Travelling alone has many benefits… here are my reasons why I love going it alone!
Travelling alone gives you independence
Having to organise everything from flights to hotels, to transport, does have its tiring moments, but it also makes you entirely independent and reliant on yourself. It forces you to make decisions, to be responsible, reliable, and organised…and this increases independence.
These are all things that can help in other aspects of life, so although it can be exhausting at times, remember, you are going to learn a lot in the process.
Being able to get from A to B, to make friends, to catch the plane on time, organise accommodation bookings, are all small little achievements that add to your experience and that you can carry forward in other aspects of life.
You meet people from every corner of the globe
Travelling alone allows you to put yourself out there and talk to people you perhaps would not normally. You will meet the craziest people, with the wildest stories, you will learn about other religions, cultures, backgrounds, and ways of living.
No matter which destination you visit, it is the people you meet who really make the experience. Back home you may feel weird about sitting in a restaurant or bar alone, but when travelling it is much easier to do (and you sorta have to if you want to make friends). You will find that people will come up to you and introduce themselves fairly easily and you can end up chatting away like you have known the person for years!
This is what I love about travel- it teaches you to open up and talk to anyone.
You gain confidence when travelling alone
One of the biggest benefits of solo travel for me is the amount of confidence I gained from travelling alone and having to put myself out my comfort zone. You will inevitably do things that scare you, be put in situations that make you feel uncomfortable and be completely responsible for yourself.
These situations are a learning curve, and you may not always get it right, but you will certainly learn from it. Talk to other travellers and take in the advice they have or how they dealt with certain situations. Talk with the locals and get a feel for what the culture is really like and really embrace being alone.
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You are free to do what you like
When travelling solo, you are in charge of your itinerary and this means you do not have to compromise or wait for anyone else to make plans with. This is perhaps the biggest benefit of solo travel as it can open the door to so many opportunities.
There are no compromises, if you like a place, you can stay there a few extra days, if you do not, you can move on. I love this freedom travelling alone can bring. You can do whatever you want, when you want, and plans can easily change and develop…this is the best way to travel.
You may set off backpacking with an itinerary in mind but then could meet another like-minded traveller who suggests a place that was not on your list. Changing plans can sometimes lead to the best moments!
You have time to enjoy the small things
Sometimes, travelling by yourself and not having a travel companion to talk to, means you have more time to yourself, to simply observe the local way of like.
You may travel to India to see the famous Taj Mahal but find that the thing that interested you most was sitting on the train, watching the sun go down over the small villages. I remember a time I was travelling on a slow boat in Laos down the Mekong river, with a local family. There was something so simple abut sitting there, with not much to do, watching the world go by.
It can also be so interesting just watching the world around you, local life and how people interact with each other. Going to the local markets or wandering around the small streets and eating at local cafes, you can feel much more immersed in the local way of life and gain a greater understanding of the culture and way of doing things.
Obviously the big, touristy attractions are still worth visiting, there is a reason they are so popular after all; however, it can be those smaller, seemingly insignificant things that you will remember most.
Travelling alone of course has many more benefits and everyone’s experience will be different. Embrace your experience and make the most of your time travelling alone – you will look back with fond memories for sure! Let me know who travel has benefited you in the comments below 🙂
