Top five reasons why you should backpack alone

Most people wouldn’t dream of travelling alone. Just travelling out of the comfort zone of one’s home country can be unnerving for many. To negotiate completely foreign surroundings all by yourself may seem like a proposition not worthy of consideration. But travelling solo can be rewarding in multiple ways. And backpacking unaccompanied even more so. Here are the top five reasons why backpacking alone beats travelling with people hands down-

Approachable– If the objective of your travel is to experience new cultures through people, travelling alone makes you far more approachable than you ever would be if you were travelling with a bunch of friends or family. People are more apt to feel comfortable to approach and be approached by one person than to be beset by a whole group of chattering people. More often than not, help and hospitality are frequently offered in generous measures by people to those who brave it alone.

More time to yourself– In constant company of others, you hardly get any time to do all the things you imagine yourself doing but don’t when on holiday. Take time off to just read or take a nap or daydream without being interrupted by incessant babble. Breathe, relax, do yoga, enjoy that soak in a hot spring or that calming massage without the unnecessary worry of having to make a lunch appointment or some other similar frenzied rendezvous with your companions.

No squabbling– Being accommodating of everybody’s needs can be irritating when on a trip. Even with just two people, taking into account individual travel desires is bound to seem like it is on a collision course with one’s own travel plans and wishes. When alone there is absolutely no hassle of dealing with frayed tempers. Your time is your own to do what you want at will! Hurrah! This could often lead to adventures to offbeat travel locales which would never have been possible if travelling in a group. You can just up and leave and make your own plans when alone.

You are never alone– When you are travelling solo you are never alone, that is, if you don’t want to be. Inevitably solo travelers drift towards other solo travelers.  In the end, you are certain to forge far stronger friendships, bonds that could last for life when you are travelling by yourself. And if you are backpacking, you are more likely to meet up with people from world over and diverse walks of life in dorm rooms than in stuffy private hotel rooms you usually end up sharing when with family or known friends. You are much more likely to find your travel soul mate when travelling solo than otherwise.

Organisational skills– You very quickly learn to manage money and resources when alone. It teaches one the art of making the best use of your allocated budget in the most optimum way possible. When with others, though you might save money by sharing accommodation and with vehicle hires, travelling solo not only teaches you to make the most of what you have by coordinating with other travelers, it also allows for greater interaction with fellow travelers. It is a double win. You save money and make more friends. It also compels you to plan for yourself instead of leaving it to a run of the mill travel agent.

The above are just some of the myriad reasons that make travelling alone so completely satisfying. As you venture out on your own, you are sure to find a whole host of reasons that make travelling alone so very addictive. Go ahead, give it a shot.

Feature image- Underwater Staghorn table coral, Sipadan.