Solo travel isn’t always a traveler’s first choice. In fact, travelers are often driven to it out of necessity. The most common reasons tend to be:
– Difficulty aligning travel plans with friends.
– No one is interested in the countries you’re interested in.
– You can’t find friends with the same travel style or budget as you…
– And you’re tired of waiting on other people to start your dream to travel.
– Freedom to do as you please
But there are so many benefits of solo travel that affect your whole life. The experience encourages you to stretch and grow as a person. Here's how.
1.You gain confidence. When was the last time you were responsible for everything for more than a few days? Take on full responsibility for a week or more in an unfamiliar destination and you cannot help but gain confidence.
2.You learn problem-solving skills. At home, people deal with problems based on previous experience because they are in their own milieu. Travel solo to a foreign destination and you are challenged to problem solve in a new way. You have to start with what you absolutely know. This is called first principles analysis. Watch here for how Elon Musk describes this type of problem solving.
3.You become a better global citizen. There is no better way to become a conscientious global citizen than to travel the world and see how life works elsewhere. You'll gain a new appreciation for different value systems, economic challenges, and political roadblocks. You'll bring home valuable language, ideas, and understandings that you can share.
4.Your compassionate side grows. The mere fact that you can afford to travel means that you are privileged. Living in a privileged bubble automatically limits understanding of others outside the bubble and constricts compassion. As you travel, you'll understand other people's positions and perspectives better and gain compassion.
A recent study showed that the solo travel industry is projected to experience a significant influx in the upcoming years. Whether you want to experience a solo adventure, see the world at your own convenience, or hope to meet new people along the way, there’s always something worthwhile about traveling by yourself.
Luckily, there are plenty of travel companies that cater to solo travelers to make planning stress-free.
G Adventures is particularly known for its sustainable, responsible ethos. The company works with small, locally-owned hotels and operators to ensure your travel dollars benefit the community you’re visiting; outlines policies around the child, and animal welfare practices; aims to reduce single-use plastics, and works to ensure experiences taking place in Indigenous communities align with community goals.
Founded in 1990, G Adventures specializes in small group adventure tours to a host of destinations from Asia to South America and Africa to the Arctic. Nearly half of the travelers on every trip are flying solo, and there’s no single supplement if you choose to bunk with a same-sex roommate. Or, select your own room for a fee.
A Chief Experience Officer leads each group tour and itineraries are searchable by travel style. For example, find wellness-centric trips like nine days of daily yoga, and partake in traditional healing ceremonies in Bali. Or travel with their partner, National Geographic, for an exclusive guided tour of South Africa’s Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and a visit to Soweto township in Johannesburg.
G Adventures partnered with hostel booking service Hostelworld in 2021 to launch its Roamies itineraries. Its combination of backpacking and organized travel itineraries includes countries like Albania, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Vietnam. The trips are marketed to 18- to 35-year olds through like-minded individuals keen on budget travel and communal environments may enjoy these trips, too.
