Places I Remember with Lea Lane
On this monthly award-winning travel podcast, host Lea Lane shares travel memories and travel tips with passionate travelers, travel experts, and savvy locals around the world. Lea has traveled to over 100 countries, is the author of nine books, a blogger at forbes.com, and a contributor to dozens of guidebooks. Smart. Fun! Over 100 episodes!
Places I Remember with Lea Lane
Smart Choices For Solo, Budget and Women Travelers
A four-month plan turned into eight years on the road, and that leap reshaped everything. We sit down with Caryl Eve Delinko, author of A Woman’s Guide to World Travel, to unpack how purpose-led planning makes travel deeply rewarding—especially for women considering solo adventures.
What do you actually want from your trip? Whether it’s tracing your ancestry, learning to cook regional dishes, studying music, or chasing landscapes, your why helps you choose your how—solo freedom, a trusted travel buddy, or an interest-driven group.
Caryl highlights woman-friendly destinations with strong infrastructure and cultural openness—Thailand, Spain, Israel, Japan, Denmark, the Netherlands—and shares ways to navigate more complex regions through women-only hostel rooms, local rail options, and online communities that turn safety into solidarity.
More tips: Caryl’s keeps packing simple: neutral layers, multi-use pieces, and a compact medical kit with prescriptions in original containers. We dig into airline fees, the power of carry-on travel, and the truth that you can buy what you forgot—often better and cheaper—once you arrive.
Ships can be a smart option at any age: onboard medical care, built-in security, and an unpack-once lifestyle that opens up new ports without the hassle.
Solo travel gets special attention: how to meet people naturally, make dining alone feel purposeful, and turn restaurants into planning hubs. We map practical budget moves—museum free days, transit passes, street markets, and neighborhood lunches—and show how a few local phrases build instant rapport.
We also go there on romance abroad, both the allure and the boundaries, and we share grounded safety tactics. Caryl closes with a luminous memory from Machu Picchu.
Follow the podcast, share the episode with a friend who needs a nudge.
Our guest, Caryl Eve Delinko, author of A Woman’s Guide to World Travel, has traveled to almost 100 countries, and speaks and writes about travel around the world.
Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and 'one of the top 100 Indie books of the year'). She has contributed to dozens of guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles.
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Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has produced over 125 travel episodes! New episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. All episodes are also on her website: placesirememberlealane.com
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Travel vlogs of featured podcasts-- with video and graphics -- now also drop on YouTube.
Travel for women, especially solo travel, is a hot topic. So on this episode of Places I Remember, we talk with Caryl Eve Delinko, author of A Woman's Guide to World Travel. It's a memoir with loads of tips for all travelers. Welcome, Carol, to Places I Remember.
Caryl Eve Delinko:Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here and talk travel with you.
Lea Lane:We're excited to have you. Tell us about your initial eight years of traveling abroad and how that affected your life.
Caryl Eve Delinko:Initially, funny enough, it started as a four-month journey. I was supposed to travel with a friend. It was just after high school. So a lot of people do that, you know, short little trip to Europe, as that's what we were going to do. And my parents were really pleased that I was going with a friend and they knew her family. So about four days before we were meant to leave, she called and she said, You know, my dad has offered me the opportunity to go to university and pay for my university if I don't go traveling with you. And I said, Oh, well, we're supposed to leave in four days. And she went, Yeah, I'm actually flying to Arizona with him tomorrow and I'm not going to travel with you. And I was stuck. And I didn't know if I was going to continue going on the trip or if I would cancel altogether. I mean, it was nothing that I had planned to do on my own. And then I sat down and had a good think and I decided to go. And, you know, that four-month initial trip turned into an eight-year journey. So life is what happens when you make other plans. And it certainly happened that way for me. So that initial step to delve into the world and take a chance on travel changed the entire trajectory of my life. At this point, it's been over 40 years since that initial decision. And I've been to almost 100 countries and have been traveling for over 40 years consistently.
Lea Lane:Absolutely great. I love it. Okay, let's say someone is planning a trip -- tour, friends, family, solo? What's your take on this? How can you tell what's best for you? Is there a way to know?
Caryl Eve Delinko:Well, my first suggestion would be to think about what you want out of the trip. And if you're lost and going, I want to travel, but I don't know what I want to do or if I want to go somewhere or where I want to go, think about what you'd like. Do you want to go and research your ancestry and go to your homeland and start visiting a country that might have deeper meaning to you? If you're interested in cooking, do you want to go and take some cooking classes, whether it's in Asia or in Paris? If you're interested in music, maybe you want to study guitar with some of the fantastic musicians in South or Central America. I mean, there's so many different ways that you could think about what do I want out of this journey? And once you've figured that out, then you can start putting in the other pillars. Do I want to do this on my own? Do I want to have a companion to share the experience with me? Or do I want to do it in a group with other people that are also interested in this sort of subject? So that's always the first suggestion I give to people. Figure out what you want out of your trip, and then the rest can come. And then it's just simple planning, you know, getting your passport, getting the right visas, getting a flight, starting to look at hotels, starting to look at your itinerary and your budget. But really having the knowledge of what you want at the end of the day is the most important part of the travel.
