101 Reasons To Travel Solo

Have you always thought of traveling alone but never had the courage to break free and explore the world all by yourself? Read these 101 reasons to travel solo – and once you’ve done it, there’s no looking back! 

Well, you’re surely not the only one then. Although I started traveling solo about 5 years back, I know many who always plan and procrastinate, being unsure about how to sustain on the roads.

In the beginning, even I felt skeptic but the thoughts of the unknown excited me always.

“A nomad I will remain for life, in love with distant and uncharted places.” – Isabelle Eberhardt.

It’s gonna be scary, yet an exciting thing to do. It can be the most challenging adventure of your life. But once you succeed in it, there is no way back.

Trust me when I say this, a solo trip will change you completely and make you fall in love with yourself, more than ever.

Here are 101 reasons why you should travel solo

1. To get interesting and exciting experiences

When we travel with others, we mostly abide by the choices as per everyone’s interests. But when you’re alone, you have the freedom to try all things crazy and experience the madness on the roads.

2. To grow as a person in many ways

Things wouldn’t always go as per your plans, and it’ll eventually help you to learn how to adapt to various circumstances, and grow as a person.

“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher.

3. To widen our view towards the world

Sitting at home, we’d never get to know how beautiful this world is! It’s only when you step out, will you get to know about the rugged terrains, the warmth of the strangers, the taste of local delicacies, so on and so forth.

4. To meet new people

As they say, there are no unknown friends, only people we haven’t met yet! Once you embark on a solo trip, you’d get to meet so many new people – starting from the cab drivers, to the folks you stay with.

You’d also stumble upon solo travelers from other parts of the world, and realize that somewhere, we’re all the same!

5. To know about different cultures

One of the best things about solo journeys is that it would give you ample scope to soak in the local culture of the place you visit. You would get to know about their history, lifestyle, festivals and what not.

6. To collect stories for the future

Every journey we undertake, adds some beautiful stories to the book of our lives. And perhaps, the best stories you’d get to live are the ones that you’d encounter during solo traveling.

7. To take beautiful pictures

Make sure to keep your phone/ camera handy, ‘coz you wouldn’t wanna miss all those perfect ‘Insta-worthy’ shots while traveling all by yourself. Also, don’t forget to click those selfies!

8. To feel complete freedom

You’d get to make your own plans, and go at your own pace! While on a solo trip, you can do whatever you feel like. You might just wish to spend a day at the beach, doing nothing!

Or maybe, on some day, you’d wanna stay indoors, write about your experiences until then, and chill by yourself. You are your own boss on the roads!

9. To take new challenges in life

When you travel solo, there would be numerous challenges that would pop up every now & then, and you’d have to deal with them in your own way.

With time, you’d know that you’re good enough to face the challenges all by yourself.

10. To escape from your boring routines

A solo trip will be the best escape from the monotonous routines of your life, opening the doors of the world to you!

11. To build a network 

It would endow you with ample opportunities to build a social network with people you meet on the roads. You would surely find a bunch of like-minded people, and make sure to stay in touch with them.

12. To learn new skills

From cooking some authentic local delicacies to learning a foreign language while you are in a faraway land – your solo trip would help you learn new skills, that’re gonna stay with you for life.

13. To visit places you have seen in movies

We’ve all grown up watching those exquisite locations in movies, and dreamt that someday, we can be there too!

Well, now that you finally have the liberty to travel solo, just pick a place that has always been there on your travel bucket list, and go!

14. To overcome your fear

We are often scared of the uncertainties – What will happen if I’m alone? How safe will it be to travel solo?

Questions like this would keep coming, until you actually embark on that trip and return back home, overcoming all your fears.

15. To see beautiful sunrises and sunsets

Trust me when I say this, sunrises & sunsets would vary as you travel the world. I witnessed the most gorgeous sunrise while trekking in the Himalayas, and the most breathtaking sunsets in Kenya!

16. To experience more gratefulness

Having seen the world, far & wide, would make you feel more grateful in life. The pandemic taught me that traveling is an essential human activity and we are privileged enough to enjoy it.

“I wondered why it was that places are so much lovelier when one is alone.” – Daphne Du Maurier.

17. To explore offbeat places

When we travel with others, we often have to consider their choices as well – and you never know, they might just hop from one tourist spot to another, while you wish to spend hours exploring a hidden gem!

