The one holiday to never take when you’re heartbroken

Katie Carlin Katie Carlin
hero media
The desire to flee the familiar when you’re nursing a broken heart is strong, but some destinations can heighten your sense of loss rather than help you forget it.

It’s a rite of passage that few miss. I was 28 years old when I truly felt it for the first time. It was a short relationship that was intensified by timing; he was moving overseas in six months, I was not. It was one of the rare times I threw caution to the wind in hopeful lovesick optimism that somehow it would all work out. Cut to me six months later crying in the bathroom at Sydney International Airport after a gut-wrenching farewell. The next few months were hard. There were reminders of him everywhere. I was desperate for a change of scenery when a Groupon deal too good to miss hit my inbox. This was exactly what I needed. Within two weeks I was boarding a flight with a good friend to Long Island in the Whitsundays.

Woman supping in the Whitsundays
The writer’s trip to the Whitsundays didn’t unfold as planned. (Image: Tourism Australia)

I imagined days spent stand-up paddleboarding, reading by the water and cocktails with my friend would be my ticket to fast-tracking the healing process. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I want to shake my younger self. In what world would a romantic island holiday destination – that literally involves long stretches of time where you do absolutely nothing, are surrounded by couples, and it costs nearly $50 to get a ferry off the island to explore – be a good idea? It seems obvious now. But I feel it is my duty to pass the lesson on. Do not let a cheap, exotic island holiday deal fool you. No matter how broke and desperate you are. You will spend the whole time apologising to your friend for being the world’s worst company.

Woman deep in thought on an island beach
Too much downtime is not the right fit for a post-breakup holiday.(Image: Getty Images / Skynesher)

Other holidays you’ll want to scratch from the list include a tiny home stay – isolation is not your friend, a health retreat sounds like a good idea but no amount of yoga or kale smoothies is going to help, and especially avoid travelling solo during a festive holiday like Christmas – you’ll feel desperately alone; think Cameron Diaz in The Holiday. Sure, she got Jude Law, but there’s a reason the movie ends on New Year’s Eve – that relationship was destined for a fate similar to my own. But where should you go for a post-breakup escape?

According to a recent study by research platform Journo Report , the best place to recover from a broken heart is a city – and there are 10 cities in which you’ll fare better than others. They analysed more than 80 destinations around the world, looking at factors such as the safety index, nightlife, price of hotels and meals for one as well as the number of single-occupancy households to deliver a list of cities that are safe havens for those travelling solo while harbouring heartache.

The street of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a constant hive of activity. (Image: Getty / Nikada)

Hong Kong, with its culture of dining alone, affordable food and drink, safety and opportunity for connection (30 million international travellers visit annually) came in at number one. Followed closely by London for its vibrant nightlife, slightly cheaper hotels (compared to Hong Kong) and opportunity to meet new people. The city that never sleeps took out third place – unsurprising; who can sleep with a broken heart? But many New Yorkers also live alone, which means the city already caters well to singles. Zurich in Switzerland and Seoul in South Korea came in fourth and fifth respectively.

People on the street in SOHO London
The nightlife in London is a brilliant distraction. (Image: Getty / Marco Piunti)

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

The best cities to recover from heartbreak at a glance:

  1. Hong Kong
  2. London, United Kingdom
  3. New York, US
  4. Zurich, Switzerland
  5. Seoul, South Korea
  6. Milan, Italy
  7. Geneva, Switzerland
  8. Rome, Itay
  9. Amsterdam, Netherlands
  10. Edinburgh, United Kingdom

But where do you go if you don’t have the funds to splash on an overseas heal-my-heart-holiday? On the surface, a road trip seems like a bad idea, but I think I’ve done my best healing work while driving – blasting a playlist of heartbreak hits, the wind in your hair as you follow the wide-open road makes for some pretty great therapy.

Aerial view of Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is one perfect coastal towns to visit after the next. (Image: Getty / Alexwise)

The Great Ocean Road consistently tops the list of best road trips in Australia and having made the trip from Melbourne to Warrnambool with a friend I can wholeheartedly vouch for its heart-mending possibilities. I have vivid memories of jaw-dropping sunsets, vibrant restaurants, strawberry picking and long stretches of time laughing and telling stories while driving.

Driving off road in Tasmania
A Tassie road trip offers up just the right balance of adventure and city highlights. (Image: Tourism Australia)

I’d also recommend a road trip around Tasmania. I spent seven days with a friend driving the winding roads of the island state from Launceston and back via Cradle Mountain, Hobart and Coles Bay after another breakup. I poured my energy into planning each day – there was no way I was leaving this trip to chance. My friend, just as enthusiastic for me to be over my most recent heartbreak as me, infused the trip with as much fun and energy as she could muster.

