Go Your Own Way

Hol

idaying can be tough on the solo traveler. If it isn't bad enough paying the markups for single rooms, or dealing with the sight of couples simpering at each other in restaurants or on the beach, you can also become the target of unwanted sympathy. At the same time, package holidays and resort stays targeted at singles can often be little more than a week of college-style party games and tequila-fueled advances from fellow vacationers. That's fine if you want it, but what travel operators are out there for the more discriminating solo traveler? Here are four of the best.

• THE WORLD OUTDOORS: This Colorado-based company has been putting together memorable, well-organized adventure holidays in the Americas since 1988, with tours for solo travelers a speciality (even on its regular group departures, over half the participants are traveling alone). Itineraries for singles cover destinations as diverse as Alaska, the Grand Canyon and Ecuador, where hikes, kayak excursions and exploring the Galápagos Islands in a chartered yacht make a welcome alternative to body shots and wet-T-shirt contests. A tour to Belize provides opportunities for trekking, snorkeling, cycling, canoeing and cave exploration. World Outdoors also offers a Machu Picchu experience with stops in Winay Wayna and the lost city of Inti Puku, where you can roam the ancient ruins and breathe in the fresh air of the Andes. See theworldoutdoors.com.

• SOLOS HOLIDAYS: If you've thought about taking a package holiday for singles, but have been concerned that other participants will be either much older or much younger, then Solos Holidays' departures, many of which are geared to specific age groups, are worth considering. Accommodation is always in single rooms, most at no extra cost, and destinations range from Cuba to Thailand. Prices quoted are based on a return flight from the U.K., but this is deducted for clients arranging their own air travel from elsewhere in the world. Read more at solosholidays.co.uk.

• ON LOCATIONS TOURS: New York City has become the world's singles capital—at least in the popular imagination—thanks to the girls of Sex and the City. Spend a morning or afternoon in their Manolo Blahniks with the On Locations walking tour of Manhattan. O.K., you don't have to be single to participate, but the tour does celebrate the single life to the max. You can sit on the stoop of Carrie's apartment building, enjoy one of Miranda's beloved cupcakes (from the same bakery featured in the show) and see other singles haunts made famous by the series. Taking at least three hours to complete, the excursion departs twice daily (three times per day on weekends) and costs $36. Visit screentours.com for details.

• SINGLES TRAVEL CONNECTIONS: Australia's northernmost region, dubbed the Top End, is a combination of vast open spaces, rare wildlife and Aboriginal culture. A seven-day jaunt to this striking area can be had via Singles Travel Connections, which (though the name may connote otherwise) is not a dating service but, rather, a travel company that specializes in the solo holidaymaker. Customers are guaranteed single-room accommodation and enjoy a thoughtful mix of individual and group activity. Aboriginal rock-art sites and river-gorge cruises are some of the highlights of the Top End itinerary. See more at singlestravel.com.au.