The aim of All the travel blogs is to encourage you to travel, with or without company. So I can tell you now that the default answer to this question is YES!
However, I know traveling solo isn’t always so simple. It is something that I have had to weigh up – I definitely prefer to travel with friends, but sometimes traveling alone is the way to go. I have friends who LOVE to travel solo and I’m glad it comes to them naturally. I really had to talk myself into doing solo trips because I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy traveling by myself.
I found there are ways to make solo travel more enjoyable, and there are also some advantages to traveling by yourself.
Let’s delve into this a little deeper…
There are plenty of options to make a solo trip more enjoyable
First things first. What kind of trip is good for solo travel? With friends, I usually enjoyed wandering around and eating at restaurants with company. I didn’t see myself enjoying this as much by myself and expected to get bored, so I had a think about options that would keep me occupied. Here are some of the things I have done on solo trips:
Join a group tour
I decided to go Thailand by myself, mainly because I couldn’t find the right travel buddy (timing, budget, etc.) and didn’t want to miss out on the trip. I went for two weeks and booked a group tour with G Adventures for the first week. It was amazing. The advantages were plenty; there was an expert tour guide who showed us around and took us to guaranteed good places, I got to meet other solo and group travelers, and I visited places that I never would have thought to arrange by myself, including a boat house – literally a house that floats along the lake among the mountains. I went canoeing with my new travel buddies too. And did a cooking class and watched a ladyboy show in Chiang Mai. Most importantly, it gave me the confidence to explore a really ‘foreign’ country. The second week I spent in Bangkok alone and it felt like a breeze because I’d already spent a week traveling around Thailand. This tour was a little expensive, but totally worthwhile.
Volunteer programs
Volunteering will keep you busy and let you meet new people. I love nature and wildlife, and wanted to do some kind of immersive Africa trip. I didn’t know anyone who would be as excited about it as me and it was also an expensive trip. I did some research online and came across Naankuse, a wildlife sanctuary in Namibia that took volunteers. Accommodation and meals were included (both on the basic side), and there would be other volunteers from around the world. The work involved helping to take care of wild animals that had been injured or couldn’t be released back into the wild, including cheetahs (my favorite) and lions. Sounded good to me!
It was definitely an experience. We were chopping (almost) tons of fruit and veg, carrying baby primates, and throwing huge chunks of meat at lions. I got to pet a cheetah that liked people (she had been kept as a pet when she was little, then surrendered to the sanctuary when she got too big, and couldn’t be released to the wild because she didn’t know how to hunt) and enjoyed trips on the back of a pick up truck through wilderness in the area. I also slept in a watch tower for a night with another volunteer – it was freezing cold and we had to stay awake and monitor for any trespassing people or vehicles throughout the night. Waking up to the sounds of wild animals with the sunrise was amazing.
Additionally, I loved that this was work with a meaning. It didn’t matter that I didn’t go with friends, because this trip was important to me on a personal level. If you have personal interests that you can work into a volunteer project, you will definitely have a great time if you travel solo. There will usually be some associated costs, but on the whole, this should be less expensive than joining a group tour like G Adventures.
I know on the wildlife side, there are plenty of projects available. Another project I had looked into was turtle conservation in Costa Rica. Here are some websites with more info on volunteer projects:
https://www.volunteerworld.com/en
Teach English
Teaching English opens many doors for traveling solo. You can go on a short trip like Vaughan Town, which is a week long volunteer project in Spain. The only requirement is that you speak fluent English. You don’t need any teaching experience as the focus is conversation practice for the Spanish students, who are usually young professionals (from my experience). I have done this three times in the past, twice with a friend, and once on my own. Perks of this program include meeting other travelers, being part of a fun group, and great food and wine!
If you want to go on a longer trip, there are plenty of teaching options. I did a TEFL course (Teach English as a Foreign Language) in Costa Rica that lasted a month. It was an opportunity to learn and meet some fellow travelers. I then got a job teaching English at a private language school and stayed in Costa Rica for a total of six months.
I have friends who have lived in Japan for years teaching English. If you’re a native English speaker, take advantage of your skill and combine it with some travel.
Combine a solo trip with other activities you enjoy
For me, I went on safari in Botswana and Zimbabwe on my own. I wanted to do safari and wildlife photography all day every day, and I didn’t think my friends would enjoy that, so I chose to arrange this solo trip.
This summer I will be joining a travel blogger conference in Wisconsin, so I can meet some fellow travel bloggers and attend events about the travel blogging world.
I’ve also joined various Meetup groups when I’ve traveled alone, including dinner in New York and drinks in Rome. This is an easy way to join activities and meet people.
By joining projects and activities that interest you, you can make sure you have an enjoyable and interesting time when you travel solo.
You shouldn’t miss out on the travel experience because you don’t have the ‘right’ company
So many people plan to travel but never get around to it. You don’t need another excuse for why not to go. If you want to go to Japan or Australia, or go snorkeling or on safari, but don’t know someone who is willing to commit to the same trip – you should just go anyway. You will still experience the same exciting things.
You don’t really need company to enjoy traveling. Nearly everything you would do with friends, you can totally do by yourself. You can go to museums, join walking tours, eat at restaurants, etc. etc. ALL BY YOURSELF and you will be absolutely fine.
Should I leave my partner behind?
Yes. Yes you should.
If you love to travel but your partner doesn’t, should you stay at home and miss out on traveling the world? No, you should not. I know, because I tried it. I ended up traveling less because my ex did not care to spend his time or money on traveling. Funnily enough, he didn’t even mind if I went traveling without him. I somehow decided to give myself a self-imposed (partial) travel ban because I felt guilty about parading around the world without him. After we broke up, I realized how stupid that was and booked in as many trips as I could. Now I have a rule that my partner cannot get in the way of my travels. If they don’t want to join me, then don’t stop me!
I think if there is honesty, clarity, and trust, then traveling without your partner can work. One of my friends often travels without her husband. She goes on girl trips and they speak on the phone every evening. He is an introvert and really enjoys the alone time. I was surprised by the concept at first, but I love that it works for them and I think this is a healthy way to handle a difference in interests.
You meet more people
When you travel with friends, you talk with your friends. When you travel solo, you don’t have any friends around to talk to. That leaves you open to chatting with new people, especially if you are on a tour or part of any activity. It’s far easier to chit-chat with someone when you’re alone, whether you’re in the grocery store or at a tourist attraction.
I have made good acquaintances and good friends while traveling, with or without friends. Some became passive Facebook friends, some I met again a few times, and others have become long term travel friends.
Enjoy some quality ‘me time’
When you get the hang of traveling alone, you’ll find that you can really enjoy your own company and have a great time exploring. It gives you time to think and contemplate life and your experiences. When you have friends around, you spend a lot of time communicating with them. When you’re by yourself, you really get time to just enjoy being yourself.
I know that a lot of people prefer to travel alone. They like having the freedom to do what they want, when they want, with no need to compromise with anyone. And I really respect that. They don’t even have to convince themselves to travel solo!
Personally, I do prefer to travel with friends, and when I choose to travel solo, I make sure that I have activities or events lined up so that my social needs and interests are still met. There are so many solo travel experiences that I am grateful for, and I am especially glad that I didn’t let ‘no travel buddy’ stop me from enjoying them. For example, Thailand, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe… chances are that I never would have gone on those trips if I was waiting for the perfect travel buddy to come along.
If you are considering a solo trip, I really hope you decide to go for it. You only live once, and there is so much to see. You don’t need someone to hold your hand so you can explore the world.
Written by Shama
