Flying SOLO

Three women share tales of their going-it-alone travel adventures

- KATE CHAPMAN

'Being without a companion didn't stop me seeing the world'

Vivienne Harris, 63, director of a property company, lives in London.
I started travelling later in life - I built my career and then decided I wanted to see the world. I didn't have a companion and could have been waiting forever for someone to go with. So, I went alone.

My first solo trip was to Botswana and South Africa. I love nature and wildlife, and wanted to go on a safari. I was a little nervous about being so far from home, but I'm a chatterbox and make friends easily. I loved every minute of it.

Since then, I've visited India twice, Rwanda, Greece, Spain, Italy and Costa Rica, but Rwanda was the most enthralling, as it had been a dream of mine to see the gorillas in their natural habitat.

I flew to Nairobi at the end of December 2017 and on to Kigali, doing a day's tour around the city, then drove up to a mountain lodge. I saw the golden monkeys one day, and the gorillas the next. I instantly fell in love and have amazing photos of the main silverback posing for me.

From the mountains, I headed to Lake Kivu where I danced with the Pygmies, took a boat on the lake and went up to the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The wildlife and birdlife kept me busy the rest of the time.

It's easy to make new friends when you're away - already you have something in common, as you are on the same trip, experiencing the same things. Subsequently I've been away with people I've met while travelling.

I usually go on my big trips at Christmas. That's the only time the office is closed for long enough. I can get away for up to three weeks and often travel on 23 or 24 December. I'm not a big fan of Christmas, and find it can be quite depressing with the enforced jollity.