7 useful tips for solo travelers

The first thing that comes to my mind about solo travel is freedom. Solo travelers reading this will probably agree that it feels great to prepare an itinerary of one's own choice and having full control over choosing what to do or what to avoid during a vacation. But everything in this world comes with a price. Travelling solo means being better prepared for unforeseen circumstances because when travelling with a group, sometimes it would be okay to piggy back on someone else for any kind of help or assistance you may require. I have been travelling solo for the past few years and below is a list of points that I have learnt and experienced. And now choose to follow them while travelling:

1) Do not disclose that you are travelling solo to strangers - When taxi drivers, shop owners, etc. notice that you are alone, they will be curious to ask if you are travelling by yourself. I have made the mistake of answering "yes" to that question and most of the time I have received appreciation for being strong, independent and courageous. As good as that sounds, it is still not worth it to disclose that one is alone. I realized this later on and would answer to people this way - "No, I'm here with my family/friends who didn't want to go out of coffee and they are at the hotel waiting for me to get back".

2) Always keep local emergency numbers handy - It is important to save basic local emergency numbers like hospital and police helpline in your phone anywhere you travel especially when travelling abroad. You could be in situations where you need help but no one is around and so those contacts would come to your rescue.

3) Do not disclose your travel plan - When you're having conversations with new people, they would ask details about your itinerary. It would be fair enough to briefly tell them about your travel plan but not more than that. If your trip is planned around multiple destinations, it is best not to disclose your next destination when you're departing from the current place.

4) Inform your close ones when travelling to remote places - If you have planned to visit a remote place that has weak or no network, then it is best to inform your people about the location, hotel details and the amount of time you will spend there in advance.

5) Be alert when commuting using public transport - It is important to stay alert when travelling on a bus, train or even a taxi. I had an instance when I was in a taxi alone and I was falling asleep since the journey was 40 kms long and the driver had noticed that. But since he was good at heart, I had reached my destination safely. So it is important that you are well rested before you go on a long journey by yourself and also share the live location with your close ones.

6) Double check hotels/homestays reviews - If you are using platforms like airbnb, booking.com etc to book your accommodation, you will notice most of these stays are also listed on google. Google reviews seem to be more genuine than what is mentioned on these the platforms.

7) Always withdraw or exchange money at a busy or crowded place - When travelling abroad, you would probably need to exchange currency or withdraw cash from an ATM. Always prefer doing this in a popular marketplace which is busy as it would be safer than doing this on a lonely street even if you are offered better exchange rate.

All of the above points mentioned are written with the intention to make your solo travel safe and enjoyable. Hope they are useful and I also hope to see more solo travelers during the trips that I will make in the future.