Why You Should Solo Travel

Sarah Smith
May 12
10 min read

Updated: May 12

I have spent the last 3 years solo traveling, and now I want to share my biggest take aways. Together we can dive deeper into what other travelers skip over. I'll reveal my solo travel hacks and how to stay safe!

Breaking out of your comfort zone

I remember when I used to be too intimidated to go anywhere alone. If it meant meeting friends somewhere rather than picking each other up and arriving together, I would find an excuse not to go. In college and even post college, the idea of eating alone at a cafe or grabbing dinner by myself sounded terrible. I would think, who wants to go to the movies, the park, or beach? Maybe I needed to prove something to myself or maybe I cared too much what others thought... but now that person is someone who spent 8 months in South East Asia solo traveling! Now I travel multiple times a year, and honestly I have more fears traveling with someone else than I do when going alone. I'm not saying you need to solo travel all the time, but if you're waiting for someone to go with you- then you're going to miss out on the opportunity to have some incredible experiences and gain some personal skills you wouldn't otherwise.

Letting go of fear

Fear is what's holding you back. The U.S is the biggest culprit to why you likely haven't gone alone. There's too much noise in your head and programing telling you how unsafe traveling is for women. I'm here to tell you how I've felt far safer walking down dark allies in Bali alone than I have getting gas alone at night in America. All the solo travelers I have met have reported feeling safer walking around cities abroad, more relaxed on travel transit, and are less fearful of attacks. Now this doesn't mean things don't happen, so let's talk more about safety and how to protect yourself.

Safety Guide

Research has revealed that attackers of s** crimes and other attacks don't choose their targets at random, and they choose people they percieve as distracted, submissive, unaware of their surroundings, and unlikely to resist. So how do you protect yourself while solo traveling?

First off, you're probably going to be asked ALOT who you're traveling with or if you're alone. So how should you respond? A common option might be to say you're on your way to meet up with a family member or friend. Never reveal to your drivers or tour guides that you're in a country alone. If you accidentally let that slip, make it known somehow that someone else knows where you are or who you're going with. (If I'm being honest, I have rarely ever felt the need to do this, but it's a common thing women do while adventuring alone).

Other things you can do is share with your hostel hosts where you're going and when you plan to be back. Communication with receptionists might not always be as easy, but just ask if you can share with them to ensure your safety. Share your active location via FindMyFriends or on Life360 with people who care to check in. You can also buy Apple AirTags to hide in your day bag or wallet. I personally think the biggest crimes you're most likely to face is theft and scams. Don't flash your money around, hide it, take out only what you need, and keep your belongings locked away.

Momma Sarah chimes in by reminding you to never over-drink & get wasted, never accept drinks from ANYONE that you haven't seen made directly at the bar. This doesn't just mean not taking drinks from men, but also women. If you want to be extra cautious, keep this in mind.

Stay in women only hostels (more rare to find but possible) or stay in women only dorm rooms. If you're staying in a hotel, you can buy door safety devices like this one: https://amzn.to/4tWX34V

Always use the apps like GoJek, Indrive, or Grab and don't make deals outside the app. I've done this before and the driver tried harassing me into giving more than the agreed amount. Check reviews for drivers as well, if they get bad reviews then cancel.

In certain countries the locals are more afraid of doing anything bad as their consequences are usually far more severe. It's best to always do your research before visiting a new place to make sure there isn't any type of local wars or protesting happening so you don't get stuck in the crossfires. Signup for safety alerts in the country you're visiting as well as the Travel Advice & Advisories for where you're a resident to via gov.org sites.

Tips on making friends

I think everyone goes through similar social anxiety, fear, or any form of struggle when going alone for the first time. My favorite and easiest method to approaching people and making new friends are card games! I HIGHLY suggest you bring a deck of cards or even UNO- I'm telling you this is a game changer. I'm not going to lie, this took me awhile to figure out but it's extremely effective. You can find someone else solo traveling and ask them if they want to play, and slowly invite others to join or just go up to a group of 2-4 people and ask if they know of any fun card games. I'd suggest finding a couple go-to games. In the evening make them drinking games as people in hostels rarely say no to a drinking game! While playing card games use this time to figure out what everyone is doing the next day day and see if you can join or see if anyone else is interested in doing what you have in mind.

I am a social butterfly and love talking to new people, but learning how to get out of my head and make the first move took some time to build confidence to do. Whenever I tell my friends about what I used to be like they're always super surprised- because to them I appear confident, well spoken, and super social...and I am, but this took a certain level of eagerness to make friends while adventuring alone.

Staying at hostels is by far the number 1 way to meet other travelers and make friends. I always use HostelWorld when booking because it offers local groupchat options through the platform to connect with everyone who booked through the platform and are not only staying at your hostel during the same time-frame but chats for ride shares, getting food, going out for drinks/partying, or for activities. I suggest utilizing this platform, as I've made friends and even travel flings this way (unintentionally). It's a great resource for pre-planning group excursions or ride-shares before even arriving to the country, however you can only join the chats about 5-7 days before your arrival. Many hostels even offer WhatsApp groupchats to connect with others staying there and group excursions.

While staying in hostels, ask to sit with people and join in on the conversation, no one has ever told me no. Use this time to find a quick connection and segway it into what their next plans are. Alot of the time this happens naturally.

At times, I have checked into fully booked hostels and then see no one around to really connect with as check in times people are still out doing things. Use this time to find out the weekly schedule at the hostel, ask receptionists what you should do or if they have any recommendations. Half the time the receptionists are other travelers voulnteering while the rest of the time it's a local or owner. Go wonder around and ask locals who speak English for recommendations on places others often miss.

