Every person should travel solo at least once in their lifetime. In my opinion solo travel is the most liberating life experience that you can have.
Start small
Many people are not comfortable with doing things alone, like going to a restaurant, to the movies or festivals.
Before you take on a big adventure, start experiencing what it’s like to do things alone right where you live.
Your next adventure doesn’t have to be miles away, it can be right around the corner. You can start with going to the museum by yourself, taking a day trip or a weekend adventure.
You can then graduate to traveling outside of your state, maybe to the neighboring country and then you can have bigger and larger international adventures.
Starting small also means that you don’t want to go from having no experience as a solo traveler to four weeks in Sudan (Sudan sounds like an amazing destination by the way)
You want to take it step by step, this way you will allow yourself to understand if you really enjoy solo traveling and if it’s the right thing for you.
Plan ahead of time
Especially when it comes to accommodation and transportation.
Plan your transportation from and to the airport and secure accommodation for at least the first few days of your stay.
The last thing that you want is to arrive to a new destination and stress out about finding a place to sleep.
Write down important information
about your accommodation, including the address, contact information and the name of the people who will help you with transportation to your accommodation.
I like to always carry a small notebook with important information, this way if I lose my phone or my phone runs out of charge, I still know where I am headed and who I can contact.
Share your itinerary with a loved one
Whether it’s a family member or a friend, make sure that someone at home knows where you are going, including the country you are traveling to, your itinerary, the hotels you’re staying at and some of the activities that you are engaging in.
You can share your live location online using Google maps.
You can specify the duration of time you want to share your live location for or you can share it continuously until you turn it off manually.
Keep in mind that your live location is being shared only when you have access to the internet and your gps and location sharing is enabled.
Register with “STEP”
STEP stands for Smart Traveler Enrollment Program especially for American citizens.
This is a free program that you can use in order to register with the embassy or the consulate in the foreign country that you are traveling to.
Head to step.state.gov to create your account and add details about your international trip.
Registering with the STEP program is important for many reasons. You will receive notifications of what’s happening in the country you are traveling to.
When I was in Guatemala, I was constantly receiving email notifications about protests that were happening around Guatemala, the time and locations to avoid.
If there is a political coup or a natural disaster in the country that you are traveling to, the consulate and embassy have services to assist American citizens. Registering with STEP will make it easy to assist you when needed.
Arrive to your destination during the day
It will make you feel more comfortable especially if you are traveling for a long period of time from the airport to your accommodation. It’s a lot easier when you can see what’s happening around.
Pack light
Especially if you are going to be traveling between regions or if you plan on taking public transportation from one area to another.
It’s not fun to have to log heavy gear around when you’re planning to do a lot of moving around.
Don’t showcase your valuables
Including your smartphone, your tablet and your camera gear.
The later is a bit difficult if you are someone who’s into photography or videography or if you are a content creator.
Keep your camera close to you. I love to use the peak design clip to attach my camera to the side of my backpack. This way I have control over my camera.
Or you can opt for a lower profile camera like a Go Pro.
Valuables including your jewelry, expensive sunglasses and expensive watches. There is no need for unnecessary attention.
Try to blend in with the locals as much as possible, including the way you are dressed.
Carry an offline map
In case you don’t have access to the internet and you need to find your way around.
I like to use google maps to download an offline map and save it to my phone. You will be able to use this map even if you don’t have access to the internet.
Better than an offline map is a physical paper map in case you lose your phone, drop it or if it runs out of battery.
Have a data plan
You can purchase a sim card from the country where you are landing.
You can usually grab one at the airport. Keep in mind that your phone has to be unlocked to accept other sim cards.
There is a new technology that I started experimenting with called e-sim technology.
You can install an electronic SIM card through a mobile app without needing an actual sim card. There are many brands out there. The one I tried is Airalo and it worked well for me.
Don’t tell people that you are traveling alone
For your safety, you could say that you are meeting up with a partner, a family member or a friend.
Be careful on social media
If you have public profiles on social media platforms like Facebook or instagram, be careful of sharing your location real time. It’s very easy for the public to go to a specific location on the internet and see all the photos posted at that location.
Instead, wait until you’re no longer at location before you geo tag.
Pack a tripod and a remote for photos
One of the challenges of traveling solo is not being able to take photos of yourself unless it’s a selfie or if you ask someone else to take a photo of you.
I’m personally not comfortable asking a stranger and handing my phone or my camera.
Instead, you can invest in a small tripod, a remote and use your phone to snap beautiful photos of yourself. It’s nice to take photos of the landscape and monuments around you but it’s a lot nicer when you put yourself and your smile in the picture.
Be aware of your surroundings
When you are walking in the streets or the markets, make sure that you see what’s happening to your left, to your right, in front of you and behind you.
If you’re suspicious of something happening behind you, don’t hesitate to stop, walk to the side let that person pass by and then continue.
It’s not the best idea to wear your headphones while walking because you want to see and hear what’s happening around you and react accordingly.
Look confident when you are walking and don’t give the impression that you are a shy person.
Try to walk with your shoulders up, with your head up and look people in the eye when you are talking to them.
If you are shaking hands make sure that your handshake is firm. Show people that you are confident even if you are not.
Even if you have moments of insecurity and you’re not feeling great try to show that you got this! People can easily read the look in your eyes and the language of your body.
You are traveling by yourself, you are empowered, you are powerful and you are strong.
And finally, remember that there are bad people out there but there are also great people out there. People are more likely to help you than harm you, especially if they know a little bit about your story and if they see that you are interested in their culture.
People will more likely help you than harm you, but at the same time you have to trust your gut.
If one thing doesn’t feel right then it doesn’t feel right for a reason. Follow your instinct and you shall have a wonderful experience.