SOLO TRAVEL

Free to Roam

There’s nothing to fear and everything to gain when you travel solo. BY JACK GUY

Reaching the Top:

A solo climber at Al Khazneh in the ancient city of Petra, Jordan

PHOTO: © DMITRII MELNIKOV | DREAMSTIME .COM A s the name suggests, solo travel is essentially traveling alone. But unless you are trekking through the wilderness, you never will be truly alone. The beauty of solo travel lies in that it makes you more open to meeting new people, whether that be a host family with whom you eat dinner in their guest house or some fellow travelers at the hotel bar.

As is the case with group travel, your packing list will vary depending on your destination and what you want to do when you get there. The main difference with solo travel is your mental preparation. It’s worth remembering you will be the one making decisions on what to see, what to eat, when you do it and how to get there. Smartphones make this far easier than in days gone by, but nonetheless, the freedom to choose can sometimes prove stressful. It’s important to embrace the idea and remember: You’re on holiday, you’ve got nowhere to be and no one waiting on you.

Single Shot:

Recording memories while exploring the world alone

PHOTO: © AARON AMAT | DREAMSTIME.COM

Shared Experiences:

Solo travelers can join a group activity like a cooking class or wine tasting.

PHOTO: © STEFAN DAHL | DREAMSTIME.COM

For those who may be nervous about traveling solo, consider planning a trip to a destination you have visited before to give a sense of familiarity or somewhere where you speak at least a little of the local language, which makes it easier to get around and meet people. You could even start by taking a day or two out of a group trip to travel alone, safe in the knowledge your friends or family are close by. Or join local group experiences you can find online, such as wine tasting in Paris or a cooking class in Mumbai. And if the thought of meeting strangers fills you with dread, look for locals or expat groups in your destination and see if you can make a connection before you arrive. Maybe there is a supporters’ group for a sports team you would like to watch play or a particular music scene you’d like to experience.

In terms of staying safe in unfamiliar surroundings, take the same precautions as you would on a group trip, but add a few specific measures. Send your location to a family member every so often, or even enable them to track your phone using a specific app. Take a photo of the license plate of taxis you get into and send them to a trusted contact, and make sure you’ve saved copies of your documents securely online. Try not to be so wary of strangers you miss out on meeting new people, but at the same time don’t take unnecessary risks. Commonsense decisions remain the same as when you’re on any other trip.

As for choosing where to travel, it ultimately boils down to what you want to see and do, but it’s also worth bearing in mind that in certain parts of the world, well-trodden routes have developed which make life easier for solo travelers. One example is Central America, where generations of adventure travelers encouraged the development of a string of hotels, tour companies and transport links throughout the continent. Similarly, the socalled Banana Pancake Trail in Southeast Asia takes its name from the food stalls which popped up along the route to feed Western visitors. In addition, traveling in Europe is easy thanks to options such as the Eurail pass, which offers unlimited train travel for a set period of time, as well as well-developed air links. Not only does this kind of infrastructure make it easier to meet other travelers, it can also help keep costs down, as traveling solo does tend to cost more than group travel.

For those who want to get off the beaten track, the good news is you can always stick a pin in the map and travel wherever your heart desires. That’s pretty much how I ended up on a slow boat from Yurimaguas to Iquitos in Peru, winding down the Huallaga

Miles from Nowhere:

Town on the shore of the Yanayacu River in the Amazon rain forest near Iquitos, Peru

PHOTO: © JESSE KRAFT | DREAMSTIME.COM and Marañón rivers before joining the mighty Amazon. Fortunately, I was in no hurry, as the boat stayed in port in Yurimaguas — a nice enough place but one without any major attractions — until it was full. This meant three nights sleeping in a hammock on deck before we even left, giving me ample time to get to know my fellow passengers.

A varied bunch made up of families returning home to small villages with supplies for the next few weeks; traders heading to Iquitos, the largest city in the Peruvian Amazon; and those heading even farther downstream to Colombia and Brazil, they were mostly friendly and curious about what I was doing. When we did eventually leave, loaded with everything from brand-new motorbikes to a shipment of cattle, the boat made slow progress down the majestic river, stopping every now and then to let people and goods on and off. Some of the stops served fairly large villages, others dropped people off at what appeared to be small clearings in the forest with no visible signs of human habitation.

On board there wasn’t much to do except read, talk to other passengers and marvel as the Amazon rolled past, but it was an amazing experience. After four days, punctuated by a few nervous hours stuck on a sandbank in the middle of the river, we arrived at the port of Iquitos. By this stage I almost didn’t want to get off, accustomed as I was to the rhythm of life on the boat. After a few days in the city I was ready to sail again, and I continued to the Colombian city of Leticia in the tri-border area shared with Brazil and Peru before flying to Bogotá.

It’s a journey that sticks in the memory from a long trip around South America and one that underlined the value of solo travel. With no friends or family around and nowhere particular to be, I was free to settle in and experience a journey that was mind-boggling to me but perfectly normal for those around me. I came away with a better understanding of life in the Amazon and an appreciation of how differently other people relate to the concept of time.

With no friends or family to remind you about daily life, traveling solo makes it possible to forget about home and all of its assumptions and offers a powerful way to learn about a new place as well as yourself along the way. If you’ve got this far into the article, you’re obviously interested in traveling by yourself, so there is only one thing left to say: Go and make your reservations now.