7 years walking the world: what the ultimate slow travel trip taught me about life

Traveling alone is a uniquely personal experience: it offers great freedom to step out of your comfort zone, try new things, and make lifelong friendships. As a woman who frequently travels alone, finding the right destination for a solo adventure also helps ensure a good experience – you’re looking to feel safe and welcomed in a place where the sight of a lone female traveler doesn’t attract puzzled looks or well-intentioned, but unecessary, concern. And, while as an Asian I may be biased toward this vast continent, I think visitors to this region will find incredible travel experiences that blend modern infrastructure with old-world charm in places where women who choose to travel alone will feel safe doing so. 

During my travels, these are the destinations in Asia where I’ve been able to enjoy culture, food, the outdoors and nature safely as a solo female traveler. These experiences continuously inspire me to see and experience more, so I’ve included two suggestions that are on my short list for future adventures.

1. Luang Prabang, Laos

Best for making new friends

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I consider myself lucky to have been to Luang Prabang enough times to have grown familiar with the UNESCO-listed town’s slow rhythm of life. (Plus, the local BBQ evenings they’ve taken me to are a real treat!) When I recently spent several weeks in Luang Prabang on assignment, it easily became one of my favorite solo travel experiences. There’s hardly anything more magical than watching the sun go down over the Mekong River, either on a boat tour or from one of the cafes that line the waterfront.

Luang Prabang is tourist-centered and locals are extremely friendly, outgoing and chatty, which makes it easier to make friends. I felt completely safe walking alone in the old town, even at night, and you can cycle, hop on a tuk-tuk or book a Loca (Laos’ ride-hailing app) taxi to nearby villages.

Some highlights of my time include swimming in the Tat Kuang Si waterfalls and climbing Phu Si for sunset. I also did an interactive food tour here with Lao chef Somsack Sengta at the morning market and took a ferry across the Mekong to Lao Pottery House, to see how local potters preserve an age-old tradition.

Planning tip: If you’ve extra days, cycle across the Nam Khan River to Ban Xang Khong village, to see generational artisans at work, crafting handmade paper or weaving silk.

2. Chiang Mai, Thailand

Best for market tours and cooking courses

Chiang Mai is one of Thailand’s popular tourist destinations, but it’s a far cry from Bangkok’s daily hubbub. Located in the northern countryside surrounded by forested trails, waterfalls and terraced rice paddies, Chiang Mai is a vibrant blend of Buddhist temples, a thriving coffee scene, food markets and welcoming locals who are ready to patiently help while you stumble over everyday Thai phrases.

Once you’ve sufficiently explored the ancient town, or center of the city, book yourself into a cooking class, which usually includes an introductory market tour. There, you’ll learn how to whip up a bowl of khao soi (a coconut curry noodle dish from Northern Thailand) while making new friends.

Planning tip: While there, explore the Bang Kang Wat artist village (it’s also a great place to base yourself); hike the Monk’s Trail to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep at sunrise; day-trip to Thailand’s highest mountain Doi Inthanon; aimlessly meander through the weekend markets like Jing Jai where local artists sell ceramics, clothes, handmade notebooks and stone jewelry.

3. Kerala, India

Best place for homestays with local families

With a population of more than 1.4 billion and a reputation for being crowded and somewhat chaotic, India can be an intimidating destination for even the most seasoned solo travelers. Still, if you know where to go, the country promises an unmatched level of diversity, local cuisine loaded with fresh seafood and incredible seasonal produce and the most warm and friendly locals. 

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Kerala in South India is one of my favorite places to visit, and a great spot to start any solo journey. The best – and the safest – way to explore the area is to stay in homestays with local families. Find them on Kerala Tourism; just remember to read reviews and do your research to be sure the host you choose fits your personality. Overall, though, the Kerala custom is to shower guests with a kind of hospitality hard to match elsewhere. I spent a week in Aymanam, the village of Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy, boating through the backwaters where pink lotus bloom early in the morning and being fed fried fish with every meal by my host grandma.

Planning tip: Take your time to wander through the historic Fort Kochi; chase monsoon-fed waterfalls in interior jungles; and watch sunsets in the beach town Varkala. Remember to dress modestly to respect the local customs.

