Travelling solo

[guurl]

Hey guys,

I've recently just decided that I am going to plan a backpacking trip on my own and I wanted to see if any of you guys have done it before.

Where did you go? How long?
How was it?
Would you do it again?
Recommendations on destinations? (I'm very open as long as it's female friendly)
How much did the whole trip cost you?

I've travelled through most of Vietnam already so that will be crossed off my list

Right now the country that interests me most is Australia and Switzerland

I've read a lot of blogs online about travelling solo but I would like to hear it from you guys.

So let's hear about your trip. Post some pictures if you can

[CivicBlues]

Where did you go?

I've backpacked solo on and off for the better part of the last decade thru a good chunk of NE/SE Asia, India, Europe, Mid-East, Peru, Australia. I can't speak for a woman, but you've picked probably 2 of the most safe (and expensive) places to travel in the world - a good start for a first-timer. The first place I went solo was Japan which I would place in a similar category.

The latest trip I took on my own was the Trans-Siberian railway thru Russia, Mongolia and China. Highly recommend it if that's sort of your thing.

How was it?
Ranging from 'Great' to 'Freaking Awesome'.

Would you do it again?
Absolutely, I don't regret visiting any place I've gone.

Recommendations on destinations? (I'm very open as long as it's female friendly):

Australia is a good place for a first timer female - a pretty defined backpacker trail and wonderful scenery, everyone speaks English. Just be wary of the drinking culture. Haven't been to Switzerland but I suppose it's similar to Germany and Austria which I also enjoyed immensely.

In order of difficulty/ease of travel I would rank the following regions -which varies depending on your language skills, gender, tolerance to heat, dirt, grime:
My recommendations are in brackets

Western/Central Europe (France, Italy, Germany, Czech, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Greece)
SE Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar)
NE Asia (Japan, Beijing)
South America (Peru, Colombia)
Eastern Europe (Russia)
India
Africa (I'm assuming through what I've read and spoken to from other travelers, my experience is limited to Egypt)

Some places are clean and safe, but aren't really set up for backpackers. Others are cheap and relatively dirty but have a ton of backpackers going to them and may or may not be your cup of tea. Let me know what Regions you're interested in and I can provide some more detailed insight.

Depending on how social you are you will probably want to stay in Hostels to meet other travelers. You can definitely have a make or break experience with the people you meet. Then again, if you value solitude you can easily be by yourself most of the time.

How much did the whole trip cost you?
Highly subjective question. How long is a piece of string?
I've spent way too much on travel through my lifetime. But then I don't always stay in the cheapest places, especially as I get older. Ranges from a 2 week trip to India which cost me less than $2500 (airfare incl.) to a 1 year trip in SE Asia, Mid-East, Australia which I probably spent close to 30k on. Keep in mind, the longer you stay the lower the per day cost will be, so a short trip may be cheaper in absolute terms, but you may look back and wonder why you spent that much for a couple of weeks. So my advice, stay as long as you can.

[guurl]

Wow! Thanks for your input. Those are all really great recommendations. Holy! You spent close to 30K during a one year trip? I wouldn't be able to afford that. Haha

My first option was actually Egypt/Peru but I was afraid of going by myself because well.. Central america... Also because from what I saw online, women aren't respected in Egypt. Those two destinations are seriously on my bucket list of places to visit though.

The reason why I chose Australia/Switzerland was because everybody speaks english and I feel like it would be easier for me to make friends/communicate with people. But I have a feeling it's going to cost a lot more compared to the others.

I actually just came back from Vietnam 6 months ago and I've been going for the past two years in a row but there's still so much more for me to see. I'm going to have to put that on hold for now.

I'm going to be leaving my current job pretty soon therefore I can make some time to travel for about a month or so.

I would consider myself pretty social person so staying in a hostel wouldn't be a problem for me either. Do you think $4-5000 would be enough for the month?
I want to try to budget as much as possible though. Lol

I also had another question:

Did you bring a laptop with you?

[bcrdukes]

$4-5K CAD or Euros? (srs question)

I brought a small laptop with me

UK / France / Germany / Austria / Czech Republic and a bunch of other places I can't remember anymore (nowhere near as colourful as hipster CivicBlues.)

