My Just You at 25 Story: Jan Babb

As Just You celebrates 25 years of travel, we introduce a series of special solo travel stories from Just You customers who have holidayed with us since the early days, including Jan Babb.

You may well have seen Jan’s recommendations and advice on Just You holidays appear on our Facebook page, and as she’s well into double digits in terms of the number of trips she’s taken with us, we think it’s safe to say that she loves the solo escorted touring experience.

We interviewed her to find out more about her most memorable adventures yet, and it seems we’re not the only ones celebrating a milestone either…

Is there a hotel stay experience that stands out for you?

The Tabek Hotel in Petra was out of this world. It’s actually a cave you stay in, and it looks out over the countryside. I sat outside admiring the views and listened to the local Muezzin calling the faithful to prayer while drinking my morning cup of tea. It was just a completely surreal experience that I’m not likely to do again.

Are there any standout food moments you’d like to share from your travel adventures?

I absolutely love hibiscus juice, I wish I could get my hands on it at home. It’s a bit like rosehip syrup but sweeter. I first tried it at the Hotel Bristol in Amman.

And mint tea in Wadi Rum was quite special, more for the experience and atmosphere of drinking tea in the middle of the desert. It’s not something you do every day!

The Cullen Skink soup in Scotland was delicious. I got to enjoy it as part of the Inverness and Jacobite Train tour which used to run, it took us over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, and we got to visit Eilean Donan Castle which has always been on my list.

What do you love the most about Just You?

What’s included. I’ve sworn off couples tours as the value and quality isn’t the same. Going solo with Just You, you have a nice double bed to yourself not a tiny single bed that you have to pay even more for! And you get so many meals included too which not all tour operators provide, so it’s worth doing your research to narrow down what’s most important for you. There’s ‘solo’ and then there’s solo with Just You.

I’ve been able to see everything that the 12-year-old me wanted to see. I love being with a group of people, and Just You gets us all to where we want to be, while we help each other too when we’re on holiday.

What inspired you to start solo travelling with Just You?

Before holidaying with Just You, I had actually been on a trip to the Deep South of America with a tour operator which wasn’t dedicated to solo travel. There was something like 15 couples and 3 of us solos on the trip, but there wasn’t that much thought or care given to us solos so we had to make do as it were. After that experience, finding Just You was great as you’re looked after by your Holiday Director, so you have that safety blanket if you need it.

Tell us about some of your most memorable holiday experiences…

Petra and the Pyramids in 2010 really ticked all the boxes. I had a fantastic time and saw everything I wanted to see, and then some. You don’t realise until you’re there but you have the Pyramids of Giza to one side and then the Cairo set on the either, it’s quite curious to have all this right in front of you. I was particularly fascinated by the Bent Pyramid.

Petra’s Treasury really lived up to expectations too, that initial view as it comes up in front of you, it’s incredible.

And of course the chance to paddle in the Dead Sea was fantastic, one of the gentlemen on tour actually brought a newspaper with him to read in the water to reenact similar photos people take, it was great fun!

On the Lake Garda tour, we had the opportunity to see an opera performance by Aida in Verona, a group of us went and it was phenomenal. I know the tours have changed since, but if you ever get the chance to do an optional like this in Italy, I would embrace it with both arms whole-heartedly, you won’t regret it.

Another standout moment was visiting Hobbiton in New Zealand, it was an optional and I was the only one in the group that wanted to do it, so I would say if you’re debating it, just go ahead and book it as it was worth it to see all the film set in its glory.

My tour to Japan with Holiday Director, Simona, was the first time I have managed to remember everyone’s names, and with the group chat on WhatsApp we were able to get to know each other better and enjoy a sense of camaraderie. A lot of the group were quite affected by our visit to Hiroshima – it’s quite poignant to be at the very site of an explosion, but it does get you feeling quite emotional. To be able to share this with the group, it’s just one of a number of things that stay with you forever.

You never feel alone. I like visiting Hard Rock Cafes around the world, and in Cairo I set off one afternoon to go there for lunch and met some other members of the group along the way, and before I knew it, there were five of us lunching together. It’s a shared experience and that adds a new dimension to your travels, and you do get that sense of security in knowing you’re never really alone if you don’t want to be.

Any top tips for solo travelling?

Be prepared and plan for all weathers – when I was in Delhi the weather could vary quite dramatically so a jacket is always a good idea and a travel kit of essentials as you never know when you might be in need of something! Even things like a handheld torch are useful and I put it to good use in Queenstown where we had to navigate along an uneven path to get to a viewing platform for stargazing. New Zealand skies are some of the best for viewing constellations and we saw Jupiter and Southern Cross which was incredible.

And always try and learn some of the lingo and just go with the flow. Travelling is unexpected, from weather to perhaps the odd delay at the airport – you just have to roll with it if you want to see as much of the world as possible.

Where’s next on your radar?

I have my eye on some cruises at the moment, perhaps the Queen Mary 2 – I like the idea of cruising around the Greek Islands.

I’d also like to head for Chile, Argentina and Brazil – I went to South America with my daughter years ago with a different company, but the Just You itinerary looks great, and visits different parts to where I experienced previously.

I’m also planning ahead to 2026 when I’ll be turning 70 on New Year’s Eve, so I think the whole family will head to Disneyland Paris as it’s nice to see the grandkids have a good time. I'm also looking at Discover Sicily next year.

N.B. Please note that tours and itineraries change over time, so some of the experiences detailed may not be available or identical to the story detailed here.