USA Today

March, 2007

Review by Jane Clarke 

The benefits of traveling solo are well documented. Going it alone means no arguments over itineraries, directions or timetables. Solo travelers can better soak up their surroundings. They’re more approachable. They may be more open to new experiences. Moreover, solo travel builds character. Or that’s the premise behind a passel of books urging women travelers to get out there on their own. USA TODAY’s Jayne Clark peruses several new guides aimed at the lone wandering woman.

Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo by Beth Whitman (Globe Trekker Press, $17.95)

In a nutshell: A pep talk for the timid and the indecisive — a sort of you-can-do-it! primer for the gal who hasn’t been out much — with or without companions. Advice ranges from basic booking strategies to health considerations.

Author’s creds: A veteran solo traveler who teaches workshops on the topic.

Sample advice: “To stave off unwanted advances from men, wear a wedding ring (fake, if need be) …”
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Fly Solo: The 50 Best Places on Earth for a Girl to Travel Alone by Teresa Rodriguez Williamson (Perigee, $15.95)

In a nutshell: A formatted, destination-specific guide in which worldwide locales have been chosen for safety, ease of local transport and opportunities for social interaction, among other characteristics. Writing in a breathlessly girlish tone, the author rates each spot for its cultural and social attributes, as well as opportunities for physical activity.

Author’s creds: Founder of the online travel magazine TangoDiva.com; lived in Australia for five years.

Sample advice: “Make sure you are smooth and hair-free every place your bikini won’t cover.”

100 Places Every Woman Should Go by Stephanie Elizondo Griest (Traveler’s Tales, $16.95)

In a nutshell:  All over the map — literally — in its brief recommendations on go-to spots from Antarctica to African game parks, and perhaps a tad overly ambitious in scope. The author writes that she sought to limit destinations to those where “local women, indigenous people, and the environment are treated with kindness, but it was nearly impossible to find 100 of them.”

Author’s creds: Has traveled to 24 countries and most of the USA in the past decade.

Sample advice: “To thwart unwanted advances, learn how to say in the local language: ‘I’m meeting my boyfriend here. He is a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.’ “