The 3 Biggest Doubts of Solo Travelling

In every single thing you do in life, you will almost always be accompanied with doubts. Solo travelling is one of it.

Now, I am not a professional solo traveller. For starters, I don't even think I am ready to travel for months' ends on the road completely solo, and heading to the destinations which I know no one of. The furthest I have gone with solo travelling is transporting myself to and fro places completely solo, as well as joining day tours alone. I of course had my doubts before embarking on my solo travels, but the more I do it, the more I am overcoming these doubts. Here I share with you the 3 biggest initial doubts I had with solo travelling, and what I think of them now.

1. Will I be lonely during Solo Travelling?

You will undoubtedly be lonely during your solo travelling. After all, you are travelling... solo. You will experience the pains and struggles for having to take care of yourself on the road and being solely responsible for your own decisions. This means having to bring ALL your luggages to the airport lounge toilets with you because you have nobody to help look after them. This means ensuring your phone isn't completely dead when you're lost in a foreign destination in the late hours of night, as your phone is the last form of reliable help that you have with you. This also means stopping yourself from going further into dangerous zones as no one would tell you "Anisa, don't go further, it's dangerous!"otherwise.

It's safe to say that travelling solo could be means of testing just how far you can survive on your own, even though the destinations which you are going to aren't branded as 'dangerous' per say. But as a part of your survival motive, your mind and body will improvise along the way. What do I mean by this? Well, when your mind is starting to alarm you that you're slowly succumbing into loneliness during your travels for example, you WILL motivate yourself to make new friends. While talking to strangers isn't the sort of thing you're used to doing back in your hometown, you will surprise yourself by just how easy it is to make new friends when you're on the road. All it took me was a short conversation to be offered a bike ride through Mount Bromo's sand dunes, which was pretty cool. But it doesn't mean that you should let all your guards down completely just because you're lonely, always trust your instincts first and foremost.

Also, it helps to carry light items that will guide you through boredom and loneliness at times when your surroundings seem to be more hostile than it is friendly. Think small books, kindles, or perhaps your good ol' phone that can connect you to nearby travellers by online forums (such as Couch Surf). It also helps to choose accommodations that are located on the 'friendlier' sites of the destinations which you are going to, or stay in social places like hostels.

2. Is It worth going to beautiful places without having someone (special) to share the views with?

The first destination I solo travelled to was the magnificent site of Mount Bromo, located at a few hours' drive away from the city of Surabaya. I got tired of seeking for travel companies, and decided to just hit the road on my own. I also decided to go during the very least crowded time of the year, which was during the Holy month of Ramadhan. Whilst majority of the country's population stayed at home to fast for the entire day, I decided to hike up Mount Bromo (while fasting) instead. What I received at the end of the day was the chance to enjoy one of the most stunning views I have ever witnessed in life at such a great convenience.

As I sat on my own by the ledge, with a camera held tightly around my freezing hands and shedding a few tears after witnessing the glorious sunrise slowly succumbing upwards to give light through the sides of the mountains, I was convinced that this would be one of the most stunning views I will ever see in life. For a while, I stood still and thought about how nice it would be to have someone special to share this magnificent view with me. It didn't help that I went up there just a few weeks after a horrible breakup either.

But that's okay I thought, this world is HUGE and there's countless of destinations just as stunning as Mount Bromo that are waiting to be explored. So to answer the question, yes I do wish I had someone to share the beautiful views or memories that I experienced during solo travel with, but it doesn't mean that I would wait around until that person comes by my life in order for me to explore the world. Until then, I guess I will just be on my own to explore all the beauty that this world has got to offer. And once I've found that someone special to share my travels with, then I will share new destinations and memories with him/her. There will always be more destinations waiting to be discovered in the world anyway, so don't worry if you don't have anybody to share the gorgeous views or the memories captured through your travels! Instead, learn to be comfortable with your own self. With solo travelling, sometimes you discover new places and people, but other times it is YOU who you end up discovering at the end of the day.

3. What if I encounter something dangerous during solo travelling?

Oh honey, but what if you encounter something dangerous on your daily commute to work, school etc? While there is indeed a greater possibility to encounter something dangerous during your travels since you are embarking to a foreign destination which you know nothing or no one of, there is also a possibility that you may encounter something dangerous right where you are currently based on too. This is exactly where the power of instincts will come to play with you.

When I was walking through Kuala Lumpur's Bukit Bintang area alone, a well-groomed man came up to me. From the outside, he seemed like any other tourists in the area. He told me briefly that all his belongings were unfortunately robbed along the way and that he was currently waiting for the bank transfer from his parents back home. So, essentially he was asking me to help him based on my generosity. Even though I felt compelled to help this man, my instincts got the better of me and told me to stay away instead. Perhaps he may be a conman, perhaps he was genuinely in dire need of help... either way, it is best to stick to your own instincts in ambiguous situations.

It helps so much to be sensible when you're travelling as well. Avoid possible danger by doing your bit of research before travelling- such as reading more information about the safety guidelines of the destination which you are going to, noting down important contacts for emergency purposes, as well as investing in some fool-proof safety travel equipments. Being sensible simply means being reasonable over your actions when travelling. You wouldn't want to walk through the notorious pickpocket havens of Paris or Barcelona with a backpack complete with all your valuables unlocked by the front pocket, would you? No, you wouldn't, which is why you are sensible enough to store all your valuables hidden and out of reach instead.

And if you think you aren't capable of exploring the slightly more 'hazardous' destinations during your solo travels, then don't! While the best way to learn is through making your own mistakes, start smart by travelling through 'safer' destinations before embarking towards the slightly more cautious ones, things will improve from then on ;) Safe travels!

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