I love the freedom and flexibility of solo travel and that’s why most of my trips have been alone. However, solo travel isn’t all sunshine and rainbows even for introverts like me. There have been quite a few moments when I wish I were travelling with someone else and here are 5 reasons why.
1. It’s sometimes difficult to get a good photo
I must start off by saying that I’ve met strangers who have taken the most beautiful photos of me when travelling solo. They dedicated the time to take multiple shots of me and guided me on how best to pose. On the flip side, I’ve gone on trips with friends or family members who have taken unflattering images of me.
However, there have been far too many times where I’ve found it difficult to get other tourists to take good photos of me. Some people even flat out say no when I ask them to take a photo of me which leaves me dejected when it repeatedly happens.
What’s also annoying is that there have also been instances where I’ve been at an attraction alone and have wanted to take a picture but couldn’t because no one was there.
I know I can use equipment like tripods and selfie sticks, which do help out a lot but sometimes they’re not as great as getting someone to actually take a picture of you.
2. It can get lonely
I’m one of those people who can go a very long time without talking to people but I’ve still felt pangs of loneliness when I travel solo. It’s mainly related to missing people from back home. For instance, I remember feeling lonely while visiting Yeontral Park (Gyeongui Line Forest) in Hongdae, Seoul, on a midsummer’s night.
I saw many groups of friends and relatives sitting on the grass, drinking a beer and just chilling whereas I was just there alone. The same thing happened to me when I saw friends just chilling at the various Han River Parks I visited after sunset. I’d also feel a bit lonely while eating alone when I saw groups of people or couples eating together.
Trips alone are great, but I still miss visiting awesome places with someone whom I’m close to.
3. It can get expensive
I’m pretty frugal so this aspect of travelling solo can get annoying when I think too much about it. However, it’s sometimes hard to avoid seeing offers and discounts for groups or even couples for things like accommodation or access to tourist sites.
On the bright side, I rarely travel with others which allows me to forget that solo travel can be a bit more expensive than travelling in a pair or a group.
4. It can be stressful
When you travel solo, you have to constantly rely on yourself, which can become exhausting. I’d love to just leave my luggage with someone I’m travelling with while I visit the restroom instead of bringing my luggage with me everywhere or having someone to support me or help me when stuff goes wrong.
5. It’s easier to become a target
I find that people target me more when I’m travelling alone. I’ve been scammed by a cult in South Korea and been harassed in many European countries during solo trips. However, when I revisited certain countries with at least one other person, these things haven’t happened to me. Even if they did, I’d still feel safer in these situations if I were in a group compared to if I were alone.
Conclusion
Overall, I love travelling solo (that’s why this list is so short), but not everything is peachy keen when I go on trips alone.
