Ten top solo holiday trips from Moroccan retreats and exotic islands to UK walking tours and no-fly cruising
DARE you fly solo? Imagine packing for a getaway just for you and heading off to wherever you choose in the world.
You would be among an increasing number of people of all ages taking holidays alone.
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There is a huge range of breaks at home and abroad for single travellers – from a walking tour, sailing the seas, or a desert retreat, to a canoe expedition, sunshine island adventure or bushcraft course.
Trisha Harbord goes on a quest to find the ten top solo trips . . .
WONDER OF WALKING
A WALKING holiday is a perfect way to meet fellow enthusiasts while exploring the glorious British countryside on foot.
After being greeted by a Solos Holidays guide for a welcome drink, you will meet up with fellow ramblers for a three-night stay at the New Ocean Hotel in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.
Your boots need to be made for walking over the next two days.
But each trek is comfortably paced, lasting around two to three hours.
You will take in stunning panoramic views over the Bristol Channel and landscapes of the Brean Down peninsular, and explore Weston Woods.
Evenings are spent enjoying dinner and live entertainment.
GO: Three nights' half-board in a single room with a free bar for four hours each evening, from October 3, costs from £499. See solosholidays.com.
MAKING WAVES
SAIL the seas with one of the cheapest cruise lines for solos.
Ambassador is known for having the best value for singles sailing from the UK, with the lowest daily rate of £156.
The liner has special-fare single-occupancy cabins. But book early, as they are popular.
Join the Viking Heritage Tour no-fly cruise along the Norse trade routes, calling at Sweden's Gothenburg, Denmark's Copenhagen and Norway's Oslo and Kristiansand, aboard Ambience from London Tilbury.
Guided excursions are available to explore the beautiful cities.
The 1,400-guest ship has bars, restaurants, a wellness centre, pool and entertainment including an outdoor movie screen.
There are dance and fitness classes, and guest speakers.
GO: Eight nights' full-board for a solo guest in ocean-view cabin is from £1,009. For details, see ambassadorcruiseline.com.
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COMMUNITY SPIRIT
EXPLORE the world with a G Adventures holiday, just for go-it-alones.
Its Solo-ish Adventures feature 33 trips to destinations including Costa Rica, India, Peru, South Africa and Vietnam, interacting with local communities.
There are female-only leaders, free arrival transfers so that travellers feel safe and looked after, and welcoming experiences so a group of strangers can get to know one another.
There is also 'me time' for anyone wishing to explore on their own.
An 11-day tour of Vietnam, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, includes enjoying stunning scenery, historic sites, bustling markets and activities such as a junk-boat cruise and noodle-making class.
GO: Solo-ish Vietnam including B&B, some lunches and dinners, and flights from the UK in August, costs from around £2,050. For further details see gadventures.com.
JUST FOR YOU
THE world's your oyster with solo specialists Just You.
From a trip to Namibia, to a city break in Edinburgh, the company has been uniting solos for nearly 25 years.
Italy is a favourite destination, with several itineraries to choose from.
On an eight-day break, you can enjoy a guided tour of the historical site of Pompeii, the seaside resort of Sorrento, a limoncello farm and the beautiful Bay of Naples.
You'll get to stay in the 4H Hotel Palma – once an elegant 19th-century villa – with a solarium, hot tub and large terrace looking out at famed volcano Vesuvius.
GO: Seven nights' B&B, including some meals, welcome drink, tours and farewell get-together, costs £1,999, flying from Heathrow on June 17. See justyou.co.uk.
ESCAPE the stresses of everyday life and head into the serene Moroccan countryside for a rejuvenating getaway.
You'll stay with Amana Retreats in a private property nestled in olive groves and set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Atlas Mountains and Agafay Desert.
There's a pool, walking trails, sun-drenched terraces and quiet corners perfect for relaxing and reflection.
Enjoy two daily yoga sessions – open to all levels – blending ancient wisdom with modern science, alongside sound-healing, breathwork and nutrition workshops.
