The Single Traveller

I’ve always wanted to see Angkor Wat, and I finally got the chance the year I turned 50. My friends think I am very brave to be a single traveller because I regularly set off on my own to visit exotic locations all over the world. However, I don’t think of myself as particularly brave. Exotic doesn’t have to be scary. Although a solo female traveler in her 50’s has certain vulnerabilities, they aren’t enough to make me want to stay at home. The world is full of amazing places that I want to see, and I don’t want to miss out just because I don’t have a travel companion. A little advance planning, some guidance from a good travel agent, and basic common sense can help you travel the world safely at any age.

I’m married, but our circumstances don’t allow us to travel together very often. So, if I want to travel, I usually have to do it alone. I’m okay with this, because there are numerous benefits to traveling solo. Although I enjoy traveling with my husband, we don’t always like to do the same things. For instance, I had a wonderful time closely examining all the incredible details of the beautiful carvings covering every surface in Angkor Wat. My husband would have been bored spending so much time on this, but by myself, as a single traveller I can take as much time as I like, and go at my own pace.

Solo travelers are more likely to make new friends and interact with the locals than folks who are traveling with people they already know. The best way to learn about another culture is to talk to people who are part of that culture. You’ll also find that many of the locals are just as interested in learning about you. These one-on-one encounters are the best way to build cross-cultural understanding, and will be the basis of some of your best stories when you return home. As a tall, blue-eyed woman walking around by myself, I attracted quite a bit of attention in Southeast Asia. Children were excited to say hello to me, a market-woman wanted to get her picture taken with me, and a woman on the street came up and gave me a big hug because she was so happy that I had come to visit her country. Southeast Asia has some of the friendliest people in the world.

Although I was traveling solo, I wasn’t always alone. I had wonderful guides to help me get around and show me the sights. A knowledgeable guide can reduce the stress of travel and allow you to make the most of your precious vacation time while ensuring you don’t miss anything on your must-see list. My guide met me at my hotel in the wee hours of the morning to make sure I saw the sunrise over Angkor Wat. He pointed out many details I would never have noticed on my own and showed me where to get the best photographs.

Do some research and get help from a travel agent to put together the vacation of your dreams. They will know about great places you’d never find on your own, and they can help with all the arrangements for a stress-free vacation that doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Traveling solo is a great adventure at any age. Don’t be afraid to get out and see the world on your own!