These are Australians' top solo travel picks - plus the fastest rising destination

Three other things Explore is loving this week.

India. Picture by Unsplash

By Akash Arora

May 3, 2026

Japan, Thailand, India (pictured), Vietnam and Italy are the five most popular destinations for Australian solo travellers, according to a new report by Explore Worldwide. The small-group tour company, which recorded a 33 per cent increase in solo bookings between November 2024 and October 2025, analysed a year's worth of Google search data for its Solo Travel Trends Report. The other countries that rounded out the top 10 destinations for solo travellers were Australia, Costa Rica, Ireland, New Zealand and Portugal. The report also lists trending destinations for solo travellers - places that are recording the highest year-on-year increase - with Iceland appearing in the No. 1 spot.

Red Centre goes green

Following a couple of months of extensive rainfall, the Red Centre of Australia has gone green, with lush foliage erupting around Uluru. Experience the rare natural phenomenon on Tasmanian Walking Company's just-launched Uluru-Kata Tjuta Signature Walk. More than a decade in the making, the five-day, 54-kilometre journey connects Central Australia's two geological icons - Uluru and Kata Tjuta. The walk features 38 kilometres of newly mapped trails, developed in collaboration with the traditional Anangu owners. taswalkingco.com.au

Australia's best holiday homes

The Homestead at Bundara Farm in Berry, NSW; Collins Street House in Redhill, Victoria; Skibo House in Margaret River, WA; One Eighty Marino in Marino, SA; Southwinds on Hamilton Island, Queensland; and Leighton House in Evandale, Tasmania, have been featured among Stayz's top 10 Holiday Homes of the Year for 2026. The booking platform cherry picks the best homes from its collection of 50,000 rentals based on aspects such as location, facilities (pools, et al), and - most importantly - guest ratings and reviews of 9.4 and above. stayz.com.au

Get exclusive travel tips, hidden gems & expert insights: delivered to your inbox

Harbour Bridge glow up

Did you know that moments before NSW premier Jack Lang was meant to inaugurate the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932 by cutting a ribbon, a man called Francis de Groot galloped in on a horse and slashed the ribbon with a sword? Discover more stories like this when the Sydney Harbour BridgeMuseum reopens in the South-East Pylon in late May, just in time for Vivid. The interactive experience traces the construction of the bridge, highlighting its skyline-altering impact. bridgemuseum.com.au

Words byAkash Arora

Akash is the Deputy Travel Editor for Australian Community Media. He has lived and worked in four cities around the world – Sydney, London, New Delhi and New York – and, at last count, travelled to 42 countries.

My all-time favourite destination is ... New York. You can drop a pin anywhere in Manhattan and start walking in any direction, and the sights and sounds of the city that never stops will begin to stimulate all your senses in an instant.

Next on my bucket list is … Scandinavia - at the peak of summer, when the sun almost never sets.

My top travel tip is … If you’re flying to Sydney from anywhere in the world, pick a window seat far from the wing on the left-hand-side of the aeroplane. If the weather gods and flight path align, you’ll have the most incredible views of the Sydney Harbour and Opera House.