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So I'm dying to get away for New Years. I will go home for Christmas but always find New Years kind of stressful (and it's freezing back home as well as London).

I spoke to my sister about going away a few weeks ago and she was super excited. Now suddenly (since she is the flaky type) she is skeptical as everything is very expensive. It would have been cheaper if we booked earlier, but no use now... Primary destinations would be Indian Oceans, Caribbean or Latin America as that's where it's properly hot now.

We just inherited quite a lot of money and before investing in property, we both want to spend something on experiences, which is why we both want to travel. However my sister doesn't seem super keen and haven't really tried to do any research. I asked a friend of mine whom I have traveled a bit with, but she can't afford it. I offered to pay for her, but she refused to let me :frown:

I had really set my mind on going away, and am really bummed it's not working out. My sister said we could do it a bit later but then she said she's in a trainee program all of january and february. I am now considering going on my own... I am a girl and 21 and am sure my parents will go mad saying it's unsafe. I have traveled a lot on my own though and have been living abroad (alone) for the past 3 years. If I would go alone, I wouldn't choose Latin America, but something like Virgin Islands.

Does anyone here have experience with it? It's just for relaxation and all. I'm sure I'll be annoyed I won't have any pictures of me, only surroundings :redface: But so be it
If you stay in backpackers hostels, then you'll meet loads of people who are also travelling alone, who you can make friends with, and you can take pictures of each other :smile:

I travelled alone for 6 months (Australia + Malaysia), and I never had any problems :smile:
Reply 42
Hey! I'm 20 and I've travelled to ~25 countries solo - and I think I've had a way better experience because of it. Between staying in hostels and/or CouchSurfing, you're barely ever alone to start - but when you want to do your own thing, you don't have to compromise with anyone. :P Also if you do get your sister to come along and then she suddenly decides after its been booked that she's not up for it, you'd be significantly more screwed.

Although, I wouldn't really recommend the Virgin Islands for a young solo traveller - there really isn't much to do there. Costa Rica is pretty sweet, and Barbados [where I happen to be from, yay!] is prime for what you're after. *I'll be happy to answer Caribbean specific questions by PM btw ^^

As for pictures.. Get a Gorillapod/other small tripod and use the autotimer on your camera. :smile:
I am thinking of inter railing alone next summer. I went with a friend a few years ago and it was great. How easy is it for lone travellers to meet people, and generally is it just meet-chat-bye or do people meet and travel together for a while? What sort of age are people you meet, I will be 22? Is the euro crisis putting lots of people of travelling?
I had the most amazing time backpacking on my own in Australia for 6 months, would reccomend it to anyone!

Can't wait to go off again. :biggrin:
Original post by Antifazian
I had the most amazing time backpacking on my own in Australia for 6 months, would reccomend it to anyone!

Can't wait to go off again. :biggrin:



I am hoping to go there for a year after I graduate. How old were you and people you met while travelling? I will be 24. Did you meet people regularly and easily and did you travel around with people you met there?
Thanks
Original post by Terracotta-pie
I am hoping to go there for a year after I graduate. How old were you and people you met while travelling? I will be 24. Did you meet people regularly and easily and did you travel around with people you met there?
Thanks


Good choice! :smile: I was 18 when I went, but going at 24 is probably much better as most of the people I met were your age or slightly older, not that the difference really matters to anyone. I met very few 18/19 year olds.

It's so easy to meet people staying in hostels, just make sure you look at reviews on sites such as hostelworld.com or ask people that you meet travelling which ones they'd reccomend, so that you can either go for party hostels or more quiet ones depending on what type of person you are. Going on organised tours to attractions can also be a good way to meet people of the same age, but they tend to be more expensive than going on your own.

I travelled for a bit with a girl I worked with on a cattle station, yeah.
Original post by Antifazian
I had the most amazing time backpacking on my own in Australia for 6 months, would reccomend it to anyone!

Can't wait to go off again. :biggrin:


That sounds amazing! A few questions:
- did you get to know people? If so, in different age ranges and all, or primarily young people? And where?
- did you go out to eat and stuff or was the trip quite economical?
- did you take pictures of scenery only or got pictures of yourself?
- did you ever have any safety worries?

Thanks :smile:
Original post by Artvandelay
That sounds amazing! A few questions:
- did you get to know people? If so, in different age ranges and all, or primarily young people? And where?
- did you go out to eat and stuff or was the trip quite economical?
- did you take pictures of scenery only or got pictures of yourself?
- did you ever have any safety worries?

Thanks :smile:


See my post a little further up about meeting people :smile: It can be lonely at times going it alone, but there are always people around to chat to in hostels etc. so if you make the effort you'll be fine meeting people wise.

