Solo Travel: What to Take and How to Make the Most of the Experience

There was a time when people looked at solo travellers and thought “Poor things!”. Not anymore. Solo travelling has something of a street-cred quality about it now, rather than a stigma, and lots of people do it. You have flexibility. You can get free accommodation more easily. You can do the things you want to do. All of this appeals to a lot of people, who pluck up the courage to pack their bags and go globetrotting solo. This post is a look at some of the things you need and should do to make the most of your solo travel adventure

A few basic essentials

Unfortunately, you can’t quite up sticks and leave. You need to pack a few little things, besides your backpack and passport and any other important documents. Here’s what you need:

Water bottle

Wherever you’re going to be, you have to stay hydrated, so pack a good, leakproof water bottle with you. Choose one that’s durable, loops around your wrist while you hike, and you can pack away easily in your backpack.

Comfortable trainers

If you’re making the most of your trip, you’ll be exploring a lot, in which case you’ll need some comfortable trainers. Ideally, they should be light, machine washable, and feel comfortable if you’re not wearing any socks.

Light waterproof jacket

No matter how good the weather in your destination might be, you never know when it may take a turn for the worst. Make sure you have a light, breathable waterproof jacket to face the elements.

Things to do while travelling solo

With your equipment sorted, it’s time to get out there on your trip and explore! You want to pack in as much possible, so it’s always good to plan your trip beforehand. Here are some of the things you should do while visiting your destination:

Make friends

Making new friends is rewarding, and is good for your emotional and mental health, not to mention a handy way to discover more about the area you’re visiting. Nepal, to which a lot of people travel so they can trek through the Himalayas or climb Everest, is a superb destination. The nature of hiking and mountain climbing in the area brings visitors and locals together.

Visit a casino and try your hand at poker

Poker is a favourite pastime for millions around the world. Many travellers embark on an adventure with the sole intention of visiting a glamourous casino and trying their luck at the tables. Choosing the right spot for your poker travel can be a dilemma, but 888poker has a great guide. There’s so much choice, but why not go somewhere a bit off the beaten track, Goa, the honeymoon capital of India, has several casino boats in the harbour, providing you with a completely unique experience.

Explore the location

Exploration is pretty much the whole point of travel. You can make the most of this glorious opportunity you’ve created to expand your horizons by booking a free city tour. European cities are a good option for this, allowing you to book a place on the tour and then tip the tour guide however much you feel the tour was worth (so it’s not strictly free, but it can save you money rather than paying for a personal tour guide, which is more expensive for solo travellers).

Explore the glamourous side

Donning some smart gear and spending a night in a luxury hotel or restaurant is a fun way to relax on your travels. Visiting an exquisite casino is one way of doing this and you don’t always have to head to Las Vegas to do it. You can enjoy a casino night in locations such as Toronto, Canada, with your new friends or alone. If you don’t feel like glamming up for the evening and venturing into a brick-and-mortar casino with anyone or even just by yourself, you can find somewhere to play online from the comfort of your accommodation.

Enjoy the culture

If you’re not going to soak up some culture when you’re travelling, you may as well stay at home. Cities are sublime cultural destinations because they’re jam-packed with culture. Museums — regional and local — architecture, parks, gardens, markets, theatre houses, cinema, coffee bars, restaurants… a city spoils solo traveller for choice. With its gothic architecture and the splendid Sagrada Familia cathedral, not to mention the chance to enjoy cultural niceties such as tapas, Barcelona is a perfect city in which to immerse yourself in culture.

Take photos

Of course, when you travel, you want to document your trip with some nice pictures of your adventures, so why not work on your photography skills before you go? Then you can take some fab photos. Greek islands such as Kefalonia are a good destination because of the sea, lakes, and caves. Thailand is likewise ideal for photography because of its islands, and it offers lots of cultures, too, which provides even more photo opportunities. If you want to learn more about optics or perhaps check out how can you explore in the dark, we suggest checking out agmglobalvision.com for more.

Take part in activities

You can (and should) expand your horizons by taking part in activities, such as popular sports in your destination. For instance, you could try surfing while out in Australia; take up a few Muay Thai lessons if you’re in Thailand, and even get on the mat and learn a little judo while in Japan. If this is all a bit too on the daring side, you could be a spectator and attend a live sports event. Doesn’t have to be a combat sport, either. You could go to a baseball game or NFL game in the US, a football match in Europe, or an ice hockey match in Canada.

Solo travel is exciting, and, today, there’s no need to sit in at home while everyone else has all the adventures. You can get out there and have just as fantastic experiences as all your friends who are all happily married or in relationships, so take advantage of the opportunities solo travel offers, and pack in everything you can when you do. You might even be the one to make others jealous!