Solo Female Travelers

Mar and Meg

This isn’t just a travel podcast. It’s about the parts of travel you don’t always hear about. Brought to you by the team behind Solo Female Travelers and our global community, we go beyond destinations and highlight reels to get into what travel actually looks like in real life. We speak with women who do things differently, who take unconventional paths, ask hard questions, and navigate the world on their own terms. You’ll hear practical travel tips, honest conversations, and the stories that don’t always get talked about; the messy, the funny, and the moments that didn’t go as planned but end up being the ones you remember most. Because travel isn’t always polished, and that’s kind of the point. If you’ve ever felt the pull to go somewhere new or to travel more consciously, you’re in the right place. Hosted by Mar & Meg www.solofemaletravelers.club

Episodes

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    #5 | The Magic of Ecuador

    Ecuador received 1.4 million visitors in 2025. In comparison to the nearly 100 million people who visit Spain each year, this is only a small fraction. Those who venture there find more than they ever expected. A magic that is hard to describe but easy to feel. Mountains that stretch as far as the eye can see, topped by year-round glaciers; rainforests that teem with vegetation and protect some of the highest biodiversity in the Amazon basin; islands that inspired Charles Darwin and are home to endemic species so friendly you’ll have to step back not to touch; and indigenous culture that is very much alive and thriving. In this episode of the Solo Female Travelers Podcast, we sit down with Ana Santa Cruz, our Ecuador tour host, certified national guide, and wildlife photographer, to talk about what it’s like to travel through the country. In a single trip, you can go from high-altitude cities in the Andes to the Amazon rainforest, with completely different landscapes, cultures, food, and climates along the way. And it all changes fast. Ana shares what that really feels like on the ground, not just the facts, but the experience, what surprises people most, and what they often get wrong before they arrive. We talk about the Amazon, what it is and what it’s not, the role of local guides and indigenous communities, and how to approach travel in a way that feels respectful without overthinking it. You’ll also hear about the wildlife, the food, and the small details most people miss. We know this episode will make you want to visit Ecuador for yourself, and we have the perfect tour to do so. Our Ecuador and Galapagos tour takes you to the heart of indigenous culture, the Amazon rainforest, and the Galapagos Islands on a women-only expedition with luxury accommodations and thoughtful, behind-the-scenes experiences. Along the way, we support women-owned businesses, from where you stay to where you eat, experiencing Ecuador through the female gaze. www.solofemaletravelers.club

    1hr 6min
  2. 28 APR

    #4 | You Have What You Need to Stay Safe

    Most conversations around safety, especially for women, tend to focus on what to avoid. Where not to go, what not to do, how to stay out of risk. But this approach is rather limiting and incomplete. In this episode of the Solo Female Travelers Podcast, we sit down with Nicole Snell, CEO of Girls Fight Back and founder of Outdoor Defense, to rethink what safety actually means.  With over 20 years of solo travel experience and a background in empowerment-based, trauma-informed self-defense, Nicole shares a perspective that goes far beyond tips and checklists. We talk about how traditional safety advice can create more fear than confidence, why awareness and mindset matter more than memorizing rules, and how learning self-defense can actually expand your world instead of limiting it. From solo hiking to everyday situations to solo travel, this conversation explores what it really looks like to feel capable, prepared, and confident in yourself and your abilities. This isn’t about being fearless. It’s about being prepared in body and mind. Join our women only luxury tours: www.tours.solofemaletravelers.club Connect with Nicole: Websites: www.nicolesnell.com and www.girlsfightback.com TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/_UETjFX0ErU LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolesnell/ IG: @adventuresofnik and @girlsfightback FB: https://www.facebook.com/girlsfightback Outdoor Defense: https://www.youtube.com/c/NicoleSnellOutdoorDefense YIHS Online Course: www.nicolesnell.com/yesimhikingsoloonlinecourse www.solofemaletravelers.club

