Solo Female Travelers – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to the first episode of the Solo Female Travelers Podcast!

In this episode, co-founders Meg Jerrard and Mar Pagès share the stories that shaped their relationship with travel and ultimately led them to create Solo Female Travelers. They are also joined by Operations Manager Anastasia Novosyolova-Blatt, who supports the team in tour operations, creative work, photography, and in the production of this podcast.

From first solo trips, 20 years in the navy and international careers to motherhood and reinvention, this episode introduces the women behind SFT and the experiences that shaped the company’s mission and direction. 

If you have ever wondered who is behind Solo Female Travelers, what this podcast is about, or why solo female travel can be so transformative, this is the perfect episode to begin with.

www.solofemaletravelers.club

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 trip
• planning your next adventure
• or simply rethinking how you want to move through the world as a woman

In 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Packing light sounds simple in theory, but for many travelers, fitting everything into a carry-on can feel almost impossible.

In this episode of the Solo Female Travelers Podcast, Meg sits down with Mar to unpack the strategies, mindset shifts, and practical tips that have allowed her to travel carry-on only for more than 20 years.

While Meg openly admits to being a lifelong overpacker, Mar has refined her packing system through thousands of flights, years of business travel, and countless trips around the world. From capsule wardrobes and versatile clothing to choosing the right suitcase and avoiding "just in case" items, Mar shares exactly how she consistently travels with only a carry-on, even on multi-week trips.

Together, Meg and Mar discuss the psychology of overpacking, common packing mistakes, how to choose clothing for different climates, and why most travelers bring far more than they actually need. They also dive into practical topics like packing cubes, laundry on the road, toiletries, carry-on weight limits, favorite travel gear, and how to handle shopping while traveling light.

Along the way, Meg shares some entertaining stories about traveling with multiple suitcases, navigating airports with a toddler, and learning firsthand why packing light can make travel easier, faster, and far less stressful.

Whether you're attempting your first carry-on-only trip, looking to streamline your packing process, or simply curious how Mar manages to fit weeks of travel into a single suitcase, this episode is packed with practical advice and real-world experience to help you travel lighter and more confidently.

www.solofemaletravelers.club