What places a person should visit alone. How to travel alone: Useful tips
"Solo" travel is a great way to relax, delve into self-discovery, expand your comfort zone and, perhaps, meet love. This must be done at least once in a lifetime, of course, without forgetting about safety. Let's talk about places where it's not boring alone, it's not dangerous, it's beautiful and there is someone to make friends with.
The capital of a country known for its romance, delicious food, beautiful people and high fashion, Rome affects all five senses at once. The stormy streets of the old city are full of surprises and don't be surprised if you receive a marriage proposal on the very first day of your arrival. Taste all the flavors of gelato, ride a bike, drink clean water from the fountains, pet the cats in Torre Argentina Square and think of an offer.
An hour flight from Bangkok and you are in Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand, the cradle of Thai culture and a place to search for "zen". An abundance of vegetarian dishes, all kinds of yoga styles, more than 300 Buddhist temples - Chiang Mai is an ideal place for connoisseurs of a healthy lifestyle.
It's safe enough to roam the back alleys in search of a restaurant or a temple. You can go on an elephant ride or visit a village where women with long necks live. And don't forget the night market on Sunday - you can buy local decorations there.
dotted with palm trees beach town eternal summer, Goa receives almost two million tourists a year. They have long been accustomed to Europeans here and women can safely walk in familiar clothes without fear of the disrespectful attitude of local men.
There are 30 beaches in the city - on any of them you can have a good time, lying in a sun lounger and sipping mango lassi. You can find a company for yoga classes, and in the evening all have dinner together in a restaurant on the beach, watching the sunset over the ocean.
Melbourne is the informal capital of culture, fine dining, live music, the best shopping in Australia and just beautiful city.
Using a well-thought-out public transport system, you can be in time everywhere. The tram will take you to the bohemian suburb of St. Kilda, where cafes offer great food and good books, and then you can rush to Luna Park or go shopping on Chapel Street. Visit free music festivals and watch the Australian Open tennis match.
Tulum is located on the coast caribbean, a few hours drive from and Playa del Carmen. It is a beautiful city, quite safe and more peaceful than other tourist areas in Mexico. Friendly locals assure that a single woman can rent a bungalow on the beach and spend the night there alone. Spend a day at the sea or head to the city for cheap delicious food and live music. Do not forget to go to the ruins of Chechen Itza and swim with turtles on Akumal beach.
The Hawaiian island, calm and safe, will touch the female heart of the beautiful coastline and a sea of flowers, colorful sarong skirts and the famous frangipani scent.
The city of Makawao hosts street parties every third Friday of the month, which are definitely worth a visit. Also, go to the waterfalls and set the alarm to get up early and meet the sunrise on the Haleakala Crater.
ubud,
Ubud is surrounded by picturesque rice fields and dense forests and lies almost on the ocean - this real paradise for lovers of solitary recreation. Here you can walk everywhere, buy delicious local food for less than $ 5, choose high-quality clothes in boutiques of local designers.
Be sure to greet the monkeys in the Sacred Monkey Forest, don't miss yoga classes, and book a relaxing and inexpensive massage in your room.
santa monica,
santa monica, cozy city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, offers plenty of entertainment for women traveling alone. If you are tired of sunbathing on the beach, you can ride a bike to Redondo Beach, run there on the boardwalk or go rollerblading, meeting some celebrity along the way. Santa Monica has many cafes and bars with organic food and drinks, and the famous Cafe Gratitude offers vegan lunches.
The ancient capital of the Incas, the city of Cusco, lying at an altitude of 3.4 kilometers above sea level, has now become a home for expats and an attractive point on the map for tourists. Admire the remains of Inca architecture, walk along the ancient cobblestone road, dine in a cozy cafe in the colorful Plaza de Armas, buy a llama wool scarf at the Mercado market. It is worth riding along the horse trail to the sacred place of Sacsayhuaman (sounds almost like a sexy woman), and then buy souvenirs created by local needlewomen.
Traveling alone for 3-7 days is a new fashion trend that has replaced the "outings" with a crowded cheerful company. Alone, you can just go for a walk, or you can arrange a thematic trip - for example, “Italian food tour”, “route to the best coffee houses in Greece” or “voyage to the places of famous émigré writers”. And sometimes a trip alone is needed in order to step back a little from the complicated everyday situation and think it over as if “at a distance”.
