Solo Travel – Before I Kick it Travel

26 September 2020

Traveling as a Black Woman

I absolutely love to travel. When I boarded a plane for my first overseas trip in 2000, I had not considered what it meant to travel as a black woman. As a matter of fact, I did not consider it at all until years later after I had visited several countries. I was naive to think that the rest of the world would see me differently than how all races, including my own, viewed me in the United States. I would later discover that when I crossed international waters, I did not leave behind the rank I was born into as a black woman in the US or the outward racism that black and brown people face every day. During my travels, sometimes being an American trumps being black, but my blackness is the first thing people see. So, it is the first thing people judge me on.

Since my first trip, travel has become my passion and in one way or another it has taken up a lot of space on my bucket list. Before COVID-19, I traveled to a new country every year. And, with age and experience, every time I set foot on foreign soil, I have a few things running in the back of my mind. How will they receive me as a black woman? What will they think of me? And, will I be uncomfortable for the duration of my trip?

Why now?

You may be wondering why am I talking about this subject now, especially since my blog is focused on my bucket list and solo travel experiences. With everything going on in my country concerning race, it is hard to stay silent about how race has impacted my travels. While the dominant race in the US has a long history of trying to keep everyone in their place, almost every country has also had some sort of system to rank its people. In many ways, those systems may not be visible to those who are not regularly affronted by it, but they are there. For that reason, I am sharing my travel experiences through perspective. I want to highlight that there are constant reminders about where people THINK you should stand or rank in society no matter where in the world you are.

[penci_fancy_heading _text_align=”left” p_title=”Black Girl Meets The World” _title_typo=”font_family:Simonetta%3A%22regular%2Citalic%2C900%2C900italic%22|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” _title_fsize=”35px” _subtitle_typo=”font_family:%3A” _desc_typo=”font_family:%3A” title_color=”#000000″]How I have felt during my travels is not something I have even talked about with my friends or family. The fact that I do not get to shed my skin color when I board a plane and cross borders and international waters, not that I would want to. I truly believe that there has not been a single continent that I have planted my feet on where my color was not part of the discussion or highlighted. Here are a few of my experiences of what traveling as a black woman has been like for me.[/penci_fancy_heading]

Africa

Sundowner at Amboseli National Park

I had the privilege of living in Africa for a few years and I have been to at least a dozen African countries. My most troubling experience traveling as a black woman has been in Sub-Sahara Africa, particularly in Kenya where I have spent a considerable about of time. I first want to say that I loved my time in Kenya. It is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. And, I would return anytime I had the chance. However, this country still has a considerable amount of European and Indian ex-pats. Many of whom treat the Kenyans poorly or in a belittling manner.

In general, I blended in well into Kenyan society as long as I kept my mouth closed. So, ex-pats were always shocked when I rejected how they treated me or even called them out for their behavior. Kenyans are a strong, hard-working, and successful group of people. So, I am generalizing when I say that it is sad to see Europeans and Asians treating such amazing people as only worthy of serving others in their own land. I certainly did not appreciate Kenyans and ex-pats alike generally assuming that I was the driver, maid, or domestic help. I think that is a dark reflection of colonization.

South Africa has its own troubled past with decades of Apartheid. During my travels there, my skin color prompted a deep conversation with some South Africans who wanted to make sure I understood the difference between colored, an acceptable term in South Africa, and black people. I am not exactly sure what were their intentions. But, by definition, they were colored and I could not help but feel like they were trying to make sure that I understood my place in South African society.

Asia

I have had mixed experiences as a black woman in Asia. Asian societies in general are more homogenous. So the few times I have traveled to Asia, I have expected the worst. Most of my worries did not come to fruition, but I think that was probably because cultural norms would not have allowed for it. And, while I am sure that Afro-Americas vacation, work, and live in Asia, I assume it is not at all on the same level as in Europe. It definitely seems like an anomaly for Asians to see people of color walking their streets.

I was most terrified to travel to Japan. Particularly, I thought I would feel out of place or be the center of negative attention. Japan is a very artistic and colorful country, but you cannot always tell. Walking down the street, no matter rain or shine, you will see a sea of people dressed in dark clothes, with dark hair, and umbrellas with one of three colors. I had heard stories of Japanese restaurants turning people away because they were black. So, I begged people to go with just because I was afraid people would treat me the same. However, Japan was awesome. If people felt any negative thoughts towards me, they kept them to themselves. My natural hair fascinated and amazed them, but I could understand why. Natural hair IS amazing.

