Follow Fiona Chen, known as Finding Fiona on social media, and you’ll find yourself doing exactly what her handle promises: spotting her somewhere new around the globe. On any given day she could be in Hong Kong, Egypt, or Spain, taking you along as she floats in a salt lake or snacks her way through a street-food market. Her content is an ode to solo travel and a nudge to visit the places on your list now rather than someday.
We asked Fiona how she prepares for a trip, which five destinations she recommends most, and why one good solo trip can change the way you see the world.
What tips do you have for first-time solo women travelers?
Fiona Chen: You can prepare all you want and still talk yourself into anxiety, but nothing beats just doing it. Once you take that first trip, you realize people have been traveling alone forever: for work, for weddings, for events, and it’s not nearly as scary as it feels beforehand.
My biggest tip: don’t be afraid to spend money on safety. I always research whether a destination is safe before I commit. I read articles and see what other travelers are saying. Some places have zero warnings, some just need normal precautions like watching for pickpockets, and some are places I simply wouldn’t go alone. After safety, accommodation is the next place I prioritize spending — staying somewhere good matters. And my last rule: I go out when the sun rises and come home when it sets.
How do you get ready for a solo trip? What are some of your favorite resources, apps, or things to pack?
Tripadvisor is my go-to because the reviews are genuinely great, and I use it to find and vet hotels before I book. Staying in a good hotel, in a good area, is non-negotiable for me. Beyond that, there isn’t much I’m strict about when it comes to packing, but I never travel without a reliable eSIM. I’ve been stuck somewhere without the language and without internet, and it’s the worst feeling. Once you have data, you can usually figure everything else out.
Tell us about your five favorite solo travel destinations.
I’d rank these from easiest to hardest to travel to, not necessarily best to worst:
1. Japan: the safest destination with the best culture. My favorite things to do there are eating, shopping, hitting Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, and taking a day trip to Kyoto.
For food, I’d honestly recommend eating your way through Tokyo. I love going to Tsukiji Outer Market for fresh seafood and uni, getting ramen and sushi, and trying all the little snacks and convenience-store finds along the way.
For shopping, Shibuya, Harajuk, and Ginza are my favorites. You can find everything from vintage stores and Japanese streetwear to beauty products and really unique little boutiques. I also think Japanese drugstores are so fun for beauty shopping.
2. Sydney, Australia: best quality of life and gorgeous beaches. Bondi Beach is the highlight — it’s stunning, and so is everyone there.
3. Barcelona, Spain: incredible art and the best food. I loved the museums, and a day trip out to Montserrat, the mountain about 90 minutes away, was a standout.
For food, my favorite restaurant is Ciutat Comtal. You can sit by the bar or get a table — it’s so delicious and I love ordering a bunch of small plates to try everything! Must-tries are the seafood and foie gras.
4. Seoul, South Korea: one of the most cosmopolitan, fun cities, with shopping that’s out of this world. I could get lost there for days between the shopping and the food markets.
For shopping, I could genuinely spend an entire day in Seongsu. It’s an up-and-coming neighborhood that people are saying is the “Williamsburg of Seoul” and I have to agree! There’s so much fun shopping, trendy cafes, pop-ups, and beauty stores. I also love Olive Young — especially for discovering Korean skincare and makeup — and Myeongdong is great if you want everything concentrated in one area.
5. Madeira, Portugal: the “Hawaii of Europe” and my pick for best nature. I went paragliding solo there, which was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done alone.
What’s the best thing that’s happened to you on a solo trip?
It happened in Zurich, Switzerland. Early on in my solo travels I was really shy: I was headphones on, world tuned out. But on this trip, I ended up sitting next to a couple at dinner and we hit it off. The woman happened to own a Pilates studio, so the next day we did Pilates and then spent the rest of the day together. It came at a point when I was five or six days into a pretty lonely stretch of solo travel and really needed real conversation. She’s since become one of my close friends.
How can a solo trip be more enriching than a non-solo one?
Once you come back from a solo trip that went well, you realize there’s nowhere you can’t go by yourself — and that’s a huge shift. Nothing is holding you back from seeing the world anymore. You also learn how capable you actually are: you’re taking care of yourself, you’re asking for help when you need it, you’re solving problems on your own. I call it “clocking in your street smarts.” Once you’ve done that, you really believe you can handle anything by yourself. It’s empowering.
Source: creators.yahoo.com
