Why You Should Consider Traveling Solo

It changes the way you see the world

Hey, hurry up! We have no time, only 10 minutes for this place.

When after a hectic journey from Phuntsheling to Thimpu, we finally reached the Buddha point and trying to enjoy the serenity and the gentle wind, the group leader told us that we must hurry because we need to go to another place as it was in our itinerary.

Yes, I’m talking about traveling with groups. You join a group, go through the itineraries, make your payment, visit a few places, have tons of selfies, and you’re done.

That’s all you get when you travel with a group. It’s good for your photo-album or Instagram but not for your life. To me — it’s a bad investment.

If taking photos is so important, why not hire a photographer cum graphic designer to put your face on the Everest and then post it on Instagram?

You may disagree — but, to me — traveling is all about experiencing the place, culture, and environment to understand the world we are living in.

Why I prefer traveling solo

My 9–5 job doesn’t allow me to be a full-time world-traveler. But I travel when I get bored with all this-and-that happening in the cubicle, and I need some fresh air to purify my soul.

I started traveling abroad in October 2017. My first trekking experience was a decent one. We went to Gangotri, India, for trekking Tapovan. It was a good experience in the end, though we went through numerous troubles on the way.

After that, between 2018 and 2019, I went to India many times with different tour groups. But not all of the tours were up to the mark. On my way to Meghalaya, I found difficulties at the border — waited almost 03 hours to clear immigration due to the poor decision making of our group leader. While going to Kullu, Manali, in 2018, the journey made a disastrous turn when a few of our tour-mates refused to cooperate with the group leader, and we lost the last bus to Manali.

I used to travel solo across the country since my university years, but while visiting another country, I thought it would be less troublesome if I joined a group. To be honest, I was wrong. So, I decided not to travel with any groups anymore and became a solo traveler.

Now, I travel solo — be it in my own country, or abroad. I am the ultimate authority of myself.

I go where my mind takes me, I eat what my tongue prefers, and I take a break when I feel tired. Nobody can stop me or bore me with their futile discussion. To me, traveling solo is like traveling with ultimate freedom.

I am not insisting you to do the same. If you prefer traveling with groups, going with the pre-fixed itineraries — do it. And for an older person, group travel may be safe and sound.

But if you are young and energetic — want to explore the places you go, learn a thing or two from local people — I will recommend you traveling solo. It changes the way you see the world.

Why you should consider traveling alone

It can be an incredible experience if you allow yourself to dive deep. Experiencing a different culture in a new land is always exciting.

When you go solo, you understand that a country or place is not exactly what you watch on YouTube or read in any travel-mag. It’s different in many ways.

There are tons of reasons why you should consider solo travel. I am giving you a few snippets in the following. Let’s see.

Freedom of decision making

In my last solo visit to India, I found Munnar a beautiful place to stay and experience the serenity of the environment.

The weather was calm, people were welcoming, and I was enjoying the hills and the surrounding tea-gardens. So, I decided to stay one more day than I planned. And I did it as there was no one to give a veto on my decision. Solo travel gives you this freedom.

Traveling alone means experiencing the ultimate freedom of decision making.

Go where you want to go — eat local foods, meet new people, make a few friends, do some adventures — nobody is stopping you. The freedom and excitement are endless. It’s like being the boss with the ultimate authority to choose anything anytime.

Step outside of your comfort zone to discover yourself

It is the most crucial part. When you are traveling alone, at some points, you may feel loneliness. You may start to think that you must be with someone or at least some friends.

But I think this is the best part of solo traveling. When you go solo, the persons next you can become your friends. All you need to do is — just start the conversation. Say hi to the next person, ask politely a few things or two, let him/her know that you love his/her country, that’s why you have come to visit.

Thus if you come out of your comfort zone, the next person will open up and join the conversation. You will pass a few fruitful moments enjoying the local vibes.

Interacting with the locals is the number one way to step outside of your comfort zone and understand other people and their way of life. But when you are with a group, you hardly have any opportunity to mix up with locals.

