Travelling solo has always been a topic of interest to many people. Travelling with someone is usually already an adventure, but solo travel is something else. I have experienced it first hand and I suggest that if you have never tried travelling solo, you should list it down on your bucket list. I am personally more comfortable travelling with someone however I still believe that travelling alone is one of the best ways to see the world and to get to know your true self. It’s amazing how your body and mind react when you achieve something alone or you encounter an obstacle.
In a nutshell, solo travel gives you the liberty and the freedom to do whatever you like. You can follow your own detailed itinerary or you can just lay back on a beach for a whole day, if that’s what you feel like doing. Planning to solo travel, like everything else in life, has its advantages and disadvantages. Here are a few of them and also some resources which you can utilize to plan out a solo travel experience.
When you plan, you’re planning solo
There is no one to assist you with planning your travels. You need to solely look for flights, accommodation options, locate the best rates or deals for the trip, possibly sort out some form of transport if you plan on driving and find a good travel insurance deal. It isn’t easy. In fact I suggest that you need to plan a solo holiday as early as possible. Don’t get too worked up with the fact that you need to do all the work, trust me, I’m confident you will manage. Keep note of these very important tasks which you will need to take care of:
- Booking of flights;
- Booking of accommodation;
- Health requirements: Are there any particular injections that I need to take before visiting?
- Country entry/exit requirements: Is there an entry fee upon entering the country?
- Travel insurance;
- Currency: Try and plan this out beforehand with a local bank;
- Bank Information: Before going abroad you are usually responsible to inform the bank about any holidays, before making use of a VISA, Mastercard or any other card payment.
Uncovering the real you
As soon as you book your first flight to travel alone, you will immediately feel something inside of you – a mix of excitement, worry and fear of the unknown. Most probably it’s more of the latter. Setting foot in the country alone will physically kick off the real you. The second you are out of the airport you will need a way to get to the hotel or hostel. This will most probably be the first small decision you will take away from the comfort of home, alone. Throughout the trip you will have to make decisions, not necessarily big ones, but there will be many. Through these experience you will learn more about yourself and in time you will also learn how to adapt to certain situations.
Mastering self-confidence
Many people think that when you decide to travel alone, you end up doing everything alone. On the contrary, there will be situations which encourage you to do things with other travellers. Staying in a hostel for example will give you exposure to meeting new people, more often than not, travellers who are also travelling solo. Hearing and sharing stories will give you the confidence to travel alone. Mastering your self-confidence is very important as through this ability you will be able to make better, more confident decisions while travelling. Many travellers will admit that solo travelling was the only way they managed to master their self-confidence.
Safety & Trust
A solo traveller’s main concern, especially for female travellers is safety. If you are travelling alone for the first time it is good practice to visit a country which is considered relatively safe. Having said that, it does not mean that crime is non-existent. You should always follow the same rules you follow at home and use your common sense. If you’re in a new country and you decide to go clubbing till the early morning, moderate on your alcohol intake. Avoid roads or alleys which are dimly lit and which don’t seem to have any pedestrians passing through them. It is always a good idea to research multiple sources of information about a country’s general safety. Whatever you do, don’t rush yourself into a situation which is directly or indirectly forced on you. Take time to think and move on if a situation doesn’t look right. Here are a couple of my personal experiences.
I caught a tuk-tuk in Thailand to take me to the Grand Palace as it was quite far. The driver deliberately stopped me on what seemed to be a very small entrance at the side of the building. I was immediately approached by two Thai guys who told me that the Palace was inaccessible due to morning prayers. I was told to grab the same tuk-tuk which would take me to another smaller temple. That day I had refused, walked for around 10 minutes and the Grand Palace gate was actually open. I knew at that point that I was being led into a scam or worse. A few months later I was watching an episode on the Travel Channel and apparently this is one of the many scams which lead tourists into fake jewellery shops or robberies.
I had just arrived in Amsterdam and left the airport. I noticed that there were way too many people trying to catch a taxi. I decided to walk a bit and a guy in a suit approached me, offering to get me a taxi. Without thinking I ignorantly accepted and he led me to a street corner to wait for the taxi. The taxi arrived and he approached me to sell drugs, which I obviously refused. He kept on insisting and I had to walk away, realizing that I was being pushed into a situation that I wanted to avoid.
Freedom and Flexibility
One of the advantages when travelling solo is the fact that you have no one to tell you where to go or what activities to do. You are never tied with a group’s decision. If you feel like spending two days in museums, you can do just that. If you’re tired of a particular town or city, you can catch a train and leave. If you want to postpone lunch till a later time, you can eat later. If a fellow traveller asks you to join in on an adventure and you feel like it would be an awesome experience, then you have no opposing force telling you not to. These are only a few situations which make travelling solo a unique and flexible experience.
Overcoming Fear
Fear. I hate it and I’m sure you do too. If you’re afraid of something, the only way to overcome that fear is to face it head on. Remember that life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Stop asking yourself a lot of “what if?” questions. Stop asking yourself questions that keep you stuck. Follow your gut feeling and do whatever you want to do.
Resources
The Global Peace Index
There are a number of sources which will help you choose your first solo destination including the Vision of Humanity website which provides a global peace index. The index is the world’s leading measure of national peacefulness so it should give you a good picture of a country’s state. Check out the detailed global rankings before booking your first solo trip here: Global Peace Index.
Alerts and Warnings
Similarly to the Vision of Humanity’s website, you can also check out any travel warnings or travel alerts through the U.S. Passports and Internal Travel’s website which gives a regularly updated list of places to avoid with detailed reasons why you should avoid a particular country. You can access the website directly here.
Wikitravel
Wikitravel is “A project to create a free, complete, up-to-date and reliable world-wide travel guide.“. When researching about a new country or a new city, I recommend using this site. It contains user generated content with some really useful information. Details which are covered include climate, transport and accommodation options, recommended places to visit, info on the country’s cuisine and safety guidelines. You can access the website here.
