ChaiNashta
Active Member
Many of us are eager to travel, but often we find that the best travel companion we can have is just ourselves. Solo travel is actually quite easy to do and it can be completely liberating. Interests in solo travel have skyrocketed in recent years and the industry is offering ways to satisfy consumers of the growing segment. Many people want to travel alone, but they are often too afraid and they are concerned about the idea of travelling to a place relatively unknown without someone who could accompany them. However, by travelling alone, we could make the best use of our limited budget and time. We will be able to match our travel style with our own individual preferences for the best satisfaction. Here are other advantages of travelling alone:
1. Planning is easier: People often have a bucket list of attractions and places that they seek to go to in their lifetime. Unfortunately, they start to hold themselves back from experience, if they can't find people who can share the excitement. In reality, each individual often has different interests, budget and schedule; so it could be difficult to find those who can accompany us backpacking around Southeast Asia, gourmet dining in Paris and visiting Niagara Falls. If we desire, we should be able to plan solo travel much more easily. If we are still too concerned about solo travel, it is a good idea to make plans for travelling alone in nearby locations at your own country. This will make us feel confident about visiting far-flung destinations.
2. We will enjoy a personal time: Many people are sometimes tired of socializing with their friends, especially if they need to handle some toxic relationships. Solo travel allow us to get valuable alone time and while we are gazing at a foreign horizon, it is more easily for us to reflect on life and enjoy our own company. Although we may have some aversion of doing things alone, solo travel could actually be a gift that we learn to relish. We could be surprised with new interests that we develop when we are travelling alone. Solo travel often gives us a perfect situation for deep introspection.
3. More flexible itinerary: During group travel, picking the dates alone is often a big hassle and that is often the beginning. We often need to consider what will we eat, where will we stay, what things that we can do and can't do. Simply put, group travel is full of negotiation and compromise, not to mention the possibility that conflicts will arise. People who travel alone can often indulge themselves with personal preferences, eat what their heart desires and sleep as much or as little as they want. Travelling is supposed to be flexible and we are able to take any enjoyable opportunity that we see.
4. We make new friends: It is obvious, we will talk to strangers more often when we are alone. During group travels, people are more likely to talk with among themselves and only a few persons of the group will talk with strangers. We often need to ask local about highly recommended dishes and restaurants. We could also interact more with servers, waitress and bartenders. People are also more comfortable talking with a solo traveller, instead of a group of travellers who tend to talk among themselves. In fact, solo travel can be a highly social activity, while group travel can be a somewhat anti-social one.
5. We will have more meaningful experiences: There are many exciting things we could get by travelling with loved ones and friends. When we visit specific museums, instead of the generalized art museums, like Louvre, we could have more profound experiences. This is especially true if we are not really interested with arts and archaeological stuffs. Vacation is about enjoying our own preferences, instead of others.
6. We will be more confident: Even for the most independent travellers, going to a strange place alone could make them feel a bit nervous. However, after having more than a couple of solo trips to distant countries, people could actually feel that they are able to conquer the world on their own. The more we travel alone, the more confident we are and we should be able to tackle challenges in life with aplomb.
7. We can control our budget: In many travel trips, money is often seen as a pressure point and this could be a complicated factor, because people often have different spending attitude and habits. We could have different spending style each day. We could choose less posh accommodation, but eat well. Travelling with people who have expensive taste could cause bad overspending.
1. Planning is easier: People often have a bucket list of attractions and places that they seek to go to in their lifetime. Unfortunately, they start to hold themselves back from experience, if they can't find people who can share the excitement. In reality, each individual often has different interests, budget and schedule; so it could be difficult to find those who can accompany us backpacking around Southeast Asia, gourmet dining in Paris and visiting Niagara Falls. If we desire, we should be able to plan solo travel much more easily. If we are still too concerned about solo travel, it is a good idea to make plans for travelling alone in nearby locations at your own country. This will make us feel confident about visiting far-flung destinations.
2. We will enjoy a personal time: Many people are sometimes tired of socializing with their friends, especially if they need to handle some toxic relationships. Solo travel allow us to get valuable alone time and while we are gazing at a foreign horizon, it is more easily for us to reflect on life and enjoy our own company. Although we may have some aversion of doing things alone, solo travel could actually be a gift that we learn to relish. We could be surprised with new interests that we develop when we are travelling alone. Solo travel often gives us a perfect situation for deep introspection.
3. More flexible itinerary: During group travel, picking the dates alone is often a big hassle and that is often the beginning. We often need to consider what will we eat, where will we stay, what things that we can do and can't do. Simply put, group travel is full of negotiation and compromise, not to mention the possibility that conflicts will arise. People who travel alone can often indulge themselves with personal preferences, eat what their heart desires and sleep as much or as little as they want. Travelling is supposed to be flexible and we are able to take any enjoyable opportunity that we see.
4. We make new friends: It is obvious, we will talk to strangers more often when we are alone. During group travels, people are more likely to talk with among themselves and only a few persons of the group will talk with strangers. We often need to ask local about highly recommended dishes and restaurants. We could also interact more with servers, waitress and bartenders. People are also more comfortable talking with a solo traveller, instead of a group of travellers who tend to talk among themselves. In fact, solo travel can be a highly social activity, while group travel can be a somewhat anti-social one.
5. We will have more meaningful experiences: There are many exciting things we could get by travelling with loved ones and friends. When we visit specific museums, instead of the generalized art museums, like Louvre, we could have more profound experiences. This is especially true if we are not really interested with arts and archaeological stuffs. Vacation is about enjoying our own preferences, instead of others.
6. We will be more confident: Even for the most independent travellers, going to a strange place alone could make them feel a bit nervous. However, after having more than a couple of solo trips to distant countries, people could actually feel that they are able to conquer the world on their own. The more we travel alone, the more confident we are and we should be able to tackle challenges in life with aplomb.
7. We can control our budget: In many travel trips, money is often seen as a pressure point and this could be a complicated factor, because people often have different spending attitude and habits. We could have different spending style each day. We could choose less posh accommodation, but eat well. Travelling with people who have expensive taste could cause bad overspending.
. I really can't travel with other people whether it be friends or family because I feel it takes a LOT out of the experience. I usually don't talk a lot which I guess can sometimes be awkward and it seems to me that people always feel pressured to engage in small talk. I hope I don't come off as mean, it's just that talking is the last thing I wanna do when there is a spectacular scenery in front of me.
