I want to go someplace where I can marvel at something,” Elizabeth Gilbert told her friend Delia in Eat, Pray, Love, moments before leaving behind her carefully constructed life to eat pasta in Rome, meditate in India and cycle through Bali in oversized sunglasses. Later immortalized by Julia Roberts in the movie adaptation, Liz searched for feeling itself in the world’s most romantic places, seeking stillness, solitude and freedom as much as herself.
2026 marks the twentieth anniversary of Eat, Pray, Love, and its cultural fingerprints still linger across the way women travel today. Long before solo female travel became a luxury marketing category, Gilbert’s story introduced millions of women to the idea that beautiful destinations did not need to be reserved for coupledom and that a woman could occupy romantic spaces alone, not as a placeholder waiting for life to begin, but as the central character within it. For decades, the luxury travel industry positioned certain destinations almost exclusively as symbols of romantic completion. An overwater villa in the Maldives, an infinity pool in Bora Bora, a linen-draped breakfast overlooking the caldera in Santorini—entire corners of the industry became so coded around romance that they almost ceased to exist outside it. To travel there alone, particularly as a woman, once carried the faint implication that something had gone wrong. Women travelling alone were often portrayed either as emotionally recovering or romantically searching, and paradise itself became tied to narrative resolution: the honeymoon, the engagement, the reconciliation, the beginning of a new chapter. Two decades, countless travel trends and several generations of empowered women later, the Eat, Pray, Love-ification of travel still exists, but it has evolved far beyond post-divorce reinvention arcs and Bali yoga retreats.
Increasingly, aspirational travel no longer revolves around the fantasy of romantic partnership but around self-investment, female friendship, freedom and celebration. According to Virtuoso’s 2025 Luxe Report, women now account for roughly 71% of solo luxury travellers globally, while the Adventure Travel Trade Association has reported a 230% increase in women-focused travel companies. The language surrounding travel itself reflects that change. According to historian Stephanie Coontz in Marriage, A History, the honeymoon originated through nineteenth-century “bridal tours” taken by British newlyweds after marriage. By the 1970s, the term “babymoon” emerged as a restorative trip before childbirth. Now, entirely new categories have entered the cultural vocabulary: friendmoons, retirementmoons, jobmoons, and me-moons among them.
Hospitality brands are responding accordingly. By 2025, Hilton Hotels & Resorts announced “me-moons” as one of its defining travel trends, reporting increases in solo bookings across more than half of its properties, particularly among millennial and Gen Z travellers. IHG Hotels & Resorts has similarly begun promoting “retirementmoon” itineraries featuring astronomy sessions in Florida and glassblowing workshops along the French Riviera for older groups celebrating retirement. The un-honeymoon, ultimately, is not simply about women rejecting couple-y vacations, it reflects a far larger cultural recalibration around who luxury travel is actually for. Content creator Brittany Allyn, whose viral “memoons” document her taking herself on elaborate solo dream holidays, advocates for gondola rides through Venice, dressing in ballgowns for solo dinners abroad, and even travelling to London to freeze her eggs. “When we think of dream vacations, thoughts usually follow about the need to have an occasion to celebrate,” she explains online. “And getting hitched is usually one of the biggest excuses of them all.”
Today’s female traveller increasingly looks very different from the archetype luxury hospitality once relied upon. She may be building a business, relocating internationally, travelling independently for work, navigating burnout, freezing eggs, ending long-term relationships, celebrating with friends, or simply constructing a life that feels far less linear than the traditional romantic timelines previous generations inherited. Like Allyn, many women are increasingly unwilling to postpone access to “dream” trips until a relationship provides narrative permission. In many ways, the unhoneymoon feels like such a distinctly postpandemic phenomenon. The years following 2020 dramatically accelerated conversations around emotional wellbeing, nervous system regulation and burnout, particularly among women. A 2024 Deloitte report found women continue to experience significantly higher levels of workplace stress globally than men, while younger women increasingly report chronic exhaustion linked to emotional labour and “always-on” culture.