My experience of traveling as a black woman in Vietnam was slightly different. First, I want to say how much I enjoyed my travels in Vietnam. I based in 4 cities and each place was cool and had their own unique twists. My friend, who is white, traveled with me. She is a fantastic travel partner and this was our third trip together. But, I am the planner and she is more of a fly by the seat of her pants kind of person. So, I planned, booked, and paid for the entire trip. That meant everything was in my name, yet somehow that did not matter.

The Vietnamese deferred to her almost everywhere we went. It did not matter where or the context. If I asked a question, they turned to her to answer it. And, if I asked for the bill at a restaurant, they brought it to her. We started to make a game out of it just to see what would happen.

My skin color was also the topic of a few conversations. Some described my skin color as “strong,” which I took as a compliment. While others talked about not wanting to get dark in a slightly embarrassing way. I really did not let any of it bother me, but I think it is a shame to have these experiences halfway around the world. Even if to some, these experiences seem insignificant,

Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue, Vietnam

Europe

Honfleur, France

Traveling as a black woman in Europe has been varied. I have visited the continent more times than I can count on my hands twice over and I love it. However, our European friends are the cause of a lot of racism around the world. Their ties to and their implementation of slavery around the globe are unmistakable. They have purposefully divided tribes, mistreated dark-skinned people, and pitted neighbors against each other. These actions have left its mark on Europe too.

Discrimination is real and overt in many European nations. However, the only place in Europe where I have really felt out of place was in Croatia. I spent two weeks in that beautiful country and they reminded me every day that I was black. I understand that not many black people live or vacation in Croatia, but it was a bit much. People called out to me on the street, pointed at me, and whispered as I passed by. There was not a single day during my two-week trip where Croatians did not harass me because of my skin color. It was exhausting.

South America

The last experience about traveling as a black woman that I want to share is in South America. To be honest, it has been six years since I last visited South American. The continent is full of brown and black people. So, one would assume they are more open to and accepting of people of color. As a matter of fact, many people from South America would claim that racism is only a problem in the United States. Instead, I believe racism is slightly muted and takes on a sometimes less overt form.

In some countries, there is certainly a distinction between whites, Mestizos and Morenos. I spent two months in Chile several summers ago. Okay, I was in college, so it was many summers ago. I was poor and the place I had planned on staying at for the duration of my trip fell through. So, I not only had to find a place to live but a job to pay for that place.

I was shocked that Chileans required people to include a picture of themselves on resumes. That made it easy for them to discriminate against people based on looks, to include the color of one’s skin. I had to find a job where they paid me under the table to teach English to kids. Two of the kids were from Bolivia and were the same skin color as me. The Chilean boys picked on these two Bolivian boys all the time, calling them ugly because of their skin color. Besides those poor Bolivian kids, other Afro-Americans, who spent significant time in Chile, and I were picked on in one way or another.

São Paulo, Brazil

[penci_fancy_heading _text_align=”left” p_title=”My love for travel continues” _title_typo=”font_family:Simonetta%3A%22regular%2Citalic%2C900%2C900italic%22|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” _title_fsize=”35px” _subtitle_typo=”font_family:%3A” _desc_typo=”font_family:%3A”]These are just a few of my experiences. I would like to reiterate that I am writing about this topic at this time because of what our nation is going through at this moment. Race issues are not a new phenomenon. But instead, I think it is important to note that the entire world suffers from some form of us versus them mentality. It is becoming harder to ignore our pasts. We should not let this moment pass without choosing to do something different. Especially, when the world is paying attention to things they have thought little about before.[/penci_fancy_heading]

25 January 202010 May 2020

Solo Travel to Japan: 5 Tips For Your Trip

Solo travel to Japan! What a great time I had all by myself in such a fascinating place. So much of the country intrigued me that I had wanted to go for a long time. The culture, food, and history all seemed so unique from what I had experienced in the Western world and Africa. So, of course it was at the top of my bucket list. My trip to Japan did not disappoint. Of all of the countries I have traveled to, it ranks high on my list as one of the best places I have been. And, I hope to return someday to see and experience more because after almost two weeks, I had only scratched the surface. My bucket list is still full of Japan related things that I need to check off.

