Why Travel Solo?
Of course not to your surprise, I'm travelling alone in Cambodia as I type away. This is my first travelling alone experience to a long-haul destination (yes, I went to Rome once too). As daunting as it may sound, and it certainly did seem a bit scary to me at first - especially after travelling 3 week around Thailand with so many people, one being one of my best friends, it has been a truly spectacular experience in many ways that I would like to share with you. For those who have not set off by themselves before, I hope that after having read this post, you will be searching for your next destination.
So why is that so many people chose to travel alone? Read on..
1. YOUR PLANS, YOUR PACE
One of the most liberating things of travelling alone is to be able to make your own plans without having to worry about others willing to go along with them or not. Whether it’s a day packed with sightseeing or a day of just doing nothing lying by the pool relaxing as you sip your fruit shake, its you who decides! We all love a bit of company; people around us, going snorkeling or on city excursions, but sometimes all we want to do is nothing but relax. Even on a holday with friends, I often find I need to have some timeout to be by myself even if its just for half an hour. And this is coming from someone who loves having people around!
2. YOUR BUDGET
As much fun as holiday planning with friends can be, the budget piece always is the challenge! It's not easy to find travel companions that are willing to go along with a budget as small or as big as you and this can often complicate things. You may end up either missing out on things you wanted to do or see or having to go along with plans that are not really your cup of tea. Well good news is, if you're travelling alone, the opportunities are limitless within your budget limits of course. You decide whether you want to treat yourself to a 5 star hotel and enjoy your own company or whether you prefer to be in a hostel where you can meet others. You decide how exactly you want to spend your days. Maybe go on that cooking course your travel companion wasn’t so keen on or visit some remote islands others were not up for exploring. It's your cash so you get to decide on what and how you want to spend it.
3. SOUL WORK
In the fast paced environment we live in, how often do we actually stop to listen to our own bodies, mind, and soul? It's not surprising why yoga and meditation holiday packages have become so popular recently. It's almost like you need to say 'I am taking this time to meditate, relax, practise yoga and work on my own well being'. I am a huge supporter of these holidays and definitely would like to go on one myself however I also believe that you DON'T need to specifically purchase a 'Yoga Holiday Retreat' to spare some time for soul work.
The best thing about travelling alone is that you actually get to stop from all the running, the doing, the being and take a step back. You get to take a step back and look at your life as an outsider. What am I doing, being these days.?? You get to analyse your own level of happiness and self satisfaction with not only your life but your very own self. Do you really love what you do? Are you happy with you career and where it's heading or are you stuck in some routine just because it's what expected of you? Are you channelling your energy and using your talent(s) in the right way? Or do you even know what you are good at? When travelling by yourself, you get to determine your own pace of living and go with your own flow Ask your own questions and find your own answers. You are left to find your own answers. This is the beauty of being and feeling alone. You are left to do some soul searching and trust me, you will be surprised with how much you enjoy your own company. Some of the most interesting people I met during my travels in Cambodia were the ones travelling solo.
You get to be who you want to be. No judgements, no strings attached. You are free to do, to be, and to act upon whatever YOU want. So why not try it? Take some time for yourself. Indulge in yourself and I promise you, you will return feeling a lot more confident in who you are, happier with yourself, and with the feeling that you've meditated twice a day for however long you were away and that you've practised all the yoga postures that ever existed! Of course you can also directly go for a yoga retreat holiday as well. Like I said, it's your holiday, it's you time, so your wishes are your plans! ENJOY!!!!
4. NEW FRIENDS
Who doesn’t enjoy the company of other people? Even if you are the most introverted person on earth, admit it, nobody likes to be alone forever. As a super sociable extravert, the BEST part of travelling alone for me was meeting new people, hearing about their stories and their travels. I admit that my first day in Cambodia I never felt more lonely. I checked into my hotel by myself (after having travelled with 5 people for 3 weeks across Thailand) and all I wanted to do was 'nothing'. I spent the whole day in my room lying in bed not knowing what to do with myself.
The second day I decided I had to do something about it - of course this was also driven by my curiosity to explore Siem Reap. I decided to join a cycling tour to explore the City of Angkor off the beaten track. I booked myself onto a tour with Grasshopper hours which offer great cycling days out across Asia. I would highly recommend checking them out if cycling is something you enjoy. Just don't forget your sunscreen! During this day tour I met a lovely solo traveller with whom I ended up spending my evening with. The next day I went to an incredible breakfast spot during which I shared a table with another solo traveller and again, we got chatting and we ended up spending my whole day and evening with her. Of course you won't always be the one taking the first step to start a conversation. Especially if you're a woman it's a lot easier I would say! :)
What I am trying to say is that, travelling solo makes you get out of your comfort zone and actually make an effort to talk to people. And once you do, you will be surprised with how many interesting people you meet and what a great time you have. It's almost like going to a theme park, wanting to go on that rollercoaster but freaking out until you actually get in your seat and fasten your seat belt. Once the seatbelt is fastened you know there is no going back and you start freaking out. But once the ride is over and done with, you feel that big smile on your face and you say 'I want to do that again'. This is exactly how I would describe meeting new people when you are travelling by yourself.
Do you know what the best part of it all is? These people tend to be the ones that you always keep in touch with via social media and one day in some other foreign land, you will probably meet again. So make sure you do get out of your comfort zone and make the effort to get to know people.
5. CULTURAL INTEGRATION
What is the purpose of travelling? Why do we actually spend a significant amount of money and fly to a random destination hours away? I appreciate that everyone would have a different answer or numerous answers to this question but in the end of the day, don't we all want to feel part of a different culture, fully live and breathe the French, the Asian, the Latin culture?? We want our ears to melody with different languages, voices around us. Our taste buds to get spoilt by local delicacies, and our eyes to sparkle to unfamiliar faces.
When we often travel with friends, family, or our partners, we continue with our usual habits we have back at home, speak our own common language, and follow similar routines. This is the social psychology of groupings. There is nothing bad or unusual about this. In fact, it is the most commonly known phenomenon that us human beings have followed since mankind existed. When you travel alone, you will find yourself becoming a lot more aware of your surroundings, observing them, asking questions to locals, eating alone in a restaurant talking with the waiters or the owner who recommends you various local dishes. You will speak to the children running around on the streets playing. You will end up in a spa chatting to your therapist finding out about her childhood, how she was married off to her husband, what wedding traditions they have, and how her life compares to other locals. This is how my trip panned out and after a week in Cambodia I already felt a lot more like a local tourist compared to my 3 weeks in Thailand with my group of friends.
Of course I am not suggesting that you cannot or will not experience any of the above if you are travelling with a group of friends, I am just highlighting the fact that you do mix in with your surrounding s a lot more naturally and more consciously when you are travelling solo.