Going it alone overseas

Posted 12 February, 2020 Jeremy Rochow

Travelling solo might be daunting, but it can be one of the most rewarding, enriching experiences you’ll ever have.   After a 9-hour flight from Australia, I land in Bangkok on a hot, sticky April afternoon. It’s my first time travelling solo overseas, and while Bangkok can be chaotic, over the next week I find myself talking to locals, making friends with other travellers, enjoying the hospitality and Thai delicacies. Sometimes solo travelling can bring challenges – like the time I misread a map and spent 2 hours walking in circles around Ho Chi Minh City – but it’s also one of the most exhilarating, unique experiences a traveller can have.  

Safety first

Picking the right destination can make all the difference, with some places and packages more suited to solo travel than others. If it’s your first overseas adventure alone, you’ll want to go somewhere you feel safe. Check Smart Traveller for overseas travel advice before you leave home. Make sure you’ve got travel insurance and give family and friends a copy of your itinerary before you go. You can also sign up to phone apps like Find My Friends, so friends and family can look you up if they’re ever worried.  

Ease into it

For starters, solo travel doesn’t mean you have to always travel alone. Organised tours take a lot of the hassle out of travelling and can be a great stepping stone to venturing out on your own. You won’t have to do as much planning during your trip, and you’ll meet like-minded travellers who are itching to explore. In fact, some travel companies offer tours for solo travellers specifically. Cruises have long been designed for families or couples; however in recent years they’re trying to accommodate an influx of solo travellers.   To make cruising more solo-traveller friendly, some companies offer cabins for singles and activities are provided that can be enjoyed alone or used to meet people. If you’re looking to hit the tracks, The Ghan, Indian Pacific and Great Southern all offer solo cabins.  

Step out of your comfort zone

Solo traveller and author of My Senior Gap Year, Chris Herrmann, knows all too well how important it is to step out of your comfort zone. In 2016, Chris’s life took an unexpected turn when his wife of 40 years passed away after a battle with cancer.   Following her death, Chris sold his apartment and embarked on a 12-month round-the-world adventure, visiting 23 countries, including Spain, Peru and the United States. “If [something] felt uncomfortable – but not unsafe – then that was a signal to do it,” Chris says. “For example, I’d [always] strike up a conversation with locals, as it can be a really enriching part of the travel experience. You can pick up some really good local knowledge.  

Some of the best places I went were based on other people’s advice.

Chris’s outgoing nature helped him solve one of the greatest challenges for a solo traveller – dining alone. If he saw another traveller eating alone, he’d go up and ask if he could eat with them. This might not be every travellers’ cup of tea – another option is to arm yourself with a book or write in your journal while you wait for your food to arrive.