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23 Comments. Leave new
Really loving your blog. Great tips, I would love to do a solo trip to Vietnam and Thailand next year.
Thanks a lot for sharing. Really glad to see that women dare to travel on their own.
BTW, I’m a 23 years old guy & still worried to travel alone.
Funny! Huh!
I must inform you that I’m grateful to you, for being a source of confidence.
Best wishes 🙂
Hi Aleah, great tips. I hope this will encourage women who are hesitant to travel solo. I know that armed with good planning, sense of adventure and a lot of common sense, traveling solo is an empowering experience.
hello 🙂 i want to be a solo traveler.. but my problem is.. wala akong taga picture.. paano po yun?
monopods which you can attach to your camera or cellphone are the in thing nowadays and they are very cheap,
This is also a concern of mine. How to take nice photos since I do not like taking selfies…? 😛 I hope I can travel solo this year.
Nice tips and beautiful photos. You have one pic taken at Victoria Memorial in Kolkata. We only dropped by for few minutes to take a pic at the gate only. Enjoy your travels.
Great tips which I could also learn from. Can’t agree enough on hostel stays, the social atmosphere is just so convivial for meeting others when traveling alone. That’s exactly how I ended up meeting a girl who also wanted to see this striking sunset on Easter Island.
hi aleah, i noticed the picture above taken in kolkata,how did you get to agra from kalkota.or did you take a different route?i wanna go to india but i think the cheapest way is to fly into india from malaysia via airasia but they dont have flights to new delhi.
Good post, Aleah!
I really wish CS would work for me but I’ve not had much luck on it. I know on profiles we all have to start with zero reviews and support, but man, it’s hard to launch if you don’t have those things. I’ve tried a handful of couches and either no response or not able to host. In that sense, it’s a lot of wasted time on email. Any tips for couchsurfers who can’t never seem to find a host?
There are many older solo female travellers on the road downunder in Australia staying in campgrounds and caravan parks. It can be daunting, especially in more remote areas, but introducing yourself to other campers, joining in communal activities and travelling in tandem with others heading the same way can overcome some of the issues.
Great round up of the ideas shared during the chat. Thanks for the quote too!
I think the important thing for a solo traveller is not where u go, but what options are available.
I *really* recommend going on a trip with Exodus or Explore, etc. They are excellent and a great way to meet other people. I have been on the Atlas Descent Bike Trip in Morocco, Lake Garda Mountain Biking, Sea Kayaking in Greece and the wonderful Multi-Activity in Turkey. HOnestly, they are wonderful.
If u decide to go fully solo, my main tips would be go to Eastern Europe (for great value and things to do) and then…
#1. Email yourself a scan of your passport in case your lose it.
#2. Also text yourself your passport number, expiry date & place of issue. It makes it SO much easier to check-in at a hotel than scrabbling around for ur passport.
#3. Make a simple list of currency conversions FROM local currency BACK TO your currency. Put it in your wallet for easy access (e.g. 100 Rials = 1.32 dollars **NOT** 1 dollar = 0.174 Rials, etc). Also stick another copy into back of your Lonely Planet for even easier access.
#4. Memorise 5 key phrases in the local language “Excuse me”, “Hello”, “Goodbye”, “Thanks”, “Thank you very much”. That’s all you’ll really need.
#5. Carry your valuables in a simple plastic bag or cotton bag. No one ever thinks anything in a plastic bag is valuable. Don’t carry a day backpack. Yes, they are comfy but they SHOUT “I am a tourist!”.
#6. Triple check every time your get on a bus/train that it is going to your destination. First ask the driver, then ask a fellow passenger, then ask another passenger.
#7. Carry your smartphone with you and join websites like Travlbuddy, Wandermates.com and VivTrav to help meet other people (like me http://www.wandermates.com/profileview.php?profileuserid=6 🙂 None of them are perfect, but they are useful.
#8. Stay in hostels, they are THE BEST place to meet other travelers.
#9. If there are no hostels, go on 1 or 2 day activity outings, e.g. diving, climbing, canyoning, etc. They are another great way to meet people.
very well said. i think this covers most of the challenges that solo traveling can present. you have given great tips.
i have never tried it and will probably not attempt to do it, but it’s just personal preference.
Thanks for sharing these tips… i do hope to be a solo (female) traveller soon and will be needing all this advice. 🙂
neither of us have ever done extended solo travel. thanks for making it a little less scary!
Safety is the main concern for me when traveling solo. I largely depends on where you travel. Great tips!
I actually read through your #WeGoloSolo conversations on Twitter, and I was truly engaged. 🙂 But I haven’t tried going on a solo trip yet (due to a very traumatic experience in life). But hopefully, I get to break off from my fears someday.
After the issues in the press with women last winter, we interviewed some solo travelers about keeping safe on the road. I’m sorry I didn’t know you at the time. There’s some great advice here!
This is great! I was on the twitter chat but because I was at work I missed some of the better tips, thanks for putting them into a neatly organized and concise space!
Safe travels!