HOW TO SURVIVE AS A SOLO TRAVELLER?
Author: Czarina Mae Magpantay
Date of Publication: 25/02/2023
Have you ever thought of travelling alone? Actually, travelling alone can change a life. Don’t get me wrong though. Any kind of roaming on the lovely planet can make changes and transformations to the lives of those with restless feet, but there’s something special about solo adventures. In fact, tripping by yourself implies not being able to trust anyone else to make the most out of the trips. It means you are left to steer the home in this world, to accept the ever changing call of the wilderness. So, regardless of where you start and what you do, it can move you. This article outlines on surviving travelling alone and its pros and cons.
Surviving as a solo traveller
Travelling alone isn’t as risky as other people think it is. Even before the pandemic solo travelling has been popular to gain new experiences and improve confidence. It has many benefits to many individuals, most especially to women. But how can someone survive the nervousness, discomfort, especially safety and security? All of these are normal to overthink since you are alone but luckily there are smart ways on how to travel alone safely.
Moments of feeling lonely
Being a solo traveller sometimes makes you feel lonely, but it’s completely normal and you must be prepared for the different kinds of emotions you may feel. However, don’t let it ruin your trip. Find a way to overcome it, challenging yourself to do something that you had never experienced and make the most of the trip.
In fact, you truly do become your own best friend when you travel alone. You begin to rely only on yourself and your gut feeling. Also, you genuinely pursue your own interests. That’s the setting for greatness. In addition, try to relish your own silence when you’re by yourself. Allow yourself the freedom to be who you are, and you won’t have to worry about what other people think. These reflective times might alter your life. As a result, ultimately, you will be motivated by fresh concepts and gain insightful knowledge. Yet it’s crucial to keep in mind that the most challenging experiences will lead you where you want to go.
Explore and Meet New People
As a solo traveller, the best way to make your trip to the fullest is to make new connections as well. You can stay in hostels or in backpacker accommodation, join group tours, find groups on social media to also meet other people. For instance, there’s an app called Meetup and it has a wide variety of categories and interests on how to meet other travellers. So, meeting people the same as your age or with similar interests could be the perfect recipe for fast friendships and deep connections as to having the best memories.
Based on my experience, travelling alone can be challenging at times but indeed it’s worth the experience. Actually, it has been the most memorable thing I’ve experienced so far. I would recommend going to areas that are popular to solo travellers such as Southeast Asia, Central America, and Europe, and more specifically to the countries known as safe countries. To name just a few, South Korea, Japan, Finland, Spain, and Canada.
Therefore, one of the best ways to survive travelling alone is to be genuinely interested in partaking in many open opportunities. This might include meeting new people to have adventures and friendship.
Most of solo travellers are female
According to research up to 85% of solo travellers are female, most of them wanting to experience freedom and independence. Solo travelling for women takes long weekends and the average trip length of going alone is between 19 days. So, travelling alone has been popular since then and women are leading it.
For example, there’s a popular site called SoloTravelSociety by Janice Waugh, that promotes travelling alone. Specifically, you can find tips and advice on how to save up money and which destinations have the best experiences. What’s more, there are a lot of recommendations on what a solo traveller can do.
For instance, what women would like to do when they travel alone could be staying up on an Airbnb experience and could also be booking a shared room to meet other people. Women love to join volunteering events such as participating in the care of animals, cleaning of the environment and many more. In addition, women like to write a journal while they travel and to go on a hiking trip.
Tips
Research the destination
As a solo traveller, it is important to know beforehand where you will be going, what kind of place it is and how easy the transportation is to avoid conflicts.
Follow you instincts
When travelling alone, you have to be smarter and wiser. So, when you’re feeling uncomfortable at times, it’s better to follow your guts if you feel like something is wrong. Besides, you make your own decisions without letting anyone force you to do things.
Budget and Save
Travelling alone can be expensive and it is better to cut down daily expenses for luxurious things and save for your future trip. However, there’s a way to travel alone and not spend too much money. For instance, there are European Solidarity Corps that look for volunteers and traineeships that provide funds for the participants to engage in such activities. In fact, this is a good opportunity for everyone who wants to do some volunteering while travelling and it is a win-win situation. So, you can think of it as gaining inspiring experiences through volunteer programs while enjoying yourself travelling.
Do what you love and be you
As a solo traveller, you have your own decisions on how you should enjoy and travel. Everyone has different ways of travelling anyway and how to enjoy the most of it. Therefore, travelling alone is for you to discover yourself.
Pros of travelling alone
Becoming more independent
Gaining confidence
Making more friends
Making your own decisions
Learning more about yourself
Becoming smarter and stronger
Cons of travelling alone
Solo travel can be expensive
You don’t have someone to help you out
You can’t share your excitement immediately
You can be lonely
Tips for surviving solo travel
Emergency plan
Share your travel plans with trusted family
Secure your things
Use common sense & Avoid doing reckless things
Choose your destination wisely
Get travel insurance.
Stay Healthy and Stay connected
Tips for a safety solo travel
Be alert and know where you’re going.
Know your strengths and weaknesses
Develop your navigation skills
Extra place to place cash
Bring first aid kid
VPN on your devices
Don’t go to dark places
Stay safe on your place (know everything about safety and security)
To conclude, solo travelling is one of the best ways to learn more about ourselves, gain new experiences, and meet new people. In fact, it will broaden an individual's horizons. So, travelling solo is recommended to people who genuinely prefer taking risks and learning new things.
Reference Lists
Solo Traveller. https://solotravelerworld.com/
Travelers. (2023). Safety tips for travelling https://www.travelers.com/resources/home/safety/tips-for-traveling-alone?fbclid=IwAR1_eUBujn36wXC0LGZ8QWnCueqtzJdOBkroxOai1nKZ6ZiI2h8bQnxiNxw
Vacation Tracker. (2023, January 6). Traveling solo https://vacationtracker.io/blog/traveling-solo
Wanderlust Laura. (2023, February 15). 20 Must Know Tips For Surviving Solo Travel https://wanderlustlaura.com/20-must-know-tips-for-surviving-solo-travel/?fbclid=IwAR06jE-MMahWjiUOiFmTg9CnX0CuELjTzx4bUq476RReoaWJoCkYEhb4Qqk
European Solidarity Corps
https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity_en