I’ve been persistently urged by
some of my friends to create blogs about my adventures and misadventures of all
my travels (just a fact: writing is my first love, not traveling, contrary to
what most people know). But because of too many distractions (blame it to
technology – ugh, rather – too much addiction to social media and mobile games,
haha!), I failed to collect all my thoughts and put them in to writing.
Since I instantly got an
inspiration after reading an article on the net, I want to give it a shot again
– to get back to my first love – writing. I then realized, why not create
a write up about solo traveling? But wait! There are already LOTS of
blogs and articles about backpacking. But because of the inspiration I earlier
mentioned, and despite all related articles already posted on the net, I think
I’ll have to take this opportunity while I am still in the mood to write. Being
a backpacker and a frequent solo traveler myself, I’ll try to create a blog
that is based on a first hand perspective.
People, more often than not, are
amazed upon learning that I have this bizarre love for solo travel. This
passion did not actually come in an instant. Like most people at my age, I was
also afraid to explore unfamiliar places alone (I know my friends won't believe
me when I say this. Haha!). But when I once had this unusual urge to go to
Baguio all by myself several years back, I discovered a lot of things about me
and solo backpack traveling. I may not be an expert on this field yet, but I
would like to share with you some of the things I learned and discovered as I
explored few places in the past years.
2.
Traveling is also a form of investment. This is somewhat related to item number one. There may be some who would
disagree, but hey! You won’t get genuine happiness by just merely putting all your
money on your bank accounts. Of course, I’m not telling you to stop saving for
your future. It is also a must. What I do right now is, I have separate
allocations for personal savings, long-term investments thru stocks, revolving
funds for emergencies and for my daily needs and yes – travel fund! To further
justify having travel funds, I usually tell people that “wonderful memories
last. Material things don’t.” Traveling is not only my source of relaxation, it
also gives me fresh learnings and unforgettable experiences that help shape and
enrich my personality and my whole being.
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| Photo Credits: http://maximindonesia.co.id |
3.
Set a cap or limit on your travel spending. For the past nine out-of-the-country backpacking travels in six Asian
cities that I had within three years, the maximum amount that I spent so far is
around Php 22,000.00 (USD 470) inclusive of two-way promo airfare, airport
fees, accommodations and pocket money for a four-day, three-night solo travel.
Believe it or not, but yes, it’s doable. Set a travel budget target and
strictly stick to it. Stay in hostels or home stays instead of luxury hotels (I’ve
actually read about couch surfing but I haven’t tried it yet). Live like a
local of that country – fill your tummies with street foods, ride public vehicles
(like buses and trains) and as much as possible, avoid riding taxis (except of
course when you’re already too tired to commute). And don’t forget – wear a
really comfortable footwear, then walk a lot! It is not only good for your
health, it will also allow you to fully enjoy the surroundings and yes, exploring
places on foot is free of charge and won’t cost you anything!
4.
Make extensive research. Once you know where to go, research for tips on how to travel on a
strict budget. Read blogs about backpacking. Engage yourself in travel forums.
Read, read and read! Once you’re armed with lots of information, you’ll save a
lot of money as you won’t be needing an organized tour to get you around the
place. Trust me, it works.
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| Photo Credits: http://phocuswright.com |
5.
Stick on your travel purpose. You arrive in your country of destination and learned that it’s sale
season, what are you going to do? Shop ‘til you drop? Suppress the urge to
splurge? It’s up to you. While we all love to get the best deals in terms of
shopping, let’s never, ever forget why we traveled two to four hours by plane
in the first place (yep, you wanted to invest on lots of wonderful memories,
remember?) Go to places of interests and take tons of selfies! Post it away to
your social media accounts! But if you have spare budget to spend on souvenir
items and some pasalubongs for your loved ones, then go
ahead, buy. But control yourself not to overspend.
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| Photo Credits: http://patersonhabitat.org |
6.
Pack light. Do you
travel with three large trolleys full of what you think are essential stuff? Go
back to item number four. If your research leads you to what weather you’ll
expect in your target country of destination, plan what clothes or knickknacks to
bring. As a solo traveler, it is normal for me to bring only one backpack for a
maximum of four days trip (that’s why I consider myself a backpacker, right?)
It already saved me from baggage allowance cost.
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| Photo Credits: http://comfortade.com |
7.
Never be
afraid to get lost. Well, this is the most common fear of some people I’ve talked
to. Of course it’s somewhat scary, but the experience of not knowing where to
go hones your instincts and your interpersonal skills as you will be forced to
ask directions from locals and other travelers like you. Isn’t that super exciting?
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| Photo Credits: http://gomio.com |
So there. Here is my list for now.
I’ll just update this post once I have new words of wisdom to share. Happy
traveling!
(Disclaimer: I don't own the attached photos. Full credits to the owners)
(Disclaimer: I don't own the attached photos. Full credits to the owners)
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