'I've travelled the world all by myself living by these five rules'

Solo travelling has risen in popularity since the end of the pandemic. According to Booking.com, just under one in four (23%) people exploring the world nowadays do so alone, up from 14% before Covid.

So, with more and more people looking to expand their horizons in the comfort of their own company, the Manchester Evening News spoke to 25-year-old solo travel blogger Gabi Nowak-Jelonek to get her top tips for those looking to embark on a journey on their own.

Gabi is a travel blogger from Manchester who recently quit her job to pursue her passion to help and advise women about solo travelling. In just over a year of blogging her journeys, Gabi has amassed thousands of views from TikTok and Instagram as Gabs_explores and she has recently set up her own newsletter.

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During her journey she has been to places such as Dubai, Thailand and Greece.

Speaking about her travels and the biggest issues for female solo travellers, Gabi said: "The biggest barriers for women travelling is safety, that fear of not knowing how to be safe in a different country, the other thing is dealing with loneliness and not knowing how to make friends.

"Blogging was never something I planned on doing but one of the reasons I did quit my job was to find a purpose.

"If I can inspire just one woman to take a trip abroad then clearly that means I can inspire multiple women across the world to do that, and that is my aim, that is my mission."

Gabi's top tips

1. Practice at