59 articles tagged with solo female travel
As I stood watching the morning sun illuminate the ancient ghats of Varanasi, casting long shadows across the sacred Ganges, I was reminded of Virginia Woolf's words: 'One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined...
While I'm writing this from a man's perspective, my daughter Ellie's recent solo adventure to Flores, Guatemala has given me a front-row seat to the unique considerations female travelers face in this stunning lakeside gem. As she video-called me daily...
The curtain rises on Brikama's food markets with a sensorial symphony that no academic text could adequately prepare me for. As an anthropologist who studies cultural performances, I've come to understand that food markets represent the most authentic daily theater...
The vibrant chaos of Brikama's central transport hub greets me like an old friend as I step off the ferry from Banjul. After two decades of field research across coastal West Africa, Gambia's second-largest city still captivates me with its...
There's something about trading the predictable comforts of middle age for the wild unpredictability of sand between your toes and salt in your hair. Last winter, I found myself craving both desert and ocean, so I designed a two-week adventure...
When my manufacturing consulting gig in Mexico City wrapped up early last fall, I made an impulse decision that turned into one of my most rewarding budget adventures yet. With just my carry-on backpack and a loosely sketched itinerary, I...
There's something magical about the freedom of zipping along Goa's palm-fringed roads with the warm breeze in your hair and the scent of salt and spice in the air. As someone with Indian heritage who's explored this coastal paradise multiple...
The morning sun cast long shadows across ancient stone structures as I adjusted my helmet, the rental bike's metal frame cool against my legs. Having spent years connecting networks across continents, there's something deeply satisfying about physically connecting with history...
The name Guantánamo Bay often conjures images far removed from tourism, but as someone who's spent decades seeking out the untold stories behind controversial destinations, I found myself drawn to exploring the broader region beyond the headlines. What I discovered...
There's something profoundly humbling about standing in a place that has witnessed over 2,500 years of human history. As the cool spring breeze carried the scent of fresh bread and spices across Khujand's ancient streets, I found myself transported to...
I've explored steamy jungles in Thailand, hiked volcanic peaks in Guatemala, and wandered countless Mediterranean markets, but there's something about the rugged vastness of Nevada that keeps pulling me back. After decades of restaurant management in Salt Lake City, I've...
The Kalahari stretches before me like a living, breathing entity – not the barren wasteland many imagine, but a complex ecosystem pulsing with life adapted to some of Earth's harshest conditions. As a conservation scientist, I've studied desert ecosystems theoretically,...
There's something wonderfully unassuming about South Portland, Maine that appeals to my investigative nature. While tourists flock to its more famous neighbor across the harbor, this working-class gem offers budget travelers an authentic slice of New England coastal life without...
The first time I gazed upon Dal Lake at sunrise, watching the wooden shikaras glide silently across the misty waters, I understood why Kashmir is called 'heaven on earth.' As a researcher of cultural heritage sites, I've traversed many landscapes,...
The sun dances on the Black Sea waves as I sip my 2-lev coffee at a beachside café in Varna, Bulgaria's seaside gem that remains refreshingly affordable compared to its Mediterranean counterparts. After 15 years of globe-trotting across continents, I've...