toedtoes

jbtan - that is very good info to know. I never heard about a "ladies floor/room", but I will certainly remember it.

jbtan

Toedtoes, I had similar experience in China last year. At St Regis Shanghai (and perhaps Beijing as well) I was given a ladies room on the ladies floor. The spa set in the bathroom was a surprise. So too were the extra fresh flowers (2 vases) and additional fruits in the basket. Definitely very welcoming and reassuring for the solo female traveler.

tonianyc

toedtoes,

I can relate to your feeling sometimes of having been "bullied" into spending more money than you can afford or wish to spend. Travelling solo I found myself eating at simpler trattorias and local places rather than more formal restaurants, touristy or not. My meals were incredibly inexpensive, and like you said, eating the bigger meals at lunch afforded the opportunity to walk it off the rest of the day (of course this meant that I would be starving at around 7pm, but to survive til the next morning I'd buy a slice of pizza on the way back to the hotel or a sandwhich to eat indoors, while watching Italian MTV!).

Unrelated to Italy, I remember being practically coerced by a travel buddy to go on an all-terrain vehicle ATV tour in Cancun, only to be so frightened that I ended up riding on the back of the tour guide's vehicle, how embarassing!! Well about an hour and $100 later it was over.

toedtoes

Tonia - that sounds just awful! My sister "made" me ride her ATV in our parents yard once. Wouldn't leave me alone til I did it. Afterwards, she said "now wasn't that fun?" and I replied, "oh yes, tons of fun, now leave me alone." Getting bullied into it on vacation would have been so much worse.

I really truly prefer to travel alone now and not deal with the idiocincraties and bullying of others. And, I can't be accused of bullying anyone.

cchottel

It is totally my time. I can be completely selfish. No work. No responsibilities. No one else to accommodate. The epitome of relaxation.

haligonian

Hi everyone,

I'll preface my post by saying I'm new here, only my second attempt at posting...so here goes..

I'm an avid solo traveller, I love the independance of it all (something I've just only discovered in my 30's). My first solo trip was to Ottawa and it opened my eyes to the benefits of travelling solo. I found people there to be very engaging and helpful which was so comforting. I must admit I was a bit self conscious the first time eating alone at a restaurant, but as I've read in other posts, acting confident is the best way to look and feel like a local.

I've made several solo trips since then...Chicago, Vancouver, Montreal and back to Ottawa several times. Many of my friends think I'm crazy to make these trips alone but in the next breath they applaud me for having the "courage" to do so. I find these trips rejuvenating and relaxing....the only person you have to worry about is myself....I can do and see what I want, when I want and if I wish to just laze around in my hotel room all day, no worries to be had.

I'm happy to have found this forum...It's nice to find people who feel the same as I do.

toedtoes

Cchottel - very succinct and well said!

Haligonian - Welcome to the board! It is nice to find like-minded folks who understand the allure of travelling alone, isn't it? I think the eating alone is by far the biggest hurdle to overcome - you get that one resolved and you're good to go. P.S. We're going to have to talk about Ottawa, it's my favorite place to visit!

haligonian

toedtoes - thanks for the warm welcome

It's always nice to find another person who loves a city as much as yourself. I feel very much at home in Ottawa, in part because it reminds me so much of my hometown. It's such a walkable, friendly city, despite the perception of some as just a governmental, political city. I love to walk along the canal (whatever the weather, even snow, I'm a maritimer, it doesn't bother me much) walk through the Byward market (I seem to discover new places every time) and study the beautiful old buildings. Another favourite place is the park behind the Chateau Laurier...I took some beautiful pictures there last fall.

Do you have a favourite place to stay, restaurants, sites? My next trip is in late October and I've yet to snag a place to stay. Do you plan on going back to Ottawa soon?

toedtoes

Haligonian - I always stay at the Travelodge on Carling. My first visit was to attend the Ottawa Folk Festival and that was their "official hotel". I liked it so much, I stay regardless of the festival. It's not downtown, but I park downtown at the National Arts Centre for the entire day for $10-20CAD.

My favorite place to eat? Harveys! Best veggie burgers in the world! It's the first stop when I get there and the last stop when I leave (I grab 2 - one for the first flight to Toronto, and then I eat the second one on the flight home). My second favorite place is Rasputins on Bronson - great food and even better music! Very small, but a true classic.

My favorite sites? Parliament - I never get tired of walking the grounds, and visiting the cats; Experimental Gardens - it relaxes me after the long flight and is great for flower photography (and small wildlife); Vincent Massey Park - I love the natural setting as you take the trails to Hog's Back Falls; ByWard Market - always something new; Downtown - just walking the streets, windowshopping, etc. Extremely peaceful and relaxed for a "government city"; Rideau Canal - great for people watching; National Gallery - I fell in love with the Group of Seven the first time I went.

I always take one day and head out to Perth (about an hour southwest on Hwy 7) for a day of shopping and photo taking. They've got awesome gift shops for souvenirs with good prices, and the entire drive is littered with rocks and trees and trees and rocks and water.