Woman swimming at Wellington Park in Southern Tasmania
Making new memories with friends is the best remedy. (Image: Tourism Australia)

But as I write this a decade later, recalling all the trips I made while nursing a broken heart, perhaps the real medicine wasn’t the destination at all but the people I got to share it with. There are few heartbreaks in life that a good friend, a well-planned trip and time can’t heal. Hang in there (and never book an island holiday).

Where have you travelled to recover from a broken heart? Share in the comments below.

Katie Carlin
Katie Carlin is Australian Traveller's Head of Content and when she’s not travelling or behind her computer, she’s hosting a dinner party (likely cooking an Alison Roman recipe), at brunch, working on extending her running k’s, or has her nose buried in a book. She joined Australian Traveller in 2018 and is responsible for leading the editorial team across print, digital, social, email and native content. Her job is to make sure we create content that connects readers to incredible experiences in Australia and beyond. In addition to sharing her expertise on travel through industry speaking engagements, Katie appears onToday, A Current Affair and various radio segments. With a BA in Communications majoring in Journalism and a career that has spanned roles at Fairfax Media and Are Media writing for titles such as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and various lifestyle brands, she brings a wealth of experience to her role. Her most impactful trip to date has been swimming with whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef. For her next trip she is longing to experience the romance of train travel – hopefully on The Ghan or Indian Pacific.
View profile and articles
This app can predict flight delays up to 25 hours in advance
Australia

This app can predict flight delays up to 25 hours in advance

Using live data and smart technology, this flight-tracking tool is keeping travellers one step ahead.

Read more
A pink-hued full moon in the sky
Australia

Why you shouldn’t bother looking for a pink moon tonight

Despite the name, the moon won’t, in fact, be pink.

Read more
aircrafts on field of Alice Springs airport in the Northern Territory
Australia

Australia’s most delayed flight routes revealed

A new report has ranked Australia's worst-performing domestic and international flight routes.

Read more
Krinklewood Winery, Hunter Valley
Australia

Affordable Easter getaways in every state to beat soaring fuel costs

Skip the fuel sting with these affordable Easter getaways and staycations across Australia.

Read more
hero media

Unforgettable First Peoples tours and experiences in Victoria

    Angela Saurine Angela Saurine
    Continue
    From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet. 

    Victoria’s sweeping landscapes hold stories far older than any road map can trace – stories etched into stone, sung through generations and woven into every bend of river and rise of hill. From the lava flows of Budj Bim to the ancient middens of Moyjil/Point Ritchie and the volcanic crater of Tower Hill, the state is home to some of the most significant First Peoples cultural sites in Australia. These places, along with other immersive experiences, offer not only a window into a 60,000-year legacy, but a profound way of understanding Country itself. As more travellers seek connection over checklists, guided tours by Traditional Owners offer respectful, unforgettable insights into a living culture that continues to shape the land and the people who walk it. 

    Budj Bim cultural landscape  

    Budj Bim Cultural Landscape
    Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is on Gunditjmara Country. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Venture beyond the surf and sand of the Great Ocean Road to discover a deeper story etched into the volcanic landscape. At Budj Bim , ancient aquaculture channels built by the Gunditjmara people to trap, store and harvest kooyang (short-finned eel) reveal one of the world’s oldest living cultures. While you’re in the area, head over to the state-of-the-art Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre, where you can observe the eels in a special tank, wander the shores of Tae Rak (Lake Condah), and enjoy a bite at the Bush Tucker Cafe. Also nearby is Tower Hill, a dormant volcano reborn as a wildlife reserve, offering trails through bushland teeming with emus and koalas. 

    eel tank
    The kooyang (eel) tank at Tae Rak. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Dumawul Kooyoora Walking Tour 

    Dumawul walkingtour
    Guests are guided through Kooyoora State Park on the Dumawul walking tour. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Step into a timeless landscape with Dumawul’s guided tour through Kooyoora State Park, around an hour’s drive west of Bendigo in north-central Victoria. Led by Djaara guides, this immersive half-day journey breathes life into Country, weaving together stories, bush tucker and ancient rock art. Known to the Dja Dja Wurrung people as Guyura – the ‘mountain of light’ – this dramatic granite range is rich with cultural and spiritual significance.  The adventure begins with a meet-up at the Bridgewater Hotel on the banks of the Loddon River, before guests are welcomed onto Country with a traditional Smoking Ceremony – a powerful ritual that honours ancestors and cleanses those who walk the land. From there, it’s a gentle wander through rugged outcrops and open bushland, with sweeping vistas unfolding at every turn. Along the way, guides share their knowledge of how the Dja Dja Wurrung peoples have cared for and adapted with this land for generations, offering a rare and moving window into an ancient way of life that continues to thrive today.  

