Travelling Trunks

Autumn in Armenia took me off-roading in a Russian Hunter through some of the most stunning landscapes

I travel solo to test my own limits…to discover how far I can go, where my journey will take me and how much more I can learn about myself

Dusk had descended as I alighted from the bus that had driven me from the Assam plains to the Meghalayan hills. It was an early winter evening. I had quite forgotten that I was in the East and the sun would set early. My hostess was a friend I had only met once during a national sports tournament and in the few years thereafter and up until the trip, we had only kept in touch via letters. It was an age of no internet and no mobile phones. I cannot recall now whether I had asked for directions or the young man, seeing me looking lost, had asked me if I needed help. All I know is that I was safely escorted to my friend’s house through winding, dark roads by a man I had never met before. I was 20 years and it was to be the first of many solo travels since then across countries and continents, trips that have taught me the following:

Research Your Destination

I spend a serious amount of time researching my holidays. Not just where I want to stay (I much prefer offbeat, boutique guesthouses and B&Bs to starred hotels), but also sights I want to see, places I want to eat at…sometimes even a cooking class I may want to do. The notes I carry with me have minute little details like a particular dish at a local restaurant that is a must try or the best time of day to visit a particular monument and so on. Most importantly, research the weather at your destination, how best to get from the airport to your destinations, what brand of cabs are safe to travel in and how and where best to exchange currency and the prevailing exchange rate or you could get ripped off.

Researching food can lead you to fascinating discoveries like this most delicious, flaky pastilla (bottom left)

Go Guiltless

When you go on a solo holiday, offload and leave behind your day to day roles and responsibilities. You cannot go on a holiday worrying about how your partner is going to manage his/her meals or who is going to take care of your young kid. Make all the necessary arrangements you need to at home and work before you go on holiday but be prepared that the best of plans can fall apart and there’s little use in worrying about it from miles away. The people you leave behind will rise to the occasion and find a solution to the problem.

Trust the Country & Its People

Trust the country and its people to enjoy the experience of a solo trip. This does not mean one should not be careful, but fear will ruin the experience. Going to a new country with the knowledge and belief that people are intrinsically good and kindhearted will take a huge burden off you and leave you free to soak in (and enjoy) the world around you.

The warm welcoming smile of a little tribal weaver in a little village near Inle

Plan your Itinerary

When you travel solo, you don’t have the luxury of a fall back person to help you research the place nor do you want to be spending unnecessary time at tourist and information offices trying to figure out what you want to do and where you want to go. It’s always nice to have a rough itinerary of what you want to do each day. I would however also recommend a day or two which is relatively unplanned, where you just go with the flow and see where it takes you. In doing so, you can have the most amazing and unexpected experiences.

My first kayaking trip was a hilarious experience with a Japanese lady who knew no English. We managed to get around…in circles!

Respect Local Cultures

Be very respectful of local cultures. Understand before you go what the country is like, its religious affiliations, the dress code of the place and any aspect of the local culture that is at variance from what one is normally used to. Understanding and observing this not just helps you fit in with the locals but also makes you far easier accepted by them.

Feeding Buddhist monks…

Travel Light but Smart

Travel light as one doesn’t really have the luxury of a porter and your room may well be on the top floor of a building that does not have a lift. Make sure you have copies of your passport and travel insurance in your hand and checked-in luggage – of course now you can now store these in your phone wallet. Three things that are a must carry on my trips are a notebook to record my thoughts and impressions of a place, books and or a kindle (I still prefer physical books) and a good camera. I usually carry all three in my hand baggage and this, in fact, stood me in good stead when I arrived in Phnom Penh many years ago to find my luggage had been misplaced. I had what I needed most until my luggage arrived a few days later.

Budget Well but Also Pamper Yourself

Budget and pace your expenses well. I recall when I did a trip to Myanmar, there were no ATMs, most stores did not accept credit cards and only crisp 100 US$ notes were acceptable currency. I had done my research so knew all of this but it still meant that I needed to be really careful how I spent my money for if I ran out of currency, there was little I could do. Budget how much you plan to spend each day and save away a little currency for an emergency. But even as you budget, be a little indulgent too. I often spend the last day of my solo trip on a meal at an award-winning restaurant or a massage or a piece of jewellery unique to a region.

Empowering women through culinary skills…cooking classes at the Amal Women’s Training Centre in Marrakech made much more enjoyable because of the cause attached to it

Be Your Best Friend

The greatest test, and beauty, of a solo holiday is in being happy by yourself.  Although you may meet people along your journey and chat with strangers and locals (which I highly recommend), at the end of the day, you are on your own. You need to be comfortable with the fact that at times a day could go by when you may not have spoken to someone. What solo travel has taught me most of all is how to find peace and happiness within oneself and that in itself has been a fascinating journey.