Self-Love Travel: Happy Valentine’s Day
Ever feel like the best way to celebrate a day of love is alone, somewhere across the world, getting in touch with yourself? If you don’t, I do—for the both of us.
Here are my three dream solo getaways—destinations that embody self-love, reflection, and a touch of magic.
Artic Treehouse Hotel—Rovaniemi, Finland
Somewhere deep in the Arctic Circle, wrapped in a cocoon of warmth while the Northern Lights dance above…this is my idea of a love letter to myself. The Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi, Finland, is an invitation to embrace solitude in its most stunning form. With floor-to-ceiling windows that bring the wild beauty of the north inside, this place encourages stillness, deep breaths, and that rarest of gifts: uninterrupted time with yourself.
Rovaniemi, known as the official hometown of Santa Claus, is a place where whimsy meets the raw power of nature. Dog sledding across frozen landscapes, dipping into a traditional Finnish sauna, or simply lying in bed watching the auroras flicker. Every moment here is a reminder that the world is vast, breathtaking, and worth exploring on your own terms.
image courtesy of Artic Treehouse Hotel
Explora Uyuni – Uyuni, Bolivia
If there’s one place that makes you feel like the last person on Earth (in the best possible way), it’s the Salar de Uyuni. There’s a reason this is called the world’s largest mirror. After a rain, the entire salt flat transforms into an endless reflection of the sky, blurring the line between earth and infinity. It’s the ultimate space for clarity, perspective, and feeling wonderfully, powerfully small.
The Explora Uyuni lodge, an oasis of luxury amid the vastness, is designed for deep connection with the landscape. Days here are spent trekking through surreal terrain—salt deserts, high-altitude lagoons, and volcanic fields—while nights bring silent contemplation under a star-peppered sky. There’s something about this place that strips everything down to its essence, making it the perfect setting to embrace self-love and renewal.
image courtesy of Explora Uyuni
Grand Poet Hotel – Riga, Latvia
This one is personal. My great-grandparents were from Riga, so coming here would be more than just a trip—it would be a pilgrimage, a way to trace the echoes of my own history. The Grand Poet Hotel, with its blend of old-world charm and artistic luxury, feels like the perfect place to reflect on where I come from and where I’m going.
Riga itself is a city of contrasts—cobblestone streets lined with Art Nouveau facades, a thriving creative scene, and a deep, melancholic beauty that makes you want to wander for hours. Solo travelers can lose themselves in its bookshops, its cafés, and its quiet, misty mornings along the Daugava River. This is the kind of place that invites you to sit with your thoughts, honor your past, and toast to your own future.
image courtesy of The Grand Poet Hotel
Loving Yourself, One Solo Journey at a Time
Traveling alone isn’t about escaping love—it’s about redefining it. It’s about realizing that the best kind of romance is the one you have with yourself, the kind that doesn’t require validation or waiting. Whether it’s under the northern lights, across a salt flat that mirrors the sky, or in a city that holds the whispers of your ancestors, self-love is an adventure worth taking.
So, this Valentine’s Day, why not book a ticket…just for you?
Rachel Baila is a writer and holistic practitioner..
Her work explores the fertile crossroads of creative and therapeutic writing, somatic practices, and mindful expression, empowering others to overcome artistic blocks and nurture a balanced body, mind, and spirit.
