A woman travelling alone was quite unheard of a decade ago, but today, women can simply pack their bags and take off on singles holiday by themselves to any destination of their choice.
It’s true that the thought of travelling without your family or friends is scary – but it doesn’t need to be. In fact, going on a solo adventure – whether its a singles holiday package from a reputed travel company or planned entirely by yourself – is surely one of the most exciting, liberating and empowering experiences in a woman’s lifetime.
So the next time your wanderlust kicks in, here’s why you should consider travelling solo:
1. It Puts you in charge of everything
Whether its finding an ancient temple in Vietnam, or visiting the rainforests of New Zealand or camping in Ladakh you will be in control of every aspect of your international or domestic singles holiday.
Because your travel are only dependent on you, you can do what you want, when you want and where you want – whether it be waking up at 2 PM, going on a shopping spree, or getting a tattoo. You can travel in your pajamas if you wish, go sky diving if you like, sing karaoke in a foreign language if the mood takes you or simply laze on a beach with a good book and a drink if you so choose.
The ability to be selfish and do what you really want to do is wonderfully liberating.
2. You will learn how adaptable and resilient you really are
On holidays for singles, you’ll quickly realize that anything can go out of control at any given minute. You might have planned a perfect holiday but flight delays, baggage loss, hotel reservation going awry, bus breakdown, losing your way, and bad weather when you least expect it is just not in your hands.
So, you simply learn how to deal with such situations, find alternative ways to get things done and make the best out of any situation.
3. You’ll get a boost of confidence
Once you’ve learned how to manage everything all by yourself, all the way from booking a flight to ordering a meal, and finding your way around a foreign city to learning to communicate with people whom you’ve only just met, you’ll discover just how strong you really are – and get a boost of confidence you never knew you had.
After all, after knowing that you can take care of your needs, take risks, and trust in yourself in a completely foreign setting, without immediate help at hand, you’ll know that you can rely completely and totally on yourself when you’re back home, and take on pretty much anything life throws your way.
That glow of self-confidence and self-assurance will last much longer than your new tan.
4. You will step out of your comfort zone
Solo travel will force you to step out of your comfort zone, and face your fears, whether it’s talking to strangers or eating in a restaurant by yourself. You definitely put yourself out there a bit more. You’re forced to meet new people and probably do some things you wouldn’t usually do. But, by facing these fears, from little fears to big ones, you’ll be in for a rollercoaster of wow moments and find out you’re more capable than you thought.
You will soon begin to adapt to the ever-changing world around you, push your boundaries, and feel comfortable in various challenging circumstances.
Incidentally, you can learn this as a single traveller in a group trip. Confused? Yes, a solo traveller joining a group trip may sound like an oxymoron, but it can be done! Gayatri Iyer, who usually prefers singles travel, points out that group travel often means that you paired with other women, many of them solo travellers themselves, which leads to a lot of excitement!
5. It helps you learn more about yourself
Learning more about yourself is one of the best parts of travelling solo.
Taking time out for some introspection is difficult to achieve with a busy daily routine including work, family, friends and a host of other variables. But, when you’re away from other people’s needs and duties, you’re almost immediately faced with what your strong and weak points are, and you develop the ability to look at your habits, goals and lifestyle choices back home objectively.
You have the chance to get clear on who you are, what qualities you love about yourself, and which ones could use some improvement.
Even simply breaking away from the daily routine (including staying away from Facebook and WhatsApp) can give women the time and space to reflect on their lives and personal and professional goals –whether this is on a singles holiday or on a women-only group trip.
6. Makes you appreciate the little things in life
Most of us – women and men – are so busy with our daily lives, that often we forget to appreciate the simpler things in life – a bar of chocolate, a silly joke, appreciating the antics of a puppy or a small cup of hot tea, for instance.
When you travel alone, away from creature comforts that you have become accustomed to, you learn to appreciate all the basic necessities in life – sugar to put in your coffee, or ATMs for instance. You’ll definitely start being more thankful – think “wow, there is hot water in this hotel room” sort of situations.
Additionally, time spent away from family, friends or husband will make you value your relationships.
7. Helps you move on
At a more personal level, holidays for single people can help individuals make your peace with various issues in your life, whether it be redundancy, divorce, health problems, issues with your mother-on- law, etc.
Taking some time away on a solo trip can help give you a bit of a breather, and aid in the process of recovering and healing.
8. Teaches you how to budget your expenses
When you are in control of the budget of your entire trip, you inevitable will learn how to be more responsible about your finances, setting priorities – as well as a trick or two about budgeting.
This translates into a skill you can use after your trip as well, be it managing expenditure, investments, time and energy. Being financially independent and being able to manage your money is an important skill for women of all ages.
9. IT’S EASY TO MAKE FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY
Holidays for singles mean that you won’t be dependent on anyone else’s schedule so you are free to linger and chat with locals wherever you meet them – at a market, at a bar – whenever it suits your fancy and for however long you’d like. It is of course up to you to reach out, but who knows what friendships you might make when you do?
Additionally, wanderlust driven women who do take solo trips often find that locals are usually more inclined to start a conversation with you and lend a helping hand. They are driven by a curiosity about you and your background, and friendly and eager to make you feel welcome and help you learn about their country. This is the kind of experience that can really enrich your travels.
10. It will broaden your network of strong female friends
Just because you choose singles holidays, doesn’t mean that you have to be alone.
It is not uncommon for solo women travellers to bump into kindred wanderlust driven females who are also on their own singles holidays. They are usually as eclectic and interesting as you are, and will guide you, empathize with you, watch out for you and inspire you.
Solo traveller Gayatri points out that “One of the most exciting aspects of group travel is that you get to meet like-minded people who share your interests and enthusiasm, and some of these interactions lead to a start of a beautiful and life-long friendship.” Check out some of our upcoming group trips by clicking HERE.
11. It boosts happiness!
These days, many women prefer to spend their time and money on experiences such as exploring the ancient history of Bhutan or going on a trekking trip to Sikkim and Darjeeling, rather than on material things such as furniture, a car or a house.
When you take time out to head off on a single women holiday, you get to indulge in whatever makes you happy.
So, while it may seem not so easy for a woman to travel by herself, be assured that thousands of women go on holidays by themselves every year, and come back having learned how strong, brave and capable they are, how amazing the world is and how easy it is to make friends all over the world. Now, what are you waiting for!
Let me know of upcoming only womens trip international as soon as possible at
candysanghvi@hotmail.com
Or call on
9820322299
Hi Avani!
Thanks for writing in, and sharing your email address with us 🙂 We’re going to be sending you newsletters, so you’ll be kept informed about all of our upcoming trips!
Reading your blogs and seeing your packages.. Makes me wonder.. Can i work for u 😃😃
Thanks for reading! We’ll keep you posted if an opportunity comes up 🙂