Top Destinations For Solo Travelling

POSTED BY Mavy | May 8, 2015
Label: Travel Tips

Solo travel, for many people, is a spiritual experience the first time they do it. Travelling alone gives you time to contemplate, experiment, question, wonder and grow as a human being. It could also be your ultimate experience in self-indulgence. Or you could simply stop over-analysing your time alone and just go out and have fun, try new activities, meet with new people, and develop lifelong memories.

Though travelling solo is not entirely a “fun” experience, with safety concerns et al, there is another way to describe it: Fulfilling!

Pack your bags and start searching for cheap flights to Goa, Phuket, New Zealand or wherever it is that you want to go. Before you do that, read through the article for some pros and cons of solo travelling and a few backpacking solo tips.

  

Pros:

solo travel

1. Independence

The biggest reason solo travelling is celebrated across the world is independence. You are your own boss and your own ally. You decide your schedule, places you want to see, shopping, food….the list goes on.

2. Meeting new people

One of the perks of travelling solo is the huge diversity of people you encounter. Some become your best friends, some teach you important life lessons and almost all of them broaden your horizon. What’s more, you may even fall in love with a fellow backpacker.

3. Flexibility: hitch a hike

There’s an advantage when you travel solo. There’s room for you in an overcrowded bus, a hostel or casa with full rooms, and even theatres and flights sometimes happen to have just one seat remaining! So, yes, you’re flexible and can get into any tiny opening you find.

4. Personal growth

When you are by yourself, you become self-reliant. You learn to deal with challenges on your own. You learn to troubleshoot, to accept responsibility for things going wrong, and identify with potential shortcomings in your personality and find ways to fix them.

  

Cons:

solo travel

1. The L-word

Yes, it can get LONELY without friends or family. But with smart phones and the Internet, you are no longer totally separated from your loved ones. Moreover, you always have the option to team up with fellow travellers and have fun.

2. Expensive

You do spend more travelling solo than travelling in a group. Single bedrooms in a hotel cost just about marginally less than double rooms. Car rentals get expensive. Sometimes, you pay more for food and tickets to concerts too.

3. Safety

Safety is the solo traveller’s pet peeve! But you can reduce, if not eliminate the risk, by doing your research, avoiding walking around at night, avoiding sketchy neighbourhoods and sticking to busy streets and public transport services.

  

All said and done, here’s our pick for the best places in case you’re thinking of backpacking America or Asia. Enjoy yourselves!

solo travel

1. San Francisco

A city for hippies, sorry backpackers! Plus, it’s cool (like literally) and cultural, with happy citizens and awesome food!

What to see and do: Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, especially when it’s lit up at night, the Alcatraz Rock, and Haight Ashbury, where the hippie movement was born. Also, the Muir Woods are beautiful and have the tallest trees on earth!

Safety: avoid Tenderloin between Turk and O’Farrell streets, Mission District and Potrero Hill at night, and the Sunnydale neighbourhood.

2. Los Angeles

LA is gorgeous, has perfectly clear skies and sunny days all year and it’s home to Hollywood!

What to see and do: Universal Studios, Disneyland, the beautiful beaches, from Venice to Redondo to Santa Monica, Walk of Fame and LA Country Museum of Art. Also, we recommend hiking to the Hollywood sign.

Safety: Avoid downtown Los Angeles at night, south-central Los Angeles, east Los Angeles and the Skid Row.

3. New York

The Big Apple is easily one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Also, this is the city that never sleeps!

What to see and do: Times Square, Statue of Liberty, lounging around in Central Park, Broadway and the oh-so-yummy restaurant and street food!

Safety: Relatively safer than other cities, except that you must be careful while taking the subway at night. Also, avoid Harlem and the Alphabet City at night.

4. Atlanta

Theme parks, museums, battlefields, CNN, and music: this city’s got them all and so much more.

What to see and do: Downtown Atlanta and its various attractions, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Piedmont Park and the Civil War sites.

Safety: Relatively safe, although it is recommended that you do not go to The Bluff and MARTA at night.

5. Bangkok

Bangkok is both calm and chaotic. You can both slow down and speed up: depending on what you want to do here. Plus, it’s the Venice of the East! So, book your flights to Bangkok today!

What to see and do: The various temples and the Buddhist culture, the tuk-tuks, Grand Palace, Lumphini Park and Bangkok National Museum. Oh, and shopping!

Safety: very safe, in terms of crime. But credit card scams, fake brands, fake gem stones and pick-pocketing are rampant in the Business District.

6. Goa

Why Goa? Because where else could you experience the rich Indian history and culture in a Western-friendly package?

What to see and do: the pretty beaches with palm trees, Basilica of Bom Jesus, Se Cathedral, Fort Aguada and yoga retreats.

Safety: relatively safe, but beware of going to the beaches at night.

7. Hong Kong

Hong Kong is colourful, in a state of chaos and yet breathtaking. And yes, who doesn’t like Chinese food.

What to See: the Hong Kong skyline from Victoria Peak, horse racing, St. John’s Cathedral and the museums at Kowloon.

Safety: with all the protests and vandalism reported, we know safety is a huge issue. So, be respectful, stay away from political talk and you should be okay.

 

Travelling solo is certainly the most amazing experience you can have! Like they say,

If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light! Keep your jealousies and grudges behind! – Cesare Pavese

Happy travelling!

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