Much like a twister, I was indeed born to walk alone or so it
would seem. You see, I am a lone traveller; a wanderer; a ronin from
a lost age (dear god, that sounds arrogant but bear with him- ed).
Romanticise it however you like but the fact is, when I travel, I am
alone (more often than not - Ed) and I would like to talk a
little about what it is like to be a lone traveller. Hopefully, I
can show that it isn’t as depressing as it might seem nor is it as
glorious as it can be perceived.
This came about with a discussion with a friend who, after my bonus blog entry about a girl, mentioned that it was nice to see some soul returning to the blog. I started to think about this and he was quite right: due to my lack of activities (the working life is not the most glamorous - Ed), it had become a series of lists and travel advice. Now, this isn’t a bad thing as this is a travel blog (of sorts - Ed) but it can become tedious and monotonous for the reader if it is repeated regularly.
So, with this in mind, I decided to try and write something a little bit more personal and inject a little bit more of ‘me’ into it but I was faced with the same problem: my life right now is hardly exciting. I work all week and as I am trying to save money, don’t go out much so I don’t have many stories to tell right now. Then it struck me: I can look at what it is like to travel on your own, based on my own experiences: a compromise! Hopefully, the idea of the self-proclaimed ‘socially awkward twenty-something’ travelling on his own should make for an interesting read and inject some life back into the blog! Now, this is based on my perceptions and as a slightly introverted individual who does not thrive in sociable environments, I accept that my views and opinions will differ from other people but hopefully it will give you some information you may not have had before and if you disagree, feel free!
Now, let us examine the least interesting but still important part of travelling out of the way: the cost of being on your own. Now, in fiscal terms, travelling can be expensive even when you’re in a group but on your own, it can be incredibly prohibitive. Take hotel rooms for example. Unless you book a hostel dorm, chances are you’re going to spend significantly more on your own than if you shared the room. You see, a double room costs just the same for one person as it does for two. Even if you manage to get a single room, it is likely to cost more than if you shared. This begins to get prohibitive and searching for rooms becomes time consuming. I have to spend a lot of time going through various sites to reach a compromise between quality and cost.
Now, you’re probably thinking ‘why don’t you just get a room in a dorm’ and I have toyed with that idea but the fact is, I would hate this. From past experiences, I feel really uncomfortable sleeping in a room with people I don’t know and don't sleep very well at all. This in turn would mess with my trip and my mood (as he gets cranky if he doesn't get sleep - Ed). I'm just constantly paranoid that I'll disturb the room and mess up other peoples sleep, which then keeps me awake. That's even before you take into account my penchant for walking naked from the shower to my bedroom to get dressed. Poor flat/roommates... Therefore, I prefer to stick to single and double rooms and whilst I realise that this is my own issue, it raise a good point especially for those of a similar nature. When travelling alone, do you:
Take when I travelled to Hong Kong. One of the busiest places in the world where you are always surrounded by people and I was out all day and most of the night. I was literally surrounded by people throughout and this gets tiring after a while, I felt frazzled by the end of the day. If I hadn’t booked myself a private room to escape from the crowds, I would have hated the trip and would have been miserable throughout. It creates an escape for me: letting me recharge my social batteries. This then helps me enjoy my time in the country, though I do accept it sacrifices sociability and affordability which other people may prefer.
The increase in cost doesn't end there either: you have tours as well, which can often increase in cost if you're on your own, to the point of being infeasible for most travellers. Now, I do prefer to avoid certain tours but sometimes they are very useful. What I've found is that there are two types of tours: the group tour and the personalised tour, with a lone traveller generally being restricted to the group tour due to price. A quick overview: I view the group tour as one where you are given a seat on a bus and driven around to different sites with a group of people and a personalised tour is one where it is your own private group, with a slightly more personalised and detailed tour. Now this is a massive generalization and I accept this as well but this is the norm, from my experiences and research.
Now, it makes complete sense that it costs more for a personalised tour and it makes sense that it costs more for a single traveller but it often costs up to double for the lone traveller, presumably to cover the cost of the tour. This is a double edged sword. First of all, it means that unless you quickly make a friend when you're on holiday or are willing to spend significant amounts of money, you're going to be stuck with the group tour which can be prohibitive time-wise and a potentially more sterile experience (I am generalising here yes, but I realise this isn't always the case). However, it does force you to socialise which, especially for people like me, is a boon even if it is only for a few hours. There is a massive difference between talking to somebody for a few hours about their lives and talking to people who are selling you souvenirs or museum tickets. However, I'll talk more about this next week.
