The Best Places For Solo Female Travelers - Africa Edition

Hey 👋 it’s me, Amanda. 

I promised you all an extended ‘Best Places for First Time Solo Travel” and that’s exactly what you’re getting today.

Welcome to Africa: the Solo Female Traveler Edition

Africa has been misunderstood and misrepresented for years. Garbled by narratives about war, poverty, and dangerous wildlife – like any other place, the great unknown can feel scary. SO BEFORE I give you the best places to visit…

HERE ARE 3 MYTHS ABOUT AFRICA WE NEED TO ADDRESS:

1 — “Africa is dangerous” – Like anywhere, there are dangerous areas. We have seen movies set in Africa about genocide, child abuse, and slavery – and paired with messages about orphans and disease, this consistent portrayal of Africa as a center of pity has given many in first-world countries a generalization that simply isn’t true. Africa is made up of 54 countries with over 3,000 languages. Africa is a continent – remember.
Use your brain and ask for advice. Current areas to avoid (as per the Global Peace Index) especially as a solo female traveler include: South Sudan, DR Congo, Somalia, Sudan, Mali Central African Republic, and Ethiopia.

2 — “It’s not safe for women to travel in Muslim countries”– wrong. I’ve been to Morocco, Egypt, and plenty of other primarily Muslim countries in Africa and all I’ve witnessed is kindness, generosity, and a vibrant culture deeply rooted in tradition. Just be respectful and mindful of other beliefs.

3 — “Africa is underdeveloped and full of diseases” – as with point 1, there are places in Africa that are underdeveloped, yes. There are areas with less medical access. There are areas that have suffered because of both of those things. But TBH, if you’re prone to illness, you can request a booster or vaccine for things like: Yellow Fever, Tetanus, Hep A, Dengue and Malaria. 

THE TRUTH? 👇

Africa is incredible and there are AMAZING sights you will not see anywhere else on earth. If you’re new to solo travel but Africa has always called you in – here’s the top recommendations for Solo Female Travel as told by SoFe Members, a bit of research, and myself.

THE TOP 7 AFRICAN COUNTRIES FOR SOLO FEMALE TRAVELERS:

Morocco 

If riding camels across sand dunes, sandboarding, surfing, exploring markets, and Beber Sahara desert camps appeal, then Morocco is for you. Top experiences include the Kasbhas and museums of Casablanca, Moroccan Mint Tea in the Blue City of Chefchaoen, eating with local families in Idriss, the architecture and pastilla (food) in Fes Medina, 150m high dunes in the Sahara, and finally – you cannot miss the rush of Marrakech’s night markets. You’ll want to fly home with an extra suitcase full of treasures. Expect to pay a LOT for alcohol and very little for homemade, delicious, flavorful food.

You can explore Morocco on your own, but you WILL pay premium prices to explore multiple locations especially iconic landmarks like Aït Benhaddou because they aren’t close to much (still worth the visit!) There are also lots of places that tourists are not allowed to go unless they have a hired guide and are in a group. That’s why I created the Morocco SoFe Tour – which is one of our most popular meetups.

If you want to travel Morocco completely solo, I’d recommend sticking to Marrakech or Casablanca.

DON’T MISS:
✅Merzouga Desert
✅Casablanca
✅Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes
✅Marrakech
✅Volubilis
✅Todra Gorge
✅Aït Benhaddou

South Africa 

The southern-most tip of Africa, famous for surfing, big african mammals and penguins. Not to mention it is wine country pretty much everywhere. Most people speak English, which makes it easy for first-timers to communicate. A place once known for unrest and political division, today South Africa is a favourite destination for tourists and ex-pats around the world. 

DON’T MISS:
✅Cape Town
✅Johannesburg
✅Kruger National Park
✅Addo Elephant National Park
✅Drakensberg Mountains
✅Lisbon Falls
✅Garden Route

Kenya

Home to the Big Five as well as some of Africa’s most famous national parks – Kenya is where African Safari’s are the name of the game. One of the other unique things I love about Kenya are the Maasai people, an indigenous nomadic tribe who fiercely holds on to their ancestors’ way of life. I designed our SoFe Kenya tour specifically to include interactions with these people, as it will truly change your life. We stop for a visit in Tepesu Village to meet with women who have quite literally banded together to create sustainable livelihoods dor Maasai women, eliminate FGM and promote equality. 

