You surely want to have the most memorable Solo travel experiences, and no doubt you have preferences in certain activities and places you wish to visit on your trip.
Perhaps you have a bucket list of things you want to experience in your life and tick off each one, and this is your chance to fulfil them. Independent travel offers a no holds barred unique opportunity to tailor your experiences exactly to your personal interests, with no pressure from anyone to tell you what to do, so let’s go for it!
Here are some ideas and resources to help you find the perfect solo adventure:
Your Adventure-Seeking Experiences:
- Hiking and Trekking: These activities are perfect to explore breath-taking landscapes on solo hiking trails, and some popular destinations for incredible sightseeing include the Himalayas, the Andes, or the Appalachian Trail.
- Scuba Diving and Snorkelling: Even possible for newbies because many of these destinations offer mini diving and scuba training courses You could discover underwater wonders in destinations like the Great Barrier Reef, the Galapagos Islands, or the Maldives, plus many others.
- Cycling Tours: There are perfect to explore cities and countryside at your leisure and spontaneously for a cycling adventure. Consider safe destinations for this option like Amsterdam, countries in Europe, Southeast Asia, or New Zealand.
- Language Immersion Programs: You have the option to improve new language skills while experiencing a new culture. Consider destinations like Spain, Italy, or France, and even volunteer work for longer solo travel trips. (* see our article on volunteering in this forum and more information below).
- Volunteer Work: As mentioned above, you could contribute to local communities while gaining valuable experience, and learning basic language phrases at the same time. Explore many volunteer opportunities in areas like education, environmental conservation, or healthcare.
- Cultural Festivals and Events: There are many culture driven festivals and events to experience the culture of different countries first-hand. Consider destinations like India, China, Spain, Brazil, or Japan.
- Yoga and Meditation Retreats: While travelling solo it’s great to also enjoy some time to renew your spirit. Find inner peace and tranquillity on a yoga or meditation retreat. Consider suitable destinations like Bali, India, or Costa Rica where wellness is practiced.
- Spa and Wellness Retreats: Further consider indulging in pampering treatments to rejuvenate your body and mind. Some great destinations for this could be Thailand, Iceland, countries in Asia and popular Bali.
- Beach Vacations: You want some time out while away from the stress of the rat race so plan to relax and unwind on beautiful beaches. The perfect destinations for this are Cancun, the Maldives, the Caribbean, or the Mediterranean countries.
- Online Travel Platforms: Some planned tour excursions are great ideas and these can be found on tour websites and in our forum. There are also websites like TripAdvisor, and Viator that offer a wide range of tours and activities for solo travellers.
- Local Tourism Boards: You can also visit the tourism board websites of your destination to find local tour operators and experiences.
- Travel Blogs and Forums: Read up about solo travel and tourism guides on SM, travel blogs, and forums to get recommendations from other solo travellers.
- Word-of-Mouth: You could further ask friends, family, or colleagues for recommendations based on their personal experiences, if they have travelled solo.
Thus, don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and explore new possibilities.