Lea Lane:Absolutely. And sometimes it mixes up. You could go on your own and get in tours. So it's like either, or. I love your advice there. Now, you've mentioned several world destinations that you feel are best for women travelers, including Thailand, Mexico, Spain, Israel, Japan, Denmark, Netherlands, and most places in Europe. Why those countries?
Caryl Eve Delinko:Well, they've got an open view towards women. Women are looked at equally. In a lot of places in the Middle East, women are not able to travel on their own, number one. They have to cover themselves up extensively. Certainly places like Afghanistan, I would never suggest that a woman go travel. It's a good idea. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And you want to choose countries that are easier for you to travel in. Places like India are interesting because they're difficult to travel, yet women travel there, and they even have women-only train cars, so that when you're on the train, you are just surrounded by other women. So countries that I've suggested, like Thailand or Israel or Spain, they're very open, very easy to travel, and women are seen as equal to men, and you're not going to have some ideological issues that are going to be a problem.
Lea Lane:Excellent. I say think of that ahead of time. But of course, if you are traveling to those countries that you're talking about, you there are ways to make it easier as well. We don't want to shut it out. We're not saying that; it's just as an idea to begin with, it's a little bit easier to get around as a woman.
Caryl Eve Delinko:And that's even when you're traveling in some of the more difficult countries, parts of Eastern Europe might be a little bit harder, but there are hostels that you could reserve women's only rooms. So those little things make it a bit easier. Or there are so many online groups now where you can find other women to travel with so that you're not on your own. A little bit of prep, a little more prep, maybe for a little more prep, you bet.
Lea Lane:Okay. Well, I would like to know what you think about cruises.
Caryl Eve Delinko:I've actually never been on a cruise, if you could believe this.
Lea Lane:Well, I'm gonna recommend it to you because I've written a book on cruises and on many, and it's wonderful for uh solo, for with others. So it's a great idea, right?
Caryl Eve Delinko:Well, absolutely. And I mean, those are the things that I've wanted to do, but number one, I'm saving them. I wanted to do them when I was a little bit older. They're easier, yes. Unpack ones. Well, and also you've got, if anything should happen. I have gotten sick and been hospitalized in a few countries. On a cruise, there's medical attention if you need it. There's automatic safety and security around because you've got other people and staff that can immediately help you. If you're in a hotel in a foreign country and you're on your own, it's a little bit more challenging. But cruising is something I am absolutely looking forward to doing. Are you kidding?
Lea Lane:It's the greatest way of travel. Oh, it's a wonderful thing. Yeah, you have a lot to look forward to in that. And I like your understanding that for older travelers, it's a great way to travel on your own or with others. They now have solo rooms in some cruise lines. Norwegian cruise line has solo rooms as well. The single supplement has been somewhat adapted in some of these cruise lines. You do need planning for that. It's a good value. For women, I love cruising. Okay. So once you've chosen where you're gonna go, how about packing? I'm sure you have wonderful tips on that.
Caryl Eve Delinko:You know, my very first trip when I was going on that four-month journey, my cousin said to me, pack your bag and then take half out. (And twice the money, actually, but no.) Well, bring twice the money and half the items that you're gonna wear. Pack light, pack clothing that can be adapted and worn in multiple ways. So I bring a pair of black pants and a pair of beige pants, uh, and a couple black shirts and a couple beige shirts, so that I can wear different outfits all the time. I can go to a very expensive restaurant, I can go to a cheapy restaurant or a street market, and I have the clothing that's adaptable. Wash clothes and wear them rather than having a selection of a wardrobe. I don't need it. And I like shopping. I'm a shopper and around the world there is shopping to be had. If you go somewhere and you need a sweater, guess what? They're selling sweaters. You need a bathing suit, trust me, they're gonna sell bathing suits and sarongs and cover-ups and sandals. So you don't always need to carry your entire wardrobe, but you do need to carry a medical kit and provide you with the necessities that you have at home, the vitamins, the minerals, your prescriptions, carry them in the original bottle. So that if you are in a foreign country and you are running low on the prescription, you can always pop into a pharmacy and get it re-prescribed. It might be under a different name, but it will still be the same prescription. So it's also very important to take a medical kit with you. Right.
