Should You Try Travelling Solo? Solo Travel Tips

I’ve always regarded myself as being fairly independent, but when it comes to new experiences, I’d always figured that a shared experience was better than experiencing something alone. So in my late 30’s, when I decided to travel alone to rural Egypt for a yoga and meditation retreat, it felt like a big deal. Read on to find out how my first ever solo trip transformed my life, and find tips on planning solo travel adventures.

Whilst I’ve always enjoyed Yoga, I didn’t regularly practice and am not the most flexible person in the world, but the idea of early morning yoga every day, the chance to meet new people, visit a new country in a region well off the usual tourist trail, and the chance to spend time alone with my thoughts felt like it was exactly what I needed. The more I thought about it, the louder my intuition shouted at me to do it.

I started off by doing some research, including following a few companies on Facebook and soon found a yoga and meditation retreat taking place in Eqypt that appealed. The location for the retreat was Dahab, a small Bedouin fishing village on the hippy trail, that’s a mecca for divers and well away from the hustle of the big tourist resorts. I listened to my intuition, for perhaps the first time in decades, and I booked my space on the yoga retreat.

solo yoga holiday — *Relaxing by the pool on a solo yoga retreat in Dahab, Egypt*

A couple of months later, I found myself at the airport, wandering around doing all the usual time-passing airport things, with an almost constant inner dialogue running through my head. I felt slightly bemused – I really was doing this – but despite worrying that I’d miss the reassurance and conversation that comes with travelling alongside someone else, I became immediately aware that I was genuinely enjoying myself. That realisation felt both exciting and deeply liberating.

I had spent most of my adult life trapped in a highly codependent mindset. I didn’t feel fulfilled unless I was pouring all of my time, energy, and emotional resources into other people.

That sense of liberation would eventually lead me to confront something much bigger. I had spent most of my adult life trapped in a highly codependent mindset. I didn’t feel fulfilled unless I was pouring all of my time, energy, and emotional resources into other people, while totally burying my own needs in the process.

The complex experiences that had contributed to such a deeply ingrained lack of self-worth had conditioned me to believe my value came primarily through service to others and their opinion of me. Travelling alone became a profound turning point that marked the beginning of a healing process that ultimately taught me it was not only acceptable, but necessary, to start redirect all of that care, energy, and compassion back towards myself.

Arriving in Eqypt

As the plane touched down, I won’t lie, nerves did hit me. What if I couldn’t find the person there to greet me? What if I didn’t like the other people on the retreat? What if I was really rubbish at yoga compared to everyone else? What if the vegetarian food didn’t hit the mark?

I pushed the worries away, put a smile on my face and confidently strolled off the plane. The airport immigration process was frantic, the heat cloying and everything was chaotic, but despite the natural neves, I was loving it.

Over a decade later, I’ve continued to treat myself as a priority and I no longer ignore my inutition.

Some of my smaller concerns about being sociable, remembering names, and flailing around dramatically rather than managing a perfect shoulder stand (which at that point I’d never done before) quickly melted away, and I realised that there really was nothing at all I needed to fret about. Over a decade later, I’ve continued to treat myself as a priority and I no longer ignore my inutition.

Getting up early every day for 3 hours of yoga was a joy, as was our shorter afternoon session. There were optional group activities, like a walk into the village, tea with Bedouins, a hike up Mount Sinai and diving, and our small group quickly bonded, spending time together, but respectful of each others need for space.

Quiet Time I So Desperately Needed

What the holiday gave me, wasn’t just an opportunity to advance my yoga abilities, it gave me the chance to find myself again. It had been literally years since I’d spent anything more than a few hours alone. As a mother and a wife with a full time career, there was no such thing as down time, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt relaxed.

A racing mind was the norm, my thoughts increasingly fragmented. My mental health was not good and my body was tense, caused in part, by the increasing awareness that something was seriously out of balance. I wasn’t happy with my outwardly amazing life and the kind, caring man I’d married, but I didn’t know why, though I instinctively knew I needed time and space to work things out.

I’d spent so many years being a mum and wife that I no longer knew who I really was. I had no idea what made me happy and the holiday gave me the necessary space and time to figure it all out. The meditation techniques that I learned during that week proved exceptionally helpful and are some of the techniques I still use to regulate a nervous system that had been on high alert for my entire life.

solo yoga holiday in egypt — *The rest of the group on the yoga retreat*

The holiday taught me a lot about myself, it made me braver, tougher and gave me a sense of wellbeing that has never truly left me. It took me way out of my comfort zone; even little things like leaving my room and approaching a table of people in the restaurant filled me with anxiety inititally, but I did it and I thrived.

How My Solo Yoga Holiday Changed My Life

Solo travel taught me that stepping outside of our comfort zones is absolutely necessary for personal growth and that spending time alone, with a still mind and none of the distractions of the modern world, is crucial to wellbeing.

Within weeks of returning I made a raft of very major changes; things I’d been considering for some time, which I now knew I needed to do. As well as quitting my job and taking a big jump up the career ladder, the decisions I made had a life-changing impact on me and my small family, ultimately providing me with a happier, more grounded and less materialistic life. Oh, and I also learned to do a pretty mean shoulder stand too.

Why You Should Go On A Solo Holiday

If you are thinking of going on a solo holiday, my advice, without exception, is to go for it. If you are worried about solo travel, then why not travel independently, but once you arrive at your destination, hook up with other solo travelers or choose a loosely organised trip, like the one I went on?

Solo Travel Tips

If you’re feeling increased curiosity, a tingle of excitement or perhaps even a deep sense of calm about the thought of embarking on traveling solo, listen to that intuition.
Remember, it’s normal to feel a little anxious, in fact excitement and nervous anticipation can easily be written off as anxiety, but in mild cases, gentle and consistent reframing of those feelings can enhance stop those intrusive thoughts from spiralling.
Plan an itinerary that will provide you with plenty of things to do so you’ll never be bored – my advice is to take plenty of books with you.
Use a holiday or travel company that specailises in trips for solo travelers, that way you can travel alone, but will get to meet and mix with other like-minded people once you arrive.
Go on a specialist themed holiday; for example a horse riding holiday, a walking break, or a yoga retreat like the one I went on.
If you aren’t sure a solo holiday is for you, then why not book a solo weekend break somewhere closer to home first?
Make sure you do your research and only travel with an experienced company and check out reviews before you go. Follow them on social media before you book anything to get a better feel for what’s on offer, and make sure, once at your destination, that you don’t wander off anywhere by yourself, without leaving a trail of some sort.
When planning excursions, let someone at your hotel know, leave a note in your room, or send a text or email back home outlining your plans, just to be on the safe side.
Always make sure you have some cash on you, a credit card stowed somewhere safe and your phone.
Don’t scrimp on travel insurance.
Ensure you are familiar with the religion and culture of the country you intend to visit; when on my own in Muslim countries I dress modestly and wear a head scarf for example.

Great Reasons To Travel Solo

It’s an effective way to build your own confidence and feeling of independence.
You get to discover what truly makes you happy, and it could be something as simple as doing absolutely nothing, guilt-free.
It gives you time and space to think.
You get to live selfishly, doing what you want, when you want with no one else to think about or appease.
It takes you out of your comfort zone which can be exhilarating and highly rewarding.