Across the Maldives and wider Indian Ocean, resorts once marketed almost exclusively through the language of romance now foreground entirely different forms of escapism, including longevity programmes, sleep therapy, meditation, hormone-balancing treatments, and group excursions. Homegrown Dubai hospitality brand JA Resorts & Hotels has seen that evolution emerge particularly clearly among UAE travellers at their JA Manafaru, Maldives resort. “The Maldives offers an ideal setting for privacy, relaxation, and a much-needed escape from the demands of daily life, especially for businesswomen, mothers, and wives,” says resort manager Roberto Garrone. A surge in group bookings at the resort found that friendship itself has become one of the defining emotional relationships shaping travel in the Maldives for 2026. “We have observed a new and growing demographic since December of last year, consisting primarily of groups of eight to ten women travelling together,” the resort explains. “These groups are typically celebrating milestone birthdays such as 30th or 40th birthdays. Female groups appreciate the ability to seamlessly blend relaxation with engaging activities.”
The proximity of the UAE to classic honeymoon-y destinations like the Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles also makes a strong case for all types of travellers from the region jetting over. So, whether it’s a solo reset, a birthday bestie-moon or simply an excuse to disappear somewhere beautiful for a while, there’s never been a better time to finally book the trip otherwise reserved for “someday”.
CHEVAL BLANC SEYCHELLES
Cheval Blanc Seychelles brings the French maison’s signature polished elegance to the wild natural beauty of the Indian Ocean. Located along the secluded Anse Intendance beach on Mahé Island, the resort combines jungle-covered hillsides with pristine white sand and expansive contemporary villas designed for complete privacy. Interiors feel quietly luxurious rather than ostentatious, balancing natural textures with Cheval Blanc’s unmistakable refinement. The experience itself leans heavily into slowness and discretion, with Guerlain spa treatments hidden within tropical greenery and private pools overlooking the ocean. Unlike many traditional honeymoon resorts, the atmosphere feels intentionally calm and emotionally spacious, making it particularly appealing for women travelling alone or with friends.
LUX* BELLE MARE, MAURITIUS
Trading old-school honeymoon clichés for a brighter, more contemporary vision of island luxury, LUX* Belle Mare has become one of Mauritius’ most stylish modern beach resorts. The property consists of oversized suites in calming neutral tones, one of the Indian Ocean’s largest swimming pools, a beautifully designed open-air spa and restaurants tailored for the fashionable jet set. There is a sociable energy to the hotel that makes solo travel feel expansive rather than isolating, whether that means coffee at Maison LUX*, long lunches overlooking the beach or evenings soundtracked by live music beside the ocean.
JA MANAFARU, MALDIVES
On the Maldives’ northernmost atoll, JA Manafaru delivers far-flung solitude and privacy that feels noticeably more versatile than the traditional couples-only mould. The resort’s villas are intentionally spacious for groups, while the experience itself balances seclusion with activity, offering sunset cruises, snorkelling excursions, floating breakfasts, beachfront cinema nights and a standout wellness programme centred around restorative spa rituals and yoga. There is a particularly warm quality to the resort staff that makes it feel ideal for women travelling together or alone, especially for those seeking the escapism of the Maldives without the pressure of romantic performance attached to it.
TWINPALMS SURIN BEACH, THAILAND
For women who want their un-honeymoon to feel more White Lotus-coded than wellness retreat, Twinpalms offers a sleeker, more social version of luxury escapism. Located near the coveted Surin Beach on Phuket’s west coast, the boutique resort is known for its contemporary minimalist design, palm-lined lagoon pool and effortless adults-only atmosphere that feels worlds away from the traditional honeymoon resort formula. Suites open directly onto the water, beach clubs replace candlelit couples’ dinners, and days revolve around long lunches, yacht trips and sunset sets at Catch Beach Club, one of Phuket’s most iconic social spots.
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