by Lonely Planet
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Women Travel Solo is a lovely collection of travel stories and photography compiled by Lonely Planet.
For some people, it may seem terrifying to travel as a solo femme-presenting individual. This book has a lot of inspirational solo travel stories that can help alleviate some of that anxiety.
I particularly enjoyed “Found in translation,” in which Jamie Wong wonderfully describes their spur of the moment trip to Paris after the end of a romantic relationship. I’ll be travelling to Paris for the first time next year, so it was lovely seeing the city through her eyes. She includes a list of her seven favorite things to do alone in Paris, and I’m excited to try a few myself.
France, it seemed, had more to teach me than just elegance and style; it would show me the beauty of solitude, an art I both feared and desired to master.
Lauren Gay’s “Transforming my fear into freedom through solo travel” also hit me in the feels. She travelled to Azores, an archipelago of islands in the middle of the Atlantic ocean both she and I had never heard of, after leaving an abusive relationship. She found a Groupon travel deal that included her flights and hotel, which she notes is a great option for new solo travelers.
I was in my burning season, but that was only temporary. Eventually, just like this volcanic lake, my own beauty would emerge from the ashes.
As with all Lonely Planet books I’ve read in the past, the photography inside is exceptional. Sometimes I’ll just pick up the book and flip through to look at all of the glorious parts of the world I would love to someday visit. Several of the essays made me cry while I was reading them; proud of these women for what they were able to achieve, both emotionally and physically, on their solo travels.
I received a complimentary review copy from Sabrina Dax PR and Lonely Planet. All opinions contained herein are my own.
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