Lifestyle – Deborah Ives, Solo In Style

Solo in the Maldives – resort vs local island

September 23, 2018April 3, 2021soloinstyle

Resort vs local island – there’s a clear winner for me and you might be surprised which it is

I first visited the Maldives three years ago when I went in search of mantas and stayed at a very nice resort in Baa Atoll, about half an hour by seaplane from Male. It was a lovely week, you can read all about it on my blog, and yes I did see mantas and enjoyed the full resort experience. As with this latest trip I was there out of season and as some of you will know, I’m a big fan of travelling this way as not only do you avoid the crowds and get a much more personal experience, it’s also much more affordable (although to be honest, nothing in the Maldives is ever cheap!).

India is topping the list for solo female travel and I understand why

August 17, 2018soloinstyle

India may be the Marmite of destinations but I love it.

Mention India and it tends to gets quite a polarised reaction. People either love it or can’t think of a worse place to go. It really is the Marmite of destinations but for me, however, it was love at first sight. (For all you non-Brits who don’t know what Marmite is I’ve added a postscript below!)

In 2014 I finally took my first trip to India. I say finally because it had been on my list for a long time but sadly not a choice for my ex and so it was only after my divorce and I began to travel solo that I could fulfill my dream and explore the country.

That tricky second solo trip – Argentina

July 17, 2018soloinstyle

Be careful whose advice you take when selecting your solo destination

Feeling emboldened by the success of my first incredible solo trip to Borneo (you can read all about that here) I was ready to take on the world and plan my second escape. Nowhere was out of bounds or off limits – the world was my oyster! I recalled a conversation with a lovely couple that I’d met on that first trip, where I’d asked them about their favourite place in the world and they’d replied Argentina. So, Argentina it was. And reflecting on this now, I can’t actually ever recall thinking to myself that I absolutely had to see Argentina. I chose it specifically on the back of their recommendation combined, perhaps, with the fact that I was working in the wine industry at the time so thought it might be good to visit some vineyards in Mendoza. What was I thinking? Read more →

You’ll love Crete, the tomatoes are amazing!

July 5, 2018soloinstyle

Top 5 things you absolutely have to eat in Crete and where to find them in Chania

It’s so good to discuss travel with fellow foodies as they feel duty bound to give their feedback in terms of where or what you can eat and drink and share their culinary experiences of your chosen destination. This was exactly the case when I mentioned to a friend my upcoming trip to Crete. His instant reply was that I would absolutely love the place as the tomatoes are amazing! He wasn’t wrong and in fact, the tomatoes were so unbelievably good that they became my breakfast staple, sliced and layered on some toasted local bread, sprinkled with dried oregano and thyme, and topped off with a drizzle of the local olive oil. Simple yet utterly delicious.

I hold my hands up now and confess that I haven’t really thought that much about Greek food. Of course, we all know moussaka ( I make a very good one myself thanks to Queen Delia), feta cheese and the Greek salad, kebabs and various meze dishes but I’m wracking my brains to think of one Greek restaurant that I’ve tried in London in the past ten years and I can’t come up with anything even though I’m a regular on the eating scene here. (Please feel free to comment below with your suggestions if I’ve missed something special!)