This is a question that I get asked a lot when I tell people that I love solo travelling and that I’ve been doing it for more than a decade now.

Not that I don’t enjoy travelling with others, but there came a point in life when I realised that I enjoyed travelling more often than others did, and waiting for company to travel meant that the plans would never materialise. So, I decided to take the plunge and travel solo, and that decision changed me forever. It has been one of the most liberating experiences of my life and still is.

What makes solo travel so special

When I travel solo, I travel with a lot more awareness. I have an unhindered experience with the people and the place. My schedule is flexible, and there’s a lot of time to simply be and savour the moments. Some days when I fall in love with a place, I just stay and experience it a bit longer.

I have deep extended conversations with people. People are always curious when they see me – a female solo traveller – and they have a lot of questions. They want to know more about me – who I am, where I am from and why I travel solo. Some people are in awe of it, and some are not so kind, an independent woman makes them uncomfortable. But that’s when you realise that the world is made of all sorts of people and that’s the beauty of it too.

How to choose the right place for your first solo trip

When I was planning my first solo trip, I must confess that I was not so confident about it. There were lot of questions going on in my head – Will it be safe? Will I get bored? Is it worth it? But I still went ahead with it because I knew that I’d only get the answers if I actually did it.

So, I planned my solo trip to a place that I had already visited with a few friends and had loved the place and the people. It was a family run eco-friendly stay in the Konkan coast called Maachli. Surrounded by nature, good food and a kind family running that place – that to me was the perfect combination.

And that would be my first advice to you – Plan your first solo trip to a place you are already familiar with, then you have less things to think and worry about. In fact, go to a place that you really love, it will make the trip easier.

Since I live in Maharashtra, I love the state and know the language of the place, I felt at home. Another reason for my comfort was also the family running the place, since I was a female solo traveller, they paid extra attention to me and made sure my stay was comfortable.

Staying safe and comfortable on your first solo trip

That brings me to my second advice – Stay at a family run place or a homestay. That will ensure that you are surrounded by kind people in case you need any help, at any point.

And my third advice is – Don’t travel too far for your first solo trip. Stay within your comfort zone because you are anyway pushing yourself to try something new and that new experience itself should be the centre point and not so much the place.

When I was travelling from Mumbai to Kudal where the Maachli farmstay is located, I travelled by train and then took a rickshaw to the place. If you take local transport, you are surrounded by people all the time and that will put you at ease.

So yes, that’s my next advice – Always use local transport, don’t hire a cab and travel alone.

What happens when you travel solo

You’ve already visited this place, and you may think it’s familiar so what’s there to explore again. But trust me when I say this, exploring a place by yourself is different from exploring it with someone. You notice things you might not have noticed in your earlier trip; you will feel different about everything around you because that solo sensory experience is always far deeper than when you do it with someone. There are no distractions, it’s just you and the place. You’ll experience the place differently and that’s where the magic lies. Try this and then share your experience with me, I would love to hear about it.

Once you get a taste of solo travelling, then you’ll be tempted to do it again and again, that’s the magic of it. You’ll see a place closely and you’ll see yourself even more closely.

If all goes well with the first solo trip, then you can be a bit adventurous and try your second solo trip to a distant place. Slowly widen your horizons, and you’ll see how that’ll start changing you, and defining you as well.

Some dos and don’ts I follow

I have done solo trips to all kinds of places – cities, forests, offbeat places, popular places and slowly I’ve started following some rules that makes the trip comfortable for me.

Like I don’t do too many night activities, I start my day early and explore the place during the day. In the evening I’ll do an early dinner and will be back in my hotel room. If it’s a popular city with a night life, I’ll explore it but still keep a comfortable time to return to the hotel room.

If I meet someone who makes me uncomfortable, I’ll quickly end the conversation and move out of the place.

And as a rule, I don’t share too many personal details until I meet someone I think I want to stay friends with.

I also research the culture of the place before I visit because I know that what may be okay in Mumbai may not be okay elsewhere. And respecting people and their culture is of utmost importance because remember we are just a guest in their hometown. When you respect them, they return that respect with a lot more love.

Make your own rules

As your repertoire of solo travel increases, you can make your own rules that work for you and make sure that you enjoy the trip. Remember not all trips will be perfect, but you can extract the best out of it.

Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve been a solo traveller for more than a decade now and I’ve had some of the best experiences of my life. Because I follow all these rules, the bad ones have been far and few.

I’ve met people and stayed friends with; I’ve had some of most enriching conversations which have changed my perspective about life. I’ve seen beauty that has made me in awe of the world we inhabit, I have seen the pain that people in some parts of the world have had to endure, and I’ve had a lot of new experiences which I otherwise wouldn’t have had if I had just stayed in my comfort zone.

My favourite solo trip so far has been a trip to Kashmir, a place I truly adore for its beauty. And to Japan, a place I fell in love with for their beauty, culture, and the art they bring into everyday in life.

You can read more about my Japan trip here and my Kashmir trip here.

Ready to take the plunge?

I hope this piece encourages and motivates you to take your first solo trip. Try it once and I promise you something inside you will change forever.

If you still have any questions, you can ask me in the comments.

Happy Solo Travels!