Tag: solo travel
How I evaded touts and saved IDR100,000 in Bali
Travelling solo and on a budget, I found that the best way to reach the village of Pemuteran in west Bali from Ubud was to take a shuttle bus to Lovina in the north and take a local bus from there to Pemuteran. (If you are 3-4 people, taking a taxi makes the most sense.)
Easy enough I thought, as I sat on the 11.30 bus from Ubud. There were some earlier buses but I was sticking to this one company because I had traveled with them before and they gave discounts to returning customers. As a budget traveler, I’m always happy to save a little cash here and there.
The journey took three-and-a-half hours through hills and active volcanoes in the heart of Bali. It was the rainy season and the all the green around was hauntingly beautiful. Continue reading How I evaded touts and saved IDR100,000 in Bali
Bali: I’m going on my first unplanned trip!
The original plan was to go to the UK.
I have never been to the UK and I have a few friends there I was looking forward to meet. Unfortunately, between the time I applied for my leave at work and got it, the plane ticket I was eyeing had gone up by INR15000.
A couple of cheaper options were available but they took more time. Also two of the friends I was supposed to meet told me they would not be available when I’d be visiting. I decided these were the universe’s way of telling me not to go to the UK just yet. Continue reading Bali: I’m going on my first unplanned trip!
The audio guide at Golkonda is a good idea
One day during my stay in Hyderabad when I was feeling particularly touristy, I decided to spend several hours at Golkonda Fort. I discovered that making use of the audio guide there is a great way to explore the historic site as a solo traveller on a budget.
Human guides cost around INR700 and that’s probably not a bad deal if you are in a group. But as a solo traveller on a budget, I thought that was a little too much.
I read the advertisement about the audio guide right next to the ticket counter. When I asked them where I could get it, they said it would be right at the main entrance of the fort. As soon as I got there, several guides approached me, but when I told them I was looking for the audio guide, they left. The place where they rent out the audio guides is bang opposite the main entrance. Continue reading The audio guide at Golkonda is a good idea
How to make friends on the road
A lot of people ask me how I manage to travel alone.
Don’t you feel unsafe in a foreign land when there’s no one to watch your back? Don’t you get bored? These are two of the most common questions they tend to ask.
I’ve realised, most people just don’t get the fact that travelling alone doesn’t really mean being alone all through the trip. In fact, it increases the possibilities of your meeting new people and making friends. I have gone on many trips with groups of friends and not made a single friend on the road. On the other hand, I have made loads of friends while on solo trips. Go figure. Continue reading How to make friends on the road
Australia: First impressions
I’d asked the girl at the check in counter to give me either a window seat or an aisle seat, but NOT a middle seat. Guess what she did?
The seating arrangement was 3+3+3 and I realised she’d given me seat No. 5 when I got on the plane. I was running a little late and hadn’t thought of checking the number when she handed over the boarding pass to me. Continue reading Australia: First impressions
The importance of a local contact
I have written earlier about the importance of a local contact when you are travelling.
Much more than helping you reduce costs in a number of ways – right from hosting you to giving you tips about budget travel locally – such a contact helps you have a very personalised experience of the place you are visiting. Continue reading The importance of a local contact
Why travelling solo is awesome
The clarity on what is essential for the individual when you take the risk of travelling alone is unbelievable.
Ava Irani, a friend I made while travelling solo in Thailand
If you are an avid traveller but have never travelled alone, you don’t know what you have been missing. Here’s why travelling alone is awesome.
You can travel selfishly: Cycle 100km in a day if you so desire. Don’t leave your hostel bunk for the next two days because you have a sore ass with all that cycling. Don’t worry, no one is calling you silly. Indulge in a relaxing siesta on the soft green grass of a random park. Live on sandwiches for ten days. Head out for Rome and decide midway to go to Vienna. You’ll get to Rome sooner or later because all roads lead there anyway! Do anything. Go anywhere. Or nowhere. You don’t have to worry what your travel companion(s) may or may not approve of when you are alone. You don’t have to compromise and you can travel selfishly and this is amazingly liberating.