By the time I made it to Japan, I had already visited more than 30 countries, many of which I had gone to by myself. However, solo travel to Japan terrified me to the point that I actively looked for a travel partner. It ended up that everyone was busy when I wanted to go, so I was on my own.

You may be wondering why solo travel to Japan worried me. Well, for starters, the language barrier. I took years of Japanese in college but that was forever ago and I only remember a few words. I certainly cannot read Japanese anymore and I had heard that most of the signs would only be in Japanese. It was the first time I traveled to a country where most of the people did not speak English, signs were not in English, and I did not know enough of the language to get by.

My second fear was being an African American woman wondering around a country that has a relatively homogenous population. The major cities are very crowded and it is not uncommon to see a sea of people who are all dressed in dark colors with mostly with the same dark colored hair. Even umbrellas tend to be one of two to three colors. Man, I stood out. I was expecting to see a lot of stares and pointing, and to hear whispers or people wanting to take a picture with me.

10 ETIQUETTE TIPS FOR JAPAN: FIRST TIME VISITOR GUIDE

The Best Japan Itinerary: How to Get the Best out of 10 Days in Japan

During my solo travel to Japan, I really had no reason to worry. It was true that the language barrier was a real issue. Outside of a few stores and some restaurants, I did not find many people who spoke English. Almost no one could give me directions in English. The massive transportation system was difficult to navigate. There were several times I was standing in front of a metro map full of Kanji characters wondering how in the world was I going to find my way to my destination. However all of my planning saved me. Google Maps and Citymapper were my best friends to help me navigate each Japanese city I visited.

Also, people did not really stare, point or whisper. If so, then they were good at hiding it. I was shocked that I felt very welcomed and at times invisible. I know that may sound weird, but I just mean that I did not have a lot of eyes on me.

Even with all of my initial fears about solo travel in Japan, the culture is what intrigued and sucked me in. Asia in general is a mystery to me. It seems so unique and different from the Western world that I cannot help but be fascinated by it. Japanese people can seem very formal and ridged, especially to outsiders. However, the country and its people are so colorful, artistic, and vibrant. There is a mix of modern and traditional at every turn. Such as, watching women beautifully dressed Japanese traditional dressed in kimonos stroll down the street.

Where else can you enjoy Sumo (相撲 sumō, literally “striking one another”), a Japanese style of wrestling. Two large men spend several minutes extending their arms, stumping their feet, and squatting to size each other up and to intimidate their opponent. All before trying to push the other person off of the mat or bring them to their knees. As the country’s national sport, its origins go back at least 1500 years, making it one of the oldest organized sports. The tournaments are completely in Japanese with no English translation, just go along with what the crowd does. Cheer when they cheer and boo when they boo!!

And, if none of that appeals to you, then Japanese food should be enough to make you want to go to Japan. Fresh fish and sushi, bowls and bowls of noodles, and freshly fried everything is just amazing.

As a matter of fact, I ended up being happy that I was traveling solo. There were so many surprises that deviated me from my plans. Many times I jumped off of a train just because I saw a street or part of a town that looked interesting. I am not suggesting that is impossible to do this if you are traveling with a companion, but it certainly is easier to do if you do not have to check in with someone for your every move.

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If I was faced with the same choice to travel to Japan solo, I would do it without question. Most importantly, preplanning was the right thing to do and saved me from my fears. It made it easy to get around and to enjoy the trip without worry. I completely believe that my trip was amazing because of it because half of the battle wass being able to navigate cities. Here a few tips that I hope will help you plan your trip to Japan.

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One thing that made me most nervous about solo travel in Japan was the transit system. Taxies are insanely expensive in Japan, so the train and subway are best ways to get around. The rail and subway systems are massive, and some of the stations do not have English translations of the train lines. I recommend either stopping at the JR East Travel Service center in the Narita Airport before heading into the city. You can also order or print maps of the cities you plan to visit ahead of time, which you should definitely do for travel outside of Tokyo.

The rail and subways in Tokyo are like underground cities and are the busiest in the world. Over a million plus people transit some of Tokyo’s stations each day. These are no ordinary train stops, where your only options are to go left or right when exiting. One of Japan’s largest station, Shinjuku Station, has 200 exits, so it is important to have an idea of where you need to end up. Citymapper will give you step by step instructions on how to plan your trips, to include telling you what part of the train you should get on and which exit to take out of the train station to get to your final destination.