4. Bhutan

Best for first-time solo travelers

I met many other women traveling solo during my trip to Bhutan and almost all of them had one thing in common: Bhutan was their first solo travel destination. According to the country’s international tourist policy, guides are mandatory for
any journey beyond Thimphu and Paro. Since all guides and drivers are vetted by the Bhutanese government, it makes it easier, safer and more rewarding to explore this Himalayan Buddhist kingdom surrounded by temples, fluttering prayer flags and the aroma of burning incense.

Almost everyone who visits Bhutan hikes to Taktshang Goemba (the Tiger’s Nest Monastery), a sacred site nestled on a dramatic cliff. But don’t skip subtropical valleys like Punakha, where you can visit the Chimi Lhakhang (also called the Temple of Fertility). In Phobjikha, a glacial valley where black-necked cranes from Tibet arrive in hundreds during the winter months, you can tour the 17th-century Gangte Goemba with ornate wood carvings and Buddhist imagery.

Planning tip: For a more local experience, stay at Kinley Choden’s Mendrelgang Homestay to learn about the Bhutanese love for chili peppers. It’s the country’s indispensable vegetable and almost everything in Bhutan is cooked with chili, like the national dish ema datshi (chili and cheese).

5. The Maldives

Best for fishing and marine life

Most people think the only way to explore the Maldives is to stay on a resort island – or that it’s only a honeymoon destination. This is, in fact, not true. While I sometimes love a vacation where I can pamper myself, my favorite way to experience the Maldives is to stay on a local island. On your solo trip to the Maldives you could split your time between a resort and a local guesthouse.

There are 188 inhabited islands in the Maldives, and many of them now have guesthouses and boutique hotels that are more budget-friendly than the well-known resorts. My favorite is Dhigurah, a stunningly beautiful island with a long sandbank on Alif Dhaal Atoll. Home to whale sharks year-round, it’s a great place to explore the marine world with local guides. You should also go on a sunset fishing tour on a dhoni (a traditional wooden vessel) and cycle through the island to see the Maldivian life where fishers offload their daily catch onto the shore.

Planning tip: Local islands now have designated powdery-sand beaches where you can slip into your swimwear, but remember to dress modestly, covering your knees and shoulders while in public spaces.

6. Singapore

Best for varied activities

Singapore is sometimes overlooked as a layover on a long-haul journey, but I recommend staying a few days to explore this incredible place. As one of Asia’s most economically developed countries, Singapore has an efficient, clean and safe public transportation system called Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), as well as a robust pedestrian and cycling culture.

There’s plenty to do, too, from feasting on hawker stall food in Chinatown and visiting vibrant Hindu temples in Little India to shopping at famous Orchard Rd, snapping photos of the Peranakan terrace houses and visiting the Marina Bay Sands.

Planning tip: Go to Gardens by the Bay at night for the free evening light show (7:45 and 8:45pm) when the Instagram-famous Supertrees come to life in illuminating color. If you are on a budget, stay in hostels to cut costs.

7. Taiwan

Best for affordable traveling around

Ever since I saw a few TikTok videos of Jiufen, a charming old town with winding narrow alleyways lined up with teahouses and boutiques, I’ve been wanting to visit Taiwan. It’s on my bucket list for its incredible food, scenic cycling routes, eclectic night markets and cool hangouts. (I’ve been eyeing the Huashan 1914 Creative Park.) There’s also more to do beyond Taipei, like visiting the stunning Taroko Gorge or Tainan with its historic temples and old streets.

Planning tip: The efficient and affordable transport system makes Taiwan look like the perfect country to explore by train, which is an ideal match for my love of slow travel.

8. Uzbekistan

Best for a warm welcome

In recent years, Uzbekistan has emerged as a cultural tourist destination with historic architecture, bustling bazaars and a thriving art and crafts scene that includes ceramics, pottery and ancient silk papermaking. I’ve seen my fellow writer friends travel through the country with so much ease while having the time of their lives. They’ve all told me that Uzbeks are some of the most welcoming people, who do not shy away from inviting you over for a meal.

Planning tip: There’s so much to see and do, from Tashkent’s markets and Samarkand’s Registan Square – the center of Timurid Renaissance – to tasting local plov, Uzbekistan’s national rice and meat dish. I can’t wait to travel through the historic Silk Road cities of Bukhara and Khiva and navigate Tashkent’s subway, stopping at some of its remarkable metro stations.

For more female solo travel inspiration, get your copy of Lonely Planet’s Women Travel Solo.