I’ve been travelling solo around Asia
as a single woman for the past two years. If you don’t know what I do for a
living, I travel around Southeast Asia reviewing hotels and writing travel
articles for the AsiaRooms
Community, an
online travel community.
My job has taken me from the bustling
markets of Bangkok to the quiet temples of Borobudur in central Java. So what
have I learnt from my somewhat extensive experience of being a solo female
traveller in the past two years?
·
Not everyone is out to rob and cheat
you. One of the things I love most about
travelling is breaking misconceptions and stereotypes. Most of the time we
arrive at a place with pre-conceived notions about a place and its people,
developed from hearsay by friends or material we read online. Every traveller’s
experience is different, but by far the safest and friendliest place I’ve
visited is Yogyakarta in Indonesia, where taxis are metered and a member of the
public even returned my iPhone which I left at the seat of an outdoor theatre.
·
You can be friends with the taxi
touts. This happened to me while I was
travelling alone in Bintan, a wonderful island in the Riau archipelago of
Indonesia. I visited a touristy market called Pasar Oleh Oleh, and as soon as I
arrived, a group of young men were ready to drag me into the spa salon or
restaurant where they will earn their commission. What appeared to be a
nuisance ended up with me buying them a bottle of mineral water each, having a
chat with them under the shade and getting to know their lives. Such is the joy
of travelling!
·
It’s alright to eat alone. Before, I used to think that eating on my own while travelling was extremely scary. However, I’ve
come to embrace and love this “private time” of mine. I remember once eating
alfresco at the Paris Deli in Ho Chi Minh City. This was where I spent a
leisurely morning overlooking the busy streets of Dong Khoi, developing my
first impressions of the city, planning my itinerary for the day and observing
the everyday lives of the locals, from the shoe-shine boys to the FedEx men to
the elderly women trading selling fruits on bicycles.
So
there you have it, the three lessons I’ve learnt from travelling solo in Asia.
Above all, remember to step out of your comfort zone, talk to as many people as possible and make the most of your
travels!
About the author: Wan Phing is the Online Editor at
AsiaRooms.com. Born and raised in Penang, Malaysia, she has lived in Beijing,
London, Benevento, Kuala Lumpur, Manchester and currently resides in Singapore.
She loves travel, photography and discovering new trends.
Gravatar email: wanphing.lim@asiarooms.com
Twitter: @rovingroti
G+: https://plus.google.com/100231359224337374518
I think the important thing for a solo traveller is not where u go, but what options are available.
ReplyDeleteI *really* recommend going on a trip with Exodus or Explore or one of those adventure companies. They are excellent and a great way to meet other people.
However, I have also gone *full-solo*, so to speak. If u decide to do that my main tips would be...
1. Stay in hostels, they are THE BEST place to meet other travelers.
2. If there are no hostels, go on 1 or 2 day activity outings, e.g. diving, climbing, canyoning, etc. They are another great way to meet people.
3. Carry your smartphone with you and join websites like Wandermates.com or AirBnB to help meet other people (like me http://www.wandermates.com/profileview.php?profileuserid=6 :) None of them are perfect, but they are useful.
4. Go on a backpacker-type bus tour. They are brilliant also and a great way to hook w guys:)
Thanks Susie. That Wandermates website is a new to me. I need to check it out!
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