Travelling Alone

[Rodders]

nowhere exotic! just hostelling across belgium and the netherlands, so not exactly the backpacker type travel and a bit easier to meet people but still should be fun!

I guess you're already on your way but are you hitching at all?

No,I'm already back! It wasn't a long trip. Inter railed it between places. Not quite as cheap as I thought but still a useful way of getting around.

[mikeyp102]

Well my dream took one step closer to becoming real as I got a provisional yes for taking 6 months off work.

[Xela]

 

Or do the organised pub/bar crawls in the evening

Did one in Rome the other year , saw it advertised and it was free if it was your birthday ( it was) so my mate and I went along

We were about double the age of everyone else and all we kept being asked is "what are you doing here"

As everyone else was a student pack backing rocket polisher they had no money so after the first hour of drink all you can that was included they then kept trying to sponge drinks or drink from your pint when you went to the toilet

Was almost the worse night out I've ever had , only redeemed as one of the girls flashed her boobies around 1 am ...,

 

 

They had a point 

[Xela]

Well my dream took one step closer to becoming real as I got a provisional yes for taking 6 months off work.

 

When you thinking of going? Nervous?

 

I'm getting to the point that all of my mates are settling down and I still have an urge to travel but I just don't think I can do it on my own. No problem with the actual travel but its the meeting people - I just don't think i'm good enough at striking up conversations with strangers! 

[Shillzz]

 

Well my dream took one step closer to becoming real as I got a provisional yes for taking 6 months off work.

 

When you thinking of going? Nervous?

 

I'm getting to the point that all of my mates are settling down and I still have an urge to travel but I just don't think I can do it on my own. No problem with the actual travel but its the meeting people - I just don't think i'm good enough at striking up conversations with strangers! 

 

 

I'm the kind of recluse who spends far too much time talking to strangers on the internet but I got on just fine when I went travelling. DO NOT let these kinds of thoughts hold you back. The world turns on a different axis when you go travelling, and you'll regret it if you don't go. It's a bit like when you take the dog for a walk on a Sunday morning, everyone says hello. I suspect you'd surprise yourself.

[mikeyp102]

Xela, I could understand your concern, as I posted at the start of this I too have some concerns about the loneliness, but I think you just have to throw yourself into it. As Shillz says people will always talk especially if they are in similar situations themselves.

 

Looking at Sri Lanka as the flight stopping point, so a few days there. Following that Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. Depending on flight ticket etc, may look to visit my sister in San Francisco on the return (some Round the Tickets mean you have to fly in one direction). Hopefully, go mid November for 6.5 months.

Edited June 20, 2014 by mikeyp102

[tonyh29]

was quite impressed with Sri Lanka  ...one of those places I'd go back to

 

 

Day 01 - 22nd August 2013

Meet pick and drive to Wilpaththu, Early check in at hotel and relax the day. Enjoy a safari in Sri Lanka's largest National Park , Wilpaththu which is famous for its high density of Leopards , Bears , elephants and many more animals. It also home for dozens of small lakes known as villu's in local language. This villu is attractions for animals as well as birds. 

 

Day 02 - 23rd August 2013

Early morning visit to Minneria  for elephant gathering

En route visit Aukkana carving Buddha statue..

night nr sigiiya

 

Day 03 - 24th August 2013

 Climb Sigiriya Lion Rock in morning and then depart for Horton Plains .

 

 visit to a tea estate on route ?  Nuwara Eliya ?

 

 

Day 04 - 25th August 2013

 

early start hike to Worlds End and then head to Colombo

 

quick tour of Colombo if time permits ??

Day 05 - 26th August 2013

Transfer to airport as per flight schedule

 

we basically had a driver and a car and went where we wanted working loosely to the itinerary I'd worked out before hand ...if you saw something interesting we stopped off  so it wasn't set in stone ( if you are back packing all those places are doable by bus or train )

 

Wilpaththu was a bit meh as we didn't see any leopards or much wildlife for that matter but the elephant gathering at Minneriya National Park was pretty cool , must have seen over 100 elephants and some rare birds as well

 

if you time it right you can also go out to Mirissa and see Blue whales  .. we didn't go as we'd swam with Humpbacks the year before and they fact you can't swim with the blue whales meant we cut it from our schedule due to time .. would still be pretty cool to see them though

Edited June 20, 2014 by tonyh29

[Wainy316]

In hostels conversations with others just happen and they seem to flow without much thought.  You'll find yourself on the first night going out to dinner with about 10 people.

[mikeyp102]

Flights booked. Woohoo. All starting to feel real now.

