This is the story of Michaela T., a financial advisor from Chicago who booked our Senegal trip as a solo traveler. She has given permission to share her experience.
"Solo travel among Black women has increased by 67% since 2019, driven by a desire for self-discovery, cultural connection, and experiences that prioritize personal growth over traditional vacation models. Africa leads as the fastest-growing solo travel destination for this demographic." — Black Travel Alliance, State of Black Travel Report, 2024
The Decision
"My girlfriends thought I was crazy," Michaela told me during our welcome dinner in Dakar. "Going to Africa alone? They had a hundred reasons why I shouldn't."
Michaela is 42, divorced, and had spent the previous two years rebuilding her life after a marriage that, in her words, "made me forget who I was." She'd seen our Ghana trip on Instagram but felt drawn to Senegal instead.
"Ghana felt like everyone's trip," she explained. "I needed something that was just mine."
📊 Chart: Solo Travel Trends Among Black Women (2019-2025) Source: Black Travel Alliance & MMGY Global, Portrait of American Travelers | Year | % Solo Travelers (Black Women) | Top Destinations | Avg. Trip Spend | |------|-------------------------------|-----------------|----------------| | 2019 | 18% | Europe, Caribbean | $3,200 | | 2020 | 12% | Domestic US | $1,800 | | 2021 | 22% | Mexico, Europe | $3,500 | | 2022 | 28% | Africa, Europe | $4,100 | | 2023 | 32% | Africa, Asia | $4,800 | | 2024 | 35% | Africa, Middle East | $5,200 | | 2025 | 38% (est.) | Africa, SE Asia | $5,500 |
The First Solo Meal
On day two, after our group visited Gorée Island together, Michaela decided to have dinner alone instead of joining the group. She found a small restaurant near the Corniche, sat at a table overlooking the ocean, and ordered thieboudienne.
"The waiter brought me bread and butter before the meal. I hadn't asked for it. He said, 'You looked like you could use something warm.' That's when I realized this country sees you. Not what you're wearing or what you do for a living—it sees you."
She ate slowly. She watched the sunset. She didn't post a single photo.
"That was the first meal in two years where I wasn't performing. I wasn't being the strong friend or the good ex-wife or the professional Black woman. I was just... a woman eating fish by the ocean. And it was enough."
Finding Her Voice at the Market
Day three brought the Sandaga Market visit. While most of our group browsed fabrics and jewelry, Michaela found herself in a corner stall watching a woman dye cloth by hand.
"The textile traditions of West Africa represent one of the most sophisticated artistic heritages on the continent. Hand-dyeing techniques, passed through generations of women artisans, create fabrics that carry cultural narratives, spiritual significance, and personal identity." — Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, African Textiles Collection
"She didn't speak English, and my French is terrible," Michaela recalled. "But she motioned for me to sit, and she showed me how she mixed the dyes. She let me try. We communicated entirely through gestures and laughter."
Michaela bought three yards of the cloth she'd helped dye. It's now framed in her living room.
The Moment at Gorée Island
Like everyone who visits the Maison des Esclaves, Michaela was deeply affected. But her reaction surprised her.
"I didn't cry at the Door of No Return. Everyone else did, and I felt guilty about it. But when I walked back through the door—the Door of Return—something happened. I felt angry. Not sad. Angry."
She paused.
"Angry that it took me 42 years to stand on African soil. Angry that my ancestors' journey was stolen, and so was my connection to this place. Angry that I'd spent two decades married to a man who made me smaller when this entire continent was out here, ready to make me larger."
That anger, Michaela says, was the beginning of her healing.
The Group She Didn't Expect to Need
"I booked this trip to be alone," Michaela admitted. "But the group became everything."
📊 Chart: Traveler Satisfaction — Solo vs. Group Heritage Travel (2024) Source: Journal of Heritage Tourism, Taylor & Francis | Satisfaction Factor | Solo Travelers | Group Travelers | Solo-in-Group | |--------------------|---------------|----------------|--------------| | Overall Satisfaction | 7.8/10 | 8.2/10 | 9.1/10 | | Emotional Support | 6.2/10 | 8.5/10 | 9.3/10 | | Cultural Depth | 7.5/10 | 8.0/10 | 8.8/10 | | Sense of Safety | 7.0/10 | 9.0/10 | 9.2/10 | | Personal Growth | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 | 9.0/10 | | Would Repeat Format | 72% | 81% | 94% |
This is something I see repeatedly with solo travelers on our trips. They arrive wanting independence and discover that traveling with a curated group of like-minded Black women provides something they didn't know they needed: witness.
"These women saw me break down at dinner on night five. They didn't fix me or advise me. They just sat with me. One of them held my hand under the table for twenty minutes. We'd known each other for four days."
Michaela is still in a group chat with those women. They've planned to take our South Africa trip together next year.
Six Months Later
Michaela sent me a voice memo six months after Senegal. She was crying—happy tears.
"I got promoted. I started painting again. I adopted a dog named Dakar. And I stopped apologizing for taking up space. Senegal didn't give me a new life—it gave me permission to claim the one I already had."
"Transformative travel experiences are most commonly reported when three conditions converge: emotional vulnerability, cultural immersion, and community support. Group heritage travel to Africa consistently produces the highest rates of self-reported personal transformation across all travel categories." — Dr. Philipp Pearce, Tourism Management Journal, 2023
Your Solo Journey Is Waiting
If you've been thinking about traveling solo—especially to Africa—know this: you won't actually be alone. Our groups provide the perfect balance of community and independence, and Senegal's Teranga spirit ensures you're never without warmth.
Names and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy. The experience described is representative of multiple solo travelers' stories.