Now, why is this actually a problem? A tour is a tour, no matter how many people there are, right? Well no, at least not in my experience. I've been on both but I've found you get a much more detailed insight into the sight when on a personalised tour and it can be tailored on the fly to suit your needs. For example, when I first arrived in Kathmandu, I took a tour of Durbar Square and I happened to arrive during a special statue viewing (can't remember the exact details but these statues are only viewed every few years). As I had hired a private guide, I was able to go see them from a school roof because it was only me and he was able to take me off the proverbial beaten path. If I had been on my own or in larger tour group, I would have been stuck in a queue for an hour or not have been able to see them. This again prompts the age old argument of cost vs quality, a constant battle for the lone tourist.
Finally, before finishing for this week (this is going to be a multi-piece article. You've been warned – Ed), there is one final area that travelling on your own affects and it's very dear to my heart: eating! Yes, this is slightly less affected when travelling on your own but it's worth looking at. For me, trying local cuisine is a major part of visiting the country and I love trying as much as possible...it's probably a reason why I try to eat healthy and exercise throughout the year, just so I can eat as much as possible when on holiday. I mean in one day, I ate roast duck, goose and pork in the same day! Twice (I admit this wasn't by choice). Pure dedication. Now where was I? Ah yes, forever alone travelling.
Yes, food can be affected when you're on own but in a more subtle way: the 2 person order. Oh, how many times I have been thwarted by this item on the menu. Usually, it lures you in with a delicious item or by describing itself as a tasting dish/menu but then, as your mouth is watering, it hits you! WHAM. For two people only! *Sigh* I die a little inside every time I read that.
On that slightly lighter moment, I'll finish with this: when you travel alone, there are only a few silver linings when it comes to cost, one of which is that you can set your own budget. You don't need to set limit or extend yourself to someone else's budget and this can often be a hidden blessing. I realise that this is a slow start to the whole 'injecting the blog with life and soul' but it's a start and next week when I continue, this will improve. Hopefully you'll have learned a little bit more about me as well!
Pick of the Week
Proxmate - Thanks to Derek for this wonderful addition. Access a variety of webpages with this handy little add-on and say goodbye to 'This video has not been made available in your country'. This lightweight little program has made my life as an ex-pat that much better and is simple to use as well. Check it out, especially if you're in a foreign country.
Music of the week
Skinred - Babylon is my song of the week. Why? Because I can. Also because it's a great song.
Well, that's it for me this week! I'll see you next time for my next entry in Travelling Alone. Until then, buy high and sell low. Probably.
This came about with a discussion with a friend who, after my bonus blog entry about a girl, mentioned that it was nice to see some soul returning to the blog. I started to think about this and he was quite right: due to my lack of activities (the working life is not the most glamorous - Ed), it had become a series of lists and travel advice. Now, this isn’t a bad thing as this is a travel blog (of sorts - Ed) but it can become tedious and monotonous for the reader if it is repeated regularly.
So, with this in mind, I decided to try and write something a little bit more personal and inject a little bit more of ‘me’ into it but I was faced with the same problem: my life right now is hardly exciting. I work all week and as I am trying to save money, don’t go out much so I don’t have many stories to tell right now. Then it struck me: I can look at what it is like to travel on your own, based on my own experiences: a compromise! Hopefully, the idea of the self-proclaimed ‘socially awkward twenty-something’ travelling on his own should make for an interesting read and inject some life back into the blog! Now, this is based on my perceptions and as a slightly introverted individual who does not thrive in sociable environments, I accept that my views and opinions will differ from other people but hopefully it will give you some information you may not have had before and if you disagree, feel free!
Now, let us examine the least interesting but still important part of travelling out of the way: the cost of being on your own. Now, in fiscal terms, travelling can be expensive even when you’re in a group but on your own, it can be incredibly prohibitive. Take hotel rooms for example. Unless you book a hostel dorm, chances are you’re going to spend significantly more on your own than if you shared the room. You see, a double room costs just the same for one person as it does for two. Even if you manage to get a single room, it is likely to cost more than if you shared. This begins to get prohibitive and searching for rooms becomes time consuming. I have to spend a lot of time going through various sites to reach a compromise between quality and cost.
