More people than ever are choosing to go solo when it comes to their holidays. According to a recent study by 101holidays, up to 38% of holidays booked in 2015 will be for people travelling on their own.
It’s easy to see the attraction. Travelling alone can be a fantastic way of seeing the world, allowing you to set your own agenda and enjoy your holiday on your own terms. You can be as uncompromising as you like with your itinerary, doing as much or as little as you fancy, and single travellers are far easier to approach than couples or families, making it a great way of meeting fellow travellers or just chatting with the locals.
However, it’s not just singletons that are travelling solo. There is a growing trend for wives or husbands to leave their partner at home to tick off that item on their personal bucket list, or enjoy a self indulgent treat. Holidays where groups of friends travel together are also on the rise.
It wasn’t always like this though. For many years, singles holidays were perhaps viewed as having a slight whiff of the lonely hearts club about them. If this was ever true, it is certainly no longer the case, with many solos holidays now catering to clients more interested in self-development and personal fulfilment, offering comprehensive wellness packages including yoga, Pilates, spa and fitness programmes hosted in luxury surroundings.
Heading off on your own can be a daunting experience though, with many first-time solo travellers worrying about the stigma of eating alone, or failing to meet like minded people. Small-group tours are one solution, but they sacrifice the flexibility and independence of solo travel. There is, however, another way.
This September, Caribtours is offering a whole month dedicated to the solo traveller at the picture-perfect wellness retreat of The BodyHoliday in Saint Lucia. The September Solos event is the perfect compromise between the freedom to be yourself and do as much or as little as you want, with the opportunity to try new activities, meet new people and make new friends.
September Solos offers plenty of things to do, with group fitness and Pilates classes, hosted dinners, cocktail parties and sunset cruises under the twinkling Caribbean sky. All this is on top of the already generous All-Inclusive package at The BodyHoldiay which includes fantastic dining at the hotel’s five restaurants, premium branded drinks, an extensive list of activities and watersports, as well as a daily 50-minute spa treatment at one of the finest spas in the Caribbean.
Despite this, you’re also completely free to just relax by the pool or sip a cocktail on the beach, socialise with the other guests or just bury your head in the latest bestseller. You can dine with your fellow travellers, with one of the resort’s excellent ‘Bodyguards’, or on your own if you prefer; it’s completely flexible. The BodyHoliday is also free of the dreaded single supplement, so solo travellers can indulge themselves completely in the resort’s luxurious accommodation, complete with four-poster beds, without the nagging doubt that you’re paying extra because you are travelling on your own.
