For the love of solo travel
Organising what you want to see, how long you want to be somewhere and when you want to leave.
Eating whatever you want, when you want. It could be pizza in Rome at 10am, or a third gelato at 4pm.
It is up to you.
It’s creating your own itinerary, not following a group or being told what to do.
Filling your day with as much or as little as you wish.
That’s the joy of solo travel.
Me at Lake Pukaki
This month’s travel blog linkup is all about love, so I thought I would share my passion for solo travel and what makes it so great.
I’ve done a few group tours in my time and while they are great to meet other travellers, there are always parts of them that are not quite up my alley, with my latest trip to Borneo being a good reminder of that.
You could say my first solo trip was when I moved to London, no knowing anyone, no job and no permanent place to stay. Yet, I’d probably say it was later, when I realised I didn’t want to waste the opportunity to travel to places I wanted to go, by waiting for people to join me. That was my whole reason for leaving New Zealand when I did!
Road near Regents Park in London
I started travelling to places I knew were easy to navigate, had plenty to see and were relatively safe. Places like Italy, Switzerland and popping around the UK. These were all easy options and I stayed in hostels, met fellow travellers, did short city walking tours that the hostels organised and got a feel for the solo travel life.
First, Switzerland
View from Chateau de Chillon, Montreux. Switzerland
The city of Bath, England.
Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre, Italy
Is solo travel lonely?
At times, yes. Dinners were when I really noticed it. However, as time went on I learnt to take a book or map with me to read or do travelling planning. Sometimes I’d eat my main meal at lunchtime when I felt more comfortable. When it came to long term solo travel in South America I’d eat dinner in hostels more, to socialise with fellow travellers rather than going out at night where I didn’t feel as safe.
Check out my Top 10 tips for solo travel here »
At Iguazu Falls, Argentina
Is solo travel safe?
For the most part, yes. As a solo traveller you’ve got to have your wits about you. I didn’t often go out at night unless I trusted the people I was wish, this meant I missed out on different cities nightlife, but it also meant I didn’t deal with hangovers and had budget to do more exciting things like food tours, adventure sports and once in a lifetime trips like a trip around the Galapagos.
Granted there were times I received unwanted attention and I didn’t have my story of being married or having a travel partner with me prepared. That is one thing I would recommend to all solo female travellers, have a story ready to explain you’re not alone when you receive unwanted attention.
Solo travel, the good and the bad »
Sea lion on the pier at San Cristobal, Galapagos
Blue Boobie, Eden, Galapagos
Let people in
As a solo traveller you learn a big part of travelling is getting to know people. Don’t assume the worst of a nationality, because more often than not, they will surprise you with their kindness.
Sometimes I’ve had to let people help me, when I’ve been ill or injured. Sometimes you have to realise you just can’t do everything on your own and you need to let people in.
Sunset over Spitzkoppe with the group, Namibia
How solo travel has changed for me
Stuck on the advanced beginner slopes for time being…
When I was younger sharing dorm rooms was the way to go, the way to meet people. It was the way to travel cheap too. Nowadays I’ll still stay at hostels (currently writing this at the YHA hostel near Mt. Ruapehu on a non-snowboarding day) but I’ll book a private room. I value my sleep without other people coming and going, rustling through bags or snoring. 8 months of travel through Africa and South/Central America was enough to cure me of sharing dorm rooms. Though if I did long term travel again, I’d return to dorms.
I travel less now too, it is a lot more expensive from New Zealand and takes a lot longer to get anywhere. I have other commitments now with my house/mortgage (cringe if you will), but I still budget for travel inside New Zealand, snowboarding trips and at least one trip abroad each year.
I have my eyes wide open now. All my travels have taught me you can learn a lot from watching and listening to others. My attitude is still treat others how you want to be treated and respect that other cultures have different ways of doing things.
