Traveling is one of the greatest chances to relax and have fun. There are a lot of positive things that traveling could do in our lives.
It can affect us in many ways than one and it can help us discover ourselves better. It’s important to have a solid plan when you’re planning to travel. Have you ever considered traveling on your own?
Traveling Alone: Scary? Exciting?
Nowadays, a lot of people love to travel and discover places all around the world. Many people would actually choose to do so with someone else to accompany them but you just need to do things on your own every once in a while.
Traveling on your own can be a bit uneasy at first but once you get a hang of this, you won’t have a problem at all and even enjoy doing so. Before you do, make sure to know all the advantages of traveling all by yourself.
The Advantages of Traveling Alone
When you travel alone, the first time can be filled with uncertainty and fear of what may happen since you’re alone. But doing so can actually build up a confidence to travel more on your own since you know that you can do it just fine.
You’ll also build up trust on yourself that you can handle your own even in a foreign land. If ever you want to travel alone, you would need to pack a lot of that confidence. When you’re in a foreign land, make sure to be confident in everything you do.
Don’t let other people know that you don’t have any idea of where to go or what to do as it may alarm them and send a signal that you don’t know anything. It may cause you a lot of troubles.
Travelling on your own can help boost your creativity. Once you finish your itinerary, you’ll feel a sudden spark on your creativity and it will inspire you to do more. This is the main reason why writers opt to travel more before they create their works.
Travelling on your own can help you feel more inspired than ever before. Once you do travel alone, you’ll realize that it’s better to do so as you can make your own choices. You don’t have to think about where your friend would want to eat and you’ll be able to eat wherever you want.
You have complete freedom to do whatever you want. You’re in total control of the situation and you won’t ever have to wait on anyone else.
Whether you’ve decided to travel on your own, always remember to keep safe and learn things ahead of your vacation. Make sure that you always have what you need so that there won’t be any troubles that may have been prevented.
Getting the perfect alone time can be very important so when traveling, also make sure to go on a few travels on your own. You’ll actually feel more serene when you travel on your own. You get peace of mind and get to relax very well without any distractions.
It’s also good for your mental health as you can think clearly and understand yourself better. Doing so will help you get a deeper understanding of yourself, more than before.
If you do decide to travel alone, here are our favorite places to do so!
1. Greece
Today, we are taking you to one of the greatest places to visit while you’re in Greece, Santorini. Santorini isn’t just about the white and blues, it is a beautiful island with lots of breathtaking places for you to explore.
First is the Oia. This white-washed village is the perfect place to watch the sunset along with the views of Thirassia Island, Volcano of Palea and Nea Kameni. To better enjoy your experience here, try enjoying this wonderful view on a cliffside restaurant of your choice.
Want a lesser crowd and just enjoy a peaceful time on your own? Akrotiri is one of the best places to go. Being a lesser-known attraction, you can ensure that you’re mostly crowd-free. Enjoy the view as you climb to the top of the old fortress then check-out the grapevines afterwards.
Now, what is Santorini without wine? Indulge the local wine in Imerovigli, also called ‘Balcony to the Aegean (Sea)’.
As we move forward, we reach the famous black sand beach, Perissa.
Alongside it was the Mesa Vouno, a gigantic rock that is another attraction of the locale. A donkey ride to the new ancient ruins of Thera is also a great experience.
You can also visit the labyrinthine streets, hidden passageways, and fortified walls of Pyrgos. Along with the Venetian Castle, and churches like churches like Agia Theodosia, and Archangel Michael.
There are a lot more to Greece than Santorini. There’s also a lot of other attractions to go to like the different temples of the Greek mythology Gods in the Acropolis. One famous temple is the Parthenon, a temple built for the Goddess Athena, which used to hold the original statue of Athena called Athena Parthenos.
There are a lot of things to do in Greece that you can do even when you’re on your own.
2. Thailand
Thailand, known as the “Land of smiles”, is mainly safe for male or female solo travelers. It is so cheap that you can literally still save more money on your way back home, that’s why there’s a lot of solo travelers who chose to spend their vacation here.