18. To learn about the history

Solo trips would probably be the best way to learn about the history of the country you’re visiting. Go to the museums, talk to the locals, understand the cultural heritage and broaden your knowledge.

19. To join worldwide celebrations and festivals

Imagine how wonderful it would be, to get invited to join a festival and witness the celebrations of a different land. Each country has its own unique set of festivals, and it’ll be a delightful experience to witness it.

20. To discover new cozy little cafes

Personally, I’m a lover of cute, Insta-worthy cafes and I bet that when you travel solo, you’d get to discover tons of those, hole in the wall kinda’ places which not just have a perfect ambiance, but serve great food too.

Related:

A beginner’s guide to solo travel

21. To break old habits and create new

Traveling solo helps us to get rid of old habits and get used to new ones, while we are out there exploring the world.

At home, we are mostly living in our comfort zones, mostly reluctant to experiment with new things. But when you’re all by yourself, you’ll tend to have more adventures and indulge in new habits.

22. To improve your communication skills

I’ve known many introverts, who ended up with a bunch of friends around the world while traveling solo. Needless to say, your solo journey will push you to make a move and break the ice to initiate conversations with strangers.

Slowly, you’ll realize that your communication skills are improving and you would feel free to talk more.

23. To become more socially confident

As humans, we are all social beings – but often not confident enough to step up and mingle with everyone.

When you travel solo, there would be various occasions where you’ll have to talk to people, be it in a hostel where you share a room with others, or at a pub where you’d meet some other solo travelers!

Eventually, as you develop your communication skills, you’ll also become a more socially confident person.

24. To become more creative

As you set out to explore & you’re all by yourself, you’ll tend to notice and absorb everything so much more than usual. You’ll find inspiration from little things and that’ll immensely boost your creativity.

25. To become a problem solver in your life

Traveling alone allows you to take problems into your hand and solve it, ‘coz there would be no one else to rely on.

Imagine when you’re on a road trip and there’s a tire puncture – you’ll have to take it up and solve it by yourself. Slowly, you’ll learn to resolve the bigger problems of life as well, without anyone’s support.

26. To be ready to get new job opportunities 

Your experiences will definitely help you to find new job opportunities, and the skills that you’d pick up from the roads would take you a long way.

27. To improve your mental health

When you’re traveling, you tend to be happy in most cases, releasing enough dopamine. Your sense of independence and self-reliance will reduce anxiety, stress and depression, leading to improving your mental health.

28. To detox yourself from technology

Your journey will keep you engrossed enough, that you won’t have the time to scroll through your phone for long.

Solo trips are perfect for the much-needed digital detox, and there might be places where you’d hardly find any internet.

29. To become more compassionate

When you travel solo and meet different people in some other part of the world, your way of looking at life will completely change and you’ll turn into a more compassionate and empathetic human being.

30. To accept yourself as you are

Traveling alone will make you realize how different we all are. Your uniqueness makes you special and as you’ll travel solo, you’ll learn to accept yourself as you are.

31. To be able to take your own decisions

Being alone on the roads will help you to take all decisions by yourself. No matter whether you make the right one or choose a wrong path, it’ll be your call at the end of the day!

32. To spread your opinions to the world

Sharing your thoughts and opinions with the world while traveling, will make you more confident. There will be immense scope for exchange of ideas.

33. To say goodbye to your comfort zone

Waking up alone in a faraway town, finding a good breakfast place and then carrying on with your adventures will make you step out of your comfort zone, while traveling solo.

34. To catch the travel bug for life

Once you are bitten by the travel bug, there’s no cure for life! You realize the joy of explorations and there’s no looking back.

35. To face your weaknesses

Traveling alone will make you face your weaknesses and deal with them in the best possible manner.

36. To experience the diversity

Your solo journeys will let you experience the diversity that the world has to offer – to see new cultures, broaden our horizons, meet people with different perspectives and backgrounds than our own.

37. To become more self-aware

When we are more open to others, trying to absorb everything happening around us in a more conscious manner, we automatically tend to become more self-aware.

38. To learn how to hold your bladder

Sounds funny, right? But yeah, when you are on the roads, you might not always find a way to relieve yourself, and there would be times when you’ll probably have to pee at a public toilet in a petrol pump, or maybe in the open, behind the bushes!

39. To become brave

Traveling solo isn’t a cake-walk and there are often circumstances when you’ll have to be strong, choosing the best way possible. As you learnt to rely more on your decisions, you’ll become brave and more confident.

