Where shall I go as a solo woman?

[iloveeverykindofcat]

Give me some ideas please Mumsnet! I find myself in the position of being able to book my first ever adult solo holiday for this summer. I finally have the time, money and flexibility. Exciting! I travel a lot for work but not so much for leisure. There are some places I have been that I would like to go back to as a tourist, but equally, so many I haven't. Don't worry about the budget for now, I'm very practiced at making even longhaul trips fit the numbers, I do it for work a lot, so will decide on some location options first then figure it out. I did one of those 'where should I go' quizzes and it said Paris, Agra or Geneva. I've been to Paris and Agra (didn't love Paris, Agra beautiful and fascinating but not at all relaxing and I'd like a mixture of sightseeing and relaxation) and I'm probably going to Geneva for a conference this year anyway.

Some things about me

• I love the heat. 40 degrees in India was too much, but less than that, I'll love it.
• I love the beach, but also history and architecture
• My favourite city in the world is Cape Town, but I don't think I'd do SA alone
• I love the idea of Cairo, but would it be safe? I'm ethnically Arab and have a sirname that is most commonly found in Egypt, though I'm not Egyptian, so would definitely be assumed to be local. Not sure if that makes it more or less safe
• I also love the idea of Athens, but heard from people who've been it wasn't that great
• I went to Lisbon for work last summer - very pretty, but the traffic and pollution put me off a bit
• Places I've loved or liked but sufficiently seen already: Malta, Venice, Rome, most Spanish and German touristy spots, Canary Islands
• Places I was supposed to love but kind of didn't: Paris, Amsterdam

Where shall I goooo?

Greek island cruise? Lots of single people on cruises and you can visit a few places, including Athens. Or Adriatic, out of Venice?

santorini? barcelona

palma

not hot but iceland is amazing

If you've never been to the Greek islands @iloveeverykindofcat then I reckon that's your answer. Honestly, there are so many beautiful islands. The island hopping/ferry thing makes it a real adventure.
Personally, I find Athens quite run down and full of traffic but it's worth going to see the acropolis and the museums. But I'd just spend a day or two there before heading off to an island for beaches and relaxation. Some of the islands are over developed (particularly ones with international airports) but there are still lots of unspoilt, beautiful island idylls.

I never have @WhereAreWeNow I will do some proper research into that

It will be hotter than that in July. More like mid/high 30’s.

Its impossible to predict but this year Greece had a heatwave summer with very high temperatures from early June right through to late September.

Id definitely recommend Greece but be prepared that many places will be very busy and very hot in July

I agree, I thought Athens fantastic and also felt safe wandering around as a solo woman.

I stayed in Plaka, hotel with a roof terrace view of the Acropolis, great location and walked to sights easily.

@Holdonforsummer not OP but I'd love to know details of your retreat please if you wouldn't mind dropping me a DM!

You said the summer - even Greeks avoid Athens in the summer and anyone who lives there and can leave for summer leaves! I actually love Athens and have friends who live there, but I would say Spring or Autumn are better.

I have never had any problems in Egypt as a single woman traveller - I kn ow some people do, but I think if you respect custom and culture (that crop top and shorts are not really suitable attire for the city!) then people respect you back.

I'm going to suggest an off the wall one - Ethiopia. My friend and I adored Ethiopia and did it as "solo" travellers with a small group company (VJV). It was amazing and gave the advantage of being solo without being solo!

We went to Athens in September and it was warm but lovely. Still very large crowds at the Acropolis.

@Holdonforsummer is be interested in the details of the yoga holiday too!

How about Luxor or Oman?

Oh and my favourite place is also Cape Town.

How about Sri Lanka? I'm currently here solo and it's a great mix of relaxation and culture, activities. It's relatively affordable once you're here

Where are you from?
Jordan is beautiful.

Friends (F) went to Crete recently. They loved it. History through different ages. and rugged terrain. So many pics, I think I went there.
It can be Very Hot!

Hi I'm totally interested in the yoga retreat holiday in Kos too! Has anyone found any more details?

https://www.bookyogaretreats.com/yoga-on-kos?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=byr-uk-en-perf-max&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiApsm7BhBZEiwAvIu2X8JsXW5L7v1FHBtE8qg6uC2n2AKZVPoidXmfYB3m30UJgBF3CfzirBoCNYoQAvD_BwE

Second Sicily.

Also Athens for 2/3 days and then on to an island. Samos/Crete/Kefalonia.

we also love Malaga, and are planning a Spanish Road trip this year. Malaga, Granada, Cordoba, Cadiz

We love Sicily too. Highly recommend Palermo and Syracuse (Ortigia). We also travelled to the Valley of the Temples by train from Palermo which was well worth the visit. We went in September when the temperature was in the pleasant mid 20's.

@Holdonforsummer can you please pm me the details - this is exactly what I am looking for!