Travel Solo More Blissfully

The desire to see the world, experience the unfamiliar, meet new people and pursue personal passions is what it means to travel solo. And solo travel is on the up, with around 15% of travellers taking a trip on their own in the last year, an increase of 12% from the year before.

Women are much more likely to travel alone than men – which is fantastic! We believe it is safer than ever to experience solo female travel. Travelling alone needn’t be as daunting as it once was with so many all-female luxury solo travel options available. As we say at Bliss, if it’s in your heart and soul that you really want to do something empowering for yourself then feel the fear and do it anyway.

So, if you’re planning an upcoming solo holiday, here are our tips on how to do so more blissfully, and make your solo travel experience the best it can be:

Prepare for your trip

• Stay connected and share your itinerary and contact details with friends or family before you leave.
• Make sure you have good travel insurance and all the details with you in case anything does happen whilst on your trip.
• Do as much research as you can online before you leave and check reviews of where you are staying, sites like TripAdvisor are great for this.

Be aware

• Be aware that you may be in a lower socio-economic destination and therefore a target for theft from those who target travellers. Don’t flash your phones, laptops, tablets or money around. Keep them hidden and not obvious. If you are taking photos with your phone treat it like an expensive camera and hold onto it or put it away when you aren’t using it.
• If you’re doing a lot of sightseeing in a country known for pick pockets, bring along a travel wallet that sits underneath your clothes and always keep your bags zipped up and in front of you rather than on the side or behind you.
• If traveling solo, you do need to be more conscious of your safety when away and always be aware of your surroundings. Although you are entitled to head to the bars and enjoy yourself it’s best to not drink too much and to ensure you always know where you are and your way back to your accommodation.

Pick your accommodation wisely

• If you’re staying in a hotel or traditional accommodation, it’s good to work with a travel agent who works with travel providers in your destination country that can be called if anything happens. If this is something you’re worried about, staying at a hotel or women’s retreat designed specifically for solo or female travellers will help you to feel secure.
• When checking out those reviews take note of what people have said about the staff as the people around you that will make you feel safe.
• Remember food safety, you don’t want to get sick. Be careful and research the water and food quality for your destination and don’t eat anything that doesn’t smell right!

Be confident

• Problems that may arise on your trip are all best handled by being strong and upfront yet non-threatening and knowing when to back down and move on. If you get a bad feeling about anyone or any situation, trust your instincts and don’t get in that car or speak to that person.
• Remember that most safety is common sense. Enjoy yourself and don’t sweat the small stuff. Have an open heart and mind and look for the good.

See the beauty

Don’t feel like it’s you against the world in trying to protect yourself in another country. See the beauty, look for the good, be aware, be smart and take note of your surroundings. Do your research, be prepared, smile a lot but look confident and walk with your head high. Most people will be willing to help you. It’s the people in other countries that bring the highest rewards when travelling.