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Growing numbers of married women and mothers are travelling solo to gain balance between the demands of work and family life‭, ‬and‭ ‬experts say it is the key to healthier‭, ‬happier women‭, ‬with positive impacts on the whole family‭.‬

‭Sheba Elamkootil‭, ‬an Indian expatriate in Abu Dhabi‭, ‬is a mum to boys aged 17‭ ‬and 21‭. ‬She has been taking trips alone since 2013‭ ‬to countries including Egypt‭, ‬Peru‭, ‬Zambia and Azerbaijan‭. ‬Now‭, ‬at 47‭, ‬the teacher says‭, ‬“I’ve always loved travel‭, ‬and my parents have always been avid travellers‭. ‬I try to travel with my family quite often as well‭. ‬But‭ ‬there are certain places I long to see that aren’t really my family’s cup of tea‭ ‬—‭ ‬like Malawi or Ethiopia‭, ‬where the pull for me is more about culture‭, ‬stories and connection rather than comfort or leisure‭.‬”‭ ‬

Her first real solo experience was to join a group of women for a trek to the Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal‭, ‬her first time being‭ ‬away from family for almost two weeks‭. ‬

“I’d led a fairly sheltered life‭, ‬so things like checking into hotels alone‭, ‬being fully responsible for my safety and figuring out‭ ‬my boundaries were all new and strangely empowering‭. ‬That trip changed something in me‭. ‬It made me realise how alive I could feel when I stepped outside the familiar‭,‬”‭ ‬she said‭.‬

Sheba Elamkootil

Though her husband was initially apprehensive‭, ‬he understood it was something she needed to do‭. ‬However‭, ‬Sheba was‭  ‬wracked with what is commonly known as‭ ‬‘mum guilt’‭. ‬“I still remember sitting on the plane before that first trip‭, ‬questioning myself‭ ‬—‭ ‬why am I leaving my kids to go enjoy myself‭? ‬My mother couldn’t quite understand it either‭. ‬‘Why do you want to climb a mountain and that too on your own‭?‬’‭, ‬she asked me‭. ‬But coming back‭, ‬I felt lighter‭, ‬happier and oddly complete‭. ‬It gave me a sense of accomplishment and a quiet pride in being my own person‭,‬”‭ ‬she recalled‭. ‬

Ever since‭, ‬Sheba has travelled to more than 50‭ ‬countries‭, ‬experiencing new cultures‭, ‬people‭, ‬local food‭, ‬and adventure‭, ‬including cycling across Vietnam‭, ‬taking a crafts class in Uzbekistan and a meditation course in Rishikesh‭. ‬

“Travelling alone isn’t about escaping your family‭; ‬it’s about rediscovering who you are beyond the roles you play‭. ‬It builds confidence‭, ‬courage‭, ‬and a kind of peace that only comes‭ ‬from trusting yourself completely‭. ‬Every trip reminds me how lucky I am to explore the world in this way and to have a family that supports this too‭,‬”‭ ‬she added‭.‬

Tour operator Jules Verne‭, ‬which specialises in group travel‭, ‬said solo travellers accounted for 46‭ ‬per cent of bookings for its trips departing next year‭, ‬up from 40‭ ‬per cent in 2023‭. ‬Just under 70‭ ‬per cent of its current solo bookings are by women‭, ‬the‭ ‬company told‭ ‬The Guardian‭ ‬newspaper‭. ‬

Explore Worldwide and Intrepid Travel both said solo bookings among UK customers had grown by more than 20‭ ‬per cent in the past‭ ‬two years‭. ‬Joanna Reeve‭, ‬UK director at Intrepid Travel told‭ ‬The Guardian‭ ‬that 62‭ ‬per cent of its solo bookings were women‭, ‬most of them in the 45-60‭ ‬age range‭. ‬

Mea Gold‭, ‬37‭, ‬is a Hungarian-Croatian entrepreneur based in Dubai since 2015‭ ‬and has been married for five years‭, ‬but has travelled alone since her 20s‭, ‬across the US‭, ‬Europe and Asia‭. ‬“For me‭, ‬solo travel isn’t about escaping anything‭. ‬I think introverted people simply need that time to themselves‭, ‬even if their life is full and happy‭.‬‭ ‬I feel like only extroverts find the concept strange to some extent‭,‬”‭ ‬she said‭.‬

For Mea‭, ‬travelling alone despite being married feels‭ ‬“completely normal”‭ ‬and allows her to retain individuality and independence‭. ‬She feels she has become stronger‭, ‬more confident‭, ‬resourceful and creative‭. ‬