Trains arrive and depart exactly when they are scheduled too! If you are late even by 30 seconds, you risk missing your ride.

JR Rail Pass

Whether you are doing solo travel to Japan or with a group, if you are going to be in Japan for several days, I highly recommend purchasing a Japan Rail Pass. It is a multi-use, discounted ticket for travel on all JR national trains in Japan. The pass includes the Shinkansen bullet trains you take to get around the country. It is a much cheaper way to get around and will save you LOTS of money. Just to paint a clearer picture, a 7 day pass cost me the same amount as a one round trip ticket between Tokyo and Kyoto.

The pass is only available for foreigners and you must purchase it before arriving in Japan. There are options for 7, 14, 21 consecutive days of travel. It takes about 2-3 days for the pass to arrive at your mailing address. I recommend giving yourself some extra time to receive it.

You can validate your pass at the JR East Travel Service Center at Narita airport when you land as well as other areas round the country. The clock starts on the pass after you use it for the first time.

Subway/Metro

You cannot use the JR rail pass on the Subway in Japan, but it’s relatively inexpensive to ride. Tokyo offers a 24, 48, 72-hour metro tickets that are only sold to foreigners. Starting price is less than $8.

Google Maps/SIM cards

If you have an unlocked phone, you should buy a SIM card at the airport. Being able to use the internet and Google Maps during your trip will make life much easier. (Prices start around $30).

You can order a SIM card before your trip, but I like to buy it in country to to ensure I get what I paid for. If buying a SIM card is not an option, I recommend downloading Google Maps to use offline or renting a pocket WIFI router. There are many places where you can purchase one.

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I was fortunate enough that the Airbnb that I stayed at in Kyoto had a bike available for me to use around the city. The bike ended up being quite handy and used it everyday to get around Kyoto. It was fantastic. I thought the metro system was even more difficult to navigate in Kyoto than in Tokyo. Pretty much nothing was in English. So, having a bike made getting around the city so much easier. I put Goggle Maps on my phone, strapped it to the bike basket and rode all over the city. There are several locations all over the city where you can park your bike, or there are bike garages in busy parts of the city that you can use for a small fee. There are several bike rental shops around Kyoto. Rent-a-bike and J-Cycle are good locations to rent bikes.

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Navigating most new cities can be difficult not matter the country, but it can be even harder when part of the population does not speak your native language.

While getting around Japan, I exclusively used the JR and Subway systems, but when I wanted to visit a site and learn more about the location, I booked tours through Viator.com, tokyotravelpal.com, and getyourguide.com

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Many people are nervous about eating meals alone. It is not something that really bothers me that much. And, it was no different during my solo travel to Japan. In almost two weeks in Japan, I ate at only two “fancy” restaurants. Otherwise, I ate A LOT of noodles. Occasionally, ate sushi at a sushi conveyor belt restaurant. But, noodles were the easiest and quickest meal to find in Japan. I love the way the Japanese enjoy their noodles…quickly.

It is easy to order and comes out fast. People generally are on a mission to eat their hot bowl of noodles as quickly as possible and then move on with the rest of their day. That means it never really feels weird to be eating alone because most people will be eating alone too. During my trip, I did go to a fancy Kobe beef restaurant in Tokyo and a tempura restaurant in Kyoto by myself. Those experiences were great too. They treated me like royalty!

As always, I take reading material with me to fill the gap between courses, but I in this case spent most of the time enjoying the atmosphere and the wait staff. I did not have the normal awkward moments when I eat at fancy places by myself.

Japan: Three Restaurants You Must Try

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During my solo travel to Japan, I was never worried about my safety. It is a country where you can roam the streets very late at night without much fear. As with any city, there are parts of town where you should be more cautious. Such as slums and the red light district. Otherwise, I think it is safe to take normal precautions in Japan.

15 December 201910 May 2020

Solo Female Travel in Morocco

Solo female travel in Morocco is not for a timid traveler. And, while I really do enjoy traveling by myself, I have a love hate relationship with this country. Morocco is at the top of my list as one of most difficult solo trips I have taken and it was even more complicated by being a woman. Constantly drawing a man’s attention, and not in a good way, was just one issue. Arguing with people in French when my French is in a constant state of what I would call rusty, was another. Morocco can feel overwhelming, even if you have friends to lean on. It can be even more intimidating traveling by yourself.

