Maybe traveling solo is the best form of freedom!
When traveling by yourself, you make all decisions- what you want to do, what you want to eat, and pamper yourself when you feel like it. You definitely need travel solo at least once in your life. Only then will you appreciate the difference, as you can see more, hear more, and feel more. You don’t need to worry about your travel partners’ wants and needs, and you can make new friends during your tour.
Although it may seem simple, especially if you just travel to a city nearby, you need to prepare certain things prior your departure. Here are our tips for traveling alone, regardless of your destinations:
Know your strength
There are many type of travelers. Some love to spend their days in public places and mingle with locals, some may prefer to stay at a silent, quite resort. You really need to know your strength—if you are an introvert person it is better to go to a place that offers many passive entertainments. But if you are a sociable person who loves to make friends in every place you go, you can go to vibrant cities that suit your personality. However, this shouldn’t be a barrier for anybody—everybody can go to any place they want. Just make sure you really know what you are going to do in that place.
Learn your destination
This is a no brainer, but since you will go to that place alone, you really need to learn a bit about your destination. If necessary, learn the local language to ease your communication during your visit. Nobody will help you but yourself during your solo traveling.
Choose a right place to stay
Room rentals in apartment are the good choice, because it will give you an automatic connection with the residents. Be friendly with them, because it is a good chance that they will help you to take you around the town or recommend attractions and places for you. And yes, you’ll get some new friends!
Trust everyone and no one
Although one of the purposes of traveling alone is to make new friends, but this also makes you more vulnerable. Be careful if you want to ask them to hold your money or stuffs when you’re away for a while. Stay open minded, but keep your guard up. Safety is the main issue when traveling alone.
Eating alone
Some people might think that eating alone looks so sad, but, as a solo traveler, this thing is unavoidable. Trust us, eating alone is just as good as eating with a group of people. When eating alone, you can enjoy your meals more because no one disturbs you. Nobody will take pictures of your meal before you even enjoy it. Bring your favorite book or magazine if you need some company.
Take photos
Take photos of the places you visit as much as possible. The photos will speak themselves, especially if your face isn’t on those photos. Yes, of course you can still take a picture of yourself, but traveling alone will give you more chance to let the photos tell the story.
Don’t get too ambitious
Don’t be too ambitious, especially at the beginning or end of a trip. These are the most vulnerable times of your trips. At these times, you want things to go well, so you tend to freak out and stressed out. On these days, just take it easy on yourself. Make sure you are well-prepared so you can prevent unwanted stress during these times.
Don’t make things hard on yourself
The last but not least, enjoy your trip, don’t make things hard on yourself because it is the time where you can actually enjoy the moment by yourself!
