Want to take off on a journey alone? Have no fear. Here are some destinations ideal for travelling solo.
Admiring the view from a volcano in Nicaragua
I have on several occasions gone solo on holidays, and over the past 2 years I travelled solo continuously around the world. Travelling on your own can be an incredible experience, though if it’s your first time (or you haven’t done it a lot) it is critical to pick the right destination.
I've found that some countries can be much easier to travel alone than others, meaning that choosing your destination carefully can have a huge effect on what kind of experience you'll have.
Easy vs. hard solo countries
To be honest, if you want to go backpacking alone somewhere, there’s always a way you can make it work. That doesn’t mean it will be easy necessarily, but as long as you are determined enough you can travel alone pretty much anywhere (the only exceptions being—to my mind—a few rare countries where it's just not very safe).
Want to take the Trans-Siberia Express all the way from Moscow to Bejing? You can totally do that. But … be prepared for it being a somewhat lonely experience. Want to go road tripping through the heartland of the U.S.A.? Again, you could have an amazing adventure, but it might be a more difficult place to be a traveller on your own as you might have to stay in hotels and motels not geared towards the solo traveller. Want to go to India? If you want to dive straight into the deep there's nothing stopping you. That said, the culture shock is going to be pretty severe, and you'll have to deal with all sorts of hassle on a daily basis.
If you want to flex those solo travel muscles a bit first, there are some better destinations to choose.
My own experience is mainly in travelling as a backpacker (particularly in low-cost destinations), and I find this is a great way to travel solo. I like to stay in backpacker hostels as they are by far the most welcoming places to stay. If you’ve not stayed in hostels before, check out my other post: What Are Hostels (And How Do They Work). The recommendations further down this post are all particularly suited to backpacker travel.
Some important things to look for
While I think anyone who is determined enough can eventually travel solo almost anywhere, there are three criteria to look for when you're still just getting your feet wet:
- Is a country fairly well-travelled (and does it have many backpacker hostels)?
Travelling solo is a bit like showing up to a party on your own. If it's already a great party with lots of laughter and many people there, it's easy to join the fun. If it's an awkwardly quiet cocktail reception, you might feel very differently. The best solo travel countries are like the fun parties where everyone's already having a great time.
If a country is well-travelled it is sure to have lots of backpacker hostels. Staying in hostels will make your trip much more social and a lot easier, as they typically have a fun communal atmosphere and attract many other solo travellers. Once you are more comfortable you don't need to rely on hostels all the time, but they are extremely helpful especially in the beginning.
- Are travel logistics easy or should you expect much hassle?
When you are on your own it can be a little more difficult dealing with complicated travel logistics. An ideal destination will have plenty of transit connections, easy visa formalities, relative safety, and so on. It's nice to not have to worry about these things as much so you can focus on simply making the most of your time.
- Does a country have a tight circuit and/or obvious route?
It helps if a country has an obvious backpacking route or if a country is relatively small. Large countries like Russia, the United States, Mexico (outside of the Yucatan/Chiapas circuit in the south), India and China are less ideal, as you can always go everywhere from any point. But wherever there's a more compact circuit, travellers are more likely to be heading in roughly the same direction at any given time. This makes it easier to make friends on the trail (and to meet them again or even travel together). It also makes it easier to get useful tips and information from other travellers about places to go next. With a tight circuit you'll usually just have 1 or 2 obvious next places to go on the route, which takes a lot of stress out of your journey.
Great places to travel solo
My own (solo) backpacking experience comes mainly from Southeast Asia and Latin America, so my suggestions for the best places to travel alone are mostly from these parts of the world. I just like to speak from personal experience! But if I had to tell a novice solo traveller where to go, I would recommend one of the following countries:
Thailand
Highlights: Bangkok nightlife, beaches and tropical islands in the south, calm and laidback Chiang Mai and Pai in the north, Buddhist temples, mindblowingly good food.
Why Go Solo? Thailand is, frankly, the easiest country in the world to go backpacking that I know of. It might seem like a distant and exotic place that will be difficult to navigate, but it's not. Some people worry about language barriers, but I guarantee you this won't be an issue in Thailand; many people speak English, particularly those working in the tourism industry. Thailand is also such a popular destination that you'll find great backpacker hostels catering to all types of travellers everywhere, and it's one of the easiest countries to find travel buddies spontaniously. Are you worried about travelling 'all on your own'? Don't be, because you'll inevitably meet others travelling solo just like you in Thailand all the time.
It should be said that the Thailand backpacker crowd skews quite young, though if you don't want to party on a beach every day there's obviously plenty of other adventures to be had.
For more, check out my Thailand backpacking guide »
Vietnam
Mekong delta region, Vietnam
Highlights: seeing the crazy hustle and bustle of a Vietnamese city, the limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay, and rice terraces of Sapa. If you're looking to party, you can do so very well in Nha Trang.
