My thoughts on solo travel

At the outset, let me tell you that I have mostly travelled either with my family or friends. But I think that the experiences I had from these limited solo journeys if good enough to put my thoughts about various aspects travelling alone.

Where did I travel solo?

• Kailash Manasa Sarovar – technically not a solo travel as I joined the group in Kathmandu. But everyone was new to me.
• Masai Mara in Kenya – I travelled alone to Kenya, but I joined the group at Nairobi.
• Argentina and Antarctica – A solo trip of 21 days, Antarctica part being an organized ship travel.
• South America trip to Peru, Bolivia and Chile – My longest trip until now lasting for 24 days.
• Personal time taken out from my Official trips – I have company most of the time, but I did travel alone to few places like Switzerland, Prague and Budapest.

When do I travel solo?

As mentioned earlier, my solo travels are an exception rather than a regular feature. I travel solo when my family could not accompany me for the following reasons.

• Food – During family trips we normally cook ourselves (Ex: New Zealand, Australia, Mauritius) or at least have one Indian meal per day (Ex: Bali, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Hongkong etc). I think Jordon was the only exception where we did not had Indian meal. In some places like South America, there are not many choices for Vegetarian food. While I don’t mind the food as long as it is vegetarian, my family would like to have some choices. Everyone has their own view.
• Tough destination – My family do not demand luxury but do expect some level of comfort. But some places require hardships. Kailash Manasa Sarovar is one such places where comfort cannot be expected. Toilet conditions are horrendous (I am using a very light word!!). Similarly treks in Himalayan ranges are long and require some level of fitness and endure discomfort.
• Lacking interest – I travelled to Masai Mara to see animals. It did not matter that I had to be on the safari vehicle for the whole day from dawn to dusk braving hot and dusty weather. Not everyone likes that. Multi day treks also fall in this category.
• Official trips – Of course, my family do not join me on Official trips. I can only travel with my colleagues or go alone.

In such conditions, I end up travelling alone. Sometimes, I am joined by my friends but not always. I am grateful that my family supports me on such solo journeys. Generally, cost is not the reason for travelling alone. I would rather delay the travel and make financial plan to support the trip.

Advantages of travelling solo

There are some advantages of travelling solo which is the not the case when you are with someone.

• Flexible schedule – Complete freedom. I can decide to walk for 30 kms in a day or if I am tired, take rest in a hotel. It is possible to stay in hostels and economy hotels. I can just decide to skip a meal and have some fruits and yogurts. Since I travel relatively light weight during solo journeys, I can go on public transport. If you are with family or with friends, you need to have consensus on the plan.
• Cost – Naturally, the total cost of travel would be less if you are travelling alone. But cost per person would be lesser if you travel with family or friends as there are many things that can be shared (Ex: Hotel room, rental car). If you are looking at lowering the overall cost, then travelling with friends is the cheapest mode. For example, three of us travelled to Ladakh for 15 days for amount as low as 40K INR per head. The cost included flight tickets. We had a Jeep with a driver for 8 out of 15 days. We stayed at house boats in Srinagar, did rafting in Zanskar river and reached remote places visited by few people.
• Self-time – I think it is important for everyone to have some time for him/herself. It may be limited or may not be possible on a normal day. Solo journey helps one to spend time with himself, listen to the inner voice and do some introspection.
• Make new friends – I am an introvert and it takes time for me to “Warm up”. In spite of that, I was able to make few friends, with relationships lasting for last several years.

Drawbacks of solo travel

• The feeling of being alone – Sometimes, during the journey I find myself alone and feel that I should have had someone to talk. Lot of people derive energy from drinks, smoking and partying. I do not belong to any of these categories!! Chances of me feeling homesick are higher.
• Health issues – When things go bad in terms of health, it would be better if someone is with you. While trekking to Everest base camp, my friend developed Altitude Mountain Sickness which deteriorated as we climbed. It would have been difficult if he was alone.
• Missing some experiences – There are some places which could be very expensive if you travel alone. You need to go on an organized tour in some cases. If there were 3-4 people, then you could rent a car or hire a taxi for lesser amount than going on an organized tour. For example, Uluru in Australia could be a very costly experience for a solo traveller.

Final words

We are social beings and it is important for us to consider all relations – Family, partner, children, parents, friends instead of thinking about self always. But it is also important to make space for ourselves and travelling solo is a great way to achieve it.