Lucy Handley, a travel writer who has backpacked and stayed in retreat centres across Asia and the United States, told readers that one simple choice can make dining alone less exposing: sit at the bar.
In a column for CNBC, Handley described bar seating as a practical way for solo female travellers to enjoy a meal while taking in the atmosphere and meeting people. "Dining alone can feel exposing, so I often look for restaurants where there are seats at the bar," she wrote, recounting a trip to New Orleans where a brunch at Willa Jean became a social moment rather than a solitary meal.
Handley said she sat at the bar in New Orleans during a visit to see a concert on Beyoncé's 2023 Renaissance tour, enjoying avocado toast and a paloma cocktail while chatting with a private jet operator and an LVMH executive who were in town for business. She described the experience as a useful way to "take in the buzzy atmosphere" and to avoid the isolation that can accompany solo travel.
Drawing on trips to destinations that include Bali, India and Sri Lanka, and activities ranging from mountain trekking to silent retreats, Handley offered a range of practical suggestions for making solo travel both safer and more socially rewarding. She advised staying in hotels that offer group activities to create easy opportunities to meet other travellers and recommended joining tour groups as a way to combine the benefits of guided travel with personal freedom.
Handley emphasized balance. She suggested that travellers join organised groups or classes but also carve out time to do their own thing, noting that mixing social engagement with downtime can improve the overall experience.
She highlighted classes as a way to build community on the road. For Handley, a retreat at Villa De Zoysa, a family-owned estate in southern Sri Lanka, "kickstarted my love of yoga, and it has helped me find community when I travel alone." For those uninterested in yoga, she suggested language or dance classes as alternative ways to meet locals and other visitors.
Handley framed these recommendations against the realities many solo female travellers face. She acknowledged that travelling alone can be lonely or overwhelming, especially on a first solo trip, and presented her tips as tactical measures to increase comfort, company and a sense of safety.
Her advice underscores a broader practical approach to solo travel: use public, social settings to reduce exposure when alone, seek structured opportunities to meet people through accommodation or classes, and reserve personal time so the trip remains individually rewarding.
Travel writers and industry observers have long noted an increase in solo travel, particularly among women, and Handley’s column adds anecdotal strategies intended to make those trips more enjoyable and less daunting. Her recommendations are drawn from personal experience rather than statistical study, and she positions them as adaptable tactics rather than prescriptive rules for all travellers.