We're going off topic here but one of the reasons that I like Tunisia as a winter sun destination when I'm going on my own is that because of the allocated table system, if you're a lone traveller, you'll usually end up being paired up with someone else of the same sex on their own. Or as has happened with me, with a party of three (2 sisters plus 1 husband!).
It puts you in a situation where you're possibly both glad of the company and even if neither of you wants to spend that much time in each others company it gives you a known face to approach in the bar. As a regular lone woman traveller, I've also gained a lot more confidence in approaching other women travelling on their own and asking if they mind me joining them for a drink in the bar. Most are happy to and I know that in their shoes I've never said 'No' to a similar request. Us female lone travellers need to stick together :-)
So, as a general piece of advice if you're a woman travelling on your own, or with kids minus a partner, then I think it helps to think a bit about what sort of holiday might others in the same situation go on. So for example, those TOs who don't insist on kids prices only being available to families with 2 adults or those who give special deals to lone parents and kids could be a good bet. As would anywhere advertising no single supplements - you're more likely to find other lone adult travellers there too. It's very easy to find 'no single supplement' deals for Tunisia hence why it's such a popular destination with women travelling on their own.
Similarly, activity/interest holidays are very popular with single travellers. I've been going on salsa dance holidays for a number of years and only once has the group included a married couple - the rest have all been people travelling on the own. Sometimes because they are single and sometimes because their partner doesn't share their obsession with dancing! Someone I met on a dance holiday (who turned into a really good friend and we now do go away on dance weekends together) who always goes at least twice a year to Cuba on her own whilst her husband goes to India trekking! We're both off to Cuba again in July and there's a good chance that the group will include mother and daughter combo we've met before on other dance trips.
The one thing to never ever do is book to go somewhere that is billed as 'romantic' and/or suitable for/popular with couples. Not only will you end up sticking out like a sore thumb but unfortunately some of those couples will have chosen this holiday/hotel precisely because the romance has gone out of the relationship and they are hoping that moonlit suppers by the beach etc will re-kindle it. In those circumstances, any lone woman (or man!) is going to be seen as a threat to an already rocky relationship. In my experience, the couple sitting in silence or even worse bickering are best left alone to get on with it even if they do suggest you join them! Whereas the couple happily chatting or even better laughing together are much more likely to be sympathetic and welcoming to a woman on her own who looks as if she could do with a bit of adult company.
And paradoxically, in my experience, being somewhere were you get lots of hassle as a tourist can almost guarantee that you never are left alone by fellow guests. For example, the time I travelled to The Gambia on my own I found it almost impossible to spend any time on my own reading the loads of books I took with me in preparation for a real chill-out experience because even though I could cope easily enough with the bumsters etc nearly everybody else in the small hotel I stayed in assumed that I would be eager for company and they approached me and involved me in their conversations etc rather than see me sat on my own of an evening or at meal times! Being in a situation where most travellers feel a bit under siege makes them far more sympatheic to the needs of those on their own in my experience :-)
SM
Put yourself in there shoe's for a moment, see how you would feel!