Thailand is also a big country which makes planning your own itinerary is quite convenient. Your time, your decision.
Decided you want to stay longer and cherish the moment? No problem. Since, this country is massive, there’s a lot of great destinations to choose from.
Let’s start with the stunning temples of Bangkok.
Here, we can enlist Wat Arun, Wat Pho and Grand Palace as some of the temples you should visit while in Bangkok. Quick fun fact, “Wat” means “a Buddhist monastery or temple” which is mostly used in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Just in case you encountered this word again, you know what it is.
Moving on to Chiang Rai, a little northern town that featured the Blue temple, the white temple and the Black House (Baandam Museum).
Thailand is also filled with night markets, a Chinatown (which is one of the largest Chinatowns in the world), floating markets and the likes where you can buy a lot of cool stuff and even souvenirs to take back home.
Besides the temples, a great place to visit for the beaches is in Phuket. Their best beaches like the Pa Tong Beach, night markets and especially their night life is what brings life to this city.
Here are some things you must remember when visiting this amazing country:
First, don’t forget to get a Thai SIM card. You’ll need it for some transactions and also for the general WIFI usage.
Second, dress conservatively when visiting temples.
No matter what culture you’re from, wearing the proper attire to show respect for the Thai culture is a must.
There’s quite a few reminders that are not listed, but the most important thing that you should not forget is your smile. What’s the point of visiting the Land of Smiles if you’re frowning the whole journey?
That one bright smile could create great wonders and could also help you gain new friends!
3. Maldives
Maldives is certainly one of the most expensive trips to book, but it is totally worth every penny. From a wide variety of spa treatments to beautiful beaches and other leisure activities, Maldives is really a go-to place.
Diving or snorkeling with gazillion reefs while witnessing colorful fishes and other sea life creatures along with a marine biologist guide is one of a must-trys here.
With around 200 immensely beautiful inhabited islands, island hopping one by one will give you a completely different beauty that each island has to offer.
4. Japan
Among all the other countries, Japan was considered one of the safest countries to travel to, even when you’re alone. Leaving your belongings unattended wasn’t a big issue because they wouldn’t touch or have any interest in stealing it, unlike in other countries where you must be aware of your surroundings almost all the time.
Japan was a quite interesting country with its rich culture, outstanding politeness and manners, and most especially, their highly valued cleanliness. Streets are so clean in Japan that even their canals have living Koi fish in them, you’d get embarrassed leaving even a small wrapper of candy.
Traveling alone wasn’t easy, especially when you’re in a foreign country where you can experience language barriers along your trip. So better be prepared and remember these few tips: First, have cash, of course.
Japan wasn’t as cheap as Thailand and you might want to consider preparing extra money for this trip. Second, look on your right as you cross the street. Cars in Japan drive on the left, better watch out. Third, throw your litter properly or keep it until you find a place to throw it away.
There are lots of interesting things in Japan but be sure to be wise in your solo trip. Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto offer a lot of beautiful destinations including iconic places from anime or movies. D
on’t forget to try their famous cuisines as it varies from meat, seafood all the way to desert. Enjoy living like you’re inside an anime or manga series while in Japan. There’s a lot of ways to enjoy and take home a bright smile filled with great experiences! Mata ne! (また , See you)
5. Italy
Whoever said that this place is only for couples and romantic vacations? Lucky for you, Italy gives out more than just that. You can choose to go to Rome and visit the different roman buildings around, especially the Colosseum.
Take a Gondola boat ride down the popular Venice canals and be mesmerized by the pretty views that it offers. Be a hopeless romantic at heart and go to Amanfi and just enjoy a relaxing time.
You can never run out of options so go ahead and book that trip to the beautiful Italy.
6. Korea
Famous for its handsome oppas, pretty ladies and tons of beauty products, Korea has been a bucket list for singles nowadays. Korea is a large country so you might want to plan your itinerary well.
