Would you go on holiday with a stranger?
Going away with someone you’ve never met might seem like a risk, but for these women it was the start of an amazing adventure HAVING THE SAME GOALS IS KEY TO A GOOD HOLIDAY
Emma Sandbach, 44, a public health worker, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, travelled to the Caribbean with Katie Macleod, 28, a freelance graphic designer, from Inverness
EMMA SAYS: I had some annual leave to take and I wanted to go somewhere interesting and a bit glam. A 10-day trip to the Caribbean seemed like the ideal choice.
I’d visited Europe and Australia previously, but never the Caribbean and I’d never done a cruise. However, this kind of trip is costly with a single supplement, and none of my friends or family were free to go, so I decided to find a travelling companion online.
I made contact with Katie via solofemaletravelers.club and we chatted via messenger about the itinerary and our likes and dislikes. But the first time we met was at the airport in Barbados, in December 2022, before boarding the cruise ship together in Tobago.
There was a risk that we might not get on, but Katie and I wanted the same kind of trip. Nothing boozy – we wanted to go to bed early and be up early to explore the sites.
Highlights included a mud bath at the sulphur springs in Saint Lucia, visiting a beautiful beach for the day at Grenada and touring the volcano and fort on Saint Vincent.
The weather was glorious and I really enjoyed Katie’s company. Thankfully, we had lots to talk about, especially our love of travel, which helped us to bond.
But we also spent time alone. In the mornings,
Katie did a stretch class and I jogged around the ship’s track. Then we ate breakfast together and enjoyed a day trip on the cruise’s stop-off points.
The key to this kind of holiday is finding a balance of spending time together and ensuring that each traveller has enough space on their own.
If you’re thinking about travelling with someone you’ve never met, check you both want the same kind of holiday. Having the same goals will ensure you have a lovely experience rather than a nightmare. ■■Find Emma on Instagram @longtimedeadtravels
KATIE SAYS: I have a passion for travel and aim to visit 100 countries before
I’m 30. Travelling around the Caribbean took my total to
88. Emma and I developed a lovely friendship – we were on the same wavelength. We both wanted to visit interesting sites and share meals together.
Since that holiday, I’ve visited Estonia with Emma and done a Saudi road trip with another travel buddy. I’m now planning to visit the Pacific islands with someone I’ve just met on Instagram.
I never worry that I might not click with a travel buddy. The companions you find online are fellow travel enthusiasts and tend to be really invested in making the holiday work.
■■Read Katie’s travel blog at katiegoes.com