budget travel tips for helping those in need of some wanderlust. Her website also includes a tab full of her favorite travel necessities – a helpful resource for people who are indecisive when it comes to travel gear.
Kate McCulley | @adventurouskate
Kate decided to quit her job at 26 years old to pursue travel. 12 years later, she has visited 83 countries and all 7 continents – and she isn’t stopping there. When she isn’t traveling, she dedicates her time to teaching women how to travel the world safely. A whole portion of her website includes resources solely for women who are planning on traveling alone, including how to deal with pre-trip anxiety and even how to solo travel as a woman over 40. On top of it all, Kate was named a World’s Most Influential Traveler by Forbes. If you’re feeling a little iffy about your trip, Kate is definitely your girl.
Dani Heinrich | @globetrottergirls
With the slogan “one globe, no regrets,” it’s no surprise that Dani quit her full-time job to travel the world. It all started in 2010, when Dani and her then partner, Jess, decided to go on a gap year that quickly turned into a never ending journey. Now, she doesn’t consider anywhere to be her “homebase,” but she does have a few favorite cities that she likes to spend a couple months in here and there.
Dani is a huge advocate for female solo travel and LGBTQ+ travel. She shares stories of what it’s like to be a gay or lesbian traveler and doesn’t shy away from expressing the good, the bad and even the ugly. She says that she makes travel mistakes so that her readers don’t have to. Check out her story here.
Christine Ka’aloa | @grrrltraveler
Fun fact: Christine is one of the first solo female travel vloggers on YouTube. So basically, she’s the OG. She ditched her life in New York City as a reality TV camera operator and producer to live and work abroad in South Korea, ultimately turning into a 7+ month solo trip through Asia. She is now a full time travel content creator who helps others get past their fear of solo traveling. She answers all the hard questions and gives detailed country guides for the places she’s visited.
If you’re looking to travel alone but don’t know where to begin, Christine has created a mentorship program just for you. Through this program, you’ll craft a unique strategy on how to overcome your hurdles. Her goal is to inspire, encourage and empower women to take the leap into lone adventuring. Find more information about this opportunity here.
Rose Munday | @wheregoesrose
The first time Rose went on a solo trip, it wasn’t intentional. She knew that she wanted to take a break from her career, so she quit her job and booked a year long trip to Asia. While none of her friends could commit to spending a whole year abroad, some were able to meet her along her journey. Through this experience, Rose learned that she enjoyed the independence of solo travel and discovered that traveling on a budget wasn’t so hard after all. She now lives nomadically around the world, picking a new destination every couple of months to call homebase.
Rose is very passionate about traveling solo as a woman and has created multiple resources for those looking to follow in her footsteps. Check out her solo travel guides and tips & tricks here.
Who runs the world? Girls!
Here’s to the fearless females who chart their own course, redefine boundaries and inspire us to embrace the world with courage and curiosity. Celebrate this International Women’s Day with Faye.
