Solo, single, alone, stag, unaccompanied, companionless: When it comes to travel, these terms may cause many to have second thoughts about going on vacation without someone by their side. But breaking free from these societal chains and taking the plunge to face the world “mano y mano” is no better realization of the phrase “carpe diem.”

Waiting for the perfect travel buddy can mean many missed opportunities and precious moments wasted. With countless exhilarating adventures just a couple of mouse clicks away, zealous travelers should not let an opportunity to venture off into the unknown pass them by out of fear or shame.

Traveling companionless can offer a number of benefits that can even lead one to prefer to explore the far reaches of the globe unaccompanied. It can be seen as the ultimate opportunity for self-indulgence and satisfaction as the day’s itinerary is in your complete control.

“There are so many benefits to traveling solo. You get to fully immerse yourself in the culture and people tend to look kindly upon you when you’re alone rather than in a group,” said Amy Gray, a travel writer who has contributed her travel tips to Lonely Planet Guidebooks, in an email interview with The Korea Herald. “I always prefer to go alone, despite others being willing to tag along.”

As an advocate of traveling solo, Gray has ventured all across Europe, Japan and most of Southeast Asia on her own over the past decade.

“There have been great times when I’ve shared meals with another traveler, or had wonderful conversations or experiences that I would not have had were I traveling with someone else,” she explained. “It’s not as if traveling by yourself means you don’t get to meet people.”

Despite going on trips alone, Gray has experienced numerous occasions where she has been able to meet new people and form lifelong friendships. As the intimidation factor of traveling in a pack is lowered, Gray claims that walking around foreign streets alone opens more social doors because “people think that you’re not approachable when you’re in a group.”

“Plus, I’m fairly set in my ways when it comes to traveling ― there are things that I love to do that others don’t,” she said. “I’m happy walking around, getting lost and seeing silly things with no concern for proper sightseeing and sometimes even spending an entire day doing nothing. That’s a style of travel not for everyone, so by traveling alone, I’m sparing friends (from) that discomfort or potential argument.” 

Perhaps the biggest stumbling block to traveling alone is the issue of safety, especially for women. Han Hye-jin, who has traveled alone to a number of countries including Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Cambodia and Singapore, has had her share of unforgettable moments while traveling abroad. Although there are experiences she wishes she never had, she has not let them dampen her love for travel.

“Traveling alone is a kind of adventure for me,” said Han. “Of course sometimes I can encounter difficulty and dangerous situations, more than when I’m traveling together with other people. But when I overcome certain situations, I feel like ‘Yeah! I did make it! I can survive anywhere, I can do anything!’”

“However, one of the negative aspects I would have to say is becoming victim of a crime,” she added.

On her first trip alone as a sophomore in college, the eager traveler decided to embark on a European adventure. At the airport on her way to France from Spain, she realized that she had been pickpocketed and that her passport had been stolen. Han was left standing in the airport in tears when she was unable to board her flight.

As she stood in the middle of the airport trying to cope with the sudden reality, a Japanese couple who had overheard her predicament offered her a helping hand.

“This couple came up to me and said if I didn’t have a place to stay for the night, then I could come with them to the hostel where they were staying,” said Han.

“The two even brought me to the hostel’s kitchen and cooked me some Japanese ramen and gave me a beer as they shared some of their many travel experiences, including losing luggage and being picketpocketed themselves. It was just completely unexpected, to be in an unfamiliar place and have these complete strangers treat me with such kindness. I was very touched.”

This generosity made her realize that despite being robbed and left unable to board her flight, she was still left with an incredible story and life-long, priceless memory.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)