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Where are you going?
Then again, the journey is the destination, so
does it really matter where you’re going?
OF COURSE.
Some places are definitely better for
solo travellers than others—especially if this is your first real experience on
the road. Where you decide to go is ultimately up to you, and while I’ll be
going over a few itineraries throughout the book, this chapter will give you a
few things to consider before making your choice—as well as a little prep you
should do before leaving on that jet plane.
The first thing you should ask yourself before
choosing a destination is…where have you already been? For instance, Europe is
a popular choice for many first timers—but if you’re European, chances are
you’ve already seen many of the highlights! Equally, if you grew up taking
vacations in Cancun or the Caribbean, you might want to set your sights further
afield.
That’s not to say backpacking these
destinations wouldn’t be a completely different experience compared to a
vacation, but it’s more exciting if your first trip offers an entirely new
experience. Plus, if you’ve already done a bit of travel you might be able to
start higher up the “difficulty rating” of destinations (more on that
shortly!).
Another thing to consider when choosing your
destination is, somewhat strangely, your age. While I’m the first to say solo
travel is for all ages, it’s also easy to see that the age range of travellers
varies wildly depending on where you go—especially when it comes to hostels.
The Eastern European backpacker trail, for instance, (Berlin, Prague,
Bratislava, Budapest, Belgrade) definitely play to the younger crowd, and more
specifically the party scene. So if you’re looking to let loose, this might be
your crowd. If not, you might want to set your sights further afield!
Similar things can be said for backpackers in
Southeast Asia, although depending on where you find yourself, the crowd may
have a few more years under their belt. Compare this with South America, where
language barriers and higher prices tend to require a more mature type of
backpacker.
Depending on your personality and general sense of adventure, you might also want to consider how far off the beaten track you want to go. While it’s always fun exploring new places—especially ones yet to be discovered by hordes of tourists—moving too far off the established routes can also be lonely. For instance, one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever visited was Turkey. Travelling along the southern coast, seeing the ruins of Troy, visiting the Gallipoli peninsula (a very historically significant place for Kiwis), all of it was spectacular.
But it was also a bit quiet. There were very
few hostels (something I’ll be talking about in the next section), and even
fewer travellers who spoke English. So wonderful as it was, after three weeks I
was ready to take the ferry into Greece and make some new friends!
Other things you might want to consider when
selecting a destination are your budget, time, and the types of activities you
enjoy. South America tends to require more time and a bigger budget (although
by no means does it need to break the bank) compared to a place like Southeast
Asia where you can live like a king for a few bucks (might be a slight
exaggeration). Language can also be an issue—you wouldn’t believe the fright I
got when I first showed up in Mexico City and realised almost no one spoke English!
After my experiences all over the world, I’ve
actually now created a fun ranking system of the different regions. It is, of
course, just a rough guide, and can still change drastically where you go in
each country/region. But the ranking will at least give you some idea of the various
difficulty of travelling in a few parts of the world, based on my own personal
experiences. Level 1 = easiest, level 5 = hardest.
Level 1 (Europe, UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia): If you’re reading this, you speak English, so you won’t face a big
language barrier in these places. They also generally have easily accessible
public transport and a low level of crime. Plenty of hostels and other solo
travellers to meet along the way.
Transport in SE Asia tends to be less comfortable than
Europe.
Level
3 (Mexico, South and Central America, Nepal): Language
in these countries presents more of a problem. For instance, taxi drivers will
now tell you the price in the local language. Transport options vary
significantly (from comfortable and safe in Peru/Argentina, to hot and
time-consuming in Central America). Safety definitely becomes a greater issue.
I have personally never had any issues, but here you will meet fellow
travellers who have been robbed/mugged/worse. With a greater degree of care it
is still perfectly safe to travel here, though. This of course excludes
countries that are currently experiencing political unrest or economic crashes
such as Venezuela.
Level
4 (India): Overwhelming, although this does vary significantly
depending on where you are. Rajasthan is far more pleasant than Varanasi, while
the south is more relaxed than the north. However, in general, India can be an
overwhelming experience for a solo travellers. It has everything from air
pollution, the noise of a thousand horns, absolute chaos in the streets,
delicious food (poisoning), terrible (and good) intercity buses and trains, and
more. Many, many people love their experience in India, but I would highly
recommend bringing a buddy for this adventure. At the very least, you can share
the stress of this strange and amazing country.
India is chaos personified. To reduce the stress of
exploring this fascinating country, I recommend bringing a friend for this one.
Level
5 (Parts of Africa and the Middle East?): You’re
waaaaay off the tourist track. Unexplored territory. I dunno man, I barely
survived India! If you’re travelling solo in a level 5, I’m impressed 😉
Well, that’s my ranking system anyway.
For my money, I would recommend Southeast Asia
for most first-time solo travellers. It has the best combination of cheap
prices, amazing experiences, and difficulties that’ll test your will to
continue. It’s far enough outside our western world that you’re guaranteed to
have an adventure, while still retaining enough infrastructure and a level of
safety that means it’s difficult to find yourself too far out of your depth.
There’s also a very lively backpacker scene, so you’re unlikely to find
yourself alone unless you go looking for it.
The best part about SE Asia is you’ll always find other backpackers wanting to make friends!
I’m also quite taken with the backpacker routes
through Mexico and Central America—but fresh-faced new travellers may find they
struggle a bit with the language barriers. And as it mentions in the charts, a
slightly higher degree of caution is needed with your belongings and personal
safety.
And finally, if all this has made you a bit
nervous, don’t be ashamed to start off with some kind of backpacker tour! As I
mentioned earlier in this book, that’s how I first hit the road. My first four
weeks in Thailand with Xtreme Gap were actually amazing. I saw many places I
doubt I would have visited without them. And the experience gave me the
confidence to strike out on my own afterwards.
Just be sure it’s a true backpacker tour with
people your age—the last thing you want is to end up on yet another vacation
with your parents!
Author Bio – Aaron Hodges was born in 1989 in the small town of
Whakatane, New Zealand. He studied for five years at the University of
Auckland, completing a Bachelors of Science in Biology and Geography, and a
Masters of Environmental Engineering. After working as an environmental
consultant for two years, he grew tired of office work and decided to quit his
job in 2014 and see the world. One year later, he published his first novel -
Stormwielder - while in Guatemala. Since then, he has honed his skills while
travelling through parts of SE Asia, India, North and South America, Turkey and
Europe, and now has over a dozen works to his name. Today, his adventures
continue...
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