••••
SOLOWOMEN
ADVENTURERS:A
CAPTIVEMARKET
Indeed,theonce-emerging
communityofwomen
travellershasblossomed
intoaninternational
sisterhood,provingthatthis
hasbecomeamultibillion-
dollarmarketfortheglobal
travelindustry,thankstoa
moreaffluentandconnected
societytoday.
Besidestheslewof
onlinetravelservices
tailoredtowomen,
developershavebeen
rushingtobuildmore
women-onlyhotelsand
resortsinrecentyears
WOMEN
GUESTS
ONLY
We suss out the newest
women-only hotels around
the world for your next
vacation, solo or otherwise.Bliss Sanctuary for
Women, Bali
No children, no couples, and
only a handful of women
allowed at any one time
so they can experience
serenity and exclusivity. The
newly renovated villa offers
five- to seven-day packages
that include meals, with
unlimited massage and spa
treatments, and more.
http://www.
blisssanctuaryforwomen.
comSupershe Island,
Finland
Wake up on an island to the
gorgeous view of the Baltic
Sea. Start the day with
meditation after breakfast
and have a facial at the spa
right after. Since the luxury
resort’s opening last year,
this off-the-grid vacation
spot has become an oasis
for professional women to
connect with one another
over leisure activities.
https://supershe.comJosephine’s
Guesthouse, Zurich
It feels more like a cosy
home than a three-star
hotel. A breakfast buffet is
served at a large table every
morning for everyone, and
there’s an open kitchen
and laundry room. The
recently spruced-up rooms
with minimalist interiors
are popular with leisure
and business travellers.
Lutherstrasse 20, Zurich,
SwitzerlandHotel Zen, Tokyo
The latest capsule
hotel looks like a
craftsman’s workshop on
the outside. Inside, expect
minimalist wood panelling
and traditional motifs.
Choose from five types of
rooms – each equipped
with a lockable box and free
Wi-Fi – from single-bed to
semi-double-bed ones, and
rooms with tatami mats that
provide more floor space.
http://www.hotelzen.jp“BECOMING FRIENDS
WITH STRANGERS,
DINING WITH THEM
AND EXPERIENCING A
JOURNEY TOGETHER
HAVE BEEN VERY
FULFILLING.”
- PRAMILA GANYE,
AN EDUCATOR WHO
HAS MET MANY SOLO
WOMEN TRAVELLERS
WHILE HITCHHIKING
ACROSS EUROPE
to boost tourism in the
Middle East, Zurich,
Japan, Spain, Bali and
Finland, and soon, Kerala
will have India’s fi rst
women-only guest house –
Hotel Hostess – a project
initiated by the Kerala
Tourism Development
Corporation.
And solo travelling for
women is on the uptrend.
According to a 2019
survey by travel and
entertainment portal
Culture Trip, which polled
10,500 respondents in
Britain and the US, 93 per
cent of women who have
recently travelled alone
want to learn new things,while 74 per cent want to
explore diff erent world
views, beliefs and cultures.
And they’re heading
to women-friendly
destinations, says the 2019
survey by business magazine
CEO World, which polled
85,000 solo women
travellers and 9,000 travel
agents in 82 countries.
Among the favourite
destination cities, Malaga
came up tops for its food
and cultural off erings, and
Tokyo for its friendliness
towards women travellers.
A positive experience is
what solo traveller Pramila
Ganye is looking for. She has
hitchhiked from Amsterdam
to Berlin, and London to
Scotland, with an Australian
woman traveller she
met online.
“Becoming friends
with strangers, dining
with them, and experiencing
a journey together have
been very fulfi lling,”
enthuses the 25-year-old
Singapore teacher.Pramila with a fellow
hitchhikershemetinScotland.Pramila and other solo
women travellers who joined
her on her trip.119