Lea Lane:I put my stuff out on the bed before I go and what will go with what and what don't I? When you see it on your bed, and you can see what to get rid of. The only problem is once I was traveling on a cruise and when I opened my suitcase, I realized I had left all my shoes on the bed except sneakers I was wearing, and it was a cruise. Yeah, and we were way out in sea and I couldn't buy any shoes. Oh however, it's very nice to know that I wore a size eight, and there are lots of people on the cruise, I guess, who work there who also donate shoes to me.
Caryl Eve Delinko:That's funny. The the other thing about packing is now airlines have changed significantly in their fees. So if you carry a large suitcase, you're carrying that suitcase from place to place to place, on a train, off a train, on a bus, off a bus, on a hotel, off. Airlines will charge you for that extra suitcase. Put everything that you need in a carry-on and carry an extra bag with you. You don't have to worry about the airline losing your bag and you being without everything. Make sure that you carry your essentials with you. You've got your medication, you've got a change of clothing, you've got underpants with you, and you're not running around that next day trying to find everything.
Lea Lane:Very good tip. I would say when you pack a little extra under with doesn't take up much room and it's too handy to not have to wash it out all the time. Go without it. Go commando, I guess. That would be another option. Okay, you're crazy. So let's focus on traveling solo. Like you, I've soloed to many countries, including even Antarctica. And I liked it so much that I wrote a book called Solo Traveler way back in 2005, encouraging others to try it. What do you feel are some of the benefits of traveling solo?
Caryl Eve Delinko:Well, I think number one, you get to explore the world on your own. The itinerary is your itinerary. You go where you want when you want. If you want to sit in a museum for six hours and stare at a painting, you have the luxury to do that. It's your trip. You tend to meet a lot more people when you're traveling solo, as opposed to being in a group because I'm surrounded with the same people, or when I'm with a companion because we're usually talking one-on-one. Being solo in a restaurant, there's an extra chair, and it's always so much easier to invite somebody to join you. I have joined walking tours on my own and gone on to travel with them. I love traveling solo. It challenges you to really understand yourself, what you believe, what you want, where you want to go, and the kind of trip that you want to have. It really allows you to be with yourself and get to know yourself.
Lea Lane:It's not for everyone. I think you can try it for a weekend, let's say. Go to a city or someplace where there's lots to do and see how it feels before you go on a big trip. But if you like it, it's one of the most wonderful feelings when you get home that you've you've done this incredible trip on your own, you've met people. I think if you ask questions and smile, you're gonna meet so many people. I think women are especially good at it. I don't know what that is. We seem to interact easily or whatever. I've I've spoken to many men about it. They don't like it a lot of times. Mainly women are out there on their own. I you meet other women on their own.
Caryl Eve Delinko:I had an experience in Marrakesh when I was traveling Morocco on my own, and I was walking through the large market, Shamael Fanah. There was a Berber woman who was telling fortunes, and she was surrounded by men. She caught my eye and she invited me to sit with her so that she could tell me my fortune. And again, I was on my own, so my time is my time. I'm like, absolutely, I'm taking this opportunity. And I sat down in front of this Berber woman. We did not speak the same language. I had no clue what she was telling me as she was reading my palm. She would look at a line on my palm and say something and then slap my hand, and everybody would laugh, and I would laugh. And I took her palm and started doing the same thing. And we had the crowd laughing, and it was the most beautiful connection. And neither of us spoke the same language, but that universal language of smiling and laughing and connection, woman to woman, we understood each other. And that to me is just the beauty of solo travel, is you really get to have experiences like that.
Lea Lane:I know eating on your own is a problem for many people because they're worried about it. But you can always eat in your room. You can people watch, you can bring your phone or a book and read something. Single tables now. You can come early and don't have to walk into everybody by themselves. If you stay at a place that maybe is a little bit smaller, like you said, some hostels have women's sections only, but small hotels often have staff that will cater to you. And it's nice to come home to a small hotel. And I like to stay near where I'll be visiting or eating, especially at night. Safe air on the side of caution when you're on your own, a little bit more than you might otherwise. How about some budget suggestions for women and men?
Caryl Eve Delinko:A lot of museums around the world have uh free days, whether it's a Monday or a Thursday. Find out when the museums offer lower prices. A lot of cities have public transportation and passes. And as a traveler, being in London, if you're taking the subway, you don't want one-way tickets everywhere you go. You want a weekly pass because you're going to be on and off the subways and the buses talking about food, especially in places like Paris where they've got phenomenal food or Thailand. Going to the markets, eating where the locals are eating, going to a park with a baguette and some vegetables and cheese. I mean, there's some really amazing things that you can do. Thailand, they have food that they will put in small bags and you can carry the bags away and go and sit in front of a beautiful Buddhist temple and eat.