    Kooyoora walking tour
    Knowledge of the Dja Dja Wurrung is shared on the trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Kingfisher Cruises  

    Kingfisher Cruises
    Cruising the Murray with Kingfisher Cruises. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Glide quietly through the Barmah-Millewa forest – the nation’s largest river red gum ecosystem – on a scenic journey along the Murray River and into the Barmah Lakes with Kingfisher Cruises . Led by passionate guides who share stories of the cultural significance of this ancient landscape, these cruises reveal the stories, totems and traditional knowledge of the Yorta Yorta people. As you navigate narrow waterways and spot native birds, you’ll gain a richer understanding of how First Peoples have lived in harmony with this floodplain for tens of thousands of years. It’s a gentle, immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression – one where every bend in the river carries echoes of culture, connection and Country.  

    wawa biik 

    Taungurung leaders
    Exploring Nagambie with Taungurung leaders. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Translating to ‘hello, Country’ in the language of the First Nations People and Custodians of the rivers and mountains of Taungurung Country in Central Victoria, wawa biik guides a range of authentic and deeply immersive experiences. Leaving from either Nagambie or Euroa, the tours are woven with ancient stories of the Taungurung, telling how a sustained connection and responsibility ensures the continued health of biik – benefitting the people, animals and plants that live in and around the Goulburn River. During the wawa Nagambie experience, guests participate in a Welcome Smoking Ceremony, and enjoy lunch and conversation with two Taungurung leaders as they cruise through the wetlands of tabilk-tabilk (place of many waterholes). The 4.5-hour tour begins at Tahbilk Winery, which is set in the wetlands of Nagambie on Taungurung Country and collaborates with Taungurung Elders to share knowledge of biik. 

    Bataluk Cultural Trail  

    Bataluk Trail
    Cape Conran on the Bataluk Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    The Bataluk Cultural Trail winds through East Gippsland like a thread stitching past to present, tracing the deep connection between the Gunaikurnai people and their land. Starting at the Knob Reserve in Stratford, visitors walk among scarred trees and ancient stone tools once used for survival and ceremony. At the Den of Nargun near Mitchell River, the earth holds stories of women’s sacred spaces, cloaked in myth and legend. Further along, Legend Rock at Metung tells of greed and consequence, its surface etched with ancient lore. At Cape Conran, shell middens lie scattered like breadcrumbs of history – 10,000 years of gatherings, stories and saltwater songs still echoing in the wind.  

    Healesville Sanctuary  

    echidna at Healesville Sanctuary
    Get up close with a resident echidna at Healesville Sanctuary. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Set on the historic grounds of Coranderrk Aboriginal Station, Healesville Sanctuary honours the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation through immersive storytelling and connection to Country. Along Wurundjeri Walk, visitors are invited to reflect on the land’s rich First Peoples history, with native plants revealing their traditional uses. Wurundjeri Elder and educator Murrundindi shares culture in-person with the Wominjeka Aboriginal Cultural Experience every Sunday, and most days during Victorian school holidays. Murrundindi’s smoking ceremonies, storytelling and bush tucker knowledge reveal the sacred relationship between people, animals and the environment. Bird-lovers can’t miss the incredible Spirits of the Sky show featuring native birds daily at 12pm and 3pm. 

    The Grampians 

    Rock art at Bunjil Shelter in The Grampians
    Rock art at Bunjil Shelter in The Grampians. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Known as Gariwerd to Traditional Owners, the Grampians is a place of immense cultural and spiritual significance. This rugged landscape holds more than 80 per cent of Victoria’s known First Peoples rock art, offering a powerful window into the region’s deep heritage. Visitors can respectfully explore five remarkable rock art sites: Billimina and Ngamadjidj in the Wartook Valley, Manja Shelter near Hamilton, Gulgurn Manja shelter near Laharum, and the Bunjil Shelter near Stawell, where the creator spirit is depicted. Each site tells a unique story of connection to Country, shared through ancient handprints, dancing figures and Dreaming narratives etched into stone.