Solo Travel: The Truth About Traveling Alone

I spent 10 days traveling as a solo female in Morocco and I saw several parts of the country. Each location had a different feel to it, and I was on edge during most of my trip. My first stop was in Marrakesh and it started out a tad rough when a taxi driver refused to listen to me. I repeatedly told the driver that I did not want a tour of the city, but he refused to take me to the destination I had requested. When he finally dropped me off, he upped the price of our original negotiated price.

As I tried to get out of the car, he grabbed my arm to try and force me to stay in the car. My very strong tone in limited French saved me and I was able to argue my way out of the situation. This all took place on my first day in Morocco, so it made me a little nervous for the rest of my trip.

After leaving Marrakesh, I did a 4 day trek through the Atlas Mountains as well as an overnight desert tour. The tour guide was a lifesaver, as I am not sure it would have been wise to travel without one as a solo female traveling in Morocco. I was initially worried about riding with two men through the mountains by myself. However, it turned out to be alright and they kept me from being harassed by other men during the trip.

That all ended when I arrived in Fez. My hotel was nice and located outside of the medina. However, walking through the medina was frustrating even when I had a male tour guide. Outside of the stares, cat calls, and men mumbling under their breaths as they passed me on the street, a guy aggressively followed me through the medina.

I know this will sound crazy, but if I had to do it all over again, I would still be okay with solo travel in Morocco. However, I would have done a better job mentally preparing myself for the many frustrations I experienced. Here are a few tips that I wish I had followed:

Travel to Morocco: What Surprised Me

Do some planning

I highly recommend that you do some pre planning before arriving in Morocco regardless of whether or not you are doing solo female travel in Morocco. Get a feel for some of the culture, customs and norms of Morocco before your trip. It will help you to look like you know what you are doing on the street. And, that will help limit unwanted attention. It will also give you the confidence not to cave into unofficial tour guides. Tour guides seem helpful, but ultimately want your money. This may sound contrarian, but the easiest time I had during my trip was when I joined a tour group or hired an official guide. That generally created a buffer between me and strangers. I really liked using Authentic Morocco and Viator.com to book my tours.

Dress Modest

Remember that Morocco is a Muslim country. It is not necessary to cover your head, but you should dress modestly. Wear long pants, skirts and shirts that cover the arms. As a solo female traveling in Morocco, I think some sort of cover will help you not draw as much attention.

Lodging

I am not a budget traveler, so I had no issue staying in nice hotels in the major cities. I am not saying you must stay in the most expensive hotels to feel safe. However, you should take time in choosing lodging, read lots of hotel reviews and do some research about the location.

Shared cabs

I wish I knew that sharing a cab is normal in Morocco. Do not be surprised when a cab pulls over to pick you up and there are already several people in the cab. You will probably feel very uncomfortable, especially if you have to squeeze in between a bunch of men.

Someone will keep you company!

Even if you are a solo female traveling in Morocco, it is really hard to really be alone. The fact that you are enjoying time to yourself is an invitation for Moroccans to come chat with you. I do not think this only pertains to Morocco, but it stood out to me during my trip. Frankly, it is nice that people are friendly enough to make sure you are enjoying your time. Consider returning the kindness and take a moment to get to know Moroccans!

29 November 201910 May 2020

Bucket List: Amazing Moroccan Desert Tour

[penci_fancy_heading p_title=”” _title_typo=”font_family:%3A” _subtitle_typo=”font_family:%3A” _desc_typo=”font_family:%3A” css=”.vc_custom_1575041127845{margin-bottom: 75px !important;}”]Visiting Morocco was such an interesting trip. As part of my bucket list travels, I wanted to spend at least one night in the Moroccan desert. Even if it was not on my list, a trip to Morocco would not have been complete without spending the night in the desert. I was happy that I was able to fit in an amazing Morocco desert tour into my travels![/penci_fancy_heading][penci_fancy_heading subtitle_tag=”h4″ p_title=”How to get there” title_tag=”h6″ _use_separator=”yes” separator_border_width=”2″ _title_typo=”font_family:Acme%3A%22regular%22|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” _subtitle_typo=”font_family:%3A” _desc_typo=”font_family:%3A”]I spent several days in Marrakesh before I started making my way through the Atlas Mountains on my way to Fez, included stops at Ait Benhaddou, Dades Gorges, and World Heritage Site, Ouarzazate. After a very interesting tour to that point, I finally reached what ended up being my favorite part of the trip. The desert!

