Sometimes my best friend is strapped for cash and cannot join me on a getaway. Other days I just want to plan a getaway without accommodating anyone. Treating myself and meditating has allowed me to discover myself even more. I also learn the world better without the influence of people who have been to places before me. And best of them all is the freedom I get to fully indulge in empowering opportunities, new friendships, and self-discovery.
I know most of you think that a solo journey is a gloomy experience. Sure, it is overwhelming to plan the destinations. Nonetheless, all my solo adventures have been a source of joy that I laugh so hard thinking about how scared I was before implementing my travel plans. I consider it a gift because I learned and grew, getting closer to my inner self. I don’t want you to make a few mistakes I did in my last two vacations. Learn from them and focus on the best parts of solo travels.
Taking the Solo Part Personal
Yes, it was a me-myself-and-I thing but I took the ‘solo’ part too seriously the first time. I forgot that there were tour guides at my destination. These aides are excellent when catering to solo travelers. Many companies look forward to working with adventurers and offer tours all over the destination country. I once visited Costa Rica and met these young professionals who create specialty groups for lone tourists. The group was ready to go hiking on Arenal Volcano. Guess what? It was an exciting experience because I had the comfort of having people around to take pictures.
Poor Choice of Accommodation
If there is one thing I swear by all is to never skimp on hotel booking. Many times we are hooked on the idea of saving money since we are not traveling with kids or our partners. Truth is, we need to stay in safe and comfortable resorts. I am very keen on the type of room the hotel is offering, I need to see a safe place where I can keep my valuable items. It doesn’t have to be a presidential suite but I need all the safety perks in place.
Forgetting the Unseen
Emergencies happen anywhere whether we are at home or in foreign countries. My flight was delayed two summers ago and I did not have a contingency plan. Yet I had written my Thailand travel itinerary and even shared it with my mom. I arrived in Thailand 26 hours later than I had planned. The delay was enough to get my mother shaken up because she couldn’t understand why I took too long to tell her I had arrived. Another thing I learned to always buy in advance before going abroad is travel insurance. Lastly, I must carry some emergency funds just in case I have to flex the budget due to unexpected economical changes.
Over Packing
Packing for any trip- long or short- one of the areas I am yet to master. The problem with solo travels is that we don’t have people to help us with carrying our luggage unless we hire chauffeurs. Planning for our travel bags thus becomes critical. I have realized that many hotels allow the clients to clean clothes so I can wash and wear them the next day. If I must wear an extra jacket, I would rather buy it when I arrive at my destination.
Not Budgeting
Failure to plan a budget is a tripwire for overspending. I have decided to make all my solo trips frugal. So I have to be meticulous with finances before leaving. The exchange rates are very fluctuating and so I must budget for them even as I check hotel and food prices where I am heading to. At the end of my budget plan, I need to come up with the amount of money I will be spending every day, tentatively. I have recently found out about certain credit cards on the internet that help you to save and budget so I am considering looking into one of those before my next trip.
Before taking a flight to some far-off place all by yourself, be wary of the aforementioned blunders. Forget about pointless ideologies that claim solitary vacations to be expensive, dangerous, and boring. I have found out that eating alone is quite stimulating. Stop holding back from planning a trip to Europe, Asia, or Africa alone.
