Should You Tell People You’re Traveling Alone?

I recently read an email from Solo Female Travelers Club that asked a question I’ve heard women debate over and over again:

When you’re traveling solo, should you tell people you’re alone?

They asked their community, and the overwhelming answer was: it depends. I agree! Most of the women who responded said they use their judgment and gut instinct depending on the situation.

Right on.

I love traveling alone. And I certainly don’t think women should move through the world believing that being alone automatically makes us vulnerable. But I also don't think every stranger is entitled to know my business.

There’s a difference between someone at a restaurant asking, “Just you?” and someone I don't know wanting to know where I'm staying or whether anyone is expecting me.

One is conversation. The other might make the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up.  I listen to those hairs. If something feels off, I have absolutely no problem letting someone believe that another person is nearby or expecting me.

We don't need to be impolite, but we also don’t have to be polite.

The original Solo Female Travelers Club piece makes a similar point: although its author generally tells people she's traveling solo, in part because she believes being open about it helps normalize solo travel. But she would have no hesitation about saying otherwise if a situation didn't feel right.

That's the part that matters most. The beauty of traveling solo is that your antenna gets sharper, your instincts stronger, your energy more attuned. Your core gets stronger. Pay attention to the situation and your body’s reaction to it.

Traveling solo doesn't mean moving through the world afraid. There's a fine line between talking honestly about safety and making women afraid to go anywhere on your own.

I don't want that! The whole point of OyeMoni Livin’/Soft Wild Stays is to encourage women to take the leap into solo traveling.

Solo doesn't have to mean unsupported

I remember the parts of solo travel that would make me the most nervous (example is the airport to my stay journey).

Sometimes you just want a person. Someone you can ask, what’s the airport run really look like? Is that area okay after dark? What's the best way to get there? What’s the vibe?

That's the kind of support I want my guests to have.

You still wander. You still explore. Follow your curiosity, change your mind, spend the afternoon doing absolutely nothing, or disappear into your own adventure.

But you're not completely on your own unless you want to be.

So talk to people. Meet locals. Sit at the bar. Dance with new friends. Ask questions. Wander around. Change your plans because somebody told you about a beach you hadn't heard of.

Being aware of your surroundings doesn't diminish any of that. It protects your ability to keep doing it.

Stay curious. Stay soft. Stay wild.

Book your Costa Rica stay with OyeMoni Livin'/Soft Wild Stays. Come see what happens when you stop waiting for someone else to take the trip.

This piece was inspired by an email from Solo Female Travelers Cluba global community and resource for women who travel solo. Their original email shared the results of a community poll and perspectives from their members about whether they disclose that they're traveling alone.