Meet interesting people

In Munnar, while I was waiting for my Chicken Biriyani at a restaurant, the waiter asked me about my home-town. When I said I came from Dhaka, Bangladesh, he was overjoyed.

Later, he told me about his love for Bengali music, asked me many questions, and I noticed, during the conversation, we become friends. He gave me a map of Munnar and marked a few places that I must visit. He told me that his name is Noman came from Kolkata.

I can still feel the experience — the hospitality, and the smile on his face. Thus, traveling alone allows us to meet interesting people on the road. It’s an inseparable part of solo traveling.

You start the conversation or allow other people to converse with you and see how the magic happens.

Improve your communication skill

It also improves your communication skill. The more you engage with local peoples, the more your communication skill develops. You may communicate with your body language as well if they don’t speak English or the language you speak.

While visiting Kumarakom, I found that hardly any local people understand English. It was the evening, I wanted to buy some snacks, but due to the pandemic, all hotels were closed before the dark. I found only a small shop open, selling a few food items.

The food seems unknown to me, and of course, I don’t speak their language as well. So, I tried to use my body language to make the shopkeeper understand what exactly I wanted, and after a few efforts, I succeeded.

A different experience I got while visiting Bhutan. Many of them speak excellent English. While reaching Paro, I told the driver to teach me a few Bhutanese words. And he did it with great enthusiasm, though I understood a little.

Thus, solo traveling develops one’s communication skills because without communicating with others, you cannot get anything in a foreign land. And when you start communicating with other people, you learn a lot in the process.

Enhance your problem-solving capacity

If you travel solo, your capacity for problem-solving will develop in no time. I can guarantee it.

The problems may come at any moment — you may find trouble finding a good hotel, the internet may stop working, you may lose your passport, your wallet may get stolen, you may miss your flights, and so on.

Solo travel can teach you how to cope up with an unprecedented situation. It will make you a more reasonable person who thinks deep and solves the problems that come in the way.

While traveling to Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary by bus, I found a gay man’s attitude questionable. I was irritated and, at the same time, terrified. I wrote about that experience in the below post.

I tackled the situation with a calm mind without any confrontation. Of course, I will never forget this awkward moment. But I was rational while making my decision.

Thus, solo traveling can enhance your problem-solving ability by making you aware of the whole situation.

Boost your confidence

When you are traveling solo, you are doing everything on your own. You only depend on yourself. And it’s an excellent opportunity to boost your confidence.

When you are booking your hotels, planning your next destination, choosing your local transportation where you know nearly nothing — it all depends on your gut-feelings.

You become more confident and easy-going when you travel alone. And your confidence brings you new experiences to make your life an eventful one.

Widen your worldview

I think it is the most significant outcome of solo traveling as you become conscious of the diversities and beauties of the world.

You become more resilient, thoughtful, and rational as a human being by traveling alone.

It may change the way you see the world around you. Comparing your culture concerning a new one develops your thought-process. Your acceptance level grows, and you become a better human being.

Every place you go or intend to go — has a few unique things to offer. If you keep an open mind and have a learning-attitude, you may benefit in many ways.

Solo travel gives you this ultimate opportunity to embrace other cultures as it is allowing you to mix up with that culture and people.

Disadvantages of solo traveling

There are hardly any disadvantages of solo-traveling. Yes, you may feel loneliness for the first few days, but it disappears when you open up with other people.

Sometimes solo travel can be expensive, and sometimes you may feel discomfort about your safety. But, trust me, this is nothing.

No one is waiting anywhere in the world with a dagger to stab you. So, don’t worry. People are welcoming everywhere in the world.

Final thoughts

Traveling alone means discovering your true self. How you act in your alone time reveals you. No matter how intimidating it sounds at first, I highly recommend you having that experience.

Let the roads and the people teach you about the world you are living in.

Keep on traveling!

If you are interested to know how you are destroying people’s traveling experiences, read the following article published in The Masterpiece