Now, you’re probably thinking ‘why don’t you just get a room in a dorm’ and I have toyed with that idea but the fact is, I would hate this. From past experiences, I feel really uncomfortable sleeping in a room with people I don’t know and don't sleep very well at all. This in turn would mess with my trip and my mood (as he gets cranky if he doesn't get sleep - Ed). I'm just constantly paranoid that I'll disturb the room and mess up other peoples sleep, which then keeps me awake. That's even before you take into account my penchant for walking naked from the shower to my bedroom to get dressed. Poor flat/roommates... Therefore, I prefer to stick to single and double rooms and whilst I realise that this is my own issue, it raise a good point especially for those of a similar nature. When travelling alone, do you:
- Go with a hostel room, which means sharing with various
strangers who may be less than perfect roommates but with the
advantage of being cheap and has the possibilities of making new
friends, or
- Do you go with the more expensive private room which should
provide a more private and peaceful environment but at a higher cost
and a less sociable environment
Take when I travelled to Hong Kong. One of the busiest places in the world where you are always surrounded by people and I was out all day and most of the night. I was literally surrounded by people throughout and this gets tiring after a while, I felt frazzled by the end of the day. If I hadn’t booked myself a private room to escape from the crowds, I would have hated the trip and would have been miserable throughout. It creates an escape for me: letting me recharge my social batteries. This then helps me enjoy my time in the country, though I do accept it sacrifices sociability and affordability which other people may prefer.
The increase in cost doesn't end there either: you have tours as well, which can often increase in cost if you're on your own, to the point of being infeasible for most travellers. Now, I do prefer to avoid certain tours but sometimes they are very useful. What I've found is that there are two types of tours: the group tour and the personalised tour, with a lone traveller generally being restricted to the group tour due to price. A quick overview: I view the group tour as one where you are given a seat on a bus and driven around to different sites with a group of people and a personalised tour is one where it is your own private group, with a slightly more personalised and detailed tour. Now this is a massive generalization and I accept this as well but this is the norm, from my experiences and research.
Now, it makes complete sense that it costs more for a personalised tour and it makes sense that it costs more for a single traveller but it often costs up to double for the lone traveller, presumably to cover the cost of the tour. This is a double edged sword. First of all, it means that unless you quickly make a friend when you're on holiday or are willing to spend significant amounts of money, you're going to be stuck with the group tour which can be prohibitive time-wise and a potentially more sterile experience (I am generalising here yes, but I realise this isn't always the case). However, it does force you to socialise which, especially for people like me, is a boon even if it is only for a few hours. There is a massive difference between talking to somebody for a few hours about their lives and talking to people who are selling you souvenirs or museum tickets. However, I'll talk more about this next week.
Now, why is this actually a problem? A tour is a tour, no matter how many people there are, right? Well no, at least not in my experience. I've been on both but I've found you get a much more detailed insight into the sight when on a personalised tour and it can be tailored on the fly to suit your needs. For example, when I first arrived in Kathmandu, I took a tour of Durbar Square and I happened to arrive during a special statue viewing (can't remember the exact details but these statues are only viewed every few years). As I had hired a private guide, I was able to go see them from a school roof because it was only me and he was able to take me off the proverbial beaten path. If I had been on my own or in larger tour group, I would have been stuck in a queue for an hour or not have been able to see them. This again prompts the age old argument of cost vs quality, a constant battle for the lone tourist.
Finally, before finishing for this week (this is going to be a multi-piece article. You've been warned – Ed), there is one final area that travelling on your own affects and it's very dear to my heart: eating! Yes, this is slightly less affected when travelling on your own but it's worth looking at. For me, trying local cuisine is a major part of visiting the country and I love trying as much as possible...it's probably a reason why I try to eat healthy and exercise throughout the year, just so I can eat as much as possible when on holiday. I mean in one day, I ate roast duck, goose and pork in the same day! Twice (I admit this wasn't by choice). Pure dedication. Now where was I? Ah yes, forever alone travelling.
Yes, food can be affected when you're on own but in a more subtle way: the 2 person order. Oh, how many times I have been thwarted by this item on the menu. Usually, it lures you in with a delicious item or by describing itself as a tasting dish/menu but then, as your mouth is watering, it hits you! WHAM. For two people only! *Sigh* I die a little inside every time I read that.
On that slightly lighter moment, I'll finish with this: when you travel alone, there are only a few silver linings when it comes to cost, one of which is that you can set your own budget. You don't need to set limit or extend yourself to someone else's budget and this can often be a hidden blessing. I realise that this is a slow start to the whole 'injecting the blog with life and soul' but it's a start and next week when I continue, this will improve. Hopefully you'll have learned a little bit more about me as well!
Pick of the Week
Proxmate - Thanks to Derek for this wonderful addition. Access a variety of webpages with this handy little add-on and say goodbye to 'This video has not been made available in your country'. This lightweight little program has made my life as an ex-pat that much better and is simple to use as well. Check it out, especially if you're in a foreign country.
Music of the week
Skinred - Babylon is my song of the week. Why? Because I can. Also because it's a great song.
Well, that's it for me this week! I'll see you next time for my next entry in Travelling Alone. Until then, buy high and sell low. Probably.
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