Do your research before you go to places like Egypt given the political situation(s)
stay safe and dont' be a retard and you'l be fine

I didn't enjoy staying in hostels so I won't do it again and I'm old like CivicBlues now so nicer hotels are preferred. One of the best experiences in my life.

[Teriyaki]

Not alone, but did a lot of Hostel stays all over Asia and some part some parts of Europe. Theres a time and place when shared hostel accomodation is acceptable in ones life. I know, that I've gotten past that part of my life now because my last stay in one was just simply miserable. Sometimes you just don't realize how old you are until you're the one in bed, at 11pm, shaking a fist at them whipper snappers just getting ready for their night out with their pre-game.

If you've never done the shared hostel thing, I definitely say do it. But don't book all your accomodation that way right off the bat.

[Gerbs]

Where did you go?
This is all really rushed, if you want pictures or help with your trip you can pm me and I'm happy to help.

I have never left Canada before, let alone been on a plane more than once in my 20 years.

This year, I went to South East Asia this summer for 10 weeks (Needed 4 more weeks to do it right), right after my first-year of post secondary. I touched 6 countries but only fully explored two (Thailand & Vietnam). We stayed in over 30 hostels (Ranging from 4 bed dorms to even 48) and went to a hotel when I needed to reboot and be a hermit. I have taken 12 flights total this whole trip with the most expensive being Vancouver > Bangkok ($904 roundtrip) and Bangkok > Hanoi being the cheapest at $7USD.

I started off in Vancouver to Hong Kong before heading straight to Bangkok for my first stop in Thailand. I Began the trip alone for the first 6 days, and traveled with two of my friends before one of my friends split off to do his own things 4 weeks in. Afterwards it was just me and one other friend for the rest of the trip, however we always met people along the way and traveled with us to different cities.. We were all comfortable with splitting up at anytime when we rather see a different city or do a different activity.

Thailand (4 Weeks)

Bangkok
- Ultra Thailand 2016
- Khao San Road
- Tons of roof top bars
- Mall ratted all the big malls they had

Chiang Mai

-Went through a 52 course Zipline course
-Tried all the local hole in the walls street foods (Midnight fried chicken was my highlight, it opened from 11pm - 5 am. Bunch of people lined up to eat here after a wedding)
- Went inside a cage with a bunch of tigers (not sure why they weren't sedated)
- White water rafting
- Swam in a huge canyon
- Climbed a sticky waterfall (Friend almost died)


Koh Samui

- Super Touristy, in my opinion it wasn't as fun for backpackers. They have really good bars and clubs for partying but it wasn't cheap.
- Scootered the whole island. Saw a lot of import cars which was cool.
- Saw the the penis rock
- I'd avoid this island.

Koh Tao


- This island is regarded as the best place to ScubaDive
- I'd consider doing a test dive here or potentially getting your PADI license as its only about $300 dollars and comes with accommodation and food for 3 days.
-Super beautiful island, nice hike to the top to see the view of the three islands.

Koh Phangan

- Full moon party. Nobody told me the full moon party consisted of a whole week of partying. There was four major parties that lead up to the actual hyped full moon party. By the time the full moon party arrived, I couldn't wait for it to be over as my liver could not take anymore liquor. The actual full moon party lasts till sunrise (7ish). So I suggest staying till up for that.
- Party Island, lots of drunk tourist scooters.
- Would not recommend if you don't like partying.
- You will eat a lot of toasties.

Vietnam (3 weeks)

I had to rush Vietnam but I covered:

Hanoi
- Halongbay Castaway Tour, and did a regular luxury boat tour.

Phong Nga
- Has massive 10km caves. My Favourite was the dark cave, where you had to zip line, swim, and hike a bit before reaching the mud pit at the end. The big mud bath deep inside the cave could fit about 20 people. You couldn't drown in the mud and you would float no matter what. Such a cool feeling would recommend you to go.

Hue
- Home of bun bo hue apparently

Da Nang
- Mainly scootered throguh the whole city. There's a nice view from the top of the marble mountain that overlooked the city.

Hoi An
- Home of the tailored suits and clothing
Dalat
- Go to the bakery. Ask anyone and they will know.
- They had a bar where it was like a huge maze. https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserR..._Province.html

Mui Ne
- Sand dunes
- Ride ostriches

Ho Chi Minh/Saigon
- I had a friend that came back here and never left and he showed me around.

