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Solo Travel

So, you want to travel the world solo?

I have been doing solo travel since I was 19 years old and I am 34 now. In this page, you will not only find solo travel tips for women but this content applies to all gender and traveler types.

If you are new to this solo travel blog, welcome! My name is Trisha and I have been traveling the world on my own (as a female) for the last 14 years. Even though I am from a mixed Asian-European household, my parents were still not very open that I leave home at 19. But I did it anyway.

My mother did not talk to me for some years because I left University to travel the world alone. Through my solo travels, I became many different versions of myself. I learned how to keep myself safe on the road and discovered how to deal with many different cultures. With this solo travel journey, I was able to learn 7 languages and I speak them fluently.

Traveling solo also enabled me to stay with local families, go backpacking by myself for long periods of time, and do volunteer travel. I was cut off when I decided to not finish college so I had to learn how to fend for myself. In this blog, you will find the many different ways how to live a lifestyle like mine and free yourself from the expectations of society, especially for women.

I am currently based in Mexico, a country that has a notorious reputation when it comes to safety but I feel very safe in Mexico and have shared many stories about living here.

Want to learn how to travel the world solo? I got you!

I offer 1-1 consultation to people who wish to travel solo and have no idea where to start. Let’s get on a call and talk about your first solo trip! On this 1-1 Zoom call, I can help you with custom itinerary planning, VIP and Luxury solo travel, and all the tips you should know. My clients also get a discount on tours and packages in any country you wish to travel to.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

ABSOLUTELY! But I must admit that traveling solo is not for everyone. Before you start traveling by yourself, you need to assess your skills: can you survive places on your own? Can you manage to navigate your trip without speaking the local language? Will you be uncomfortable if a stranger approaches you?

Ask yourself these questions and from here, only you can assess if solo travel is a good idea or not. Nobody can decide this for you but YOU.

For first-time travelers, I always recommend Southeast Asia. This is the most friendly region in the world as people are used to Western visitors. People are very warm and welcoming and you’ll never feel alone!

Another option that I would suggest would be South America. Everyone backpacks in South America so you will always find fellow travelers to go with. I traveled 3.5 years from Mexico to Argentina and this is one of the highlights of my solo travel life. I also became fluent in Spanish along the way!

Solo travel gets lonely, especially in the beginning. When you go out there by yourself for the first time, you will miss the comforts of your home, and the familiar noise in your city, and you will long for the cuisines and food that you are used to.

It is normal to feel lonely but when you are already out here, you will realize you can make friends with fellow solo travelers and then the loneliness goes away. Of course, this won’t happen without you doing anything about it.

The best way to NOT get lonely when traveling alone is to search for volunteering opportunities. I use Worldpackers to find volunteering jobs (in exchange for free food and accommodations).

I volunteered around the world for years and it did not only save me money but also made me make meaningful friendships on the road.

There is no timeline or deadline on how long a solo trip should be. It is really up to you! Some people do solo trips for 3 days (mostly beginners) while some do it for years!

As someone who has been traveling the world solo for the last 14 years, my advice is for you to try short trips in your country first. Start with a weekend getaway somewhere near, like the city closest to you.

From there, you can increase the number of days for your trip. I traveled Latin America non-stop for 3.5 years when I only expected to do it for 6 months. All this depends on your travel style but only you can determine how long you will be able to travel alone.

My best advice on what to NOT do when traveling alone: don’t expect everything to be as it is back home. Don’t plan to go to Mexico and complain about how everyone’s late. Don’t impose what you think is right in that country.

Remember that you are only a visitor and you don’t have any right to demand things to be your way. Solo travel is about compassion and learning about other cultures. And believe me, different countries have different cultures so learn to adapt without being demanding.

As for safety tips and other things to NOT do when traveling (alone or not), you will find many resources on this blog. Just use the search bar!

Ask yourself this question: are you really an introvert or you are diagnosed to have an introverted personality? Many people I know keep saying they are introverts but it is only a label or a role they play even if it is not proven medically.

Through my 14 years of solo travel, I have come across people like this but I see them socializing and going out with people all the time. This absolutely means this is just a selective introvert. Meaning, you only say you are an introvert when it is convenient for you.

Now if you truly are an introvert (as the doctor said so), traveling by yourself can help introverts by doing it slowly. The best practice is to do it in your home first.

Do small talk like asking the supermarket cashier how her day was. Chat with your brother’s friends when they visit your home. Offer to walk your neighbor’s dog. Think small before you achieve something big and be easy on yourself.

I can’t think of a big list of disadvantages of traveling alone. For the last 14 years, I have enjoyed the joys of solo travel without its negativity. I guess the only answer I can give is that some countries are not really safe for solo travelers, like, let’s say Georgia (the country, not the US state) where I got sexually harassed but was able to save myself from it.

Make sure to read about the country you plan to travel to first. Only take advice from solo travelers or bloggers who have been there. Many articles on the web right now are researched to learn how to spot that.