7 Great Reasons To Go Solo

In this exclusive extract from Wanderlust’s new How to Travel Solo book, we highlight some of the many benefits of heading off on your own

- Lyn Hughes

Let’s start by busting some myths. Mention solo travel and many people imagine a young, single backpacker exploring the world. Yes, there are plenty who fit that profile. You may well be one of them. But in reality solo travel doesn’t have an age limit. It’s not about a particular budget or style. And you certainly don’t have to be single to travel solo – indeed, a growing number of people head off without their partners for a whole range of reasons.

So, whether you’re 17 or 70, love camping or luxury, are in a relationship or not, here are just a few of the reasons to go it alone.

1 You get to do what you want to do

We’re not always aware of how much we compromise in our daily lives. We’re so eager to fit in with what our friends, family, and colleagues want and expect that a degree of compromise becomes the norm. Doing what we want to do is considered selfish. But travelling solo gives you the rare opportunity to do exactly as you please, every day.

Maybe you’ve been on holidays with friends and found that, while they wanted to lie on the beach, you were yearning to explore the mountains behind. Or maybe you have a partner who wants to read a book by a pool while you dream of shopping in the souks of Marrakech, taking a tuk-tuk through Chiang Mai or riding with gauchos in Argentina. Or maybe you’re the one who wants to read the book and you’re not getting the chance.