While North Carolina resident Rima Chakravarty has been on several trips around the world in her lifetime, she never embarked on a solo trip until just over a year ago.
For her 50th birthday, her husband gifted her a trip to Paris to celebrate the milestone.
“I had never travelled solo before. I would listen to podcasts with solo women travellers and I got really interested in how it is going to be,” Chakravarty recalls, pointing to their stories as examples of inspiration.
While she admits she was anxious about things like safety, language barriers and navigating a new transit system, she was determined to persevere.
“The first time I came to the United States was as a student, and that was my first trip ever outside India. It was different coming for college but it was all by myself,” said Chakravarty.
“I was very nervous when I went [to Paris] the first time but I just pushed through and I thought, ‘OK what’s the worst that can happen?’ That’s what I kept on thinking, even though I did not know a single person in France,” she said.
Since then, she’s planned a girl’s trip to London, where she spent a few days alone before meeting up with her friends. Additionally, she took the leap and joined a small group tour to Southern Spain with G Adventures.
Why travel in a small group tour
“I think there was a connection that happened naturally within the Southern Spain group,” said Chakravarty, adding the group had a range of travellers from different regions and ages.
Chakravarty was one of five solo travellers on the tour and ended up bonding with all of them, from having dinners together on free evenings, to taking a side quest to explore the Alcazar of Seville.
Some of the other trip highlights she pointed to included experiencing the music of Flamenco shows in Seville and Madrid, walking through the Alhambra of Granada, and participating in a Mescladis Paella Cooking Class where they were able to cook with, and support migrant workers.
“In this particular Spain trip, there was a lot of free time … So what we had was the CEO (Chief Experience Officer), she created a WhatsApp group, and whenever we wanted to plan to go to dinner, we would just post, and others would show up,” she said.
“Even after we came back, we were still chatting there … genuinely, it developed into a relationship.”
Tips for travelling as a solo woman
Travelling completely solo versus travelling solo in a small group tour has its pros and cons, Chakravarty says, adding for those who wish to plan less and meet other like-minded individuals, a small group tour can be more beneficial.
“For solo travelers the first time, consider tours. It will relax you. You will not feel anxious, and you will really get to enjoy everything,” she said.
And when it comes to words of wisdom for other women contemplating a solo trip, Chakravarty says it’s an empowering experience that is worth taking the leap for.
“Going solo, it builds your confidence,” said Chakravarty, adding it’s important to trust yourself and enjoy independence.
“I found that it’s very freeing. You are doing what you really want to do, but if you go with someone, then you sometimes just have to adjust to the other person. So that experience, you get when you only go solo,” she said.