40. To learn how to become independent

Needless to say, when you’ve got no one to rely on but yourself, your independence has a chance to shine.

41. To be famous on Instagram

As you explore the world and click breathtaking photographs, it’s time that you show them off to the world using appropriate hashtags and thus, become famous as a #SoloTraveler on Instagram!

42. To learn to love being alone 

Once you start enjoying your own company, you’d fall in love with yourself and cherish being alone. You’d not hesitate to go out and grab a cup of coffee by yourself or

43. To learn a foreign language (or several)

Traveling abroad will give you a chance to learn new languages, who knows, you might just end up being a linguist!

Also, knowing foreign languages can be immensely beneficial for your career, and always keep you a step ahead of your peers.

44. To savor the variety of cuisine

Each place has a unique food habit, and as you explore the world all by yourself, you’ll have ample opportunities to not just savor the tastes of a variety of cuisine, but you can also learn to cook some.

45. To practice gratitude

When we step outside of the daily grind of life and into the unknown, something fantastic happens to us. To be honest, traveling will make you feel grateful for the life you have been blessed with, and for all the opportunities you get along the way.

“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien.

46. To find out that getting lost is amazing 

It’s one of the best lessons that your solo trip will teach you! You’ll learn what fun it is to get lost, wake up in a new land, befriend strangers and experience life out of the box.

47. To get the strength to deal with the mess of life 

Often, we get so entangled in the mess of life, that we feel disgusted and helpless. But once you travel alone, you’ll gain enough strength to deal with all the adversities of life, and know how to patiently resolve them.

48. To celebrate your freedom 

Your solo trips would be the best way to celebrate your freedom! When you are all by yourself, you decide where to go, when to go, what to eat, where to eat, so on and so forth.

49. To streamline your life

Traveling alone will encourage you to streamline your life! You’d know that it’s just a backpack that you’re gonna carry, and you can take only as much of your things that can fit into it. Thus, you’d get rid of all the junk, and know what are your essentials!

50. To be able to prioritize 

When you travel solo, there would often be times when you’ll not be able to get all that you want or need! In such situations, you’ll have to choose what’s your priority! Eventually, you’ll also learn how to set your priorities in life, in general.

51. To learn how to deal with the unknown

As I’ve already said before, traveling pulls you out of your comfort zone and pushes you to plunge into the unknown, which has incredible things in store for you!

52. To become more flexible

If you’re rigid with your plans, you’ll soon face difficulties on the roads. Flexibility & adaptability are the two best lessons that you’ll learn while traveling solo.

53. To get a better sense of direction

When you travel with others, there are chances that you’d depend majorly on them while choosing the path. But once you start traveling solo, your sense of direction will automatically get better.

54. To become able to take care of yourself

When you’re out there, exploring places all by yourself, you have no one to blame if things go wrong and so you learn to take care of yourself.

55. To love yourself

As you slowly discover a new you – widening your horizon, experiencing new things, making choices and living each day to the fullest, you’ll surely be in love with yourself.

56. To be able to push your limits 

Traveling solo will motivate you to push your limits and thus, improve your self-worth. It will also give you the ability and strength to try new things and to realize that failure is only a stepping stone towards success.

57. To stay calm

Staying calm is like a superpower that will help you sail through all difficulties, during your solo journeys. Being calm will allow you to think logically and take decisions accordingly.

Clarity of mind is extremely important while you’re there on the roads, alone. If your mind is free and relaxed, your clarity of thoughts shall provide the solution to you.

58. To get deeper respect for Mother Earth

Your solo adventures will teach you more about Mother Earth and renew your bond with nature, while you start appreciating the natural things around. You’ll become more conscious of your choices – like reducing the usage of plastic, minimizing food wastage, etc.

59. To learn to not take other people’s opinions too seriously

Every human being has their own ways to look at life, and if you pay too much attention to what others have to say, you’ll never be able to live in peace.

To be honest, once you travel alone, you’ll understand that it’s not always necessary to take other people’s opinions too seriously.

Living in the comfort of home, around our family and friends, we often fail to hone our inner strengths, but once you’re out on the roads, you’ve no choice but to nurture those strengths!

61. To learn how to make things happen 

As you plan each day during your trip and execute them in order to enjoy every moment, you’ll learn the tricks and hacks of how to make things happen.

