Backpacking the world is one of the most exciting and eye-opening experiences a person can have. For me, it has been a lifelong dream to travel and experience different cultures. However, when I was finally at a point in my life where I felt ready to travel, none of the people close to me were, meaning I had nobody to enjoy the adventure with. Instead of giving up on the dream, I explored the idea of travelling solo, and it’s safe to say that it’s the best decision I’ve ever made! Here is my advice as a female solo traveller.
Benefits of travelling solo
A lot of people ask me, “Why would you choose to travel alone?” My answer is simple: I would rather do things alone than miss out on the experience simply because nobody else wants to do it with me.
While sharing experiences with someone else is great, ‘travelling’ is not the same as ‘holidaying.’ Having the right travel partner is crucial; otherwise, it can end badly. None of my friends were keen on travelling for an extended period of living out of a backpack. In contrast, I wanted to experience hostel life and budget travel.
Solo travel also means having complete freedom to do what I want when I want. If I’m not enjoying somewhere and want to leave a day earlier than planned, I can. Solo travel avoids all the potential conflict and compromise that comes with travelling with someone else and allows me to be selfish when I want to be.
Making friends on the road as a female solo traveller
The fear of being lonely is arguably the most daunting part of solo travelling. However, any female solo traveller will tell you it’s actually ridiculously easy to meet people—you just have to be open to it. Sometimes it’s easier to make friends when traveling solo because people are more inclined to ensure you don’t feel lonely.
Hostels are not only super affordable but also full of like-minded people wanting to make friends and socialise. From chatting with people in dorm rooms to attending hostel social events like quizzes and bar crawls, there are plenty of ways to make friends. Just be brave and ask to join a card game or sit at people’s tables for dinner, and I guarantee they will chat with you. When researching hostels, I always look for ones with a good ‘atmosphere’ rating and read reviews to see whether they are described as social or not.
Tours are another great way to meet people. Whether it’s a longer-term group tour or just a one-day activity, tours are an excellent way to get chatting with other travellers staying in the same area as you. Generally, if I want to make new friends in a new place, I will book a tour or activity for my first day or two in the hope that I make some friends.
The power of social media has also made it so much easier to meet other people while travelling. There are designated groups on Facebook for female solo travellers in different countries, such as Gals Who Travel or The Travel Squad. Here, you can find posts of people in the same area as you—or write a post yourself if you’re feeling brave!—and ask to meet up. Hostelworld also has a ‘chat’ feature for the area you are in, which is another great way to meet new people before you’ve even arrived in the city.
Although there are some quite obvious places to meet new friends, I’ve also made friends in some of the most random places such as planes, toilets, viewpoints, passport control queues, and even snorkelling on the beach alone. As long as you’re receptive to it and open-minded, you can meet new friends just about anywhere!
Staying safe when travelling solo
Personally, my biggest worry about travelling alone, especially as a female solo traveller, was being potentially more vulnerable to danger – particularly when venturing to parts of the world with a different culture to mine and an added language barrier. To ensure I feel safe, there are a few extra precautions that I take.
Firstly, I actually avoid telling certain people that I’m travelling alone. For example, if I’m in a taxi from the airport, I will tell the driver that I’m meeting friends at the hostel. And, whilst on the topic of taxis, I avoid getting into tuk-tuks or taxis that I haven’t booked myself. So, if I’m going home from a night out, I’ll order a taxi or bike via Grab or Gojek if I can. If these apps aren’t available in the town I’m staying in, I’ll usually ask my hostel to book me a driver or to give me a local company’s number.
I also avoid carrying too much cash on me. In most parts of Asia and South America, cash is king. ATM fees mean that you often end up taking out large amounts of cash at once, however, I would advise you to keep most of your cash locked away at your hostel and just go about day-to-day with as much as you need for that day. This way, in the unlikely event that you do have money lost or stolen, you haven’t lost too much.
It’s also important to always have contingency plans and prepare for the worst. Turn your location tracking on in case you get lost or your phone goes missing, and even bring a backup phone if you can, pack spare bank cards and copies of all your important documents in case of emergency.
My most important advice for staying safe though, is to always trust your gut, especially as a female solo traveller. Most of the time, people are good and trustworthy and there will be times when you just have to simply trust strangers, but if something doesn’t feel right, then don’t be afraid to leave the situation, ask for help from someone or just lie. You would rather offend someone and remain safe than to save face and end up in danger.
The downside to solo travelling
Although solo travelling is an incredible experience, some aspects of travelling solo can be harder than if you were with friends or a partner.
Eating out alone is something that a lot of solo travellers really struggle with as they feel embarrassed to be sat in a restaurant alone. Personally, this has rarely bothered me and sometimes I actually prefer to eat out alone but there are times when I’ve felt a bit lonely or out of place when eating by myself. The best way to combat this is to have something to occupy you, whether that be reading a book, journalling or watching something on your phone.
Another option is to get quick street food that you can eat on the go or back at your hostel which means you are less likely to feel uncomfortable in a restaurant alone.
The most empowering thing about solo travelling for me is that I can do whatever I want when I want. However, this also means I have to do all of the thinking, planning, and organising myself which can be draining and stressful. Sometimes it would definitely be nice to have someone else do all the thinking for me!
There are times when I have met people that I have ended up travelling with for a few weeks or even months at a time. However, there have also been times when I’ve made friends for a few days and had to move on to a new city. This can be really hard, especially when you have made such strong connections in such a short space of time but it’s also the beauty of travelling that you meet so many amazing people. And, the power of social media means you are just a message away!
The absolute worst thing about solo travelling is when something goes wrong and you’re alone. I had a disastrous 20 minutes in Cambodia where I left my bag with all my documents, including my passport, in a Grab, just as I was about to get on a sleeper bus. Thankfully, some locals with very little English helped me as best they could, but this situation would’ve been 100 times better if I had a friend with me. Likewise, being unwell whilst you are alone is horrific as all you want is someone else to look after you.
Lessons I have learned as a female solo traveller
I have learned so much about myself and the world whilst travelling alone. The main thing I have realised is that the world really isn’t as scary as it seems. Of course, some parts of the world are safer than others, and you should always be cautious wherever you are, but generally speaking, people are kind and generous. I have actually found that in parts of the world that are less developed, the local people have been so much more friendly and helpful than I have experienced in the Western world.
I have also learned that you can make friends so easily and just about anywhere. You don’t even have to speak the same language to make connections with people – thank you Google Translate! As long as you are friendly and open to meeting people, you 100% won’t struggle to make friends.
Solo travelling is by far the best thing I have ever done, it’s definitely not always easy but it has taught me to really value my own company and I have experienced things I have always dreamed of and as a result, I have become a more confident person.
My advice for anyone thinking about solo travelling is to just bite the bullet and do it. The worst thing that can happen is that you don’t enjoy it and go back home again – after all, it’s better to have to say “Oh well!”, than “What if?”.
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