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An increasing number of youngsters and travel buffs are opting to travel solo and explore new places independently Along with backpacking trips, girlfriend getaways and short breaks, another
travel trend catching up with people of late is solo trips. Initially people weren’t adventurous enough to take solo trips but slowly and steadily that facet of Indian travelers is
undergoing a complete transformation. Ten years ago dedicated singles holidays were taken mainly by women with not too many choices in terms of places, activities and sight seeing but now it
is all about adrenaline pumping water sports, coupled with a lot of other things. Heena Munshaw of Beacon Holidays definitely agrees that there has been an increase in the number of solo
travelers, particularly women. “I do come across a lot of people who travel alone out of choice. One of the main reasons is that you get to decide what you want to do. You can have a
flexible schedule; don’t have to wait for your friend to wake up and so on. Mostly people take short eight to 10 day trips and come back, wanting to go back again.” Travelling on your own
lets you have that much needed ‘me’ time which is practically impossible with the fast paced lives that we lead. While the thought of leaving behind your friends, family and comfort zone is
a little intimidating, it is immensely cathartic as well. While having a friend accompanying you is a good thing, it will be an entirely different experience to be self-sufficient and have
absolute freedom as to what you want to do. After having decided to travel alone, you have to be sure of what you want to do while there. Be thoroughly prepared as to what your agenda would
be, at least for the first few days. Read up and research about the place. Simone Fernandes decided to go on a solo trip to Amsterdam, two months before her marriage. Travelling has always
been something that she enjoyed doing but this one trip holds special memories for her. “I went to Amsterdam for a fortnight and I had an absolute blast there. I stayed at these lovely
hostels where I made a lot of friends, some of whom I am still in touch with. I partied with the craziest people, got drunk, explored places on my own. I came back a different person. I
would suggest every girl takes a solo trip, at least once. While this may sound like the best thing to do, you got to keep a few things in mind while travelling alone,” she says. Plan in
advance and even if you don’t have any agenda in place, book yourself into a hotel for at least the first night. You don’t want to spend the night on the station with your luggage. While
travelling alone, the last thing you want to see is two people canoodling, so ask yourself if a destination is perfect for honeymooners. If it is, then avoid the location. Dress
appropriately so as not to draw attention, don’t carry too much cash or jewellery on you. Lastly trust your instincts, they are hardly ever wrong!