Solo Travel as a Woman: The Honest Truth

8 hours ago

5 min read

Over the years I have been asked and admired about being able to travel solo. Most people have asked me - How do you manage it? Isn’t it lonely? Is it safe??? Do I really enjoy it, isn’t it boring??

Yes yes these are all valid questions which I always thought of too before going on my first solo trip. Although my first solo trip was in Milan, Italy but when I did my first solo trip in India believe me I was super scared, scared to this extent that I even carried a pepper spray which thankfully I never had to use and its been lying in my cupboard ever since then :D

Reaching new milestones - en route to Ladakh from Manali

Honestly I never intended to travel solo back in 2018 but who knew those first few solo trips would lead me to travel solo more often. On a solo trip you have to plan everything, my itinerary, my accommodation, my safety yet it’s all my choice. You get to choose whether you want to go out or stay in bed, which cafe you want to eat in or not eat anything. It’s kind of liberating to be able to make a choice based on how you feel & want rather than a collective decision. Don’t get me wrong that one should only travel solo, I still go on ample family trips or with friends but each has its own charm and challenges. There are a few places which I have visited with my family but I do want to visit it again solo coz travelling with parents and kids is a whole another ball game!!

The best part of solo travelling is it brings you out of your comfort zone. You tend to start trusting that inner voice more when making choices, you are more open to having conversations. I know am an extrovert so its easier for me to say this but that’s why I believe for introverts it’s the best thing coz it’ll push you out of your comfort zone. From what little I know about behavioural psychology, in my opinion introverts aren’t the kind of people who don’t know what to talk, but they choose whom they would want to interact with. Believe me all the introverts in my life talk more than me which I thoroughly enjoy but I do tease them when they call themselves as introverts haha..

Yes solo travelling has its own challenges coz it can be lonely at times and also you do want to share experiences with your loved ones but it also pushes you to think out of the box, figure out alternatives and it definitely leads to some beautiful friendships along the way. I hadn’t lived in India for nearly 10 years and had a few university friends with whom I was in contact but when I did my first solo travel in India I made a few friends along the way with whom am still in contact even after all these years.

Believe me at times its really fun coz when you are travelling with friends or family you aren’t open to talking to strangers and I truly believe every person has a story to share, a story or experience you can learn from too. Me having a random conversation led to me to meeting His Holiness - a story which deserves its own blog. If I hadn’t met a few people during my journeys I wouldn’t have been introduced to philosophy, psychology, spirituality which led me to my journey about reading more about behavioural psychology and slowly paving my way from western to eastern philosophy.

My request to each one of you is to at least try to travel solo once in your life, it’ll make you meet yourself - the person that’s hidden deep within you but hasn’t had a chance to resurface coz of limiting beliefs and external expectations. And who knows where that road might lead you too - maybe to your true calling or purpose, your soulmate or a new life in a new country. A lot of people have had life altering experiences during their travel, which they would never have experienced had they never stepped out of their comfort zone. Who knows one tiny step could lead you to places or to yourself...

Since my initial solo trips had been in Europe which is comparatively safer but still as a woman you have to be more mindful and not be reckless. A few tips I can share which I have learnt along the way are:

Always be aware of your surroundings. Keep landmarks when walking around, this really helps when you are trying to figure out your way and also makes you more attentive
Listen to your instinct more, believe to that inner voice. If something doesn’t feel right, its NOT right and step away from that situation
Be open to talking to strangers but not the ones who may look creepy or the stalking kind. Stay away from them, you don’t want trouble
Also I try to avoid stepping out late at night alone and would recommend the same to you all. Better safe than sorry :)

A few things I always carry in my handbag—believe me, they’ve been lifesavers::

Power bank and off course charging cord
Cutlery set (lets try to be sustainable guys)
Re-usable bottle of water (again lets try to minimise our plastic waste)
Umbrella or poncho
Small notebook and a pen - for those times when you just want to pen your thoughts or make a random sketch of the place you at
Sunglasses or as the aussies say Sunnies
Foldable bag - never know when it might come handy :)
For girls - make sure to always carry your menstrual cup or a few extra pads. I have had a lot of situations of giving it to other girls

Well if you have read this far I hope I have been able to convince or at least tempt you to try solo travelling. Do it, do it and please feel free to reach out if you need any help in planning your trip or sharing your thoughts/dilemma or just to say hello if my blog was able to stir the explorer inside you. Until then happy exploring :)

Thought of sharing a few memories from my solo travels and the beautiful people I have met along the way. Hope this will inspire you my lovely readers :)