After that I was running out of time so I rushed through Cambodia to see Angkor Wat and Killing Fields. Partied a lot there at the mad monkey hostel all throughout Cambodia. I headed to Kuala Lumpur after Cambodia for a two day layover before my last stop in Indonesia.

I ended the trip in Bali since a good majority of the people I met are stopping there as there last trip. When I arrived I didn't realize that island was massive and that there was no way I was going to meet up with everyone. I found that there was 80% girls to guy ratio in the hostels in Bali. I pretty much beach bummed with all the people I met and learned to surf here. Bali was definitely the most boring part of my trip but I was glad that I had time to recover after all the partying. If you had to do one thing in Bali, I'd suggest you hike up a volcano for sunrise.


How was it?

After this trip, my mindset of the world has changed. I guess I didn't really start living till after this trip. It was a hell of a ride and I met, connected and partied with hundreds of people. A ton of them were also from Vancouver/Toronto. I didn't take many photos but the memories are mostly in my head.

Would you do it again?

I plan to do it again this summer, ideally alone since you are going to meet more people this way. This is because you are put outside of your comfort zone and are forced to socialize. My first day in Chiang Mai as an introvert was scary as fuck, as I felt alone sitting on the bed on the first day and had nobody to talk to. But you realize everyone at the hostel is there to socialize and are super friendly.

This upcoming summer i'm considering Australia/NZ, South America, or Southern Europe where I will do Italy > Greece > Spain > Portugal.

Recommendations on destinations? (I'm very open as long as it's female friendly)
I'd say South East Asia is pretty easy as a first trip. All the locals spoke some English. I met tons of solo travellers from Vancouver, Toronto, L.A and they were all girls!

How much did the whole trip cost you?ou?[/B]
The whole trip costed about $4200 all the flights included.
I spent about $1000 on alcohol and about $300 replacing my phone that I smashed while drunk 6 days in lol.

I'm super sad I won't be able to experience South East Asia like the first time again.

[guurl]

4200 all flights included for 10 weeks? That's awesome! Your trip to SE sounded a lot of fun and that picture of Koh Tao looks amazing!!

I have family back home in VN so I'll be visiting them every year or so hopefully since flights aren't too expensive right now. (I paid 1400 for my flight back in March...... flights are as low as 550 right now...) -__-

I haven't been to Mui Ne or Phong Nga yet but will go there next time! I also need to explore Hanoi as well.

One of my friends recently just got married and her husbands business is in Mui Ne so she's living there now. Excited to go see the sand dunes I was actually supposed to go in March but had to change plans

I think SE asia might be my first trip because A) it's easy to get by on a budget and B) has been recommended by almost every one of my friends

Considering Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Taiwan

[CivicBlues]

Safety is definitely a concern for a woman but I can only speak so much to it. I travelled Egypt with my girlfriend back in 2011 and while nothing bad happened to us, there was definitely a lot of hassle since we were one of the few tourists around (to to the fact it was 3 months after Mubarak was overthrown). From the news, things are still pretty unstable there and they are hurting for tourism even more.

I wouldn't worry too much about Peru, which is in South America btw (not central ). Its pretty much well worn on the backpacker trail and is heavily geared towards foreigners. It's probably not as safe as SE Asia or Western Europe, but I wouldn't be scared off by news reports from other Latin American countries. Machu Picchu is amazing but IMO you need to set aside 4 days to do the Inca Trail to fully appreciate it. If you want to see pictures of my trip in 2009, I created a thread way back: http://www.revscene.net/forums/563077-peru.html

Hard to say depending on your taste in comfort, but $5000CAD is probably not going to cut it very long in Australia. Flights are usually at least $1200 r.t. and accommodation will be your biggest expense. Hostels will probably run the range of $25-$40 depending on where you stay. Transport is also not cheap (there are backpacker buses but I didn't take them - keep in mind distances are large in Australia) but food costs can be minimized with grocery stops. That being said, the East coast of Oz is beautiful (Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, Sydney, Gold Coast, Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef are must sees) but you will pay dearly to see the best of it.
So $5000- $1200 = $3800
only leaves you with around $125/day, of which $25will probably go to finding a bed. Leaving you with $100/day to spend on everything else. Doable, but you will be pinching pennies.

Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Taiwan will definitely make your funds stretch much farther. It's also a totally different experience, but having family in Vietnam you are probably used to the environment. Cambodia is totally different from Vietnam - much more laid back and peaceful as is Laos. Also consider Myanmar (Burma) which I loved. It's just opening up I recommend you go before it becomes the next Thailand (beaches are great, but way too many tourists for my taste!).

I wouldn't worry about the language barrier through most countries. Most of the time people can get by with English unless you are going completely off the beaten path - in which case a smile and sign language works as well.

I brought a small laptop with me back in 2011 when I did my year long trip thru SE Asia/Australia/Middle East. It was mostly to keep in touch with people, to upload photos, and write my blog (let me know if you want I can PM you the link). Now that I go on shorter trips and technology is better, I just bring my smartphone and iPad mini.

[Armind]

Thinking of doing this myself, just not sure which destinations yet.

[Mr.Money]

if your a female solo,please be careful about clubbing and Hookers giving you Free drinks with Date Rape drugs laced in it Pretending to be your new Local friend from their Pimp watching you Partying Solo...just a warning.

i've being studying traveling aboard and rape has always seem to be an issue with dark sick fuckers...Even in High end places as Las Vegas with the Bar employee's putting GHB in drinks.

[blkgsr]

my wife and i were in vieng vieng 3 years ago and the bartender tried drugging her but i drank the drinks....Ketamine

lucky as fuck it wasn't her. i'm a big guy and it knocked me the fuck out

once they figured out i had the drinks, they made up a lie and kicked me out of the bar....it was on the way home that i started getting all fucked up. my wife's carried me more than once drunk and she said i was literally dead weight to get home

[subordinate]

Where did you go?

Vietnam, various cities from north to south: Hoi An, HCMC, Hanoi, Da Nang, etc

How was it?

A blast, I learned a lot about myself and would do it again in a heartbeat. You force yourself to be social and you'd get lonely from time to time. Vietnam had tons of solo females travelling as well - I think many countries will, there are tons of solo travellers in general.

Would you do it again?

Yes, already planning on it for 2017. Hoping for another cheap Asia deal but Europe/South America is fine.


Recommendations on destinations? (I'm very open as long as it's female friendly) - Asia would be good, it's cheap and tons of budget travellers at the main cities.

As others have stated, I'd be more cautious if I were you. Again, don't overdo your drinking, even if you think you're "friends" now. Even as a guy, I didn't put myself in precarious positions. Might seem overly cautious and such, but I had a blast and didn't need to get drunk either.

How much did the whole trip cost you? Less than 1600, but I could have done it for less.

[Mr.Money]

The number one rule is don't dress like your Rich,As much as you want to be stylish...your making yourself a target to be mugged or robbed.....any type of Luxury brand watch,Armani clothing will make you stand out..I've always heard this from locals and veteran travelers...There really is some people who think its okay to wear a gold watch worth value in poor places.


other then that,Bali is such a cheap place...1.50 breakfasts...and 100 dollar a night private hotels with your own pool...like in this video below

YouTube

[Hondaracer]

all my travels have been with others.. i think it would be a good experiance to go solo and i'd really be open to go anywhere really but eh.. i dunno.. in my older age feel like i'd just be some crotchedy fuck who doesnt get along in hostels etc. lol

If you're considering Switzerland however, i'd say there probably isnt an easier place to get by, nor a safer place imo. Switzerland for the most part is exactly how you'd imagine..We took a fairly touristy route coming from Italy to the Interlaken Valley, which is surrounded by two of the largest peaks in switzerland, the Jungfrau and Schilthorn, it's very dependant on weather when you go up to their peaks, but man what an experiance if you hit it:













We only stayed in Interlaken and then in Bern before heading back to Paris, but it was definately enough to get a taste of the Swiss Culture and Life

Switzerland is expensive as fuckkkkk though.. between two of us we probably spent over $1000 CAD on train rides over two days, and the total amount of time on those trains was probably less than 6 hours

[Gerbs]

Originally Posted by guurl

4200 all flights included for 10 weeks? That's awesome! Your trip to SE sounded a lot of fun and that picture of Koh Tao looks amazing!!

