Wednesday, September 24, 2014

6 Reasons Why Traveling Alone Is Awesome

When traveling, many people consider tagging along friends and family. Not only does traveling with a group of people give a sense of security, the fact that we’ll be with people we like also assures us that it will be a fun and memorable trip.
Yet more and more people are now experimenting with the concept of solo traveling. From teenagers to retired professionals, regardless of gender, it’s now common for us to see solitary wanderers sauntering along Boracay’s white beach, exploring the attractions of Universal Studios in Singapore, or even backpacking long-term around the world.
If you’re wondering what makes solo traveling attractive, here are 6 things that might convince you to try it at least once.

1. You can travel anytime you want.

Traveling with a group requires you to consider other people’s schedules and although it’s completely possible to decide on an itinerary that works for everyone, it’s bound to take a lot of planning time.
In many cases, you’ll have someone trying to negotiate dates, another (maybe even yourself) bailing out due to conflict of schedule, or the worst case scenario — ending up with a postponed or even cancelled trip because the group couldn’t decide on a schedule that works for everyone.
The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.
From muchzen.com
Traveling on your own, on the other hand, gives you a more flexible schedule. The date of departure and return solely depends on you so if you feel like extending or cutting your trip short, all you have to do is decide.

2. You can do whatever you want with your time and itinerary.

Before a trip, you are most likely to make a list of the places you want to visit, activities you want to try, food to eat, and places to stay. But traveling with a group means having to deal with the personal preferences of each member.
This means that it’s possible that you’ll be the only one eager to climb a hilltop temple, ride thezip line, or eat exotic foods. In the unfortunate event that the group does not approve of your plans, you’re forced to either give it up or waste time trying to convince them.
Going solo lets you create an itinerary that will perfectly suit your travel wishes. You can go toplaces nobody would dare visit or try crazy stunts others may lack the courage to do. You’ll have the liberty to visit every spot you find worthy of exploring and manage your time exactly the way you want.
Harly Marcuap Solo Traveling
Harly Marcuap climbing atop a massive boulder in Calayan Island, Cagayan
Do you want to eat on a street somewhere and not inside a cozy restaurant? Or maybe you’d rather eat comfortably in a restaurant than compete with the hungry crowd on the street? Would you rather have Chinese food instead of Indian food? It’s all up to you!

3. You get to decide how you want to spend your money.

From buying pasalubong to having enough cash for certain activities to even as simple as transportation costs, money is a major factor when traveling. Knowing how to effectively manage it dictates the quality of your trip.
Moving solo lets you monitor your finances better.
For instance, if you think you are running low on cash, you can decide to scrimp on things you think aren’t worth spending on. And if you still have plenty of pocket money left, you can splurge all you want.
In terms of budgeting one’s finances, the downside of going with a group is when you’re forced to spend on something you hardly find worth your money — a fancy dinner for example. Or maybe they want to stay in an expensive hotel while for you the extra money should go on island hopping and souvenirs. If you’re not careful, it’s easy to end up overspending when traveling with a group.
Overspending Fortune Cookie
Photo by Briana Martinez
Underspending is also possible especially when you don’t want to appear extravagant in front of your friends and family. What if you wish to try kitesurfing in Boracay but your travel companions can’t because they don’t have enough money for it? To be considerate, you will probably forgo your kitesurfing dreams in exchange for cheaper alternatives which everyone in the group could afford.

4. You’ll have more opportunities to meet locals.

Since you are traveling alone, you’re left with no other choice but to interact with the people around you. You’ll resort to asking directions from locals, befriend some of them, and in the process exchange stories and ideas through random conversations. This way you’ll have more opportunities to appreciate their culture; the way they talk, the food they eat, their opinions in life, their language, as well as their unique practices and beliefs.
Free lunch with Tausug friends
Free lunch with newfound Tausug friends in Parang, Sulu
On the contrary, when traveling with a group, you’re bound to spend the majority of your time with your travel companions. This reduces the time of interaction between you and the place you’re visiting. You may be able to gaze upon all the wonderful sceneries or try every exciting activity with your friends and family, but still end up missing one essential element of traveling — basking in the local culture.

5. You’ll free yourself from unforeseen group conflicts.

When we travel with a group, sometimes you’ll have to deal with misunderstandings that happen between members. And if the group is unable to anticipate and repair conflicts, it can seriously ruin a trip, creating tension at a time when everyone’s supposed to enjoy and have fun.
Going solo cuts you loose from all these mood-spoiling dramas.
Group Conflict
Photo from estherderby.com
There will be no need for you to hide your opinions just to please the ego of a certain friend, or waste your vacation time trying to fix rifts escalating within the group.

6. You will enhance your decision-making skills.

Solo traveling is about discovering yourself; your strengths and weaknesses and your various orientations in life. It nurtures your expertise in handling unanticipated events which may happen throughout the span of your trip.
In going solo, you are expected to become wiser when it comes to making decisions and you get to constantly improve your judgment calls as you go farther into your journey.
Fork in the Road
Traveling solo lets you take advantage of your strengths and at the same time work on your weaknesses. How you learn from your actions will determine how effective you can be as a traveler.
Often you’ll have to rely on your own understanding of things, occasionally leading to failures that transform into valuable lessons through time. Soon enough, you will learn to base your personal judgments on past travel experiences, enabling you to formulate wiser decisions when faced with critical situations in life.

1 comment:

  1. That's true. Traveling alone has its own perks. I, however, prefer to travel in groups. It gives me a sense of security. It is always advised by elders never go alone to unknown places. That is why I never go alone. I loved your points and they all are quite practical.

    Best Regards,
    Great Journeys
    Australia Road Map

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