If you’re looking to take the plunge into solo travelling but are in two minds about where to begin, these three women from India who’ve been travelling solo are here to help. By Debomita De
“”Ma’am, aap akele aayi hai? (Ma’am, have you come alone?)”, the man at the guest house counter asked. I nodded. He asked again, “Are you really travelling alone?”” recounts Mridula Dwivedi, a professor-turned-travel blogger, speaking about a curious welcome she received at a tourism guest house at Narkanda, Himachal Pradesh.
Solo travelling continues to remain an uncharted territory even today. Confused eyes and looks from onlookers aside, it tends to bring up doubts and worries amongst the traveller, too. Three female solo travellers weigh in to bust myths, fears, and queries, and even give tips on where to begin.
The First Step
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There is no right time to start travelling solo. You often ease into it through regular travels or it can appeal to you as a breakaway from your daily life. For Ami Bhat, travel writer and author of When Places Come Alive, it started as a back-to-home journey. “The first time I ever travelled alone was when I was in boarding school and I had to go back home. My parents were in the Gulf so I used to hop on to a train from Pune to Mumbai to take a flight to Abu Dhabi. It never felt different. But as a teenager it felt a little more responsible; it felt a little grown-up. There was a certain charm to it. First, it was all obligation and later it became leisure and pleasure.” For Dwivedi, it’s a complete break from being a mom where she often keeps herself second. Solo travelling is about herself and her space.
Or it can start with a journey of exploration. “I had moved to an unknown city, Melbourne, and was trying to figure out how to fit in in that part of the world. Frustrated with all the changes that were happening in my life, I decided to go spend a weekend at a coastal town closer to Melbourne,” says Raksha Nagaraj, an Australian—Indian travel blogger, popularly known as solopassport.
The three avid travellers chalk out a roadmap to begin with. Nagaraj suggests that one can start their solo adventures at a destination that is closer to their city or town. While Ladakh and northeastern India top the list for all of them, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Rann of Kutch are other exciting choices they suggest exploring. The lesser-known Spiti Valley is a good idea too if one is looking for a peaceful getaway, recommends Dwivedi.
Memories Aplenty
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Adventures and experiences stay with you long after you have lived them. One such memorable experience for Bhat was her trip to Murudeshwar, Karnataka where she acquired her scuba diving certification. She recalls that she went solo backpacking and completed her dives successfully to fulfil this dream of hers.
For others, going solo often gives one a new perspective, provides time for introspection, and makes you more tolerant. Like for Nagaraj, who changed her perspective about poachers on a trip organised by Bodoland Tourism. “I always thought poachers did not deserve a second chance,” she says. But an interview with a few ex-poachers, who have now turned into wildlife conservationists, changed her outlook. She adds, “It was an experience that does not happen on a regular trip.”
Conscious Choices
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In all the adrenaline rush, one cannot compromise on safety. “One needs to be smart and take precautions so they are not stranded alone at the wrong places in wrong hours of the day,” suggests Nagaraj. Dwivedi seconds her thought and adds, “if the activity at any hour is unsafe in your city, then it is unsafe anywhere in the world.”
But that should not stop you from venturing out and enjoying your trip. Research is routine, opines Bhat. Research not only about the destination but also about transportation, lodging, timings, and other details about the trip one is about to undertake. “Having a working phone is an absolute essential,” she adds. Dwivedi says, “ I like to gauge if the locals are doing what I am doing. They know the place better than me.”
With everything falling in order, one might think they are ready to go solo. But there is yet another caveat they have to cross. After a memorable trip for days, the idea of being broke isn’t appealing. So why not take care of it before you set out? Bhat notes that people try to do a lot in one single trip, and that is where budgets get strained. “If things are not fitting into your budget then it is okay to drop a few places. Do whatever you can properly, rather than going all over the place,” she adds. Dwivedi mentions often her destinations are dictated by airfares. Advance planning and off-season travels can always help the pocket.
All things said, it will take a strong will on your part to set out on a trip with yourself and look at a place only through your eyes, like the three solo travellers did. Either way, trust your gut and take the plunge. A liberating experience awaits!