I think SE asia might be my first trip because A) it's easy to get by on a budget and B) has been recommended by almost every one of my friends

Considering Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Taiwan

I spent about $4200 + $1000 on drinks, so the total cost was 5200 for the trip. Should definitely do it this year, while the flights to Asia is around $550. Flights are pretty cheap once you get there. I would have done Laos as well if I had more time. I wish I knew Vietnamese would make Vietnam even more awesome than it already was.

[CivicBlues]

To those of you who say you're too old for hostels. I'm almost 34 years old and spent about 3 weeks in hostels on my trip in 2015. I do that when I travel alone because I don't like to eat in restaurants by myself and am generally on the introverted spectrum, so this is a easy way to meet people and keep my sanity. North Americans have this hang up about shared accommodations but I meet Europeans in their late 30s ,40s and even 60s staying in hostels. They are generally great at conversations over a beer in the common area and provide invaluable first-hand travel advice. Plus if your plans match up you can save money on transport costs. Travellers are much more open to random conversations - which may be a shock coming from stuck-up cliquey Vancouver where everyone has buried their heads into their phones.

Just like hotels, not all hostels are the same. Some are party hostels and can be complete dives, others are amazing, clean spaces with a great social atmosphere. Do your research as you would for any type of accomodation.

When I travel with my GF we now stay in 3-5 star hotels, but when I travel alone more often than not I choose hostels. Once in a while I check myself into a 4* hotel at the tail end of a trip to clean up and escape the world, but I usually look back and remember not having as much fun in the places where I do that.

[Hondaracer]

Have any photos or stories from the trans Siberian railroad? Sounds like an amazing trip.

[CivicBlues]

Ask and you shall receive :
http://www.revscene.net/forums/71089...n-railway.html

I started a new thread as to not hijack this one.

[Gerbs]

I agree Civic blues hostels are the way to go.

[Eff-1]

I'm not a fan of sharing rooms/bathrooms with strangers, so i've always gone with hotels. In Asia, hotel rates are way more reasonable than North America and you can easily find clean, modern accommodation, although sometimes the rooms are on the small side. No big deal if you're solo though.

I highly suggest Japan for a first time solo trip. There is just so much to see and experience aorund you that you will be hard pressed to get lonely, even if you don't end up meeting anyone new to talk/hang out with. Plus it's incredibly safe. Yes, bring your laptop since you'll need it to research new places to see/do, and make sure that you have a good data plan for maps/gps and when you're on trains and eating meals by yourself without anyone to talk to.

[Mr.Money]

if going to japan,buy wifi hub for unlimited data...i think u can pick them from the airport or even have it shipped ahead of time to your hotel...i've heard of friends adding the hotel address and they're name to ship it to..Then front desk having to tell you a package is there for you after signing-in...


dont speak very much japanese?...Google translator has an app that you could take photos of TEXT and it'll do its best to convert to English...other then that,i've saw people go to the Vending machines in front of Noodle shops and get there Tickets there for food and give it to Chef/employee's...there limited english will help you and watch you at times.....Local japanese will be the most friendly..100% dont speak english but will guide you and joke around as friends.....Was incredibility funny to experience that & keep trying new food,having them look at ur reaction first time trying it.

[Hondaracer]

Japan was a destination that came to mind for me as a solo travel destination just because it would seem challenging but not impossible.

I tend to get super frustrated when plans go array when traveling but everything in Japan is seemingly on time etc so works for me

[Euro7r]

I've been wanting to do a solo trip and go out there for self development/reflection, along with seeing the world from a different perspective. Looking for next fall to do this for 3 weeks. Want to go to Hong Kong and Australia (Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane), haven't traveled internationally since I was 7.

The biggest expenditure will most likely be accommodation as I plan to only do hotels. Flights, planning to use my RBC rewards points, hopefully I can get travel flights around dates I can travel. All in all, hoping this can all be achieved with <$10K.

[ilovebacon]

Australia/Switzerland dollar compare to Canadian dollar is not that different apart. If you went to hk and thailand. I spent about 5k for a 11day trip. Still had some money remaining just because i put some aside for emergency

I heard alot of great things about japan! very nice place to visit. I wish to go there sometimes myself!

[tiger_handheld]

Ooohh! Switzerland! Do you need a travel buddy? Always wanted to visit Swiss and Germany.

Maybe there are other who want to travel as a group? Scheduling with friends is difficult and RS seems safer than random meetup strangers for some odd reason. Problems of being a solo traveler!