I’ve been to Kenya 6 times now and every single time I am blown away by the richness of the culture, fierceness of the wildlife and of course, the African sunset. 

DON’T MISS:
✅Aberdare National Park
✅Masi Masi
✅Nakuru
✅Lake Naivasha
✅Tepesu Village
✅Crater Lake

Namibia

Most of Namibia is uninhabited by humans, which naturally allows for ALL the wildlife. It’s one of the safest places in Africa to self-pace by car– but that comes with a downside: it’s hard to see much unless you rent a vehicle. Most people speak English here, and it’s fairly inexpensive. But to get the full picture, you’re going to want to explore the entire country because the wetlands of Northeastern Namibia are a totally different feel than the oldest desert on earth (to the west). Combine your Namibia trip with a quick pop over the border to Zimbabwe and you can witness one of the greatest wonders of the world, Victoria Falls.

DON’T MISS:
✅the Namib (the oldest desert on earth)
✅Sesriem Canyon + Sossusvlei (Naukluft National Park)
✅Etosha National Park
✅Sandwich Harbour
✅Skeleton Coast National Park 
✅ Babatwa National Park 
✅Mudumu National Park

Egypt

If you’re into history, there are few places better to explore than Egypt where one of the worlds most impressive ancient civilizations flourished for the better part of three-thousand years. With a legacy of monuments, culture, languages, mummies, pyramids, tombs and temples – you quite literally feel like you’ve stepped back in time. It’s why Egypt is still one of my favourite countries (and I’ve visited 5 times!)

But the past isn’t the only reason why I chose Egypt as one of our SoFe destinations (we’ve hosted a half dozen tours in the past 5 years) – the bustling modern cities surrounded by desert are impressive on their own.

With SoFe in Egypt, you’ll see it all: between exploring ancient ruins, stuffing your face with Fatta, Hawawshi, and Malfuf Mahshi, and ATVing at the foot of the greatest pyramids on earth – I guarantee you’ll have the time of your life.

Did I mention we’ve got 3 spots left for out New Years’ Egypt tour December 28-January 4?

DON’T MISS:
✅The River Nile
✅Old Cairo
✅Abu Simbel 
✅Pyramids of Giza
✅Philae Temple
✅Temple of Karnak
✅Valley of the Kings
✅Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
✅Khan El Khalili Market

Madagascar

If you’re in it for the critters, you cannot skip Madagascar. 92% of the mammals that exist here do not exist ANYWHERE else on earth. The official language is Malagasy, but many people also speak French. Hire a guide to take you out on excursions because Madagascar isn’t the type of place you want to wander off on your own. BUT, tours and guides are inexpensive. Plus, the 2023 Global Peace Index report says Madagascar is the safest place in Africa (#44 in the world).

DON’T MISS:
✅Antananarivo
✅Isalo National Park
✅Ranomafana National Park
✅Avenue of the Baobabs
✅Ifaty
✅Tsingy de Bemaraha
✅Moramba Bay

Tanzania

Tanzania is a place of ENDLESS ‘holy crap is that real’ moments. Fly into either Kilimanjaro Airport or Dar es Salaam to connect to all the rest. The Serengeti migration happens between May and July, where you can witness nearly 2 million wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, eland and impala, heading towards Massai Mara. Only downside, most excursions require tour guides and groups, otherwise they can get very pricey. Joining a group travel excursion is certainly worth it. Come between May and July to witness The Great Wildebeest migration (yes, it is as cool as it sounds). 

DON’T MISS:
✅Mt. Kilminjaro
✅The Serengeti
✅Ngorongoro Crater
✅Zanzibar
✅Lake Eyasi
✅Rift Valley, home of the Datoga tribe

I’ll leave you with this heartfelt review of Africa…

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 👇

And hey, if you’ve got a beautiful story about Africa, share it with me! Happy travels,

Amanda
Founder of SoFe