Solo Travel for Women in Africa: Why Kenya is the Safe, "No-Loneliness" Choice
- By Bena Roberts | Ethical Safari Specialist for Women
- Mar 1
- 5 min read
Solo Travel for Women in Africa?
I started solo travelling very young. This is because my parents sent my sister and me off to the United States for holidays every other year from the age of six. This gave me confidence, and by the age of 18. I had already been to several European countries alone.
I also fell in love with Eastern Europe and made friends for life in both Hamburg and Spain. In fact, I would consider some of the people I met at 18, still my best friends today. This is even if I only see them once every second year.
I went to Africa several times on family holidays and with my sister. But my first solo adventure to Africa was when I just turned 50. Since then, I went back alone and with my daughter nearly 10 times.
When you travel and you connect with someone, you have a bond for life.
The Myth of Loneliness: How to Stay Connected While Traveling Solo
What about Loneliness on a Solo Trip? How do you deal with loneliness if you are alone?
Well, to be honest. I don’t think I was ever lonely on a solo trip as I usually joined some sort of activity with a local guide. I would do a bar tour of Malaga or a walking tour of Rome, and during that trip, I would connect with like-minded people or find out where to go.
So, if someone gave me a tip. That is a great place to meet students.. I would go and strike up a conversation. I can’t remember feeling lonely when travelling alone.
But I can remember feeling isolated on group holidays or arguing on family ones. I am an independent woman, and I like to enjoy the life I have and live in the moment. That is the kind of personality that you need when you travel alone.
Trust me. Solo. Does not have to mean alone if you book a group tour.
I always book something, and I always make friends. You find people who are similar to you and in the same group as you are because you have something in common.
You won’t know what it is before you travel…
But once you have travelled that connection and know that you will be fine and have a great trip.. That sense of belief will stay with you forever.
Choosing the Right Destination: Why Kenya Outshines 64 Other Countries
Which Country is Best for Solo Female Travel?
I have been to 64 countries and I loved a lot of them! But speaking for Africa, I have chosen to be a guide in Kenya, because I believe that Kenya is a safe progressive country. Read my blog to find out why I chose Kenya over South Africa and Tanzania.
Learning from My Mistakes: From Cairo Scams to Tangier Security
What are common Solo Travel mistakes?
That is a great and big question. But if I were to narrow it down. The biggest mistake for me is not to plan anything before I, travel. Even though I believe in destiny, I still think that you need to be proactive.
I had a solo holiday in Egypt and Turkey, and in both places I had some group tours planned. For example, a guided tour of the pyramids. That was very special and I had a fabulous lunch with the guides who gave me lots of tips on what to eat!
When I was in Morocco, I think I would never have made it out of Fez without the guide. It was a maze that I navigated with the guide on day one and ended up being able to go back and not get lost on the second day.
Another common mistake is not to do any reading on your destination. I always download a guidebook. It is great if you need inspiration or don’t want to miss something important. This will also get you out and about.
Sitting in your room will make you lonely! Getting out and about will make you feel alive.
Is it a good idea to travel alone as a woman?
Yes. Definitely. It will make you stronger. But saying that, don’t be stupid. Remember that noone who comes up to you in the street is doing so because they are friendly. Someone usually wants to sell you something. So, learn a few words, and if you are in a Middle Eastern country, wear a headscarf.
I was scammed in Cairo. It happens to the best of us.
I was followed a couple of times, too. I actually paid someone to stop following me once!
I could have let it bother me, but instead I went to the hotel bar and told the barman. I remember him making me a cup of tea and saying terrible things about his landsmen, but after ten minutes, we were laughing.
And for your information, nothing like that has ever happened to me in Kenya. In fact. A man with a thousand keychains asked me where I was from. I told him I was from London, but lived in Germany and was born in Nairobi. He put down his treasure, hugged me, and called me “sister.”
At the time, on my 50th birthday trip, it was quite endearing.
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Also, in Kenya there is a lot of security everywhere you go. In hotels, banks, shopping centres. So this is a massive deterrent to crime. One that does not exist in Tangier.
Budgeting for Luxury: What Does a Solo Safari in Kenya Actually Cost?
How much money do you need on a solo trip to Kenya?
The last solo trip I went on, was a Safari and it was an ethical luxury safari and I only spent money on tips. I did not tip excessively, but I did tip. Especially the driver and some of the waiters who ran around me. Wine was affordable, and I think I had a wine a night, and the total bill came to about 20 dollars.
What country to travel solo to for the first time?
I would say Great Britain or the Netherlands in Europe. But in Africa, I would again say Kenya.
Take a look at my Safari Packages which include meals, travel, and luxury accommodation, plus 4x4 Safari vehicles.
Which African Country is the friendliest?
All of them! Book the right hotel or package, and you get what you pay for. If you go extremely cheap on budget, where the staff is not paid well. Your experience will reflect your choices.
Choose an ethical and sustainable luxury safari for the best experience and the best for your global footprint.
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