Solo Travel – 10 Reasons Not To Travel Alone

Solo travel is fashionable today. It is presented as the ultimate Nirvana. Solo travelers (real or fake) think of themselves as elite in a way, putting themselves above the mere mortal travelers who do not have the courage to travel alone.

Magazines, especially those focused on women, are full of taboos associated with traveling solo. They glorify those who claim to travel solo, sometimes even forgetting to verify if the travel was indeed solo.

I have traveled alone all my life. No, this does not mean all my travels were solo, but most were. Having said that, was I choosing to travel solo or I happened to travel solo – it was later more often than not. It happens when your urge to travel is bigger than the urge to travel with someone. It is practically challenging to match the choice of places to visit and dates with the people around you.

I feel pushing the ‘Go Solo’ too far is pushing a very individualistic model of society. Traveling with others demands adjustments, but it can be an emotionally enriching experience to have shared travel experiences.

Given a choice, would I like to travel solo – sometimes yes, mostly no.

What is Solo Travel?

Solo travel means traveling alone to a destination, and exploring it on your own. However, in this age of hyper-connectivity, unless you are heading to a place with no connectivity, there is no way to be absolutely solo. You are connected to your friends and family on million different messenger apps. Maybe You are connected to the rest of the world through instant news. You can reach out to social media if you need help.

Read More – Vagabonding – Art of Long Term Travel

I remember traveling to Bhutan in the pre-smartphone era and I knew that if I am stuck, I have to deal with the situation myself. I did get stuck at the Indo-Bhutan border due to a bandh and I had to find my way. Today, I would pass time watching a film on the phone or talking to friends, or even outraging on social media.

Are we really traveling alone then?

We do meet people on our travels, whom we become friends with, whom we share our meals with or chat up with. They become our fellow travelers for that one trip. When we travel in groups, we may be traveling alone from home, but we are not really alone.

Solo Travel – 10 Reasons Not To Travel Alone

So, after years of traveling and writing about travel, here are a few solid reasons for not traveling alone.

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