Top tips for solo travellers
Tips for travelling alone
Tuesday, 10, Jun 2008 11:41
The world teaches you certain lessons pretty quickly when travelling solo. Some of these come easily, especially through talking with experienced travellers - whose knowledge can be a valuable (although not always reliable) resource.
But other times you find things out the hard way. Experiences like desperately chasing after your bag as it's driven off on a random rickshaw, spending hours queuing for train tickets, or holding your head in your hands when you realise that you've been screwed over teach you the basics very quickly.
To help you avoid the worst panic-attacks travelbite.co.uk blogger Nick Claxton brings you some top tips for stress-free solo travels:
You will stand out, no matter what
There may be thousands of ex-pats in Singapore but I'm still conscious that most locals can tell I'm a tourist. In Nepal and India, there is no question of slipping by unnoticed.
It's important to accept that you'll attract stares or be approached by enquiring strangers.
Sometimes it can feel claustrophobic - and I imagine it's twenty times worse for women - but getting angry or annoyed will not make it any better.
Make as big a scene as possible if you feel threatened but try and shrug these things off until that line has been crossed.
Your bag may be a burden, but make it a light one
Your rucksack is impossible to miss, and sometimes you're incredibly aware of this fact. But instead of thinking that it makes you a target, its best to view it as an annoyance.
Too much fuss over your bag is only likely to attract attention to it. Pack nothing that you would sorely miss and then treat your rucksack with something approaching distain.
I've found this makes other people view it in the same way - this means I can stop worrying about it being nabbed and enjoy myself a lot more.
Pack light, but bring one luxury item
It may be bulky, impractical and responsible for the bruise developing on the top of my head after repeatedly falling from overhead compartments, but my guitar is one of the best things I'm carrying with me.
Try to keep everything else to the minimum but if possible bring something that's a luxury.
It might make no sense to bring along your prized chess set, a clarinet, or even your laptop, but they can be great ways to meet people - and give you something to do whenever boredom inevitably hits on those long train rides.
Trust your instincts
I've left my guitar in the hands of toilet attendants, been driven off to hostels in places I'd never heard of, and taken a guided city tour from a guy I soon realised was a drug dealer - all without running into any trouble.
Maybe I've just been lucky, but I put it down to trusting my instincts. I've turned away from similar situations just as readily when some red warning light flashed on in my head.
Don't feel sheepish about saying no; it can save you a lot of hassle. At the same time be open to saying yes to anything - as long as it feels right.
You'll be lonely sometimes, but it'll pass
Loneliness is the biggest, and most obvious, drawback of travelling solo. Unless you're incredibly outgoing or quickly run into someone travelling the same trip, you're unlikely to completely avoid this - especially if you are moving on regularly.
There will always be times when you're stuck by yourself, or stuck in a crowd with no-one else who understands you - which is a much worse feeling.
The best advice I can offer is to keep an upbeat, welcoming attitude and you'll soon bump into someone new to hang out with, at least until the next station.
Goodbye is the hardest word
Finally, one of the hardest things I've found when travelling is deciding when to move on to the next destination.
Stay too long in one place and you can stagnate, but when you're enjoying yourself there's always the nagging feeling that you'll be missing out by leaving.
So far I've successfully followed a simple rule to solve this dilemma: If you're having fun, stay.
But when you know the next track on the hostel playlist, its time to leave - that night if possible!
Saying goodbye is never fun, but staying too long can make fond memories turn sour - and the web now means 'goodbye' never has to be the final word.
Nick Claxton