The turning point in my solo travels »
Lake Matheson, South Island, New Zealand
Whakapapa Skifield, New Zealand – Happy Valley at sunset
New Zealand native bird – the Kea
Extensive travel
Having the attitude that I can travel on my own, with no issues, has allowed me to travel a large portion of the world. I’ve never waited for someone to join me, but always welcomed the odd friend that would like to come or travel buddy I meet along the way.
Agia Anna beach, Naxos, Greece
An Australian, an Austrian, A Spaniard and Kiwi go to Norway in search of the Northern Lights…
Solo travel to me, is not about travelling without friends, it is about travelling how I want to travel. Seeing the places I want to see and not being held back. I’d love to have a friend that loved to travel the way I do, to the places I love, but we all live our lives in our own ways and most of my friends have other priorities.
There’s a few places I won’t travel solo, but those are also places I don’t have a large desire to visit just yet. There’s places like Africa that I know are easier to travel on tours and I will still do tours there again in the future. However, my other adventures will always begin with the possibility of a self-made itinerary and solo travel planning.
Condor in Colca Canyon, Peru
Baboon walking with child, Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya
Me back in 2008 in Innsbruck, Austria
Freedom
The love of solo travel is freedom. The world is our oyster and there is so much of it to experience and learn from. Why would we ever hold back and not take these opportunities where we can? I want to live a fulfilling life and share what I learn on my travels, share my love of travel photography and solo travel allows me to do this.
A street in Valparaiso, walking daytrip in Chile
I love to travel! Such a great post!
Those are some amazing pictures.
Cheers!
Gorgeous photos 👌
Thanks!
What a beautiful post about Solo travel and I can totally understand your love for it. I used to be a solo traveller many moons ago and really enjoyed it too but now I travel more with my husband!
Nice! Always good to make the most of travel no matter what!
What an amazing journey and such great photos and memories.
Thanks for reading!
Chateau de Chillon, Montreux. Switzerland is definitely one of the most beautiful places i’ve ever been! And I travel everywhere solo too, it is the best 🙂
Yes! That was such a surprise gem to visit when I was in Lausanne! I just thought ‘can this place get any more beautiful?’ Then I went to First near Grindelwald and it really did get even more beautiful!
I love traveling solo! Hiking solo. I find it refreshing and peaceful and the best way to unwind.
Totally agree!
I’ve never seen Regents Park so pretty before.
such an amazing post. love the amazing pictures. thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks
I love solo travel! Me myself and I 😊 your adventures look amazing!!
Cheers, solo travel is great. So nice to hear from other solo travellers!
Thanks for reading!
Great post and although we travel as a couple so many of your points ring true for us too. Have to agree completely on hostels as we’ve outgrown dorms and always need our own privacy, especially a bathroom.
Cheers Jonno, yes private bathroom is a bonus I usually go for these days too! The YHA hostels in NZ seem to be for all ages and families too which is a different take on hostels again.
You’re so right. We loved all of the hostels we stayed in when we were in NZ, seemed set up for all ages and all types of traveller.
Yer kinda interesting how hostels and the clientele differ between countries too, there’s definitely some places that are party/young ones, but think NZ has plenty of ones for everyone
I guess it depends on the location. We stayed in a lovely easy going hostel in Abel Tasman that had all sorts there but then were in one in Te Anau that seemed like a party house.
Loved reading about your journey with solo travel… I agree there are good and bad aspects, and your relationship with solo travel can definitely change over time. I appreciate the freedom of it to do what *I* want to do! Also loved what you had to stay about hostels. I think a lot of people think hostels are only for 18-22 year old partiers but it is so not! I find that hostels have such community and spirit and are more likely to be social enterprises or environmentally conscious than big hotels. And thanks to private rooms you can still get a good night’s sleep and a good deal. I have loved staying in private rooms the last few times I’ve stayed in hostels.
Totally right? I was still doing dorms in my late 20s when I was travelling for 8 months and there were actually plenty of older people too. I figure the private rooms with bathrooms are like a cheap hotel, but you can use a shared kitchen which you don’t get in a lot of hotels!
