The Joy And Freedom Of A Solo Holiday As An Older Woman | Letters

Female readers reflect on their experiences of travelling alone in response to an article by Joanna Moorhead

Thank you for Joanna Moorhead’s wonderful article on solo travel (Long lunches, casual friendships, no one to worry about: solo holidays are brilliant for older women like me, 5 March). I’m on my first ever solo holiday, after 52 years of marriage. When I arrived in Vietnam, the guide who met me asked: “Why are you travelling alone?” I felt taken aback, but gather that this type of direct question is a cultural norm.

Much travelled but always with family, I feared that I might feel melancholy. Far from it. Apart from my itinerary, which was planned with a travel agent, I’ve felt liberated by doing what I wanted, without worrying about everyone else.