A new start after 60: I gave up work – and began travelling the world alone

‘Travelling alone brings you freedom … Bally Bhamra, in Masvingo, Zimbabwe. Photograph: Courtesy of Bally Bhamra

When Bally Bhamra retired at 60, she decided this was her time. She started travelling alone, hiking in Nepal, “to prove that senior citizens shouldn’t be afraid to go out and have adventures”.

Now, 14 years on, Bhamra is 74 and each winter she has ventured to a different part of the world. Last month, she left her home in Berkshire, UK, for south-east Asia, having recently returned from nine months exploring southern Africa and Madagascar. “If I can do it at this age, anybody can,” she says.