Pros of solo travel:
- You decide what time to wake up, where to go (or not to go), what to eat and what to do;
- Tickets for one are cheaper than, for example, for a family;
- You can stay cheap in hostels;
- You choose which experiences to share and which ones to keep to yourself.
Minuses:
- Renting a car or renting an apartment alone is more expensive than sharing with friends;
- Sometimes it is scary to visit some hot places alone;
Where can you go in splendid isolation, and why?
A great option for 3-4 days for those who want to "switch". Formats of lonely rest in one of the oldest and most beautiful cities There are a lot of Europe. For example, you can arrange a “medieval trip” for yourself - take a long dress (men can also upgrade their wardrobe in a knightly manner), settle in the Mustek metro area or on the other side of the Vltava - in the Letenskaya street area, preferably in an apartment in an old house (the average price of small apartments here start from 35 euros per day) and spend your leisure time walking and taking pictures on the medieval streets of the Old Town. With no less success in Prague, you can arrange an individual gastronomic trip - sausage, dumplings and, of course, beer. You can take a mystical route by combining the works of Kafka and local legends about the Prague Golem. Can you do a park tour? better in spring or in summer, when luxurious gardens and parks bloom in the Czech capital.
One of the key advantages of Prague is the high level of security in the city. The risk of getting into trouble or being robbed in this city is minimal.
The best option for instant transfer from winter to summer, without visas and in just 3.5 hours. As you may have guessed, the tradition of traveling around Israel in splendid isolation has been going on for more than two thousand years. You can fly here for only two days, but return a completely different person. Of course, you can visit Jerusalem if you need to think about your life and touch the history of the main world religions. You can feed on the energy of modernity by living a few days in noisy and cheerful Tel Aviv. Or you can just relax on the shores of the Dead or Red Sea and gain strength for a new breakthrough in life.
It is worth knowing that Israel is a rather expensive country. This applies to hotels, cafes and supermarkets. The average cost of a modest lunch without alcohol is at least 20 euros.
Romantic and crazy port city on the coast mediterranean sea. Not as prim and obliging as Paris or Nice, Marseille is perhaps the best choice for licking wounds after a failed romance, as well as for sea romantics. It is most profitable to settle in small boarding houses in the houses closest to the Old Port (deeper from main square for 2-3 blocks and look for signs with room prices - as a rule, they start from 25 euros per day). And then go for a walk - through numerous seaside restaurants (there be sure to eat the most famous Marseille fish soup - bouillabaisse soup), climb the mountain to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Keeper of Sailors (with observation deck offers a unique view of the city, the port and the famous If prison, standing in the middle of the sea).
But you shouldn’t walk alone in the evenings through the backwoods away from the tourist streets: several hundred refugees from North Africa live in Marseille, including illegally, and they are sometimes not very friendly to lonely travelers.
Not the most budget travel, and you will have to tinker with a visa, but this city is definitely worth it. New York is literally a time machine in which the glamorous 1950s, the hippie 1960s, the disco 1980s and all other eras of the last hundred years coexist at the same time. So, you can “infiltrate” at a time that is especially close and interesting to you. If there is no such task, then just give yourself up to shopping (in all major department stores all year round there are discounts and promotions), walks around Manhattan, sit with a liter glass of coffee on the steps opposite the “Carrie Bradshaw house” (the exact address is 64 Perry Street, just south of the fork between 8th Avenue and Greenwich Avenue), take a walk in Battery Park and climb the unique soaring Highline Park. Pay attention to how many lonely people are among the walking people!
Even though New York is not very cheap city, there is one great free activity here: the ferry to and from Staten Island. A ferry departs every 20 minutes from South Ferry, which is very easy to get to: this is the terminus of metro line 1. Ferries sail past the Statue of Liberty, and you can ride back and forth all day to photograph the famous monument from all angles.