Afternoons offer time to unwind by the pool, explore the souk or join the yoga and other sessions at the retreat.
Special menus feature nourishing, locally sourced alkaline meals and fresh juices to support your wellbeing.
CITY SLICKER
HAVE a cracking time on a city break to Krakow, with a guided tour from Riviera Travel.
The Polish city's old town, within ancient walls, is one of the treasures of Europe and listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
In 2000, it was also named European Capital of Culture.
Krakow is Poland's second-largest city and was the country's capital until 1795.
It has the largest medieval market square in Europe. Or you can see 15th-century painting Lady With An Ermine, by Leonardo da Vinci, in the museum, and discover the underground market below Cloth Hall.
The four-day trip is guided by an experienced tour manager.
Upon arrival, you'll be treated to a welcome dinner so you can get to know other guests, in a group of up to 25.
GO: Three nights' B&B in the 4H Novotel Krakow Centrum, with flghts from various UK airports including Manchester on November 14 and transfers, costs from £869. See rivieratravel.co.uk.
DREAM ISLAND
SUN-kissed Bali is one of the planet's most welcoming islands, so it's perfect for solos.
Immerse yourself in Indonesian culture by eating delicious street food, meeting traditional fabric weavers, watching a dance performance and visiting a temple.
Intrepid's Beautiful Bali guided trip will also give you the chance to hike Mount Batur for a sunrise view across the Lombok Strait, and visit Undisan village in the hills.
Other activities include cycling and snorkelling but there's also plenty of free time, when you can explore on your own or in the group and relax on the beach or in hot springs.
GO: Nine days including accommodation, transport, selected meals and activities, costs from £561. Multiple departures until December.
Return flights from the UK cost around £845. See intrepid.com.
HIT THE ROAD
SIT back and relax on a coach tour of one of the UK's most stunning coastlines.
Shearings is offering more trips for single travellers, with no room supplements, owing to increased demand.
The five-day Holy Island and Northumbrian Coast tour, travelling through stunning countryside with wonderful sea views, includes four nights at the Leonardo Newcastle in the buzzing city.
You'll visit Alnwick Castle, the Unesco World Heritage site of Durham and the pretty seaside resort of Seahouses.
At low tide, you'll be driven over the causeway from the village of Beal to Lindisfarne, known as Holy Island because it was a birthplace of Christianity with a monastery founded in 635AD.
GO: Half-board from October 6, with coach departure points across the UK, costs from £629. See shearings.com.
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AQUA FUN
THE clue is in the name – Adventure Solos. Fully-hosted breaks and day trips offered by founder Chris Bone include canoeing, hiking, map- reading and rock-climbing.
Designed for people in their thirties to fifties, the itineraries are all beginner-friendly.
The five-day Canoe Scotland holiday is a 60-mile expedition across the spectacular great glens, navigating canals and lochs including famed Loch Ness, from west to east.
Along the way, you'll be able to enjoy wild-swimming and camping under the stars on loch shores.
You can either take your own tent or hire it from Adventure Solos, who also advise on what food to bring along.
GO: Expedition departs from Banavie, near Fort William, on June 30 and costs from £795, including canoe equipment. See adventuresolos.com.
GOING WILD
LOVERS of the outdoors who fancy giving Bear Grylls a run for his money can join an advanced bushcraft course.
Wild Human's four-night Native break teaches skills such as food-foraging, friction fire-lighting, preparing game, smoking meat and making fishing equipment.
You'll also learn how to carve safely with an axe, make pitch glue and bark-craft baskets.
Accommodation is in your own tent, pitched in a private woodland close to Windermere in the Lake District.
But the course, for up to 14 people, is fully catered so you'll be tucking into nutritious, seasonal local food and there's a few luxuries including a pizza oven and sauna.
It's one of a number of Wild Human challenging solo expeditions, at home and abroad.
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