From my balcony, wallowing in the view through the palm trees, past the curving pool to the sea beyond, I hear belly laughs coming from the bar. Gazing down, I realise it is coming from fellow travellers on the solo tour of Sicily I am a part of; it is hard to believe that five days ago we were all strangers.

At the beginning of the trip, I find I am not the only one wary of the social dynamics on a holiday for solo travellers . “I am a bit nervous about it, so I booked a one-week trip, just to try it out,” admits the woman in the seat next to me on the flight to Catania, once we have established we are on the same tour with solo travel company Just You .

Yet, we needn’t have been concerned. The tour manager of these trips is like a party host, making sure everyone is included and

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