I earnt a lot of money working on a cattle station whilst I was out there, so ate out every day that I travelled. You can do it very cheaply by buying food and cooking it in hostel kitchens though, a lot of them offer free pasta for example. I spent a lot of money on my trip, but you could easily have an awesome time without doing so.

I had lots of pictures of myself, you meet people who will take them for you and you can always use a timer or ask random people to take them.

No safety worries, not whilst on the backpacker trail anyway, working in the outback is a different story :tongue:
Reply 49
I am thinking to travel alone in may. I ll be in an host family. My only fear it s to be girl and traveling alone!!!
Reply 50
Thinking of going East somewhere on my own beyond Europe this summer. Don't know whether to meet someone I don't know and go travelling with them or just go it alone. I'll be 18 but don't know and need to know about the culture where i'm going i guess.
Reply 51
Original post by Luccy.
Thinking of going East somewhere on my own beyond Europe this summer. Don't know whether to meet someone I don't know and go travelling with them or just go it alone. I'll be 18 but don't know and need to know about the culture where i'm going i guess.


Go it alone. If you head to Thailand, for example, there's such a massive solo backpacking community that you're bound to meet someone that you can travel around with a bit before you go your separate ways.
Original post by Luccy.
Thinking of going East somewhere on my own beyond Europe this summer. Don't know whether to meet someone I don't know and go travelling with them or just go it alone. I'll be 18 but don't know and need to know about the culture where i'm going i guess.


I'm also heading east this summer. I'm thinking Philippines, were are you planning on?

Original post by LoouuReeed
I am thinking to travel alone in may. I ll be in an host family. My only fear it s to be girl and traveling alone!!!


You'll be there by yourself, but you'll make friends there. Even if you don't, just keep your witts about you and youll be fine. Were you thinking of going?
So im going to be travelling to South America for 4 months in february... People are starting to freak me out when Im tell them Im going by myself, (Im 18, female) should I start to worry?
I keep telling them I'll be fine, but am I just being naive? Im not a retard, and won't do stupid things, but should I start to panic a bit?

Anyone done South America?
Original post by TimesChanging
So im going to be travelling to South America for 4 months in february... People are starting to freak me out when Im tell them Im going by myself, (Im 18, female) should I start to worry?
I keep telling them I'll be fine, but am I just being naive? Im not a retard, and won't do stupid things, but should I start to panic a bit?

Anyone done South America?


What parts? how do you plan on getting around?
Original post by bestofyou
What parts? how do you plan on getting around?


Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru. And Buses, and maybe a few trains! Have you been?
Original post by TimesChanging
Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru. And Buses, and maybe a few trains! Have you been?


not been no, but I be certain someone will drop by soon that has.

Whats your spanish like?
Reply 57
Original post by bestofyou
I'm also heading east this summer. I'm thinking Philippines, were are you planning on?



You'll be there by yourself, but you'll make friends there. Even if you don't, just keep your witts about you and youll be fine. Were you thinking of going?


Er no idea really if I'd taken a gap year it would have been Austrailia but somewhere like thailand because I want to learn to scuba dive :/)
Original post by bestofyou
not been no, but I be certain someone will drop by soon that has.

Whats your spanish like?


Its very average, im going to have to stoup in up a level before I go! Ah yes i hope so! Are you travelling anywhere soon?
Original post by TimesChanging
Its very average, im going to have to stoup in up a level before I go! Ah yes i hope so! Are you travelling anywhere soon?



as you have 4months you have alot of time to play around with. So what you could do, and this is what I would do if I was you, would be get a volunteer project sorted out for the first 3weeks or so of your trip in say Peru for example. This gives you the chance to take daily spanish classes and meet other 'volunteers' who will be travelers such as yourself most of them, so if they are there fore a similar time you could talk them into going with you, or you could go with them. Obviously that isn't guaranteed and you could still be setting off solo after the project, but you would still be much more settled in and would have a little bit more local advice.

Thats just an idea. Usually I reccomend avoiding such volunteer companies as they tend to be fat cat middle men. But some of them are fairly cheap in comparison to 'real gap' for example, and make foundations for the rest of a trip, you know, getting somewere to go, people to met etc as soon as you step off the plane. Mind you it is fun stepping off the plane with nowhere to go etc, it depends on the person really.

planing south east asia atm. Can't decide on either

Thailand. Id rather do Thailand along with Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, maybe even Myanmar as well. But I only have 1 month. I'd prefer at least 3 for that whole region.

Indonesia, Malasia and Singapore, I'd spend most of the month island hopping in Indo.

or 1month in the Philippines.
(edited 12 years ago)

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