Edited August 5, 2014 by mikeyp102

[Voinjama]

I personally wouldn't travel alone, but each to their own. 

[troon_villan]

You came to the right thread then.

[AVFCforever1991]

You came

 

[StefanAVFC]

You came to the right thread then.

 

Made me lol

[trekka]

I travelled alone for much of 2005-06.  I say "alone" but it was a mixture of treks with Trek America and a stint of volunteering down in Peru.  Do it.  I turned up alone and by the end of each mini-trip I had made good friends.  It was the best years of my life.

 

As I'm getting more stability finance wise, I'll be looking to be venturing out again.  Initially to Europe (city breaks etc) but ultimately saving enough to have an awesome trip like said in this thread.  Cherish the moments and have an awesome time. 

Edited August 19, 2014 by trekka

[mikeyp102]

7 weeks Saturday til I go. Can't wait. Really need to book up Sri Lanka though as that's my first drop.

[Xela]

You finalised your route or going to wing it?

[mikeyp102]

I have flights between countries booked the rest is just winging it, well sort of.

So I start in Sri Lanka where I am there for 4 days (flight times cut it down). I'm booking everything for that. Taking in Sirigiya, Minnersa, Worlds End, Yala and Negombo.

After that it's 2 nights in Singapore nothing booked for that.

Thailand for 30 days, got 4 days around Full moon party booked and a week at an elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai. After that everything else is winged, depending on who I meet and what crops up. Will be in BK a few and will try other places , probably Phi Phi and others down south.

I have 2.5 months in Aus flying to Cairns just before Christmas and leaving from Sydney. Nothing planned here.

NZ another 2 months again nothing planned, even though defo want to do Queenstown for bungee jump and canyon swing as well as some of the LOTR mountains. Leave from Auckland where I have a mate so I will stay with him for a bit.

Fiji for 3 weeks, just plan to island hop. Hopefully will have learnt to scuba dive so may go out with the Tiger Sharks.

Final week in USA. In LA a night on my own (well outside of people I meet). My sister and her husband are coming down from San Fran the second night, we are then heading to some mountain my sister wants to hike (didn't really pay attention to what she was saying as didn't mind what to do). Final three nights in Vegas staying at the Aria (sister has booked and paid for this). I have the final night and day on my own.

I have an option to alter flights for free (with a weeks notice) if I want to alter plans. So we'll see. Can't wait now it's all I can focus on.

(Sorry if the post isn't 100% coherent as had a few tonight) (sorry donnie).

[Ghost]

That sounds awesome.

[donnie]

I have flights between countries booked the rest is just winging it, well sort of.

So I start in Sri Lanka where I am there for 4 days (flight times cut it down). I'm booking everything for that. Taking in Sirigiya, Minnersa, Worlds End, Yala and Negombo.

After that it's 2 nights in Singapore nothing booked for that.

Thailand for 30 days, got 4 days around Full moon party booked and a week at an elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai. After that everything else is winged, depending on who I meet and what crops up. Will be in BK a few and will try other places , probably Phi Phi and others down south.

I have 2.5 months in Aus flying to Cairns just before Christmas and leaving from Sydney. Nothing planned here.

NZ another 2 months again nothing planned, even though defo want to do Queenstown for bungee jump and canyon swing as well as some of the LOTR mountains. Leave from Auckland where I have a mate so I will stay with him for a bit.

Fiji for 3 weeks, just plan to island hop. Hopefully will have learnt to scuba dive so may go out with the Tiger Sharks.

Final week in USA. In LA a night on my own (well outside of people I meet). My sister and her husband are coming down from San Fran the second night, we are then heading to some mountain my sister wants to hike (didn't really pay attention to what she was saying as didn't mind what to do). Final three nights in Vegas staying at the Aria (sister has booked and paid for this). I have the final night and day on my own.

I have an option to alter flights for free (with a weeks notice) if I want to alter plans. So we'll see. Can't wait now it's all I can focus on.

(Sorry if the post isn't 100% coherent as had a few tonight) (sorry donnie).

Sounds incredible! Rather then 30 days in Thailand though couldn't you allocate some of that time to seeing parts of Cambodia and Vietnam so at least you can say you have been there. Chaing Mai gets boring after 3 nights and I cant imagine all the islands of Thailand being all that much different to one another (I liked koh tao the best FWW).

[chappy]

Sounds incredible! Rather then 30 days in Thailand though couldn't you allocate some of that time to seeing parts of Cambodia and Vietnam so at least you can say you have been there. Chaing Mai gets boring after 3 nights and I cant imagine all the islands of Thailand being all that much different to one another (I liked koh tao the best FWW).