Solo Travelling
I think everyone should go solo travelling at least once in their lifetime. Last year I travelled a lot; I was abroad for THREE months in total! I'm also guilty (and notorious) for last-minute getaways, so I've got all the tips for saving that coin! When it comes to travelling, 2018 was the year I went all out! I started the year in the Motherland (Kenya), followed by a girl's bday trip to Amsterdam in April. During summer I went on a 6-week solo travel to Thailand and Indonesia (I can't believe I missed the 1st real summer England has ever had... and I was in a 7-magnitude earthquake) and came back for two weeks before flying off to the South of France to hibernate for a month! Whilst out in the mountains I was having withdrawals (I know, I know) and agreed to a girl's bday trip to Paris and I honestly thought that was it... until I was invited to my cousin's wedding in Kosovo (the fatherland - I'm making it a thing!) just after Christmas. Yup, you could say I've gained my travel badge, and now I'm finally ready to share with you my stories and travel hacks to get you exploring the world too!
Previously, I had some experience with solo trips but it was a holiday. I'll explain how they're different... This holiday was spontaneous (surprise!) and I was 20 at a time and super overworked and stressed! I came back from work one day and just had the urge to leave the country (before you all come and send for me, I had not travelled or treated myself in years so I took the opportunity as I had a few days off). I literally googled "hot places in Europe in November" and Cyprus came back with fairly decent weather. I had three goals to tick off my list: 1. Travel somewhere alone, 2. Go somewhere I've never been before and 3. Go somewhere I don't know anyone. SEVEN hours after booking, I was at the airport and boarding my flight. I booked 4 nights in a hotel by the beach and had no idea what I was doing. You know when you make crazy decisions and realise in the morning? Yh, that was me as I was standing in the line for boarding, thinking "What exactly have I done?"
Now, the reason I say a solo holiday is different from travelling is the fact that a holiday is often shorter and more leisurely. I'm not sure if I would want to do a holiday alone for longer than 5 days, and that's coming from me - a social butterfly! Nothing screams "welcome abroad" than a double room with two separate beds (I pushed them together real quick!). Let me not make this sound like solo holidays are sad... I actually explored a lot of Paphos (I chose this city for its proximity to the beach and historical features) and its neighbouring town, Limassol. I managed to see Aphrodite's rocks and visited an ancient villa ruins. One thing I'll have to warn you on though, you HAVE to have confidence in yourself or at least a thick skin or you'll end up doing nothing! It might be a holiday but you can still explore (hotel staff are brilliant for giving you the lowdown on town and where to go). I treated myself to a cocktail night on the first day (the barman, Costas, gave me free shots and popcorn all night so I felt right at home) and dinner on the harbour a few times. I had perfected the "No, table for one, thanks :)" by night 2 and even squeezed in a spa day and checked out an art exhibition when I wasn't reading on the beach. It was fun though! I like my own company, which was a good thing because I was the youngest at my hotel by a good 60 years! Travelling solo allows you to explore your vulnerability and interact with people you wouldn't usually: on two nights I ate dinner at the hotel with this lovely old couple (who came with free words of wisdom!). If you're not sure whether travelling solo is your thing, give a 3 day solo holiday a try! You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.
Fast forward a couple of years and I've now gone on a 6-week solo trip to SE Asia. I only booked it a month before and that was on impulse too (I really must learn to plan ahead because I surprise myself sometimes). I wish I could say I did a bunch of research but I winged the entire thing. I only booked the first night hotel and changed it the day before and moved around day by day. Solo travelling is a lot different. You'll be carrying your "life" in a rucksack, trecking with it everywhere you go. You'll have to do pre-preparations such as checking what jabs/tablets you need and any visa-entry requirements you might have to be aware of. INSURANCE is also something you cannot skip on. Thankfully, I've never needed to use mine but I know people who would have been stranded without it! It's worth me noting that travelling as a female can put you at risk so it's always good to be mindful of certain things and places.
Travelling is whatever you make of it! This is the time where you literally have no-one to rely on but you. You make the calls, you decide where you're going and you have to take the initiative to talk to others! Don't worry though, everyone is in the same boat! Another thing people forget is money! With advances in technology, I wouldn't go with all your cash. My bank actually doesn't charge me for payments abroad now but I still use a travel card and I would highly recommend getting one if you plan to travel often. I use Revolut, which works in most countries and runs on Mastercard but there are plenty of cards you can research for yourself (Google is your best friend). One thing I will say, something I think is SUPER important is that one experience does not mirror another. I cannot stress this enough! Too often are people put off based on another person’s experience, and although taking things on board is smart, you must not let their fear and insecurities consume you! I had a fantastic experience but that’s because I CHOSE to. Things are not always going to go as planned but you must learn to adapt and be open to something new (within reason). Had I listened to some people before I went, I would have been miserable and scared. I was going somewhere on the other side of the world and didn’t even have a solid plan!
Common sense really needs to be exercised when travelling alone, and I’d recommend you downloading the following apps to help you along the way: Maps.me for navigation - it’s brilliant and doesn’t require internet once you have downloaded the area! Within the app, it also rates accommodation from other travellers and tells you where the nearest hostels and hotels are. Agoda, Booking.com, Airbnb and Hotels.com are also great for finding accommodation and if you’re a little boujie like me and don’t plan to stay in hostels (I did it three times so don’t attack me, hotels were cheap!) then there are some tricks to make sure you’re always paying the best price. Travelling solo was one of the best decisions I made last year. I saw some of the most beautiful beaches, sunsets and landscapes and met some incredible people. I bonded with all sorts of characters from around the world and have made some great international friends that I still keep in contact with! Travelling is never 100% safe, but no-where in this world really is. The best thing you can do is prepare yourself, do your research and apply common sense and you’ll be fine. Letting those at home know where you are also takes stress away from them and gives you peace of mind too.
Over the next few travel blogs, I’ll be sharing my experiences abroad and giving you the truth on being caught up in a natural disaster (the earthquake actually triggered a tsunami warning), how to find friends, how to stay safe, how to take pictures alone, my top things to do every time you travel AND I’ll tell you the dates to book off to get the most from your Annual Leave (see, I can be organised too!). If you have any questions or would like me to write on something in particular, please hit me up on my socials or via email!
I hope you get to travel this year and are brave enough to go it alone! We’re on this earth once and there is so much to see. Remember, we travel, not to escape life, but for life not to escape us! I want us all to explore the world outside of ours!
Until next time,
Liz x
