Syeda Khaula Saad

The life-changing magic of seeing the world solo is well-documented. Travel bloggers and influencers reel off its virtues as an empowering and life-affirming act; one that opens our eyes to the world’s dizzyingly diverse cultures. But, despite travel’s power to widen our worldview, there’s a distinct lack of diversity in the voices that dominate the discourse around solo travel. Scroll through posts tagged ‘solo travel’ on TikTok and Instagram and it seems the majority of artfully framed sunset shots and travel tips videos tend to feature a certain type of traveller: young white women.  But, as these three inspiring women prove, solo travel is for everyone. Dorothee Hildebrandt is a 72-year-old grandmother cycling from Sweden to Egypt to influence people to travel sustainably. Kiyonah Mya Buckhalter is a Muslim Niqabi woman carving a space out for herself in the predominantly white world of travel influencing. And Jessica Nabongo is the first Black woman on record to travel to every country on the planet – all before she reached 36. For International Women’s Day 2023, we spoke to them all about their experiences of seeing the world solo. Photograph: Courtesy of Dorothee Hildebrandt/Time Out Dorothee At the age of 65, Dorothee Hildebrandt decided to devote her retirement years to travelling the world and fighting for the environment. In 2022, aged 72, she successfully cycled from her home in Sweden to COP27 in Egypt. She’s now on her return journey. ‘I grew up in Germany a