Karmen Wiid

I came across a mind-blowing statistic recently: solo travellers now make up 11% of the international tourist economy, and that number is climbing fast. Even more remarkable? Of that 11%, a staggering 84% are women.

Let’s unpack that for a second. Why are so many women packing their bags and heading out into the unknown, alone?

Maybe it’s the magnetic pull of independence—a need etched into our bones by generations before us. Or perhaps it’s the historical claustrophobia of roles and expectations, creating an undeniable urge to break free. It could also be that we’re hyper-aware of how rare this freedom is, how recent. We’re the first generation of women who can do this on such a scale, and we feel an unspoken duty to seize the opportunity.

Or maybe we all just watched Eat Pray Love one too many times, which, fair.

Whatever the reason, here we are. Our mothers and grandmothers might tell us solitude is a luxury, and they’d be right. To wake up and decide—entirely for yourself—how you’ll spend your day, to pave your own way, to not ask permission? These are privileges that women not long ago could only dream of.

And as I sit here watching the sun dissolve into the Caribbean Sea, feeling the breeze salt my skin and sipping a glass of deep merlot, I feel it—untethered, unshackled.

Deeply free. Profoundly grateful.

Here’s why I believe solo travel is one of the most empowering things a woman can do for herself:

1. You discover what you truly enjoy.
   Without anyone else’s plans dictating yours, you get to explore what sparks joy for you.
2. You become self-reliant.
   Navigating public transport, booking flights, troubleshooting hiccups — it all strengthens your independence.
3. You feel more deeply.
   When you’re on your own in new places, you’re like a raw nerve — sensitive and receptive to the world in a way that’s only equalled to making art or falling in love.
4. You master the art of connection.
   Contrary to the myth, solo travel doesn’t mean loneliness. You’ll meet people everywhere—hostel dorms, market lines, shared tables. I’ve made unforgettable friendships over late-night hostel kitchen conversations and shared street food meals.
5. You deepen your relationship with yourself.
   Being comfortable alone means you start truly enjoying your own company. It lays the foundation for healthier relationships with others.
6. You gain perspective.
   Experiencing other cultures, religions, and ways of life broadens your worldview. It untethers you from the mindset of your hometown, showing you that there are infinite ways to live.
7. You learn to budget.
   Travel forces you to manage your money and prioritise. That financial literacy translates to independence back home.
8. You build unshakable confidence.
   When you realise you can thrive far from home, in unfamiliar places, you stop fearing loneliness or uncertainty. You’ve got your back, and that’s the most powerful knowledge a woman can have.

Still scared at the thought of boarding a plane alone? Good. You should be. Fear means you’re standing on the edge of something worthwhile.

Theodore Roethke wrote, “Those who are willing to be vulnerable move among mysteries.” I’d like to tweak that slightly: those who are willing to be lost, who feel the fear and go anyway, are the ones who truly move among mysteries.

And what a gift mystery is. It’s the universe handing you the keys to the big, wide world and saying: go. Discover.