Solo Female Travelers

#8 | Bali Beyond Social Media

Bali is one of the most visited islands in the world, but beyond the traffic, beach clubs, and Instagram photo spots, there is another side of the island that many travelers never experience. In this episode of the Solo Female Travelers Podcast, Mar sits down with Henni, our local Bali host, to talk about what Bali is really like from a local perspective. Mar has visited Bali 13 times over the last 16 years and has watched the island change dramatically. While overtourism, traffic, and destructive development have dominated headlines in recent years, much of Bali still remains untouched by mass tourism if you know where to go. One thing many travelers don’t realize before visiting is just how big Bali actually is, and how concentrated tourism is in only a few small areas of the island. With a little more effort and intention, it’s still possible to find quiet waterfalls, ancient villages, local temples, and incredibly beautiful places far away from the crowds. Together, Mar and Henni discuss overtourism, influencer culture, spirituality, Balinese ceremonies, water purification rituals, and how travelers can experience the island more thoughtfully and respectfully beyond the crowded hotspots of Canggu and Seminyak. Henni also shares why respecting temples and local customs matters so much, how tourism impacts local communities, and why supporting local women-owned businesses can make a meaningful difference. If you’ve ever wondered whether Bali is still worth visiting, how to avoid the crowds, or how to connect more deeply with Balinese culture beyond the social media version of the island, this episode offers an honest and nuanced perspective from someone who calls Bali home. www.solofemaletravelers.club

#7 | Dating, Desire & Solo Travel

What happens when romance, solo travel, and modern dating collide? In this episode of the Solo Female Travelers Podcast, Meg sits down with Sabrina, a sex educator, TEDx speaker, and founder of After Sex Ed, to talk about dating, intimacy, boundaries, and safety while traveling solo. Meg shares some of her own experiences with travel and dating, while Sabrina explains why travel can feel so freeing emotionally and psychologically, and why so many people are drawn to romance while away from home. Together, they discuss vacation romances, solo travel dating safety, setting boundaries, trusting your instincts, online dating abroad, consent, STI prevention, cultural differences around sex and relationships, and why “no” is indeed a complete sentence. Sabrina introduces us to what she calls the third sexual revolution,” and discusses why younger generations are increasingly craving emotional intimacy and real connection, and how confidence, self-worth, and body image shape the way women approach dating and relationships at every age. If you’ve ever experienced a vacation romance, wondered how to date more safely while traveling, or wanted a more honest conversation about intimacy and solo female travel, this episode offers thoughtful, practical, and empowering perspectives. www.solofemaletravelers.club

#6 |Tips from 200 Pet Sits

A lot of people hear about pet sitting and immediately think: free accommodation, cute animals, dream lifestyle. And sometimes… it really does look like that. In this episode of the Solo Female Travelers Podcast, Mar sits down with her longtime friend Sabrina, a blogger, digital nomad, and long time pet sitter who has completed nearly 200 pet sits around the world over the last 12 years. From luxury condos in Singapore to cat sits in Bangkok, Bali, and Vietnam, Sabrina shares what this lifestyle actually looks like day to day, beyond the perfectly curated Instagram version. We talk about how she got started, how beginners can land their first sit even without reviews, the questions you absolutely need to ask before agreeing to stay in someone’s home, and the red flags she learned to spot after some very memorable experiences. While some pet sits come with rooftop pools, sweet cats, and fully stocked fridges… others involve seven cats peeing everywhere, hidden cameras, or unexpectedly being left alone with two teenagers. We also get into digital nomad life, community, loneliness, traveling with only hand luggage, and why pet sitting works best for people who genuinely love animals, not just people looking for a free place to stay. If you’ve ever wondered what pet sitting is really like, how people actually make this lifestyle work long-term, or whether it could work for you too, this episode is a very honest look behind the scenes. www.solofemaletravelers.club

#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 [https://tours.solofemaletravelers.club/ecuador-galapagos-tour-for-women/] 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 [https://tours.solofemaletravelers.club/ecuador-galapagos-tour-for-women/] 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

#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 [http://www.nicolesnell.com] and www.girlsfightback.com [http://www.girlsfightback.com] TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/_UETjFX0ErU [https://youtu.be/_UETjFX0ErU] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolesnell/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolesnell/] IG: @adventuresofnik and @girlsfightback FB: https://www.facebook.com/girlsfightback [https://www.facebook.com/girlsfightback] Outdoor Defense: https://www.youtube.com/c/NicoleSnellOutdoorDefense [https://www.youtube.com/c/NicoleSnellOutdoorDefense] YIHS Online Course: www.nicolesnell.com/yesimhikingsoloonlinecourse [http://www.nicolesnell.com/yesimhikingsoloonlinecourse] www.solofemaletravelers.club