In November 2017, Jennifer Doe decided she was going to embark on her first solo trip with G Adventures to New Zealand.

At the time, she was looking for an adventure and wanted to tie in a trip to visit a friend from university who had emigrated there.

Thousands of miles away from her home in Scotland, Doe went into the trip with little expectations, but to her surprise, was met with an instant connection.

As soon as she stepped into her shared room on night one, she met her roommate – and fellow solo female traveller in the group – Lauren Way. 

At the time, neither woman knew that this random pairing would spark a friendship spanning nearly a decade.

“I think it was just easy. Both of us were ‘go with the flow.’ You get into a group of people and there can be some pretty strong personalities. We got to know each other more throughout the 17 days,” said Way. 

Over their 17-day tour in New Zealand, the two found themselves gravitating toward the same activities, sharing laughs and exchanging personal stories.

Since that first trip, the duo has tackled multiple countries together: India and Nepal in 2018, the Galápagos in 2022, Scotland in 2023, a camping safari in Kenya and Tanzania in 2024, the Azores in 2025, and recently, a tour through Western Canada.

The most heartfelt moments of their friendship however, have been when they have been each other’s tour guides in their hometowns.

When Way visited Scotland, Doe took her through the north to the islands and into Edinburgh. When Doe flew to San Diego, she spent days experiencing and exploring Way’s hometown like a local.

“Lauren came over and met my family, and I met her family, and I think they were quite happy because they're a bit worried about their daughters going traveling all over the world,” said Doe.

“So I think they were happy that we are friends and that we're now kind of doing this together.”

When they’re not visiting each other or embarking on another tour together, the two are staying connected through WhatsApp messages and FaceTimes.

“I inundate Lauren with like videos of my mom and dad's dog and cat,” Doe jokes.

“And just general chat about life because we've got to know each other better, so we kind of know what each other are going through at work, personal life, dating, all of that.”

When it comes to pieces of advice they would give to other solo female travellers, their main message is: "Just go for it." 

Doe notes if one of their main concerns is rooming with a stranger, it can be easily mitigated by booking a solo room. And if budget is a worry, there is never any pressure to add on optional activities but she encourages people to embrace the experience with an open mind.

"Everyone is there because they want to see that part of the world," she said. "So that’s a common factor straight away. It’s so well organized... you won’t regret it.”