The main advantage of the capital of Spanish Catalonia is that it is very easy to get to. Almost three dozen flights fly from Moscow to Barcelona every day, more than ten of which are direct. Traveling alone in Barcelona is a great pleasure. It is only important to plan your trip correctly. First of all, I sincerely advise you not to stay in local hostels, especially those located far from the central tourist areas. For the most part, they are rather unhygienic and attract a suspicious audience. Moreover, for almost the same money (from 30 euros per day) you can rent an apartment with a kitchen, where you can cook for yourself from amazing products bought in the morning at the Boqueria market. If you don’t want to cook, don’t, the city is full of cafes for every taste and budget. Unless I don’t recommend eating on the Rambla and the streets adjacent to it: expensive is not tasteless. Better go deep Gothic Quarter and look for a cafe there. There is a third option: go to one of the large supermarkets (available on the same Rambla) and buy ready-made salads, sandwiches and wine: an excellent fresh dinner will cost you 7-10 euros.
Important point: do not use street filthy ATMs without the logo of a particular bank to withdraw cash. Find any local bank branch and withdraw money there. It's much safer and won't compromise your card.
If you want to be accepted as one of your own, a lonely wanderer, fed heavily, showered with compliments and helped in every possible way, head to Yerevan. A visa to Armenia is not needed, it takes about two hours to fly from Moscow, and you are in beautiful, green (if not in deep winter) and kind Yerevan. Rest here is very pleasant and cheap: a room with a private bathroom in private hotel near the city center can cost less than 600 Russian rubles per day. Lunch (oh, what food in Armenia!) in a decent restaurant, accompanied by local wine or famous cognac - from 500 rubles, a cup of excellent coffee brewed in a cezve on the sand - from 30 rubles. In general, Yerevan is worth it to move in splendid isolation between small home restaurants and coffee houses. But there is one “but” - they won’t let you feel truly lonely: wherever you go, you will be taken care of like your own grandmothers.
I advise you to choose housing between Republic Square, Northern Avenue and the district opera house(to Moskovyan street). These are comfortable and completely safe neighborhoods where you can safely walk at any time of the day.
A city in which it will definitely be good to be alone. It is impossible to get around all its sights even in two weeks, so decide what exactly you are going there for. One of the best ideas is to arrange in Istanbul ... a date with yourself. Take a walk along the embankment along the Golden Horn. Go down from Taksim to the Galata bridge along the narrow old lanes. Drink Turkish tea at Sultanahmet Square. Eat fried anchovy and fiery adana kebab at any "local" eatery. It is best to stay in small hotels in the Sultanahmet area - here a decent room in an old building will cost from 15 euros per day, and with breakfast!
Advice for single female travelers - be careful. Despite the fact that Turkey is a secular state, there are quarters in Istanbul whose inhabitants adhere to traditional views. There may well be purely "male" cafes and shops that do not serve women. It's a shame, of course, but you have to reckon with this rule.
Don't be afraid to travel alone. In fact, such trips have many advantages: more opportunities for reflection and chances to get to know the culture of the host country better. We have compiled a list of 30 ideal places for traveling alone.
(Total 30 photos)
3. Landscapes of Switzerland are breathtaking, the country is small, public transport clean and efficient, the food is delicious - the most convenient place if you come alone.
4. Costa Rica has been ranked #1 on the "Happy Planet" ranking, which means that its citizens live long and happy lives. In addition to being the land of the happy, this is a great place for aquatic species sports and walks in the famous Foggy Forest.
5. Vienna is just one of the reasons to visit Austria alone. In the city's incomparable cafes, you will find excellent coffee and delicious food, and sitting alone at a table there is not considered shameful.
6. The Cinque Terre is one of the most wonderful regions in Italy. Beautiful coastal villages, winding roads between rocks, colorful houses - a great place to wander alone.
8. The city of Lagos is located on the southern tip of Portugal and is known for its open-air beaches and caves. Almost everyone there speaks English. If you are not a fan beach holiday, there are also boat tours - and the town itself with cobbled streets and plenty of bars and restaurants where you can meet fellow travelers on their own.
9. Vancouver is a young city with a diverse population, it has a lively center, but there are options for recreation outside the city - for example, Stanley Park with many hiking trails. There is also Grenville Island, where you will find many shops, restaurants, galleries and markets.