For a fan of kdramas, Seoul is one of the places you might like to visit first. Venture to Myeongdong if you’re looking forward to shopping. Shopping alone isn’t that boring, in fact, it could give you spare time looking at every product that you could’ve passed by.
While Insadong is famous for café-hopping, Bukchon Hanok Village is a great view too, and the very famous, romantic, iconic N Seoul Tower where you can see love locks by couples but since you’re travelling alone, you might wanna enjoy a stunning sunset while you’re here. I know you’ve been craving for some Korean foods.
Incheon is a place to go where you’ll find a vibrant Chinatown which is famous for the Jajangmyeon (noodles with black bean sauce) and the Wolmido Island that brags its rich menu for multiple seafood joints and even a funfair.
Language barrier is something that holds people back from traveling, but learning a few Korean words isn’t as hard because there’s a lot of apps available to teach you, even watching a whole episode of a Korean drama can help you adapt with some words you can use for a simple conversation.
Next thing you have to do is to familiarize yourself with the public transport system. Be knowledgeable on how subway and bus systems work. Asking a few questions or downloading a couple of apps may come in handy. Taxis are also available and may offer a hassle-free means of transport with relatively cheap fares.
7. Iceland
Iceland is considered one of the easiest places for solo travel. With its small population of around 300,000 people, it’s not surprising that almost everyone knew each other.
Its small city Reykjavik, gives a small town vibe and guess what, it’s actually crime-free. English is everywhere so it’s practically easy to communicate. And since crime rates are low, harassment is very rare even in parties and bars.
Having some time alone is easy as you can explore solo, book yourself for a glacier hike or a horseback ride. Renting a car is also possible but make sure you have your own map and GPS as you drive to the wild countryside.
Iceland is expensive but you can be wise on your spendings while you are there through buying local food from the grocery store, staying in a hostel and even making friends whom you can split costs with.
8. New Zealand
If you’re a person who would rather enjoy a quiet life along the countryside then New Zealand is the right travel destination for you. One heads up, once you go to this place, it’s going to be harder to leave.
New Zealand gives us a taste of the quiet life in the countryside that you wouldn’t want to leave anymore and just indulge yourself to the surroundings. You can go and take a stroll down the nice streets of New Zealand and learn more about their culture.
Know about the resurgence of the Maori culture and fascinate yourself with New Zealand’s different traditions. This is a nice place to visit if you want to have a simple vacation to relax and unwind.
9. Hawaii
The Hawaiian island is famous for its world-famous beaches, magnificent sunsets, abundant marine life including views of migrating humpback whales (during winter months) and a lot of interesting facts.
There’s no such thing here as lack of activities because there’s a lot of great stuff to choose from.
Starting from the famous Haleakala, the highest dormant volcano in the world and the highest point on Maui at an impressive 10,023 feet. An early morning hike here would be really worth it as you reach the top and just watch how the sky dramatically changes for a sunrise.
Don’t forget to bring extra clothes or blankets as temperatures have been known to drop well below zero.
Since we all know Moana, Maui, again not the big guy, was also a friend of the sea and lets you transform into a mermaid! Well, not literally, but Hawaii Mermaid Adventures will bring you this enchanted experience as you swim and play in the ocean with a colorful mermaid tail.
Prepare your mersmiles because photos are part of the experience as well.
Are you a nature lover? Experience this amazing road trip to Hana with 68 miles of lush Maui rainforest. Turn off that A/C, open the windows as you enjoy the warm and fresh air on your way. Activities may vary from hiking through bamboo trees, standing in lava tubes, swimming in freshwater caves and a lot more.
10. Peru
For those people out there who love a bit of an adventure, Peru is the perfect travel destination for you. This place showcases a rich culture and many traditions that will surely fascinate you.
Peru is also famous for the Inca trail and the Amazon rainforest. The lush jungles are a nice place to go to if you want to be one with nature and just have a good time.
Another popular tourist destination that you might want to go to is the Machu Picchu or the ancient Inca tribe village. You can also check the Cusco city or the Sacred Valley.
You will never run out of options. Peru is filled with a lot of archaeological sites that will surely keep you interested during your stay.
