The idea of being alone in a foreign city is something many people dream about. However, it's not as always as effortless as it seems to be.
Solo travel is often romanticized as the best experience anyone can ever have. Travelers who want to see the world in a different perspective are drawn to this concept. In a time where social media consumes most people, the ability to disconnect is essential.
More People Traveling Solo
Many people are getting braver to take on the challenge of traveling alone. In 2015, a Visa Global Intentions study found out that 24 percent of 13,600 travelers go alone, a far cry from the 15 percent who traveled solo in 2013. Reports say that many cruise companies are also adding more "cabins for one" due to high demand.
Traveling alone is intimidating, especially for people who are used to being in groups. For people still on the rocks about packing their bags and buying a plane ticket to go somewhere they have always dreamed of, here are pros and cons of traveling solo.
Pros And Cons
Undoubtedly, being in the company of friends and loved ones while traveling creates a safe environment. Face it, getting lost in an unfamiliar city is nerve-wracking, especially if there are no friends to guide one another.
Friends also function as a safety net, so having no one to rely on will help people become independent and figure things out. Being alone will force people to stand in their own feet and give them enough courage to go out of their comfort zone.
Solo travel is also not synonymous with being alone. Human interaction makes trips more enjoyable and making new friends while traveling will happen for sure. Rather than being alone the entire time, reaching out to fellow tourists and locals is something travelers should do.
For people who are born extroverts, this will not be a problem. But for people who are shy, this would prove to be a challenge.
People traveling solo also don't have to entertain anybody but themselves. Everyone has taken a vacation where they were forced to do things that did not suit them just because everybody else was doing it. This is something people traveling solo can avoid.
People who are traveling alone never have to feel that they are wasting their time drinking cocktails instead of checking out the best sights the town has to offer simply because they do not have to answer to anyone.
Traveling solo is an addictive experience. For people who are looking for a break to give themselves some love, getting lost in their own company will work wonders.