There is a South East Asia WhatsApp groupchat you can join, but you need a personal invite to, which has hundreds of thousands of travelers for places like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc and is specifcally for backpackers. Reach out to me via Instagram or email and I will personally send you this invite. You can ask questions, get tips and suggestions, make friends, etc.

Talk to people during travel transit, such as on buses, trains, or preferably shuttles as that's usually the easiest. Start with asking where they're coming from and where they're heading to -basic questions but does the job. Find ways to connect with people and if you can't think of anything then start with a compliment ! It'll lower their guard and often soften the tone, making it easier to start a conversation.

A new favorite thing to do is to have a list of random and unique questions, and go up to a pair or small group and ask them the question. Everyone usually responds laughing as it throws them off but makes for a memorable introduction. Just go up to a group and say, "Can I ask you a super random question?"- Here's a few you can try:

If you were to survive an apocalypse with any person dead or alive, who would it be and why. Your partner and family don't count.
If you could only have 5 liquids for the rest of your life and each one came from s different finger, what would they be and why? Water doesn't count.
If you could have any superpower but it comes with a kryptonite, what would they be?
What's a completely useless skill that you're weirdly proud of?

Benefits of solo traveling

Traveling by yourself not only unlocks a new level of confidence but also personal communication skills- that is if you step outside of your comfort zone.

When you travel or backpack alone, you get to do all of what you want to do and not have to compromise. You can move at your own pace, stop to take photos of little details that catch your eye and not worry if it's bothering a companion. If you want space you won't offend anyone either. There's an opportunity to explore your sense of wonder. When you're alone, you notice a different world, small details catch your eye. A random walkway might call to you, leading you down a path to some seriously cool hidden spots. Sometimes it requires wondering off a main street or entering a random business.

There's two different types of solo traveling, one where you embrace your solitude and wait around for no one and the other where you connect and socialize with everyone around you. Both will offer you opportunities to experience travel in a way that you often won't ever experience when with a companion you came with. Alot of the times it seems people who travel in pairs just stick together and rarely branch out as much as other groups or solo travelers will.

You might even be lucky enough to be invited into a local's home, which for most people, this might sound absurd or dangerous - but hear me out- this is an opportunity for a beautifully intimate way to experience a new culture. I think obviously, this isn't something suggested everywhere in the world, but somewhere like South East Asia - I'd be open to it! In fact, I have had an amazing experience doing just this, you can hear the story on my TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thenomadnarratives/video/7633562520065690910?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7637741544234092046

Trust your instincts, don't just follow anyone home.

My personal favorite reason to solo travel is because it opens you up to the opportunity for a travel fling or romance. Not only have I experienced this to some degree in every country I have been to alone, but I have also met couples who met while traveling and are now married! Majority of the time there was a firey connection or deep conversations that allowed me to be myself more freely... I always assumed I'd probably never see or talk to them again.. but most of the time it played out in ways I never expected. Like being flown to to their home country and living with them... or meeting them again in new destinations.

Going Deeper

Let's be open and honest, solo traveling isn't generally easy at first. There are moments where you will be exploring by yourself. You are challenged to navigate foreign places where they speak forigen languages by yourself. For most people, this is terrifying, justifiably so.

I think for me when I started, I wasn't really scared or fearful. I was actually really excited.

BUT- I was challenged in a lot of new ways. I was navigating a break-up, I had just sold everything I owned to relocate to Hawaii, but had found myself booking a one way flight to Bali after 2 months. Emotionally I was navigating heavier things. Solo traveling felt calming and dramatic at the same time. Until the lonliness snuck in. I had been too stubborn to book a single hostel refusing to want to share a dorm with multiple people until about 6 weeks into traveling. This mad this harder, but not impossible. I was rarely ever alone.

Navigating the craving to share my travels with someone was real. I was torn between feeling wildly empowered as a 27 year old female doing her thing alone and wanting connection. So I started talking to people in cafes, started booking hostels, did group activites when I could. I bonded with my drivers and tour guides, and locals when I could. I put myself in places where I could cross paths with other travelers. Slowly I started building more confidence.

At times I had actually put myself in places where I could be alone. I wanted to use this time to get so lost until I could rediscover myself. I allowed the noise from back home to fade away. I stayed off my phone & laptop unless I was researching things to do, writing reflections, or communicating with someone. I spent 3 days in Batur in a room that had open windows with views of the lake & mountains often just sitting in total silence until I could hear my thoughts clearly enough. I started deep diving into healing parts of myself I had been ignoring for so long. The Yoga Barn in Ubud, Bali offered a wide range of classes that really opened yourself up to connecting deeper and more intituively.

What I learned about myself during my 10 months of solo traveling could never have been achieved if I had been traveling with a friend the entire time. Being alone allowed space to connect with myself in new ways. This entire journey was quite literally my Eat, Pray Love adventure. I went to see Shamens, particpated in countless spiritual & cleansing ceremonies or classes, meditated at a long list of different temples, immersed myself in whatever cultural activities I could partake in, tried a variety of new foods. Accepted a local's invitation into their home. Embraced romantic flings as entire adventures. Solo traveling gave me experiences & lessons money could never buy. So, this is your sign to book the flight, go to another state or country alone. Embrace all the challenges and beauty solo traveling has to offer! Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or want to even add in your own travel advice tto share with others!