Why flying solo might be good for you
LAUREN TAYLOR shares the joys of travelling alone
SOLO travel may once have conjured up the image of someone simply having no one to go adventuring with, but more and more of us are choosing to strap on a backpack and explore the world alone.
I’d been plotting my three-month escape around South America – hiking in the Andes, wildlife spotting in the Amazon rainforest, and learning a new language – for a while, but the moment I told friends and family I’d be doing six weeks of it solo, it’s fair to say the reaction wasn’t entirely positive.
I’m a decade deep into my career and much older than the average gap year traveller, but I couldn’t help but feel like a man might not receive the same reception: Isn’t it unsafe? Wouldn’t I be lonely? Shouldn’t I be saving for a house? Or simply, why?
As to the why, it’s time we started viewing travel as an opportunity for personal growth, and an important way to open our eyes to the complexities and diversity of the world. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, challenge myself and have an amazing time.
According to research by Culture Trip, solo female travel is more popular than ever, with 34% of women now wanting to take the plunge.
It might be more rewarding than you think...
Your only responsibility is to take care of yourself
IT was the first time I’d ever travelled alone when I landed in Peru in October 2018. My intention was to make my way around the south of the country, across the Bolivian border – with La Paz and the Uyuni salt flats among the stops – and eventually into northern Chile. My boyfriend Matthew would join me there, and in Argentina, for the last two months, but here I was flying the solo flag.
I wanted to do whatever I felt like that day, whether it was hiking a canyon (Colca near Arequipa), taking a cooking class (Peruvian ceviche) or reading in a hammock all day – a pretty liberating experience you only get by travelling alone, without anyone else’s influence over your itinerary. You achieve stuff every day SOMETIMES even just figuring out how to get from A to B – especially if it’s in a new language – feels like a challenge overcome.
Sure, some achievements – like the five-day Salkantay hike to Machu Picchu, night trekking with creepy crawlies in the Amazon, and cycling the ‘World’s Most Dangerous Road’ – were actual challenges, but ignoring my British aloofness to befriend strangers was an accomplishment too. Alone time is strangely cathartic... BUT also quite intense.
With no one else to lean on, you have to trust your own judgement and decisions (something I didn’t even realise I didn’t find easy until I travelled alone).
Most days I felt empowered and independent, but if anyone says solo travel is fun and carefree 100% of the time, they’re probably lying. ‘Up and down’ is how you hear lots of solo travellers describe it, and yes, at times, when I arrived in a new place not knowing anyone, it was strange, sometimes lonely, and anxiety-inducing, but always worthwhile.
It forces you to be sociable
IF you stay in hostels, travel by bus and join a few group tours, you’ll meet other people with similar plans and mindsets. I had so many more amazing days, nights or even weeks with new friends from all over the world, and made more connections than I would have done had I been travelling with someone else.
We often believe being alone means lonely, but when there’s a worldwide community of travellers, as well as people from the areas you’re travelling through, that’s simply not true.
There are so many myths around the dangers for women
IT’S important not to put a blanket ban on entire countries and continents because of sometimes dated or exaggerated perceptions.
The trick is to arm yourself with all the facts. Assess the risks and read up on common scams. I packed a money belt to hide emergency cash and credit cards, wore no jewellery, tried not to walk on my own late at night and was on alert for anyone throwing something towards me (a trick I’d heard about to distract tourists from their belongings). But I didn’t come across anyone in Peru or Bolivia anything less than welcoming, helpful and respectful. ... and you might be surprised what you take home with you LISTENING to – and acting on – your own wants and needs isn’t something we do very much. So, whether you want to book a plane ticket and pack a rucksack, or not, we could probably all benefit from making a bit more time for the things that make us happy.