Solo Travel
I decided to take the plunge and booked a trip to Peru last year with Intrepid. I felt the best way to travel “solo” was in fact with a group of fellow travellers! For me, the idea of travelling with a small group of fellow minded explorers gave me a sense of safety and security whilst also being social. The added bonus of having a local guide throughout meant my lack of Spanish wasn’t a problem and we got some great local tips!
Sitting on the plane en-route to Lima, I started to think “what on earth have I done?”, what if I didn’t like travelling as part of group with people I’d never met before? I like my space and having time to myself to just soak in my surroundings. I needn’t have worried. My 5 fellow travellers from the UK, Ireland and Australia soon became friends for life and I couldn’t have asked for better companions.
I still found plenty of time for myself, and with free days/afternoons in the schedule I was able to potter around either on my own or with my travel companions. The whole experience was quite liberating; I was able to choose what trip I wanted to go on and when I wanted to go without having to compromise or work to someone else’s schedule! My advice to anyone who’s considering travelling solo, whether that be on a small group tour, or completely on their own – just do it. Take the plunge. You won’t regret it.
In fact, I enjoyed it so much that earlier this year I travelled to Chile on an Exodus small group tour and had another amazing trip (blog to follow soon!), without any of the pre-trip apprehensions I had the previous time. I knew exactly what I was getting into this time and looked forward to meeting my fellow travellers. This group was slightly larger at 16 (their max. group size) and the mix of age & nationalities was fantastic as we all brought something to the group. You’ll find most people have a similar attitude as they’re there to really experience the host country and again, I made friends for life.
Testament to how much I enjoy these small group adventure tours, I’m taking my 8 year old daughter on an Exodus family trip to Costa Rica this summer (slower paced and with more free days/afternoons to enjoy family time) and later in the year I’m spending 4 weeks in Southern Africa, 3 of which are with Exodus on their Cape Town – Vic Falls trip. Stay tuned for these blogs!
There are a variety of companies offering small group tours, each offering something different - there are cycling tours, food tours, adventure tours, 5* tours and National Geographic tours to name just a few!