Why Go Solo? Vietnam actually has one thing going against it: there's a bit of a scam/rip-off culture, and taxi drivers can be particularly difficult to deal with, so read up on how to recognize a scam and steer clear of them. What it has going for it: it's full of backpacker hostels, it's cheap and easy to travel around, and most of all, the country's long vertical shape makes it ideal for a solo traveller. Everyone is either travelling north to south, or south to north. That means people you meet in Ho Chi Minh City (south) or in Hanoi (north) are pretty likely to be going the same way, and it's easy to team up with other solo backpackers.
For more, check out my Vietnam backpacking guide »
Peru and Bolivia
(Frequently combined in one trip, but also great individually)
Machu Picchu
Highlights: almost too many to mention. The Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, lake Titicaca (the largest high-altitude lake), trekking the Inca Trail or Colca Canyon, the salt flats of Bolivia, and much much more.
Why Go Solo? Peru may look like a big country on the map, and it sure is, but most the action happens south of Lima. It's actually got a tight and well-established backpacker circuit, with most people following roughly the same route. Peru is the most popular backpacking country of South America, so you won't be the only one travelling there (solo or otherwise). If you want to meet other travellers, a great place to start is Cusco. Many backpackers combine southern Peru and Bolivia into a single trip.
Read more about backpacking in Peru »
Mexico and Guatemala
(Frequently combined in one trip, but also great individually)
Travel around Guatemala in some of these colorful buses
Highlights: paradisical beaches in the Yucatan region of Mexico, delicious food and fascinating culture in Oaxaca, epic Mayan ruins of Tikal in Guatemala, and the stunning lake of Atitlan ringed by massive volcanoes. Some great beach and party destinations in Mexico. For more info, check out my backpacking guides for Mexicoand Guatemala.
Why Go Solo? Contrary to popular belief (especially amongst Americans), Mexico is actually very safe for tourists. This is doubly true in the southern regions like the Yucatan and Oaxaca, where Mexican tourism is concentrated most. Transporation connections are cheap and convenient, so you don't have to worry much about how to get from A to B. Many travellers combine a trip to southern Mexico with an excursion into Guatemala. This country is a bit rough around the edges (very basic infrastructure, and crime can be a problem in specific areas), but it's also one of the most rewarding backpacking destinations in the world. Beach destinations in Mexico such as Tulum and Playa Del Carmen are excellent for meeting people and making friends.
Western Europe
Highlights: all of the great cities (Paris, London, Rome, Barcelona, etc.), picturesque rural areas of France and Italy in particular, epic landscapes in the Alps, and lots of dramatic variety between countries especially when compared to the travel distances involved
Why Go Solo? I have focused much on far-flung destinations so far, mainly because I'm from Europe myself and will sometimes forget what's right at my doorstep! But Europe is clearly an amazing region to travel, and it's understandably enormously popular with North Americans especially.
One of the downsides of backpacking in Europe is that it's really spread out and there are no clear routes that everyone follows. Another downside is that it's rather expensive to travel in Europe compared to some of the places I just covered. On the other hand, safety issues are minimal and travellers are likely to have a worry-free experience.
Europe is huge for city travel, so if you like cities you're going to love it. All the major cities have great modern hostels. The couchsurfing scene is also massive in Europe, and even if you don't want to stay on people's couches there are regular CouchSurfing meet-ups where you can meet both locals and other travellers. The CouchSurfing meet-up in London for instance has become somewhat of an institution and attracts a huge crowd every time; it's a great place to meet people and get tips on where to go.
Australia
Highlights: I've only seen a few bits and pieces of Australia myself. That said, Melbourne and Sydney are clear highlights, as well as the many surfing/beach destinations, and of course going into the Australian outback.
Why Go Solo? While it is a vast country, you will find that most people travel similar routes along the coast in the south and southeast. Australians are HUGE travellers themselves (go to any country in the world and you're guaranteed to meet some Ozzies) and that means they've built up an amazing backpacker infrastructure in their own country. Backpacker hostels are everywhere, and they're very good. Many Australians have travelled themselves, and so they tend to be very welcoming to people visiting their country. Something to keep in mind depending on your perspective is that the backpacker crowd in Australia is very boozy and tends to be quite a bit younger than elsewhere however. It's particularly popular among younger European backpackers (and it's no coincidence the second Inbetweeners movie was set here). This can be a good or bad thing depending on what you're looking for.
Remember: you can meet people anywhere
While it helps to pick a good place to travel solo, it doesn't have to be a lonely affair no matter where you are going. Most people who have travelled solo a lot will tell you that they're rarely alone. This has also been the case for yours truly: everywhere I've travelled I've met other wonderful people, some of whom I ended up travelling together with. Sometimes I might prefer to be alone and have more of an introspective experience, but during the majority of my solo travels I've been amongst other people.
Want to learn how to travel solo? Check out my book Travel the World Without Worries (out now on paperback and as ebook), which not only deals with general backpacking topics such as packing, insurance, or safety, but also goed into great depth on solo travel specifically. You'll learn how to make friends, how to have a great time on your own, and how to succesfully plan your solo trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment