My Best Advice for Solo Travel ... Just Do It! Part 3:
- whereintheworldsar
- Aug 29
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 4
Get involved, have some fun, the better you feel then the better your journey will be, the more fun you will attract and the less 'solo' you will feel .. you may not have left home with a crowd, but you certainly gather them along the way.
Continuing on with the final part to this series on 'my best advice for solo travel', lets explore what to consider when we are actually out on the road, so to speak ...
1. Do Something Different
Some of my most amazing memories of time spent in any country have come from trying something that I would not usually do when it came to travelling and touring, like joining a food tour in Turkey, with Intrepid Travel. Don't get me wrong, I love food, eating, drinking and cooking, yet I never thought that I would be on a food tour as such, and here I was .. how wrong I had been! Again, it was an inspired travel option that I followed through with. It gave me the chance to discover hidden local spots, meet some amazing fellow travellers, go shopping in the local markets for ingredients, cook in the homes of some locals, and taste dishes I might have missed otherwise. It was a fantastic experience. Pushing yourself slightly out of your comfort zone can turn an ordinary trip into an unforgettable adventure, and food can be a fun way to do that. I also enjoy meeting up and travelling with my son and his partner, they are my "foodies" and they inspire me to try many things in some amazing locations, and to witness some of the foods that they enjoy that, frankly, I couldn't even tell you the names or ingredients of.
When travelling, you are best to leave judgement at home, what we may believe about something, how we may see and treat things in our country or culture, including foods, animals, the land and oceans, can be very different to the relationship that other cultures have with the same; it's not wrong, it's just different, and when you are not judging it right or wrong, you open up a whole new world of ideas and ways of living. Be open to and accepting of differences.
And so, have you ever tried canyoning, scuba diving, bungy jumping, or camping on a live volcano whilst cooking smores in the heat of one of its vents? Or how about zip-lining, sand-dune surfing or volcano boarding? Tried a blo-kart, biked around a lake, along a rail trail or through a forest? Spent a night or two with a local family? Dived with stingrays and sharks? What about doing a Law of Attraction workshop onboard a cruise, learning a new skill or quieting your mind at a meditation retreat, in one of the many uplifting environments that the world has to offer? You just don't know what you might find, or who you may be afterwards. Give it a go anyway, you may never get the chance again or it may inspire you to pursue it further once you return home.
Keep in mind that there are many locals who are more than eager to offer guidance and informative tours around their home areas. I have explored Paris on a bike with a local, also the Louvre with a Parisian local artist; dressed up like an inhabitant of the islands of Lake Titicaca, whilst also playing a game of volleyball with them. I've eaten foods like guinea pig, crocodile, llama and smoked with the San People, in Africa and Arabs in Morocco; not because I smoke, or ever have, but because I was there and I might never again have the opportunity to share a moment in time and space with those who were there ... what I discovered is that, underneath it all, everyone wants to feel good.
2. Be Your Own Best Company
Plan small “dates” for yourself. Visit a museum in the morning, treat yourself to a nice lunch, or watch the sunset from a scenic viewpoint. Bring a camera or take notes so you can reflect on these moments later, afterall, wherever you go in life, you take yourself with you ... you might as well like yourself and be able to enjoy your own company!
3. Keep Your Budget in Check
Track your spending regularly. Use a travel card with low foreign transaction fees and carry some local cash for markets or smaller shops. Be aware of countries where tipping is expected and allow for this in a way that feels good to you. Look for free activities such as public walking trails, free museum days, or street festivals. A lot of the major cities have 'free walking tours' run by local guides, where you pay at the end a tip based upon your enjoyment.
Don't scrimp on your enjoyment of a stopover, you may not be back here ever again so don't not do something based on money, while keeping aware that you will never do everything in every place. Enjoy what you do do and appreciate that there will be things that you can't do.
4. Learn How to Eat Alone Comfortably
Choose a café with a view, sit at the counter in a restaurant, or bring a book to read while you wait for your meal. This makes dining alone feel less intimidating and more enjoyable. On a cruise and feel like some dining companions? Then ask to be put at a table with others so you can mix and mingle. Or simply enjoy that you can have a nice meal, drink and enjoy your own company whilst reflecting on your travels.
5. Capture Memories
Take photos, but also write a short daily recap of your day. These small details will help you remember your trip years later, beyond the images, and give you some words to share with friends and family, should they ask.
Summary
And there we have it, a few tips for an enjoyable solo journey; in fact, all these ideas can be applied to a journey with any number of people because I don't beleive that anyone is ever truly 'alone'. We are all in this adventure called life together, and the more you travel, the more you really do get to understand that truth. Have fun, expect the best and I'll see you out there ...
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