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The secret is out about solo travel \u2013 and everybody\u2019s doing it!<\/p>\n
What was once a right of passage for single backpackers fresh out of school trying to “find themselves,” traveling solo has soared into the mainstream faster than a flight from L.A. to San Francisco. From young professionals to retirees and everyone in between, it seems folks from all walks of life want to captain their very own adventure-ship without circumnavigating around someone else\u2019s.<\/p>\n
According to a recent study conducted by Booking.com<\/a>, more travelers than ever before are reaping the rewards of a \u201cme\u201d-time vacation, and feel more fulfilled from a solo trip. The study found that women are now 51% more likely to be the master of their own itinerary than they were 5 years ago, while 23% of men think real adventure only comes from traveling alone.<\/p>\n Internet searches for \u201csolo travel ideas\u201d are up by more than 50% this year according to Google, and tourism operators now offer everything from solo-cruises to medi-spa\u2019s in a bid to capitalize on this growing trend.<\/p>\n \u201cTraveling by yourself is no longer taboo, or even scary for that matter,\u201d says co-founder of Australian lifestyle blog Show+Tell,<\/a> Brooke Bayes. I, for one agree with Brooke. There used to be a certain type of stigma attached to a person, especially a women, traveling on their own.<\/p>\n But, nowadays, you\u2019re no longer a lonely weirdo for traveling unattached. You don\u2019t have some rare form of social leprosy. In fact, you\u2019re more of an empowered independent adventurer, embracing new and exotic experiences you might not have otherwise have been able to before. And besides, who wants to compromise on who gets the aisle seat?<\/p>\n So, it\u2019s official, many of us love solo travel almost as much as an unexpected upgrade to first class. Which begs the question: Why<\/em> does it hold such a special place in our hearts? Whether it\u2019s for the freedom, immersion or sense of adventure, here are four\u00a0reasons why we love to travel alone.<\/p>\n 1)\u00a0Solo Travel Gives You the Freedom to Be Yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n Riddle me this: When was the last time you made a decision that wasn\u2019t influenced by your boss, your kids, your dog or [insert significant other here]. Let\u2019s face it, most of the time your life is not your own but isn\u2019t it fantastic to be able to book a trip and get away from it all.<\/p>\n The possibilities are endless. You can get to know yourself again, and you can indulge yourself fully and be answerable to no one. If you want to spend an entire day at the beach drinking Mojitos and reading about conspiracy theories, then gosh darn it, that\u2019s exactly what you\u2019ll do.<\/p>\n 2) Solo Travel Reinvigorates Your Sense of Adventure<\/strong><\/p>\n Ah, the monotony of everyday life, we\u2019ve all been there. But when your reality starts to resemble a scene from Groundhog Day<\/em>, it\u2019s time for a re-boot . . . all the way to Madagascar. The IndependentTraveler.com<\/a> talks endlessly about the pleasures of traveling without a companion: “People who have never traveled alone often describe their first solo trip as an almost religious experience. To take in new surroundings unfiltered by the prejudices, tastes or preferences of a traveling companion can be heady stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n Traveling alone allows you to concentrate fully on new and exciting experiences happening right before your eyes. No alarm clocks, no prior engagements — it\u2019s just you pushing your comfort zone beyond any pesky reminders of home.<\/p>\n 3) Solo Travel Gives You Time to Indulge<\/strong><\/p>\n At the risk of sounding all Eat, Pray Love<\/em>, one of the easiest ways to travel solo is to focus on your health and wellbeing. Booking one of the many all-inclusive meditation retreats around the globe\u00a0allows you to experience the best of both worlds: getting real with yourself while having your entire holiday (pampering, classes, accommodation) taken care of. All you have to do is show up.<\/p>\n And if you think solo spa holidays are only for the ladies, then I\u2019m sorry, but you\u2019re sorely mistaken. Today’s super-luxe, male-oriented “mancations” offer innovative dining, inspiring architecture and cutting-edge treatments for stress relief. “It has taken longer for American guys to figure out that spas are about lifestyle management and the need to slow the heck down,” says Lynne McNees, the President of the American Spa Association. “[But] the spa gives them permission to pause.”<\/p>\n 4) Solo Travel Facilitates Cultural Engagement<\/strong><\/p>\n If you want to travel like a tourist, then by all means. Form a lemming-like line outside a religious monument and start snapping away. Top Tourist tips: be as loud as you can, disrespect local customs, scoff at the food and dress entirely inappropriately.<\/p>\n But, if you want to be a true traveler, go it solo. Traveling on your lonesome creates more meaningful opportunities to immerse yourself with the foreign culture, people and activities. Plus, you\u2019re more open to saying “yes” when a local asks you to dinner if you haven\u2019t made plans with your travel buddy.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n So, basically, solo travel is pretty awesome, and 70% of people seem to think so too. They feel more energized and refreshed traveling alone than when traveling with friends, families and even partners, according to the previously mentioned study. That\u2019s a pretty big chunk of people. So if you want some social Lexapro, then spend the cash and schedule a “me-time” vacation to reinvigorate your sense of self. And that, my friends, is priceless.<\/p>\n [Girl photographing temple at dusk via Shuttershock<\/a>; Footprints on Sand via Shuttershock<\/a>; Hat On Sand via Shuttershock<\/a>]<\/p>\n By Stefanie Acworth<\/strong> \/ The secret is out about solo travel \u2013 and everybody\u2019s doing it! What was once a right of passage for single backpackers fresh out of school trying to “find themselves,” traveling solo has soared into the mainstream faster than a flight from L.A. to San Francisco. From young professionals to retirees and everyone in between, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":23095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2561,2564],"tags":[187,3184],"yoast_head":"\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.theexpeditioner.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Image-1.jpg\")
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Call her a nomad, but travel keeps Stefanie Acworth<\/a> sane. After living and working in London and New York (and everywhere in between), she still calls Australia home (or so the QANTAS commercial says). When she\u2019s not gallivanting around the globe and penning her adventures, you can find her making dreamcatchers in Byron Bay, copywriting for some top Australian brands or hosting the next pub trivia night at her local. Follow her travels on her blog, AModernWayfarer.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"