Lea Lane:I mean, I used to do that for lunch. I'd say, I'm gonna buy some food somewhere and find a beautiful view or sit and just look at it and eat. That's perfect. Yes. You have to be a little free to do that and walk around maybe a little bit.
Caryl Eve Delinko:A lot of restaurants have daily specials. Being on your own in a restaurant, that to me was always a great place to sit with a map. Now it's your phone, but I would sit with a map or I'd sit with my journal and write about the day.
Lea Lane:I would start planning my next day's itinerary or the afternoon's itinerary, but and when I would sit in restaurants, uh some of my trips, I would try to learn the language of the country. I mean a few words. It was always a my meal that I would study my language. It made me feel very purposeful. If it's quiet, you you learn it.
Caryl Eve Delinko:So yes, always important, always important to try and learn at least please and thank you in a foreign language.
Lea Lane:There is the bathroom. That's a good thing.
Caryl Eve Delinko:But at least you've made an effort.
Lea Lane:You mentioned shopping. I just want to recommend shopping locally at hardware stores. In little shops, I found beautiful chests, which you know, the patterns are in museums. I remember in Guatemala, it was in a hardware store or a little semi-hardware store. It was gorgeous, and locals shop there's the prices are excellent. And I would start local always, if you can, as you mentioned. What do you think about romance on the road? You write about that.
Caryl Eve Delinko:Well, there's very different ways of looking at romance on the road. Sometimes it's just a fling, let's be honest. Sometimes you just you're in such a beautiful space, it's so romantic. You meet a partner, you think this is gonna be a lifelong thing. No, it's not. You gotta know if it's for a season or for an evening. You also need to understand the difference in how different cultures view romance or sex. You're in a heightened sense of awareness when you're traveling. Everything is romantic, everything is extraordinary.
Lea Lane:It's hard enough to have romantic relationships close by, let alone a foreign country. And I would err on the side of caution. Very, very skeptical about it. You don't really need it. Be cautious. That would be messy.
Caryl Eve Delinko:Absolutely.
Lea Lane:Are there any other thoughts in general about women traveling?
Caryl Eve Delinko:As women, we travel through the world differently than men. When you're traveling around the world, it's heightened, and you may not understand the cultural cues about safety, about space. I've carried a whistle at night. Women understand women wherever you are.
Lea Lane:Well, I have a very good tip, and I've used this one. I have an eyebrow pencil kind of thing. I've talked about this before, and people laugh, but it works. Put a big color on your lip, really big, really big. Nobody bothers you.
Caryl Eve Delinko:Oh, that's really funny. I've also worn a wedding ring, and that is a very simple trick. I've told men while I'm traveling that my husband is back in the hotel very sick. We happen to be in town for the police conference. My husband is, and so I make up these grand stories, but my husband is meeting me in 20 minutes. Men usually leave at that point.
Lea Lane:Right. So thinking ahead a little bit on this, you know, you bet. Yeah, absolutely. If you're a little savvy, you well, the name of the podcast is Places I Remember. So, Carol, as a woman who has traveled the world much on your own, how about a memory?
Caryl Eve Delinko:Years ago, I was traveling in Machu Picchu, and I was lucky enough to be able to watch the moon rise on the solstice with somebody who was the head of security, tourism security. He took me to the Temple of the Moon and we watched the moon rise together, and it was a spiritual moment. And I had been traveling for months with the book called The Lost City of the Incas by Hiram Bingham. He had discovered Machu Picchu. I gave it to this man Jose. I signed my name in the book and I said, you know, I'd love for you to have this. I don't need this book anymore, but I think you'll enjoy this. He spoke English, and so I gave him the book and didn't think twice about it. About 20 years later, I was at my aunt and uncle's for dinner, and my uncle said, you know, Carol, we've just come back from a trip in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and we were at a bed and breakfast, and this woman had an extraordinary library. And I pulled this book out and it had your name in it. And I stole the book, and I am here to give it back to you. In my hand right now is the book with my name inscribed. 20 years later, the book came back to me. So the magic of travel is that you never know what is going to happen or what will end up coming back into your hands as a gift.
Lea Lane:Oh, that's a great story. I love it. I love it. Well, Caryl Eve Delinko, author of A Woman's Guide to World Travel. You've given us excellent insights and great stories. I hope we've encouraged some of you, women and men, to get out there and enjoy our beautiful planet. And as you say, Caryl, to look is simply seeing, to do is learning. Life. Thank you.
Caryl Eve Delinko:Thank you so much.
