How to Plan an Effective Solo Travel

 

As I have said in the past, solo travel is probably one of the best experiences someone can have in a lifetime. In my case, even just a few solo travels have taught me so much about myself and my limitations that I don't think I can ever learn in another way. 

As exciting as it sounds, planning a solo trip is also a little tricky since there is so much more things to consider and all the big decisions are up to you.

Here's a quick guide on how to plan an effective solo travel:

Have a realistic budget.

The most important part of your trip is to check how much you actually can spend on that particular trip. If a specific destination is way out of your budget, consider postponing it at a much later date or consider another destination.

Make sure you account the emergency expenses like travel health insurance (especially if it's a longer trip or a trip to a more risky destination), extra cash if you get lost in the destination country or basically anything that can go wrong with a trip that you'll need some extra money on. If you are not planning to convert all of your budget in the local currency, make sure your debit card works internationally for withdrawals. 

Research the safety and security of the places you will go to.

I know spontaneity is a beautiful thing, but it is honestly not the safest. If you are planning on going on a solo trip or even if you have company, it is always best to put your life and safety first. I suggest you read on Reddit or Trip Advisor about other people's experiences in a specific destination or hotel and see if the cons that they found were things that you can or cannot tolerate.

If you are booking a hotel, you have to consider the balance of cost and how safe the surroundings are because what I realised was that some accommodations are a lot cheaper but they're really not that safe. 

It also comes in handy if you have emergency numbers in the destination country saved on your mobile phone or having a physical copy tucked in.

Join group tours.

There will be places that you'll need private transportation for because they're not easily accessible by public transport. This is one of the cases where solo travel can get very expensive. If you want to save money but still want to get to those types of places, you might want to consider joining a group tour. 

Websites like KKDay, Klook and Traveloka have really great and reliable join-in tour packages. If your destination is not in those sites, you can contact certified travel agencies in your destination country if there are tour groups that you can join in.

Don't worry - even if you're joining a group tour, socialisation is totally optional.

Have a detailed itinerary.

This is very optional but for me, having a detailed itinerary has helped a lot in making my trips go smoother. You would not want to arrive in a foreign land clueless and just leaving it all to chance because that is just not realistic. 

Make sure you have at least an idea of how to get to places, when you should be in those places and how much things cost. Save yourself the stress so you can have a better trip.

Keep in touch.

Never go on a solo trip without letting a single soul know where you are going and when you are coming back - take the Aron Rolston's experience as a lesson (if you don't know who he is, check out the movie 127 hours).

It is important for at least one other person to know your whereabout and you can even share your itinerary with them just in case. This is a solo trip, but you still want to prioritise safety above all.

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