One of the things which annoys me the most about friends and family when I tell them that I want to travel overseas on my own is when they say things like: “what are you going to do on your own,” “you’ll be lonely,” “loner,” “don’t you have anyone to go with,” “it will be boring” and so on. You will likely get similar responses when you decide you are going travelling solo.
1. It’s Not Lonely
The first solo trip I went on was in 2017 when I had just turned 19. I travelled for 3 weeks to Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore. The funny thing was that I wasn’t one bit nervous. I have always been an introvert and enjoy my alone time so the thought of solo travel didn’t bother me. By default I’m not the type of person to start a conversation but the fact I was travelling alone provided me the challenge to get out of my comfort zone and become more social.
You won’t find it hard to meet other people in the same situation as you. Just like you there are many other solo travellers who love travel and want to meet people and have a good time. What you will find is that a lot of the time people will approach you seeing that you are on your own.
Whether you are on the bus, a day tour, at the bar or in the hostel you will meet many other fun people from all over the world. Great ways to meet other travelers are of course group tours such as Contiki or Topdeck, staying at hostels, day tours and by going to popular bars, clubs, and activities. Just by having positive body language, smiling, being relaxed and making eye contact makes you more approachable. You can say something as simple as hi my name is… Where are you from? Or hey do you know any good places to eat nearby.
Unless you spend your entire trip in your hotel room hibernating, I promise you’ll meet some cool people in no time. An example of this was when I was in Tokyo walking down the narrow allies of Golden Gai deciding on what bar to check out. This is when this guy introduces himself to me and tells me he’s from the state of Maine in USA. He says he lives and works in Japan. We get talking about our plans for the night and manage to form a group of about 8 people from countries such as Australia (myself), Italy, USA, Norway and others. Anyway we end up at this Karaoke spot drinking beers and singing Toto Africa. At this point I wasn’t sure how this all happened and yes I was a little intoxicated but what I did know was that I was having the time of my life. What we can learn from this is that there are always opportunities to make friends and meet people. Just because you are travelling alone doesn’t mean you’ll be lonely.
2. You Experience True Freedom
One of the greatest advantages of solo travel is the freedom to do whatever you feel like, whenever and however you please. Let me tell you it feels dam good. Want to sun-bake on a beach in Thailand while sipping margaritas for 6 hours? Done! Want to hire a scooter and explore Vietnam’s country side? Go for it! Feel like playing with hedgehogs at a hedgehog café in Tokyo? Good for you, no one to judge you. Maybe hiking Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is more your cup of tea? Even the little things like the time you start your day, where you want to eat, how long you spend at a location getting photos for the gram and so on. This is the perfect chance to do exactly what interests you without feeling guilty. This helps you enjoy your own company more and allows you appreciate your friendships even more when you get back home.
Sometimes you feel like you need the finest quality Kobe A5 beef in the world prepared in front of your eyes by your own personal chef setting you back $340 Australian dollars… yep when in Japan or maybe I’m just crazy. No arguments about how you can get a Big mac from anywhere in the world took place on that day.
You see having this freedom allows you to truly experience the country the way you want to. No sacrifices, no compromises it’s all you. Now I am not saying travelling with someone isn’t any good. They both have their pros and cons. There is this special feeling you get when you are walking the streets of a foreign country and it’s just you and your thoughts. There would be times when I was solo travelling and I would just randomly smile and think to myself “dam this feels liberating.”
3. You Become a Problem Solver
Ever watched Dora the Explorer and thought to yourself man, I wish I could go on these wild adventures solving problems and visiting epic landmarks. Well you can do that just without Boots and hopefully not Swiper. If you said hell yeah to this then solo travel might be for you.
When you are on your own you learn to be resourceful, you learn to adapt to changes and you learn how to figure things out just like Dora. I remember when I was in Japan and figured out how to navigate my way around Tokyo using their intimidating subway system. Let me tell you I felt accomplished just like when Dora sings “we did it.” OK enough with the Dora references.
You see I could have easily taken the easier option of taking a taxi… wait that would also be a challenge due to the language barrier, but didn’t as a I was determined to figure out how to use Tokyo’s subway system. Through trial and error I had got the gist of it. My reward super-efficient, reliable and cost effective transport and It’s always fun when you’re likely the only non-Japanese person on the whole train just standing there not looking stressed or confused because you know what you’re doing.
4. You Learn to Trust Your Instincts and Stand up for Yourself
Solo Travel is far from the dangerous life risking assignment your family has pictured in their heads where everyone is out to get you. Don’t trust anyone, don’t drink because you will get spiked, people will target you, if someone invites you anywhere say no it’s a set up to rob you. These were some of the things family members were warning me of if I went alone. I can tell you there is no need to be fearful or paranoid. Now don’t get me wrong you definitely need to practice safety precautions and be aware of your surroundings. Travelling alone is obviously not as a safe as with someone else. If you are prepared, use common sense, know your surroundings, act confidently and use your instincts you are likely to stay safe throughout your travels.
A result of traveling to a foreign country on your own is you learn how to trust your instincts and you learn to stand up for yourself because if you don’t there’s no one to do it for you. Unfortunately being a tourist you will stand out and be seen as a walking ATM to scammers. After travelling solo throughout South East Asia I have learned the importance of trusting your instincts and standing up for myself.
When I was in Bangkok, Thailand trying to find a taxi that would actually use the meter as they are supposed to by law, I was relieved to have finally found a taxi driver who agreed to use the meter. Glad to be sitting in an air conditioned taxi after about an hour unsuccessfully flagging down taxis all with the goal of ripping me off because I was a tourist. This taxi driver seemed friendly asking me all sorts of questions about where I’m from, how long I’m staying in Bangkok, my plans etc. I take a glance at the meter and notice its going up a lot quicker than other taxis I have taken. My instincts were telling me that this was not right and that I had to say something. This is where standing up for yourself is an important skill. So I firmly told him “why is the meter going up so quickly”? He quickly denies it and try’s to change the subject. I tell him to pull over and that I will find another taxi. He apologizes and restarts the meter with its regular settings. If I had not spoken up I would have paid a whole lot more for that taxi ride.
I have been in many other situations like this during my travels. It’s not always easy to stand up for yourself but you get better at it with time. If you feel something is not right or you feel vulnerable go with your gut. If anyone tries to take advantage of you stand up for yourself because your safety should always be your number one priority.
5. There Is Never a Perfect Time
Something I learned when I was planning my 2017 South East Asia trip was that if I use the excuse that I had no one to go with I would have never ended up going. I realized that there is never going to be a perfect time to go travelling. I always knew that travelling the world was a passion of mine and after asking friends and not having any luck I began to think why can’t I just go on my own? And so I did, and had no regrets and would recommend more people try it. Stop putting off following your dreams because you think you need someone to go with you. Just do it insert Shia LaBeouf voice.
People always make excuses as to why they can’t travel. If your excuse is that you don’t have anyone to go with unless you are six years old it’s not a valid excuse. The reality is there will never be a perfect time to travel. If you keep putting it off before you know it you’ll be 72 in the retirement village listening to Margret boast about her bingo record and how kids these days have no respect, while your day dreaming about how insane that trip to Ibiza would have been but you put it off because your mates were all married and couldn’t go.
Solo travel is a life changing experience and a privilege. You’ll create lifelong memories, make friends, have the time of your life and become a better version of yourself. Remember there are millions of people who will never get the opportunity to leave their country and experience the world. Are you just going to keep putting it off year after year because you’re waiting for the perfect time? Just do it! If not for yourself, for Shia LaBeouf!
