5 de February de 2016 mariana

Tips for the solo traveler

Many people often ask me if I’m not afraid of traveling alone so often. The answer is always a huge NO! Actually, I think my desire to know better other places has always been so great that I had never stopped to think about being afraid before people started to ask me about that. At 18, I had already gone to many countries in solo adventure. Today, I’m one of the biggest advocates of the idea of going to a place for the first time totally by yourself! When you can do everything on your own without being helped by anyone, you end up creating a certain independence and learning much more about the place. With an open mind for adventure, you always increase the chances of discovering unusual places that were not in the traditional travel guides and people who can give you more insights into the local culture and even teach you new things about the language that is spoken in the country. Of course it’s always important to be careful and take precautions when you don’t know anyone around! Even if enjoying or not to travel solo is something quite personal, I think it’s an experience that everyone should take at least once in a lifetime.

Solo travel- Paris

Image: Mari and the City.

 

Here are five important tips for those who are interested in traveling solo:

  1. Carry minimal luggage once you probably can buy anything you may eventually need on your destination. You’ll be taking every extra kilogram of your bags totally alone, so it’s always good to think twice before taking heavy items with you.
  2. Download the best travel apps to get around and look for information about towns that don’t know. In this case, the most important thing is to always have a good app with maps. If possible, apps that are also available offline. It’s not recommended to get in a place for the first time without a map to learn where you should go, especially in the middle of the night!
  3. Go out to know the area around the place where you’re staying during the day. When you have to go back at night, you’ll know if there are any dangerous alleys or suspected streets that should be avoided!
  4. Carry a tripod (small and very compact preferably) to your photos. There is always a chance of being in a very interesting place with no one around to ask to take a picture. And let’s face the fact that nobody wants to have just selfies of the travel, right?
  5. Try not to make it obvious that you’re a tourist. The ideal is to dress and act as naturally as possible in the place where you are. There are countries that have well established tourism markets and usually don’t clash much with the differences. Others, in turn, have less contact with foreigners and having one nearby can generate some curiosity on the locals. This can happen especially in small towns! If you’re going to some very remote place alone and know that the locals don’t speak English or any other language you know, it’s a great idea to download an offline translator for emergencies.

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