“While getting lost may fill some with dread, there are times when I love it, and times when it has resulted in wonderful travel memories”
-Unknown
What is life without a little adventure? Really I would say meaningless! As a child, I fell in love with moments of adventure and the beauty of nature, great recipe for living a good life. I could remember those summer days growing up in Bodrum – not so busy roads, great sun and beautiful a landscape – riding arms wide off the handles of my bicycle, I felt free, I felt like a bird, loose and ready to explore every part of this magnificent universe. Then I grew up and it felt as though I am a woman on a mission, and so my journeys will began.
Why Travel Alone?
If you are the kind of person that is afraid of stepping out of their comfort zone to explore or scared of the idea of being alone, then probably this article will serve to be a good place to build your confidence. Because traveling alone is really a magnificent idea. You do all the things you want without a slight pressure to go or do what your partner exactly wants to do at a certain time or place.
So let us say you want to go get an ice cream at a particular point of the day – regardless of season – then you will just do it. You do not want to see the Taj Mahal, whiz past it. Like I said earlier, the beauty in traveling is doing what you want when you want it.
I can remember my trip to Dubai, there are mornings that I just do not feel like going out, but because we were at first in a group, I had no choice. But later on, I had to break off of that group and do what I really wanted to do.
So, I left the group and I would often get lost, but the beauty of it is that, you will always find home in a beautiful way. You will make friends along the way and get to see sites and places you might have not otherwise gone to or seen.
But two things are very important, never ever in a million years forget your passport and cash, a reasonable amount to be frank. That will always save you in otherwise unsolvable circumstances.
Is It Safe To Travel Alone?
It is safe to travel alone if you know the mechanics of it. The tricks are easy with us Millennials. Give us a phone, charger, head phones, some money and we are on the go in our comfort zone. The thing is, nowadays, the smart phones are loaded with information on how to get to places. 9 out of 10 times we do not ask for directions, avoiding interactions with strangers and putting ourselves at risk.
Sometime, you have to be careful with scam artists, getting lost and playing it too wild with the locals. But a bit of mixing is not harmful. If it is not a must, do not ask for directions, your phone can guide you wherever you want to go.
How To Travel Alone
Prepare well
This is the most important part of traveling alone really. Before you leave your home, make sure your money is enough and safe. Book a good hotel, mostly somewhere close to the city center where everything is, or Air BnB, whatever works for you. There are tons of sites for safe booking of a hotel room.
Before you leave, make sure you know where you are going and what you are doing there. I would personally make a good budget of the hotel, rides, food and anything I might find necessary.
Leave a copy of your travel itinerary and hotel documents with friends and family
This is critical; you should always have your family and friends watching from afar. In case of anything, they will be able to contact you. Also, I will recommend for you to travel with your medical history – say someone is diabetic, has hepatitis or anything serious – in their wallet, very close to your ID card, in case of emergencies. Also contacts of next of kin for emergencies.
Meet other travelers
When you travel, it is always important to meet a couple of people, make friends, head out for a drink, maybe a meal together. It is always nice and these friendship, based on experience, last a long time.
I was on desert safari in Dubai and I happen to go with an Indian family, the man and his wife, in the same pick up. We had a good time together really. Fast forward, a year later, I was in Mumbai, India for another tour and we got together and had some good times. So it is definitely a friendship I will cherish forever.
Sometime you meet people that might give you that business idea you have always been looking for. People are a blessing like I always say.
Start your day early
This is vital really. When you travel, spending as much time as you can doing things is vital. You will not get that sense of lost time. Start early, explore restaurants – this is probably my favorite part – good food is definitely good life.
You will also have time to relax and enjoy the sun, see new places and for God’s sake, be adventurous! That bungee jump you have always wanted to do, go on, you can do it! Make yourself proud. Do not forget, the sunset and sunrise, best part of the day!
Do something you normally will not do with others
This is one of my favorite things really. I have always wanted to try sushi, but I will not dare do that with people I know. Just feel I might throw up. Maybe that rollercoaster you might have chickened out from trying because of your friends, well, now is your chance. Have fun and stay safe.
Take plenty of pictures
Taking pictures automatically saves those memories and they are stored for life. Nowadays that social media is a big thing, make sure you are uploading as you are snapping, your family and friends definitely want a piece of that fun you are having.
“It resonated with me immediately. I love the sensation of being the unobserved observer in a foreign city: sitting in a sidewalk café, listening to conversations taking place, watching people walk by; taking a break on a park bench, watching lives play out around me; observing how people interact with one another, and discovering how that is different or similar to my own culture.”
- Margaret Storm Jameson (1891-1986), Journey From The North.
Best Solo Travel Destinations
· Vancouver, Canada- if you are a nature person, then definitely the beautiful topography and amazing sites will wow of Vancouver will sweep you off your feet. Places like Stanley Park are a must go.
· Santiago, Chile- South America is usually a friendly destination for traveler because of their good English ability from the younger generation. Santiago is a beautiful city, food is amazing and the subways and UBER makes it easy to get around.
· Malaysia- Malaysia is country full of culture and it is a must go. Malaysians are friendly people that are hardworking. It is not much of an expensive country and has great food and a lot of beautiful places to see.
· Slovenia- This European country is an amazing place to visit. Not only does it have beautiful castles built into mountains, but also its underground cave trains lets you relive your own Indiana Jones’ adventure. The country is relatively small and very safe, thus relatively easy to explore everywhere. The younger generation has good English ability.
· South Korea- As a lone traveler, South Korea is definitely a must go. It is fairly cheap to get around, as the locals are very nice and accommodating, the low cost trains are very much convenient to get around with too. The food is very good and hotels are low cost.
So I hope you get to go out there and have the time of your life, but most importantly, doing it safely, enjoying every single moment. Go out there, have the fun of your life!
“Travel can feel like a suspension of regular daily life: every day is different, we don’t have the same obligations, and, especially with solo travel, our schedules – or lack thereof – are completely our own. We can make and break plans on a whim according to what we discover along the way. It is exhilarating!
- Caskie Stinnett (1911-1998), Holiday Magazine, the Atlantic Monthly, and Travel & Leisure
References
1. Bologna, Caroline (Jan 2020). 50 awesome solo travel destinations to visit in 2020. Huffpost.com
2. Jenny, John (23rd Oct 2017). Ten tips for travelling alone, forbes.com
3. Nesbitt, Stacey (12th Dec 2018). 36 of the best solo travel quotes: an inspiration for solo travelers, solotravelerworld.com
4. Schlichter, Sarah and Sarkis, Christine (2007). Solo travel: everything you need to know about travelling alone, smarttravel.com