    50 min
  3. 21 APR

    #3 | Crossing Deserts: From Saudi Arabia to Timbuktu

    Adventure doesn’t have to mean crossing deserts or taking on extreme expeditions. Sometimes, it starts with simply stepping outside your comfort zone. But Alice is ready even for the grander adventures. In this episode of the Solo Female Travelers Podcast, we sit down with Alice Morrison, an explorer, writer, and former BBC journalist who left her career to pursue slow, long-distance journeys across some of the world’s most remote regions.  From cycling across Africa to walking the length of Saudi Arabia, and even traveling to places like Timbuktu following the salt trade, Alice shares what a life of adventure really looks like beyond the highlight reels. We talk about the advantages women have in conservative majority-Muslim countries in the Middle East and Africa, how meaningful cultural connections shape the way we see the world, and why approaching travel with curiosity and respect leads to deeper, more meaningful experiences. This conversation challenges the idea that adventure is reserved for a select few and instead reframes it as something accessible, personal, and rooted in how we choose to engage with the world around us. Plus you may learn a few camel sex tricks that could save you if you ever got lost in a desert. Connect with Alice Website & Books: www.alicemorrison.co.uk/books Podcast (Alice in Wanderland): www.aliceinwanderland.co.uk Instagram, X & YouTube: @aliceoutthere1 Alice's Morocco to Timbuktu expedition www.solofemaletravelers.club

    55 min
  4. 14 APR

    #2 | How to Support and Not Exploit Indigenous Communities

    Most travelers never see the real impact of their trips, not because it’s hidden, but because we don't always see where our money goes or who truly benefits. In this episode, we sit down with Lily Palma, founder of Zapotec Travel and our Oaxaca tour host, to talk about what ethical travel in Oaxaca actually looks like and how community-led tourism works in practice. We get into the realities of how the travel industry operates, from commission-based models and hidden pricing to why “cheap” tours often come at a cost to local communities. Lily shares how she built a business rooted in Indigenous culture, long-term relationships, and women-led experiences, working with over 80 families across Oaxaca. We also talk about what’s changing. Gentrification, social media, and “Instagram experiences” are reshaping destinations quickly, often in ways travelers don’t realize. From fake cultural experiences to polished but disconnected tours, it’s becoming harder to tell what’s truly authentic. Lily breaks down what to look for, what questions to ask, and how to travel in a way that actually supports the people and places you’re visiting. If you’ve ever wondered what responsible travel really means in practice, this conversation will likely challenge the way you think about it. Connect with Lily: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zapotectravelbylily TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zapotectravelbylily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zapotectravelbylily Website: https://www.zapotectravel.com www.solofemaletravelers.club

    1hr 1min
  5. Welcome to the Solo Female Travelers Podcast

    SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Welcome to the Solo Female Travelers Podcast

    Welcome to the Solo Female Travelers Podcast. This show is brought to you by the team behind Solo Female Travelers Tours and our global community of women who believe the world is meant to be explored  on your own terms. If you're already part of our community, read our weekly newsletter, or have traveled with us before, you know what we're about: supporting women who want to travel the world, the women who help show it to us, and the women who make it all happen behind the scenes. And now we get to bring those voices together here. This podcast is for you if you're: dreaming about your first solo tripplanning your next adventureor simply rethinking how you want to move through the world as a womanIn each episode, we’ll share practical travel advice, stories from the road, conversations with fascinating women from around the world, and yes, the embarrassing travel moments that somehow become the best stories later. You’ll hear from bold, diverse, and sometimes unconventional women who chose to ask “why not?” instead of waiting for permission. The Solo Female Travelers Podcast is the one you listen to on your daily commute, download before a long flight, and send to the friend who keeps saying she wants to travel but hasn’t booked the ticket yet. Follow the show wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you have a great embarrassing travel story, send it our way, we might just  feature it in a future episode. You can also find all episodes and learn more about our women-only small group tours at www.solofemaletravelers.club www.solofemaletravelers.club

    1 min

Trailer

About

This isn’t just a travel podcast. It’s about the parts of travel you don’t always hear about. Brought to you by the team behind Solo Female Travelers and our global community, we go beyond destinations and highlight reels to get into what travel actually looks like in real life. We speak with women who do things differently, who take unconventional paths, ask hard questions, and navigate the world on their own terms. You’ll hear practical travel tips, honest conversations, and the stories that don’t always get talked about; the messy, the funny, and the moments that didn’t go as planned but end up being the ones you remember most. Because travel isn’t always polished, and that’s kind of the point. If you’ve ever felt the pull to go somewhere new or to travel more consciously, you’re in the right place. Hosted by Mar & Meg www.solofemaletravelers.club

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