62. To see the world isn’t as scary as you think

Sitting at home, scrolling through social media and watching the news makes us think that everything that’s happening in the world is bad!

There’s war going on somewhere, natural calamities are happening, so on and forth! While all these are real, there are numerous other good things as well.

Once you hit the roads, you’ll realize that the world is not as crazy as you thought it to be!

63. To find you’re never truly alone

Even when you travel solo, you’d never be truly alone! Yeah, you heard me right. You’ll learn to befriend strangers on the way – maybe with someone you’ll share a cup of coffee, or bump into a bookstore somewhere, or maybe, the passenger on the next seat in the flight!

64. To open your heart

Traveling will make you a more compassionate person, and it’ll open your heart in ways you never imagined. You’d know that people across the world are dealing with their own share of problems, trying to deal in their own ways.

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

65. To change your thinking pattern

Trust me when I say this, your journeys will change the way you look at life! Once you’ve seen the world, met people from a different culture, woke up to see different sunsets and experienced a life out of the box, there’s literally no looking back!

66. To be a dreamer

Travelers are daydreamers, and that’s a fact! Sitting at a cafe in Paris, you’ll dream about the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, or walking down the beaches of Maldives, you’ll probably have a minute of goosebumps thinking about the jaw-dropping beauty of the Himalayas! I don’t blame you – happens to me as well!

67. To know who you REALLY are

As you travel across the globe all by yourself, you get to know yourself more closely – you’d know what works for you, what’s good for you and all that self-knowledge will make you independent of the opinions of others.

68. To learn to trust your gut

Travel solo will make you rely on your intuitions and you’ll realize that it’s the ultimate act of trusting yourself.

When you’re all by yourself, you’d have no choice but to take your own calls, and often, the process of decision making will solely depend on your gut feeling.

69. To learn to go at your own pace

When you travel solo, you have the full freedom to move at your own pace, which will eventually make you more intuitive and happier, enabling you to enjoy the journey even more.

70. To be more spontaneous

Once you embark on your solo journey, you’ll realize the importance of being spontaneous and no matter what happens next, you can deal with it. This is a truly incredible habit that’ll help you ahead in life as well.

71. To improve your walking habit

Whether it’s about walking around the ruins of Angkor in Cambodia or on the golden sands of Bondi Beach in Sydney – your walking habits will surely improve as you travel the world!

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.'”—Jack Kerouac.

72. To take a break from your ‘9 – 5’ job

I guess the above quote by Jack Keraouc says it all! Sitting in that cabin, slogging for 8 hours a day will probably get you a hefty paycheque and enough success, but will that make you happy and content at the end of the day?

Maybe not! Breaking free from the mundanes of regularities will let you experience the best that this life has to offer.

73. To collect memories instead of things

In the end, we’re all gonna die! So why gather so many tangible things? Instead, go out and live every moment – dive deep into the oceans, hike through the mountain trails, soak in the sunshines and create beautiful memories.

74. To practice silence

When you travel alone, there will be enough time to introspect, as you spend time with yourself in silence.

This will eventually increase self-awareness, self-compassion and improve decision-making skills with improved mental clarity, which will benefit you in later life.

75. To learn to take more risks

Being on the roads alone will surely make you more daredevil, as you won’t hesitate to take more risks!

76. To get more adventure in your life

Plunging into the adventures of solo travel will make you more self-reliant, help you to gain a sense of accomplishment and nurture your soul in ways unimaginable.

77. To be more active and healthy

It has been seen that travelers are identified to be more active & healthy, as they follow potentially effective means of increasing physical activity levels, which eventually contributes towards their physical and mental health.

78. To become more mindful

When you travel solo, you have the liberty to plan things as per your choice, and instead of ticking off a list of countries or cities to visit, you’re more likely to take the time to stop and appreciate your stay.

Needless to say, practicing mindfulness as you travel helps you to slow down and savour the wonderful things life has to offer.

79. To discover that hostels are a safe haven

One the best experiences of a solo traveler is at the accommodations! As you barge into hostels across the world, you’ll come across backpackers from different walks of life!

80. To experience the natural beauty

The world is a beautiful place, and once you set out to explore, you’ll be amazed to see the natural beauty – from snowclad mountains to turquoise waters of the oceans, from the wildlife of the savannahs to the coral reefs underwater, from the vast sandy stretches of deserts to the lush rainforests!