I was a little nervous at first because I was traveling by myself with two male guides. I also found out on my way to the edge of the Erg Chebbi desert that I would be the only person staying in the camp overnight. All of my worries ended up being for nothing because my desert tour was one of the highlights of my vacation in Morocco.

Once I arrived at the edge of Erg Chebbi, I alone mounted a camel with a guide and we started the trek into the desert. Wow…it was so beautiful. Just me, the camel, and the guide surrounded by golden sand dunes. My camel was quite stubborn and did not want to walk, but it did not bother me at all. We made it to a great location in the absolute middle of nowhere, and started hiking the dunes.

Travel to Morocco: What Surprised Me

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[penci_fancy_heading p_title=”What to expect” title_tag=”h4″ _use_separator=”yes” separator_border_width=”2″ _title_typo=”font_family:Acme%3A%22regular%22|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” _subtitle_typo=”font_family:%3A” _desc_typo=”font_family:%3A”]Let me just say that I never want to be trapped in the desert in Morocco during the middle of summer. I can see why so many crazy movies have been filmed in the Moroccan desert. It is a harsh environment and the sand is so fine that it gets trapped in all of your hair, including your eyelashes!

However, even in such a harsh environment, there is a calm feeling that overcomes you by being there. After playing in the Moroccan sand, we waited, watched and relaxed for quite some time to watch the sunset. It was amazing. Afterwards, I climbed back on the camel and headed to the camp.

I decided to stay in the luxury tented camp in Morocco. After so many safaris in Kenya, I could not imagine staying in anything besides a luxury camp. As the sole person at the camp for the night, it was a little strange but nice. I sat out in the quiet and took in the beautiful stars in peace.

I love the food in Morocco, and my food experience was just as great in the desert. There were a few Berbers at the camp with me, and they made me a huge feast. I stuffed my self silly on Moroccan food. Chicken tagine, beef with prunes tagine, couscous tagine, two veggie tagines, salad and soup were all placed before me. They also made me delicious deserts and a provided bottle of red wine. I finished the night sitting under the stars with a good book.[/penci_fancy_heading]

[penci_fancy_heading p_title=”” _title_typo=”font_family:%3A” _subtitle_typo=”font_family:%3A” _desc_typo=”font_family:%3A” css=”.vc_custom_1575037832072{margin-top: 50px !important;}”]After a good night’s rest, I set my alarm to get up at 6am and climbed the sand dunes to watch the sunrise. It was a peaceful morning as I sat in by myself and watched the morning sun. Afterwards, I enjoyed a nice breakfast in the Moroccan desert.[/penci_fancy_heading]

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Do research on tour companies. There are several tour companies in Morocco that provide desert tours, but I recommend Authentic Morocco Private Tours. They were great and everything was as promised. I also used them to book a private tour of the medina in Fez. They took care of me every step of the way and both the driver and tour guide protected me from unwanted attention.

You get what you pay for. Morocco is no different than the rest of the world. You get what you pay for. If you want to sleep in a plush bed and have running water, then will have to pay a little extra. I think it is worth it, especially considering the environment.

Pack appropriately. Temperatures fluctuate in the Moroccan desert. Not only can it go from extreme between cold in the winter to over 100 degrees during the summer, but it can be quite extreme in one day. It is not uncommon for a summer night to feel very cold. Your packing list for Morocco should include clothes to dress in layers. Also, take a scarf with you to cover your head and face. If it is at all windy, sand will definitely be everywhere. During the winter, I recommend packing a sleeping bags for extra warmth at night.

Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water during the hot Moroccan summers. You may not feel like you are sweeting because it is such a dry heat, but you can easily get dehydrated.

