The "Indiana Jones for Girls": Alice Morrison's Solo Adventures in Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Africa

In this episode of JourneyWoman's The Ageless Adventuress Travel Podcast, host Kathy Buckworth talks with adventurer, writer, and TV presenter Alice Morrison, joining from her home in Morocco's Atlas Mountains. Alice shares the story behind her recent world-first expedition — becoming the first recorded person to walk the length of Saudi Arabia, north to south — including what it was like to be treated as an "honorary male" while walking with an all-male crew, and how that unusual status let her also connect with local women in a way no male explorer ever could. The conversation moves through her childhood in Uganda, her earlier career in journalism before she "quit the rat race to join the bike race," and why she believes travel doesn't need to be extreme to be transformative. Alice and Kathy talk candidly about what it's really like for women over 50 to travel solo in traditional societies, how discomfort on the road builds real confidence, and the power of letting people tell their own stories. Takeaways Alice Morrison's passion for Arabic studies and her reflections on cultural differences when travelling The importance of respectful cultural travel for women over 50 How travel challenges build confidence and resilience The role of storytelling in understanding diverse cultures Alice Morrison's experiences as a solo female explorer in traditional societies Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Alice Morrison and her adventures 02:23 Living in Morocco and her motivations for travel 03:20 Walking north to south in Saudi Arabia: purpose and challenges 06:47 Experiences as a woman on expedition in Saudi Arabia 08:40 Respecting local cultures and social constructs 12:20 Childhood influences and early curiosity about the world 13:20 Leaving the corporate world for adventure 18:28 Cycling across Africa: the Dakar Rally of the continent 20:26 Training and mental preparation for extreme races 22:38 Travelling at 50+ and the importance of adventure 29:34 Future travel plans and ongoing adventures 36:20 Essential travel items and tips for women over 50 37:29 Encouragement for women to travel solo and overcome fears 38:57 Where to find more about Alice Morrison and her work About Our Guest Alice Morrison is an adventurer, TV presenter, and writer who has spent the last decade-plus turning "furthest place on earth" ambitions into world-first expeditions. Born in Edinburgh in 1963 and raised for her early years in Uganda, she went on to study Arabic and Turkish at Edinburgh University and build a long career in journalism, including roles at BBC News and BBC Arabic, before leaving her corporate career in 2011 to cycle 12,500 km from Cairo to Cape Town. An experience that became her first book, Dodging Elephants. She went on to move permanently to Morocco and rack up a string of world-first expeditions, including the Atlas-to-Atlantic trek, the length of the Draa River, and a multi-year trilogy across the Sahara and Atlas regions that became her book Walking with Nomads, runner-up for the 2023 Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year. Her most recent milestone, completed in December 2024, was becoming the first recorded person to walk the full length of Saudi Arabia, north to south. She now lives full-time in Morocco's Atlas Mountains, continuing to write, speak, and produce her own podcast, Alice in Wanderland. Website - https://www.alicemorrison.co.uk YouTube - https://youtube.com/@aliceoutthere1?si=XUP_Sp4vFEiGExr9 Instagram/X/TikTok/Threads - @aliceoutthere1 Facebook Alice hunter morrison adventures Latest books: Walking with Nomads and Adventures in Morocco. About The Podcast The JourneyWoman Ageless Adventuress Travel Podcast is for women 50+ who see travel not as a luxury, but as a way of life. Each month, host Kathy Buckworth, award-winning Canadian writer, broadcaster and media personality, sits down with inspiring women, trailblazing celebrities, and travel experts to explore what it truly means to travel boldly, and age even more boldly. Whether you're planning your next solo adventure, searching for meaningful connections, or simply ready to embrace the world on your own terms, this is your community. 🌍 More at: https://journeywoman.com/journeywomans-the-ageless-adventuress-travel-podcast-for-women-over-50/  🎧 Subscribe to the podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0bjH93bnuMsZ1fC24jk1n3?si=00136f4c97b24c49 This podcast is produced in partnership with Globus Escapes, a Switzerland-based, family-owned travel company. Globus Escapes offers curated trips for women and designed for the non-peak travel season, and offers guided tours to destinations including Morocco. 💻 Visit our website: https://journeywoman.com #travel #travelpodcast #travelover80 #womenover50 #solotravel #invisiblenomore