81. To become richer in terms of experiences

Have you ever imagined how wonderful it would be, to become wealthy with experiences? Well yeah, that’s what traveling is gonna do to you!

82. To supercharge your confidence

Solo trips will boost your confidence in ways unimaginable! As you push your boundaries, whether it’s by going to a restaurant alone for the first time or navigating a country where you don’t know the language, you will gain enough confidence – and that will take you a long way ahead in life!

83. To indulge in ‘work from anywhere’ 

Once you break free from your ‘9 to 5’ job, you’ll have the freedom to work from anywhere!

84. To give back to the community

Be a part of a volunteering program, shop from local artisans, eat at the local eateries and stay at the homestays!

During your solo trip, make sure to support the host community in all possible ways, to turn your journey into an enriching experience!

85. To learn to be patient

When you travel alone, there’s no one else to deal with your frustrations and stress. Thus, you learn how to be calm and patient in all situations, and go with the flow.

86. To learn how to say ‘no’

Living in a society, we tend to say ‘yes’ more often than we feel like, but your solo travels will teach you how to say ‘no’ when needed, and the importance of it.

Not always in life can you be a people pleaser, and thus, it’s better to express yourself and deny anything you don’t feel like doing (or being a part of).

87. To build life-long friendships

You’ll bond over the similar tastes of food, adventures and wanderlust. The friends you’ll make on the roads will be your friends for life!

88. To learn the art of negotiation

Whether it’s about buying souvenirs or getting that last seat in the bus – there will be several situations where you’ll have to negotiate for the best deal. Thus, your solo trips will make you the master of negotiations.

89. To unearth hidden skills

When you step out of your comfort zone, you’ll be indulging in trying out various new things – and who knows, you might just end up unearthing some hidden skill of yours!

If you take up volunteering with children, you might realize that you have amazing teaching skills about which you were completely unaware, or maybe you will simply discover that you have magic in your hands when it comes to cooking!

90. To become more meditative

Traveling isn’t just about exploring places, but an overwhelming spiritual experience where you get to connect with nature, people, and most importantly, with yourself.

For some people, including me, traveling is more like a meditation that makes us forget about all the woes of life, as we live every moment in the present.

91. To take “me time”

Sometimes, it’s important to travel inward and look within. As you travel the world and see the breathtaking views, it’s often needed to pause and soak in the moment.

If you travel with others, it might not always be possible, but if you travel alone, you’ll have ample scope to enjoy your ‘me time’.

92. To improve your taste buds

Living in our comfort zone, we often miss out on experimenting with food! Until I had tried sushi for a couple of times, I had no idea of what an acquired taste can be like!

93. To make a difference

Millennials are opting to make a difference during their holidays, and you can do too! Choose to volunteer for a meaningful cause while you travel solo, and share some happiness! It’ll definitely make your journey even more worthy.

94. To teach yourself to cook a new type of cuisine

Imagine what fun it would be to attend Thai cooking classes in Bangkok, or learning to cook paella while in Spain! That’s the charm of solo trips – it gives you ample scope to gain new skills.

95. To be more responsible

From taking care of yourself and your belongings, to managing all your logistics & finances – traveling solo will surely make you a more responsible human being.

96. To earn a bit of extra cash

On today’s date, there are so many opportunities for solo travelers! You can start your own blog, or write for some travel website, make vlogs, become a Travel influencer – so on and so forth! Your solo trips might just become a source of income for you!

97. To reduce stress

Solo traveling will ignite a sense of happiness and help you take your mind off stressful situations.

This would eventually lead to lower cortisol levels, making you feel more calm and content, as you move around the world.

98. To develop emotional stability

When you’re out on the roads, all by yourself, you face challenges and deal with them in your own way.

Slowly, you’ll tend to develop your emotional stability and grow as a mentally strong human being.

99. To inspire others

Once you take a solo trip, and experience the goodness of exploring the world, you’d surely end up inspiring others, who are still stuck within the four walls and contemplating how to break free!

100. To learn to balance between your work and travel

With the availability of the internet and the perks of ‘work from anywhere’, now is the best time to travel solo and balance your work while on the go.

101. You’re still searching for reasons to travel alone?

Really?? – Guess we’ve already given you enough reasons not to think any more!

 

We hope that now you’re convinced to set aside everything else, and start planning your first solo trip! Happy traveling!

What’s your reason/s to travel solo or with your group? Let’s discuss here.