10. Travel + Leisure recently named Kyoto the best city in the world - the rating was compiled based on the results of travelers' voting. The city has been the imperial capital of Japan for more than a thousand years and is still full of temples, gardens and parks to this day.
11. Although some parts of South Africa are not safe to travel alone, the Kruger National Park is not. There you will find a luxury safari: the animals you meet will replace your companion along the way.
12. The town of Granada in the Spanish region of Andalusia is known for the architectural and park ensemble of the Alhambra - XIII-XIV century. An ideal pastime is to wander around the palace and parks on your own, with a guide or with headphones.
13. In the city of Siem Reap in Cambodia, there is an ancient temple complex Angkor. Angkor has been named the number one tourist attraction in the world by Lonely Planet. Temples are a great place to think to yourself.
14. Wander between the white and blue houses on Greek islands perfect alone. You can also go to the beach or take a boat tour.
15. There is so much to do in Taipei City, Taiwan, that you can go there alone. The city's night markets are a great opportunity to explore the country's food and culture.
16. In Chile, you can ski, surf and walk around the city - all in one day. A diverse country boasting both juicy valleys with vineyards and luxurious snowy peaks - do not forget about coastal sea towns. There is also the vibrant Santiago and the unspoiled Patagonia.
17. There are many hotels and pubs in Ireland, try walking tours of Dublin and the green hills and coastal cliffs outside the city.
18. Icelandic glaciers, National parks and waterfalls are conducive to reflection. It is also home to the world famous geothermal spring " Blue Lagoon" and unusual city Reykjavik - with friendly people, interesting museums and historic churches.
19. Vietnam is considered one of the most women-friendly places in Southeast Asia. Cities like Ho Chi Minh City are lively and safe. Explore Vietnamese markets - Ben Thanh in Ho Chi Minh City and Don Juan in Hanoi.
20. Tuscany, with its endless vineyards, is one of the most picturesque regions in Italy. Take hiking tours - a great opportunity to stroll through the old towns, taste famous wines and traditional Tuscan dishes.
21. In Finland, you can visit designer shops, museums and markets in Helsinki, take a day trip to the coastal city of Hanko, or watch performances in the city of Espoo.
22. Ambergris Cay is a small island in the state of Belize. There are many beautiful beaches and cute bars. You can dive with manatees, fish and even white sharks. This English-speaking country also has Mayan ruins and rainforests.
23. The capital of Sweden, Stockholm, is an unusual and compact city where you can kayak, ride a bike through city parks, eat cafes on the verandas or visit the Museum of Modern Art.
24. Australia is a place where you will never feel alone. Cities like Sydney and Melbourne will offer restaurants, bars and museums, as well as incredible beauty beaches and mountain trails.
25. The Dutch are considered the most tolerant inhabitants of Europe. You can explore Amsterdam on foot or by bike and admire its beautiful canals and colorful houses.
26. Singapore has strict laws, but that is why it is very clean and safe. The locals speak English, so the best place for those who are in Asia for the first time. go explore Botanical Garden Singapore and national park orchids, and then shopping on Orchard Street.
27. Adventure lovers should go to Panama - there you can ride a bungee and go hiking. Many travel agencies offer trips from Panama to the city. Don't forget the Panama Canal!
28. It is convenient to travel around Berlin on U-Ban - this is a cheap metropolitan metro. The townspeople are friendly and polite, and there are also many historical sights, including the Berlin Wall.
There are many travelers who claim that The best way to see the world is to travel it alone. In their opinion, a person consciously travels alone, because he wants to know the world without the influence of the tastes, prejudices and preferences of his friend or partner. When you are in the company of a friend, you easily concentrate on this person and forget to meet other tourists. By visiting other countries alone, a person is most likely on a journey of self-discovery.
Solo tourism can be surprising in that a person is free to indulge his desires. You can spend the whole day moving from one cafe to another or staying for a long time in one museum. You can lounge on the beach of the South China Sea or hire a guide to visit remote ruins, enjoy classical music to your heart's content in one of the world's greatest concert halls Europe or join a group of like-minded strangers and go hiking in the Himalayas.