I think it’s awesome to travel solo if that means you get to go and explore where you want to go. Totally get it about dinner times but a book definitely helps! Sounds like you’ve had some amazing trips, and hey, New Zealand sure isn’t bad either 😉 Hope the snow is good at Ruapehu this year!!
Cheers! So far the snow has been great!
I adore this post – this is exactly what I love about solo travel too!
Awww thanks hun
I’ve had some great solo trips too:) #travellinkup
It’s great that so many people don’t fear away from solo travel!
This year it’s been my goal to book a solo trip somewhere. It hasn’t happened yet, but these are great tips to keep in mind. Thanks!
Yes do it! Lots of easy options out there!
This was helpful as I’m currently traveling and have my boundaries with regard to hanging out late at night. I’ve been disappointed that I had to miss out on really neat nightlife/events, but safety is key.
Yes I agree. Try not to feel bad about missing night stuff, or make some friends to go out with maybe?
Yes, I’d definitely love to make new friends to go out with…it’s been challenging to make friends in France. It’s definitely not like the social scene in the U.S. where you can instantly make friends at a bar.
Yer I found hostels lounges and kitchens good places to meet people when I was travelling solo
Such an amazing post. love the amazing pictures. thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for a great post on solo travel. Freedom!
Freedom indeed!
Beautiful pictures 🙂
Thank you!
As you mentioned that solo travel is safe but not in all countries so before to go any new place always talk with local if possible about safety and accommodation.
Yes, but that’s not always possible. I do usually try to pre-book accomodation though
Inspiring post! I love photography as well, and I also moved to London alone without much going for me. It turned out to be the best move I ever made. Can’t wait to travel more, though!
You’ve captured some beautiful shots! I’ve never tried traveling solo but I can see how empowering that would be.
Thank you! Yes empowering is a good word for how solo travel makes you feel!
I left London to go to New Zealand for my first solo trip! Great post 😊
Haha cool opposite to me! Hope you enjoyed NZ!
I loved this post! Wanting to do my first solo trip soon! Thank you for the advice. Really enjoy your blog 😁
Good on you! Any questions let me know!
Thank you! Once I actually get dates down I will probably have some questions 😁
Awesome pictures!!
Thanks!
Great photos! Motivates me to continue working towards freely traveling solo.
I love your blog. I have traveled with one and many people but some of my favourite trips have been in my own. There are no concerns about wrong turns or horrible hotels when you have no one to blame but yourself.
i always do that.
I love this post. I’ve found dinners to be especially lonely too but i feel like being alone gets a bad rep. It’s actually really nice at times.
Yer sometimes I think it’s more people watching you eat alone than the actual dinner being lonely. Someone should just open a solo travellers cafe!
Great post and props to you for following your dreams and doing it on your own! BTW, we love New Zealand. So much to do there and so much to see!
Cheers! Glad you love NZ! I’m pretty lucky to call this beautiful country home
wow…great post, I always love traveling, its a great experience when you find out about different cultures and traditions, going into all the streets, nooks and corners, of the places we visit without anyone stopping us and telling us how things are to be done and at what time, is a great feeling indeed.
yeah! i love solo traveling too – even wrote a post about it too 🙂
Very interesting perspective! I like your idea of traveling!
Cheers! Thanks for reading
You’ve captured some beautiful shots! I’ve never tried traveling solo but I can see how empowering that would be.
Thanks it definitely changes you!
Beautiful pictures
Thank you! I agree!
great photos!
I love this post. As a teenager, I am very curious and can’t wait to explore the world! Am nervous about Solo travelling, but by reading your blog I am excited to try it 🙂 thank you
Glad it makes you excited!
I think every one should at least try to travel solo. It’s special, especially because you’re more flexible and will have more unexpected adventures. I think you put it into words perfectly, solo traveling is perfect for so many reasons.
Thanks, totally agree with you!
I love your post about solo travel it has really inspired me !!
Thanks for the great post..!
Thanks for sharing these
The appeal of solo travel does trump most of its downsides. Thanks for sharing these insights on it!