Solo travelling, why not?
Travelling solo does have its ups and downs (who doesn't). But since I've done my share in solo travelling, I will share my thoughts about it. I hope it helps you to decide whether it is your thing or not (^_^).
IMO, travelling solo means:
- Freedom. You can go wherever, whenever, with whatever means of transportation. It's a total freedom. I can spend the whole day just lying on the bed, reading, when I really feel like it. I'm enjoying my holiday, my way, my pace.
- Independence. Since there's nobody that we can depend on but ourselves, we learn to decide what we want. In my experience, I learn to wander around without getting lost. I am really bad with maps and signs that I got lost so many times. Travelling solo teaches me to be more independent and more skillful in reading maps. Hahaha..
- Planning you budget wisely. Since you can't really borrow extra money from your companion (in case you want to spend more on shopping and already run out of cash), you need to calculate your expenses. Set your priority. In my age, I prefer to have a single room in a backpacker hotel or budget hostel instead of squeezing myself in a dorm-type room with strangers. I don't mind doing it with friends, but as I'm geeting older, I prefer to pay a little bit more for a privacy of my own bedroom. However, I don't like to spend much money on room because my priority is sightseeing. As long as it has decent bed and bathroom, I don't mind.
- Setting your priority. Ask yourself, why are you travelling, and what do you want to do? My purpose of travelling is sightseeing to historical places or to beautiful landscapes. Therefore, most of my budgets will be used for transportation, entrance ticket, and food. I love going to non touristy places, eating in a local restaurants in small alleys (where most good foods are!), and wandering on the streets with the locals. I also love to go to museums and public parks. Shopping is never a priority, unless I really go there for shopping (which I never do anyway). Travelling solo allows you to set your own priority without noone judging you, and let you set your budget accordingly. Remember, your rule, your money. Fun, isn't it?
- Enhancing self-awareness. You never know what you are capable of doing before you travel solo. It might sound exaggerating, but some of us are so accustomed to having everything prepared for us, that we don't really know what we can actually do. I learned that I can actually walk far without getting lost, I learned that I can actually have a wonderful and understandable conversation with the locals without even speaking the same languages (trust me, it happened!), I learned that I can read maps well enough to wander and go back safely, and my most epic experience was, I learned that I could survive being robbed and ditched in the middle of nowhere in Vietnam on my second day there. Maybe it sounds horrifying, but it definitely was a great lesson to learn (and not to repeat).
- Improving my skill to pack and travel lightly. Since nobody can bring your bag for you, travelling solo is a good way to learn how to pack lightly. My rule is, never bring anything that you can't carry by yourself. Therefore, I left all my gadgets and just bring the essential like one cellphone and a pocket camera. I ditched my SLR camera since it's heavy and need a proper handle. If you know how to use your pocket kamera or cellphone camera properly, you will still have plenty magnificent pictures. I always spot the nearest laundromat or laundry in case I don't have time to wash my clothes. And I always choose clothes which are thin and light so that it will be easy to squeeze them into your backpack or travel bag, plus easy to dry when I wash them. Don't worry, you'll get more creative and better after each travels.
. But since I've done my share in solo travelling, I will share my thoug...){kind=link}
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