Going solo is double the fun
Holidaying on your own has never been so popular — or more affordable
As trendy as going vegan or giving up booze, but more fun, travelling solo is on the rise. Last week, the travel industry body ABTA revealed that going it alone is more popular than ever. some solo travellers are singles wanting to join group tours with like-minded people. Others might be in a relationship, but fancy a bit of ‘me time’.
Here’s our pick of the trips — all without those deal-breaking single supplements.
EXPLORE OMAN
THESE days, the Middle east is not everybody’s cup of Omani rose hipflavoured tea but there will be no reluctant hangers-on during this tailored holiday for groups of singles.
the nine-day swing through this moderate and welcoming sultanate starts in the capital Muscat, then it’s on to nizwa, the town’s colossal fort once a junction on the Frankincense-trading route.
Walk amid the geological marvels of the
Jebel Akhdar mountains, and drive into the dunes to stay at a luxury desert camp. romance will be in the air for those who seek it.
DETAILS: Cox and Kings ( coxandkings.co.uk, 020 3797 4694). From £2,395 for Oman discovery solo travellers’ group tours including flights, eight nights in four-star hotels, transport, guides and some meals.
ITALIAN FIZZ
tHis is the home of our favourite italian tipple. the vineyards, terraced from the foothills of the dolomites, an hour’s drive north of Venice, are also glorious for walking. the group holiday is not exclusively for singles, but there is a conviviality about a party based in a villa (with pool).
DETAILS: exodus ( exodus.co.uk, 020 8712 3486), £ 1,529 including flights, seven nights’ accommodation, some meals, guided walks, sightseeing and wine tasting.
SOLO SAFARI
tHere’s nothing more bonding than staring at lions with a group of new friends. this singles safari starts at Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side of the Zambezi, staying at the historic five-star Victoria Falls Hotel.
then drive to wildlife-teeming Chobe national Park across the border in botswana. the action continues on the Okavango delta for more game viewing from mokoro canoes. dinners in the bush will turn introverts into chatterboxes.
DETAILS: Jules Verne ( vjv.com, 020 3553 1339). From £3,995 on solo group departures between november and February, including all flights, nine nights’ accommodation, some meals, safari guides and park fees.
SOCIABLE SKIING
nO One to slope off with? don’t fret. Join a house party at a chalet in the French Alps. there are ten rooms in the Chalet refuge & Lodge where meals are served round one table.
Winter sports holidays with this singles specialist company include group ski (or snowboard) lessons in the mornings, after which the party generally meets for lunch before an afternoon together on the slopes.
DETAILS: Friendship travel (0289 446 2211, friendshiptravel.com). From £1,045, including flights, accommodation, transfers, breakfasts, afternoon tea and five dinners with wine.
WALK WITH MONKS
yOur bhutanese hosts will understand why you’ve chosen to travel solo: after all, meditating alone for three years is a rite of passage in this peace and happiness-worshipping buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas between india and tibet.
Once-in-a-lifetime sights such as the astonishing tiger’s nest and Punakha dzong monasteries are ones you might want to share on this Gentle Walking bhutan group itinerary.
Fly via nepal and travel across the country for walks with monks, visits to monasteries and sensational scenery. DETAILS: Mountain Kingdoms (visit
mountainkingdoms.com, 01453 844400). From £3,995 for the 15- day itinerary including flights, a night at a five-star hotel in Kathmandu in each direction, all other accommodation, transport and meals.
JUST FOR GIRLS
sOrry chaps, but this one is billed as one ‘for women who need more than a holiday’.
it is run by women, for women. stay at a boutique spa hotel of your choice such as the serene, five- star Puripunn baby Grand, thailand. Choose from a menu of therapeutic spa treatments.
Meditate and relax. Join yoga or thai cookery classes. try excursions to monasteries, gardens, markets, elephant sanctuaries or hot springs. DETAILS: responsible travel (visit
responsibletravel.com, 01273 823 700). From £559 for the stay only. Flights, treatments and activities are extra.
CHRISTMAS TREAT
DREADING a lonely or fractious festive season? Head to Mozart’s birthplace in Austria on this four-day break. the snow should be deep, crisp and even enough for a sleigh ride before the Christmas eve trip to the Alpine village of Kitzbühel.
boxing day brings a sortie across the border to bavaria. in between, celebrate with a feast in salzburg.
DETAILS: Just you ( justyou.co.uk, 01858 898153). From £1,249 including flights, four nights in a four-star hotel with dinners, a Mozart concert, and tours of salzburg’s baroque palace.