Mea Gold‭

“My husband and I are both independent individuals with different needs‭. ‬My need is to sometimes get lost in a brand-new city‭, ‬walking 25,000‭ ‬steps a day‭, ‬visiting museums‭, ‬trying local restaurants‭, ‬discovering beauty salons or Pilates studios‭, ‬or simply sitting in a park doing absolutely nothing‭,‬”‭ ‬she said‭.‬

Together‭, ‬they have also travelled both abroad and on over 200‭ ‬staycations around the UAE‭. ‬“Those trips are all about romance‭, ‬shared experiences‭, ‬and creating new memories as a couple‭. ‬I also accompany him on some of his business trips‭, ‬which gives us a nice mix of productivity and togetherness‭. ‬But my solo trips serve a completely different purpose‭ ‬—‭ ‬they’re personal‭, ‬reflective‭, ‬and deeply grounding‭.‬”

Rebecca Steingiesser‭, ‬a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychologist‭, ‬says solo travel can be a vital opportunity for women in the modern world‭, ‬balancing the demands of careers and family life‭. ‬

“Many women operate in a near-constant state of‭ ‬‘other-orientation‭,‬’‭ ‬where their attention‭, ‬energy‭, ‬and emotional labour are directed towards meeting the needs of others and rarely their own‭. ‬So even the idea of taking time alone to travel can feel selfish and‭ ‬‘wrong’‭ ‬to many women‭,‬”‭ ‬she said‭. ‬

“In reality‭, ‬taking time alone to travel allows for a temporary rebalancing of this equation‭, ‬which means women can reclaim autonomy‭, ‬identity‭, ‬and mental space that can become blurred in the daily routines of caregiving and juggling work and home life responsibilities‭,‬”‭ ‬she added‭. ‬

The Dubai-based therapist explains that solo travel is not about escaping but instead about reconnecting with oneself‭. ‬“Psychologically‭, ‬opportunities for solitude foster reflection‭, ‬self-regulation‭, ‬and creativity‭. ‬It allows the nervous system to‭ ‬down-regulate from chronic multitasking and social demands‭, ‬and allows women to access the restorative benefits of novelty and curiosity‭, ‬which research shows are key drivers of wellbeing and vitality‭. ‬

This can also have a very positive ripple effect for couples‭. ‬Couples who maintain individual space and experiences or hobbies tend to experience greater satisfaction in their relationships‭, ‬as it helps them to prevent enmeshment and over-dependence‭,‬”‭ ‬she says‭. ‬

Gold agrees‭. ‬“When I return home‭, ‬I feel centred and inspired‭, ‬and seeing my husband again always feels special‭. ‬Even while I’m away‭, ‬our long video calls make us miss each other in a healthy‭, ‬loving way‭. ‬Solo travel keeps me inspired‭, ‬balanced‭, ‬and beautifully myself‭,‬”‭ ‬she said‭.‬

‭Not only does it benefit couples‭, ‬but Steingiesser says children can also learn vital lessons through the experience‭. ‬“Children witness a parent model self-care and independence and are therefore more likely to be more aware of emotional health and the importance of boundaries and prioritising the self‭,‬”‭ ‬she explained‭. ‬

British expatriate Steffie Sheriff‭, ‬39‭, ‬agrees‭. ‬Married with a teenage stepdaughter‭, ‬she has travelled solo five times now‭. ‬“Each trip came at a point where I could feel life getting a little too full‭, ‬and I knew I needed to pause and take time for myself‭. ‬I’ve always been quite self-aware‭, ‬and I recognised that giving myself space makes me a better partner‭, ‬step-mum‭, ‬and person‭. ‬“There’s also something I really love about the bravery of it‭, ‬the quiet thrill of doing something that pushes me out of my comfort zone‭,‬”‭ ‬she said‭.‬

‭ ‬She started with a staycation to Ras Al Khaimah and trips around the UK before going to the likes of women-only retreats in Greece‭. ‬

“They’ve changed me‭. ‬Each trip has helped me open up in some way or the other‭. ‬They’ve given me clarity‭, ‬helped me form healthier habits‭, ‬and reminded me who I am beneath all the noise of daily life‭,‬”‭ ‬she said‭. ‬“It’s empowering and grounding‭, ‬a way to listen to your own voice again‭. ‬Solo travel‭, ‬for me‭, ‬isn’t about escaping life‭. ‬It’s about coming home to yourself‭,‬”‭ ‬she added‭.‬

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