This is your challenge. Traveling alone is a great opportunity to try something new, like surf camp in Central America, travel on motorcycles in South-East Asia or a visit to the European resort town. Despite the high cost of single accommodation, in most parts of the world you can find an affordable and at the same time livable haven for a solo traveler that is trustworthy.
And yet, people traveling alone have two problems. The first is the issue of security. It is a simple fact that some countries are statistically considered safer for tourists than others.
The second problem is less noticeable, but just as critical for travelers. Is the country you have chosen a good place? Is this country where you will feel hospitality? Is it a state where you can easily come into contact with local residents where it is easy to keep up a conversation without even fully mastering new language? An important aspect is really useful journey going alone is merging with the local culture, which does not allow a person to feel like an outsider.
In search of answers to these questions, we processed data from the Global Peace Index, which ranks 162 countries according to how safe they are, and the World Happiness Index, which analyzes environmental impact and human well-being in 151 countries, to find out where people live long and happy lives.
Identified as a result of the study best destinations for people traveling alone, they are a combination of geographic locations with completely different cultures, customs and languages. (Canada in this case represents North America, because the US is not ranked highly enough to qualify). Safety and happiness prevail in all of these countries, making any of these places the perfect destination for your next solo adventure.
The first thing that comes to mind when a person travels alone is that he has no friends. This is not true. Thousands of people around the world travel alone, and not because they have no one.
If your vacation schedules or desires for a place to visit did not match, this is not a reason to abandon your plans or frantically look for travel companions. Here are some of the benefits of traveling alone:
Get deeper into the atmosphere
When you're talking to a friend, you don't see half of what's interesting because 70% of your attention is consumed by the conversation. In solitude, you completely dissolve in a new place, hear and see everything. Because of this, there are much more vivid memories of the places you have visited.
Do only what you want
You don't have to compromise and wait for someone. Wake up and go for a walk when you feel like it, go only to the places you are interested in, live at your own pace, without adjusting to other people.
Take a break from everything
Sometimes you get so tired of the constant fuss that you just need to be alone, sort out yourself and your thoughts, and a solo trip will help to do this. A week of meditation on the environment, unfamiliar terrain and beautiful views. This will help refresh perception and “restart” the brain.
There are probably other reasons to go on a trip alone, but this is enough to at least try. Here are seven ideas to help you get started.
Ideas for a solo trip
1. Hostels: loneliness or a company of your choice
If you stay in a hostel for a few days, there will be a lot of travelers around who also travel alone, and among them you can find friends for the duration of your trip.
You can explore the city with them or alone - just sit in a coffee shop, wander the streets and forget about your smartphone for a while.
2. Train travel
Traveling by train can leave many memories. Firstly, it is comfort, and all amenities are within reach. Secondly, such trips encourage reflection.
And even if you are not talking to anyone, just looking at the flickering landscapes will be enough, and you will not be bored.
3. Explore a small town
If you are tired of the constant noise and bustle of megacities, you can go to a small town and take a walk around it while all the townspeople are at work or at school.
Ask the locals if they like living in this city, what is interesting here. Surely they will be pleased if you say that you just came to get to know their city, and they will be happy to tell you what to see and where to go.
4. Beach vacation
Relax on the sand, swim in the sea or just listen to the lapping of the waves and enjoy it alone. Not every trip has to be an endless party, you need to find time to be alone with yourself, and where to do it if not on the beach, in a relaxing atmosphere?
5. Choose a city you have long wanted to visit
Probably, everyone has several cities that for some reason attract, do not let you forget about them. Do not put off your dream for tomorrow, which may not come. In a dream city, you will always find something to do, and you will not be bored.
6. Visit a country without knowing its culture and language
This is a somewhat extreme occupation, akin to immersion in another reality. Exploring an unfamiliar world alone, you destroy your comfort zone and inevitably change. In any case, it will be much more interesting than traveling around the country you know.
7. Participate in volunteer programs
If you want to travel on your own, but don't want to be alone, you can take part in volunteer programs in Russia and abroad. So you will always find something to do, you can go for a walk alone or in company with other volunteers, have fun and at least make the world a little better.
It's not difficult to start a solo journey, and who knows if you'll want to travel differently later on?
Maybe you have already tried to travel alone? Share your experience in the comments.
