5 Reasons to Travel Solo

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’d know that I’m a big advocate for solo travel and believe everyone should do it at least once in their life! I’ve been solo travelling since 2017. It has taught me so much about myself and allowed to me have some amazing experiences. This blog post is here to convince you why you should travel solo!

I understand there are a lot of concerns about travelling solo, things to do with safety or lack of experience. Don’t let this deter you from going on that holiday you’ve always dreamed of! Travelling with people is amazing too, but sometimes you can’t find a travel buddy and I don’t think you should wait around until you do. There’s a big beautiful world out there just waiting to be explored.

A bit about my story…

If you’ve never travelled solo before, I get it, its daunting to think of setting out on an adventure by yourself. I was in the same boat prior to my first solo adventure. Worried I was going to get lost, about safety and just that I simply had no clue about travel (literally never been on a plane by myself). I started my first solo journey via a Contiki. I believe tours are a great way to get a feel for solo travel, even though you are with a group, technically you are still travelling solo. From there, I branched out and now plan/travel all of my adventures by myself.

Wondering how to plan a holiday by yourself, but not sure where to start? You can access my free how to guide, here.

If it’s your first time solo travelling and you’re unsure, go on a small travel tour first! This will still give you the opportunity to make new friends and experience what it’s like exploring a city by yourself. However, it gives you the comfort of safety and takes the stress of planning a holiday away.

Now…Here’s my 5 reasons why you should travel solo!

It teaches you things about yourself

I used to be a very anxious person, I was always scared or worried about what people thought about me, or things that could happen. If you met me back in 2016 you would of never thought I’d be the person I was today. I have solo adventures to thank for improving my confidence. How does it do this? When you are travelling solo, you will undoubtedly come across a situation that requires you to think on your feet or figure out a solution. I’d always rely on others to figure out problems because I was too anxious or stressed to do it myself. Travelling solo that isn’t a option. That sounds intimidating and off putting. However, solving problems by yourself is a great life skill! Being put in the situation where you have to do these things by yourself, makes you realise just how capable you are.

Being alone can make you realise that you can do a lot of things that you always thought you couldn’t.

You can travel where you want and how you want

Have you ever been travelling with a friend or a group, and had to participate in an activity you weren’t fond of? Or had to stay in a location that didn’t really interest you? With solo travelling your itinerary is completely up to you. If you don’t like a particular place, activity, restaurant, you have the option to leave or move onto the next place! You can model your holiday around everything you want to see and do, to your time frame. The options are limitless!

You have to do things that are out of your comfort zone

Whether it be hiking by yourself, 4WD’ing, eating out alone or even just walking down the street by yourself. You always have to do things that get you out of your comfort zone when travelling solo. I used to be terrified of talking to new people or starting up a conversation, now it doesn’t bother me at all because I had to do it on my solo adventures.

I now look at things that make me uncomfortable as a challenge and a way to grow as person. Yes it may be terrifying to begin with, but your confidence will rise the more you do it. You might even learn a new skill or discover a new passion while your at it!

Camping or hiking by yourself is an EPIC experience

This one might be a hit or a miss for some people, as the idea of being alone in an isolated place can be terrifying. I on the other hand love it. Hated it at first, but have grown to love it and cherish those moments. This is something that builds up with experience and if you are uncomfortable or worried about being completely isolated, you can always get a similar experience by camping alone in a caravan park.

However, if you want to experience something epic I highly recommend camping or hiking in an isolated spot (if you are comfortable with it). There is something very surreal about having a place all to yourself. You feel like you are the only person in the world and it’s just an all round magical experience.

You can make some amazing life long friends

The thing about solo travelling is you are very rarely truly alone. You always make friends while travelling, especially if you are staying in hostels or backpackers. Even when I’m travelling around Australia in my Pajero I’ve managed to make friends, because you are always going to bump into someone doing the same thing. Who knows some of these new friends might end up being the people missing from your life or life long friends. You might even meet a special partner along your journeys!

A Few things to note…

• Safety is a massive thing to remember when travelling alone. Always do some research into the areas you plan on travelling to see if there are any warnings or tips for solo travellers.
• If you are worried about catching public transport, you can opt for private travel. This will be more expensive but a lot safer.
• Always let someone know where you are going. I always give my parents a rough itinerary of my travels or let them know where I am staying. This is for safety reasons. If I am going on a long distance hike or an isolated spot, I always let someone know where in case of an emergency.
• I carry a personal emergency device with me on all my travels and hikes. It’s not necessary but gives me the confidence if something unfortunately does happen, I can be found.
• Be smart. Don’t do things that could potentially put yourself in danger. I hate that we don’t live in a world where it’s safe for everyone and we have to take measures to protect ourselves, but it is what it is.
• Enjoy yourself! There are a lot more benefits than negatives to travelling solo in my opinion.

If you have any questions or concerns about solo travelling, feel free to leave a comment or contact me via the contact tab. I’ll be more than happy to answer your questions where I can!

Want to know how to take photos as a solo traveller? You can check out my guide here.

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