Solo Travel: 5 Reasons To Travel Alone

I've traveled to quite a few countries, mostly with my family and school. During those travels there was always a part of me that longed to separate from the group. I wanted to see what's it like to be on my own. In groups I always felt too safe, as if I had cheated somehow.
Several years have passed since my last trip with family and in that time I have been on three backpacking trips, alone.

The fear of being on my own seems to omit me until the last moment - usually as I'm about to board a plane it strikes me that I'm going half way around the world to some country that is rarely heard from at home. That's when fear kicks in, not the real fear, just an unusual feeling associated with fear. But it disappears after a few hours/days in the country. At least that's how it's been so far.

I usually set goals for trips - more often than not, it is to escape the comfortability of a daily routine, to end the lack of responsibility and experience something new again for a change. Whenever I decide to go somewhere, family and friends can't resist the urge to toss out comments and protests - saying my plans are unsafe and that I "barely hatched" and should therefore not walk the Earth alone. In a way I'm grateful for their commenting. It reinforces my initial decision because I want to prove them wrong.

So, what is so unique about solo travel?
Here are my reasons:

1. Independence

Traveling alone is an experience of ultimate freedom. When on your own, you don't have to rely on others and nobody is going to judge you. You are free to go where you want, when you want, however you want. You can sleep late, skip breakfast, wander around at 4am, change plans at the last moment, and nobody is going to say a word. No debates, no arguing, no compromises. It's all up to you.

In the beginning it may take some time to realize that you are free to do whatever you please. You may subconsciously avoid doing some things even if you're interested in them, just because that's how you would act back at home. Let go of that. Give yourself permission to explore the unknown.

2) Learn To Expect The Unexpected

By learning to expect the unexpected I mean getting thrown off the bus at some small village late in the evening, miles away from your desired destination, and instead of panicking, you would simply laugh. Or arrive in an unfamiliar city at 2am and not worry about a thing. Or walk on the road for hours before finally getting a ride and feel good about it.

You would be surprised what all can (and will) go wrong during your solo travel. While it may be frustrating at first, you'll learn to cope with the unexpected and stop caring so much about everything. Sooner or later you may even start appreciating all of it.

I still remember my first solo trip when I was 18. I arrived at the Singapore Changi Airport (which is on the other side of the world) and I didn't have a clue how to get into the city. So I panicked a little. I wandered around airport for ~2 hours before figuring out where I needed to go. I was reluctant of asking for advice. Big mistake. After finally arriving in the city centre I was even more lost. It was getting dark and I still needed to find accommodation. Tired and lost I sat on the sidewalk, trying to calm down and come up with a solution. After a while I managed to convince myself it's not a big deal and soon after I found the hostel I was looking for.

The more such experiences, the better - the quicker you get used to all kind of situations.

3) Leave Home (And Travel Companions) Behind

Traveling with friends doesn't allow you to experience the far-flung country in its true colours. If you bring a friend, you may find yourselves spending most of the time talking about home-related things/gossip that don't belong in the environment you're in. Thus you tend to miss a lot of details. Bringing a friend with you often means you're packing remnants of home along with other things.

When traveling solo, observation becomes means of entertainment. I've seen people traveling as a couple or in group who, rather than noticing the diverse landscapes out of the train/bus window, were lost discussing which movie they've watched and arguing about trivial things. If only they knew what they had missed.

Also, traveling with friends will only prevent you from being truly yourself. They serve as a "safety-lock" which doesn't allow you to change - they constantly remind you of who you are.

4) Meet The Locals

You are likely to meet far more people when you're on your own than you would if you're protected by "invisible shield" made by your friends. Locals and other lone travelers tend to avoid groups because it's harder to make contact with a group than with an individual. Socializing is easier because you're alone - you're easier to get to.

In Vietnam, wherever I'd been I couldn't sit down without having at least one local approach me and discuss things in English. Obviously the main reason was to practice english - some students came equipped with 2 dictionaries in their small bags. It was really an interesting experience talking to so many locals, discussing various topics.
One time I was sitting in the park in Hanoi, tired after a whole day of sightseeing. I noticed a Vietnamese girl sitting on a bench on the opposite side. I just acknowledged she was there and continued watching the traffic and people walking by. After ~15 minutes she approached me, really shy, and wanted to practice english. She had only been learning english for 3 months so there was a lot of pointing and waving with hands. Awesome experience. This would have never happened if I had friends with me.

5) Growth

Traveling solo will definitely play a key role in your own personal development. Any long trip will change you, probably for the better. People change through time, but it usually takes years to develop a different view on the world. Traveling accelerates this.
Every trip enriches you - whether you've become more confident, or you've learnt things about yourself that you previously had not known, or changed your view on certain things. Chances are you will like and be proud of your new self.


Walking into the unknown by yourself isn't for everyone though. It also has its downsides - being lonely and taking risks are the top reasons why many choose not to travel alone. If you're still in dilemma whether you should try it or not - go for it! In the end, the positive aspects by far outweigh the negative. And as Tairaka1985 said below one of my previous posts:

"Traveling is a wonderful thing. It really opens your mind up to how other people exist in this world. I recommend that everyone travel to somewhere far away at least once in their life. Usually the experience makes a good impression."