If your happy place is at 30,000 feet above, chances are you’re with friends or family. But, if you find yourself daydreaming of the day you globetrot alone, you’re not alone. Let’s face it, it is scary to sip a cup of coffee in your favorite restaurant at home, how well would we do it on foreign land?
Travelling alone comes with many challenges as well as perks. Is it a boring city, take the train to another one. Want to have a bottle of Pinot Noir before lunch? Do it. Want to skip a tour to sleep in? The world is yours. It is wonderfully liberating to be on your own and doing what you want to do!
Travelling alone is a chance to rediscover yourself. It’s wildly exhilarating yet nerve-wracking. Here are a few steps you can take to make sure your trip goes well whether you’re going to Bali for a week or travelling across Europe for a month.
Women have been travelling the world alone for more than a century. From Eat-Pray-Love to the journal of Isabelle Eberhart who travelled the Sahara desert dressed as man, women have been making history exceeding all geographical boundaries. Read the books written by other female travellers to understand the journey and the challenges faced by women throughout travels.
Tune in to the community of travellers on the internet. There are many bloggers and Instagrammers hitting the road or taking off to beautiful yet strange lands. Follow their stories to get a (virtual) first-hand experience of travelling solo. Seeing someone else doing it can make solo-travel less intimidating and daunting.
Have a cup of coffee at a cafe you always wanted to visit - alone. Practise visiting places alone in Sri Lanka or wherever you’re from before you bite into a delicate pâtisserie overlooking a dreamy French boulevard. Even if the thought of being alone in a cafe or restaurant at home terrifies you, travelling alone will give you the courage to do it in another country. After all, travelling changes your personality!
Research on countries where tourist infrastructure is strong and there are minimal travel disasters recorded. Read up on the culture and of course, the many reviews left by those who travelled before you about the safety of travellers, especially that of female travellers. Make sure wherever you travel to is a beginner-friendly destination.
Happy globetrotting!