Protect your skin. You are likely to be on your camel ride for several hours. Make sure you wear sunscreen.[/penci_fancy_heading]

24 November 201910 May 2020

Solo Travel: The Truth About Traveling Alone

I love solo travel for so many reasons. My solo travel adventures started because of my grandmother. About 20 years ago, while sharing a breakfast together, she told me about all of the places she wished she had visited. She considered her life to be a blessed life. However, she did not have the opportunities to travel the way she wanted. I actually think part of my travel bug comes from her.

Solo travel is not for everyone, and I will admit that there may be a few cons. For example, I was unable to find a single food tour in Osaka, Japan, that would allow me to join a tour group. Apparently two was the minimum. Also, for some reason when I go to the beach, some people tend to ask “just one” with a little bit of pity or surprise. You know what? I DO NOT CARE!! Those small things are not enough to keep me from traveling solo, and I think everyone should try it at least once.

I know many women are particularly afraid. I understand the fear…the fear of the unknown, and frankly, I would never guarantee nothing bad will never happen. However, with planning, I have never really felt like I was in any type of danger. There are ways to protect yourself and feel safe. The goal is for your primary focus to be on whatever beautiful environment you are there to experience.

As part of my bucket list adventures, I set a goal to travel to at least 60 countries. I hope to exceed that, but for now that is my goal. So far, I have visited 44 countries. To make my goal possible, solo travel had to be built into my plan. I am a single woman and I think it is important that I do not to wait for people to make decisions, take risks, or be willing to push themselves outside of their comfort zones before I take a trip. This is especially true since the more I travel, the more I want to keep going.

Building Confidence!

Solo travel helps you to build confidence and become comfortable in your own skin. You also get to engage with lots of new and interesting people. With that confidence you gain freedom. Freedom to plan your trip exactly how you want to. You can choose to leave a place you are not enjoying or linger a little longer than you expected to.

Practice makes perfect

My first few solo trips were a tad bumpy. While I am still learning new tricks, I feel very good about going to almost any country alone. I’ve gained enough tools and resources to figure my way around strange places with confidence. That has all come with time and practice. If your first trip does not go according to plan, do not be afraid to try it again. I promise that it gets easier with time.

25 Tips for International Travel

Granada, Spain

Tips to help you conquer your fears of solo travels!!

Limit social media: We live in an age of social media where we track everything we do in the moment. Remember that social media also provides nefarious people with detailed information about your whereabouts and travel location, which can be used against you. The best practice is to limit your play by play activities.

Do not wing the important stuff: In general, I book my hotel or Airbnb reservations well before I board the plane. I buy walking maps of cities I am visiting. I also try to gain some understanding of public transportation systems as well as culture and norms. All of my pre planning helps me feel comfortable in a strange environment. I only wing it when I am visiting a country I’ve been to several times and I know what I am getting myself into.

Leave your itinerary behind: It is good practice for you to leave your travel plans, to include plane and hotel reservations, with someone you trust. Someone who cares about your whereabouts.

Solo travel in Morocco

Research the town: Take some time to research the town you plan to stay in. Every city is different and what seems alright in one place, does not work in another. In large cities, I try to stay close to a metro stop. It will save you a lot of time and make getting around a lot easier.

Do not be afraid to get out and see things: You have gotten up the courage to travel on your own. Maybe you have endured a long flight or car ride to reach your destination. Take every opportunity to see all that your heart desires. For me, that usually includes taking a very long time in a museum or spending a little too much money on a meal. It is also easier to get distracted when you are alone and that is a good thing. It is one my favorite parts about solo travel.

Join a day tour: If you are unclear about how to navigate a city or how to accomplish an activity, then joining a day tour makes things easier. Day tours help me manage logistics, like pick up and drop off from lodging and transportation to the tour site. They also usually provide lots of information about the site I am visiting. It is the easiest way to see things you may have not otherwise seen on our own.

I have been lucky to come across mom and pop restaurants and shops, received lots of information about temples, cathedrals, and mosques, and gained a ton of historical knowledge. My favorite tour companies are Viator.com and Getyourguide.com, but there a many others that can help ease your travels.

Dining alone: Dining alone can be the hardest part of traveling solo. I eat out by myself all the time in the US. But, for some reason it feels different on a trip. This is especially true if I want to go to a fancy restaurant solo. However, I do not think you should skip out on good places to eat just because you are by yourself. I tend to find restaurants with bars or outdoor seating, which take off of the pressure of eating by myself, and I also always have a book with me.