Seven Reasons To Go Travelling Solo

[travelhappy]

I wrote an article recently called Seven Reasons To Go Travelling Solo. It became a Hot Pick on Reddit.com and was also mentioned on Backpacking.com and Rolf Potts' Vagabonding.net, which was very gratifying.

Best of all though was when I sent the link to Steve Pavlina, saying how I'd written the article after being inspired by some of his pieces. I wasn't expecting a reply, but he mailed back saying he thought it was an "awesome article". That made my day, I can tell you.

Anyway, at the risk of being a link whore, I thought I'd post the link here in case anyone else finds it interesting.

Best,
Chris

[ripni]

Reading it... Maybe it can help me on my intention on doing the Santiago's Path.
Thank you.

[floramorada]

Thank you for posting this! I think i'm going to really enjoy learning from your website.

[travelhappy]

Thanks guys - glad you found it useful. Happy travels

[justin]

Hey Chris--I wrote a piece about your article over at Rolf's blog a while back.

Small world.

[travelhappy]

Hi Justin

good to see you here too. Your link at Vagabonding sent me a lot of visitors, so it was very welcome. Thanks again. The link here on the SP forum is sending quite a lot too - solo travel is something that seems to get a lot of interest.

I wondering what else I can write that will be of genuine use to other people out there - so if you have any questions or suggestions about travelling, solo or otherwise, let me know.

Cheers
Chris

[Calculusaurus]

Interesting. I've been thinking a lot about traveling lately.

Good article, consider yourself ctrl-D'd :P

[transcendence]

Nice article. I just responded to it...

Originally Posted by travelhappy

I wondering what else I can write that will be of genuine use to other people out there - so if you have any questions or suggestions about travelling, solo or otherwise, let me know.

What about something along the lines of living in a foreign country for an extended period of time. Especially a country that doesn't speak English as a first language. I lived in China for a year and while it was easy to meet and get to know other foreigners, I found it difficult to meet and really get to "know" people in the community. Language and cultural barriers can be difficult to get past. What advice do you have for "integrating" into a foreign society?

andy.

[Dimitry]

Great article. I've done travelling with my parents when I was a kid due to immigration (Israel 1.5 years, Guatemala 3 months) and I've really enjoyed it. While here in Canada, we've also travelled a lot local and saw Arizona which I think is a very beautiful state.

This article really hit it close to home and is pushing me in making plans 2 years from now when I graduate. Thanks!

[Royce_aus]

Thankyou for the article,
I've been saving for travel recently and you're article has made lots of information accessible, although half the fun is finding these things out for yourself, It's really comforting to have something of a base to work off.

[Phi]

If you go travelling solo or together with 1-2 other persons then consider using Hospitality Club. It's a great organization where you can sleep for free all over the world.

I have used it a lot on my travels. It cuts away a major expense (hotels) and makes it easy to backpack for several months at the time

I have also had some people come and stay in our home. It has been great, since most of the people in Hospitality Club are very interesting.

[Conan Stevens]

Travel solo.

I moved to Asia by myself, great chance to meet new people, people you would not normally meet. Develop your social skills.

I have bookmarked your article for later reading - I think I will agree heartily, as this is from one of my latest blogs:

Overland To Phnom Penh

Here is a photo of the inside of our van making the journey, as you can see, as usual for the way I like to travel I am the only white face present. Why the heck would anyone travel on a tour with a pack of tourists? If I want to see and meet westerners I will go to a their country. I am in Asia, I want to see, meet and experience Asia so I travel by myself with the locals. It is more of an adventure.

I recommend everyone get out and trvel internationally by YOURSELF often, it is character building

[Jez]

Great article, travelhappy-- and I agree 100%. I lived and travelled in S.E. Asia for almost 3 years, and then in central Europe for 9 more. My husband isn't much for travelling, unfortunately, but in September I had a chance to spend a few days by myself in Rome-- sheer bliss!

[Phi]

Conan Stevens: How did you decide to move to SE Asia? And where did you set up residence?

[Redisbest]

Hey, TravelHappy Chris!

I wondering what else I can write that will be of genuine use to other people out there - so if you have any questions or suggestions about travelling, solo or otherwise, let me know.

What about traveling solo for women? That's a real challening thing - I've been over Southern Africa earlier this about-to-end 2006 year, but not solo. I think it's a really tricky thing. I'm not sure I would try it for safety reasons.

Any tips?

[travelhappy]

Hi everyone

sorry I have not responded to questions earlier - I forgot to keep an eye on this thread. (I've also discovered you can get email updates when there's a new post on a discussion by going to "Thread Tools > Subscribe to Threads")

Roy_aus, Dimitry, Jez - thanks for the kind comments.

Redisbest: women can and do go travelling solo - my girlfriend travelled all over Japan on her own - but agreed it's perhaps more challenging. I wouldn't let it stop you though.

I guess it's about keeping a sense of perspective - New York and London can be pretty dangerous places too - and researching where you go. Japan and Singapore, for example, have famously low crime rates and you'd be unlikely to run into much trouble there as a woman on your own.

Similarly in Thailand, where I live, I've met scores of solo women travellers. If you stick to the established backpacking circuit, you will meet other people to travel with, and even if you don't, you will be travelling with other tourists on buses, trains etc.

Attitude is important, I think - in India or Egypt you will get stared at on occasion as a western woman which you can find threatening or merely irritating. A lot of things depend on how you take them and that will shape your whole travel experience.

I realise it's easy for me to waffle on like this as I'm a man - if you have specific concerns, please let me know and perhaps I can help. (Or ask my girlfriend's opinion which might be more useful!)

[travelhappy]

Transcendence wrote:

"What about something along the lines of living in a foreign country for an extended period of time. Especially a country that doesn't speak English as a first language. I lived in China for a year and while it was easy to meet and get to know other foreigners, I found it difficult to meet and really get to "know" people in the community. Language and cultural barriers can be difficult to get past. What advice do you have for "integrating" into a foreign society?"

I don't think there's an easy way to do this. To integrate into a foreign community requires learning the language. Here in Thailand I speak a little Thai and I have several Thai friends, but they all speak fluent English. So a lot of the "real Thailand" is closed off to me. By learning the language, you understand how a people shape and frame their world - and of course, learning it takes many years to get to that point. it's only through language you can develop any depth to friendships, and any sense of trust too.

In the short term, I guess putting yourself out there and doing as many activities as possible where the locals, rather than expats, go so that you meet lots of people is a good start. It can be hard work if you don't speak the language but the effort will be ultimately rewarded, even if you have a lot of frustrating false starts. And of course, it helps you pick up some of the language too.

[Conan Stevens]

Getting a local girlfriend helps a tad, esp one the doesn't hang with Falangs (foreigners), one that does not speak much English is the easiest and quickest way to learn a new language and can give you quick and easy access to local only events and viewpoints.

[travelhappy]

That is very true ;-)

There was a movie made a couple of years ago starring Jessica Alba called The Sleeping Dictionary. A "sleeping dictionary" was how the colonial British referred to their native girlfriends in Borneo because they learned Malay much quicker if they had a local girlfriend. Obviously not very politically correct, but it's certainly true that meeting someone from a different culture is probably the biggest motivator for people learning foreign languages