Sole Women Travellers : Things you need to know : A lot of people ask me how I decide to get up and tour the world by myself. Some people think that there must be people waiting for me where I’m going. Some people think I’m running away from something. There are times when things aren’t so good, though. Sometimes if you are a woman who isn’t sure if you want to travel by yourself, here are some pros and cons to help you decide.
Freedom.
The freedom that comes with travelling by yourself as a woman is what the best is. Now that you’re in charge, it’s up to you to take over the world. Of course, there are things that matter, like how much cash is available and how much time there is. You can go anywhere you want, though, once you have everything in order. Like a bird. Something that doesn’t happen very often when people travel together and have to agree on something after talking about it.
Flexibility.
When women travel alone, they have a lot of freedom. Instead of travelling with a group, you can make choices while you’re on the go. You could, for instance, decide the morning of your trip to go to Kisumu instead of Mombasa without bothering anyone. You can also choose to go on a Kenya tour for two weeks instead of just one weekend. You can do more things because of the freedom.
Budget-friendly.
It’s usually more expensive to travel with a group than to travel alone. You can easily save money when you travel by yourself as a woman. Like, you could decide to skip lunch and eat dinner at a nearby restaurant. You might decide to couch surf instead of staying in a hostel or hotel room. To get around, you can take the bus or walk. These don’t make sense for group trips.
Being Independent.
Whether you know it or not, travelling alone as a woman teaches you how to be independent. You have no choice. Because you are the only thing you have while travelling, you learn how to get things done, plan ahead, and be by yourself. When you travel by yourself, you can see how much you can do as a person.
Better Networking.
The interesting thing is that you make a lot more friends when you travel alone than when you go with a group. When you already have trip companions, you don’t feel the need to hang out with other people as much. But as a woman travelling alone, you know how important it is to make friends while you’re away. When you travel by yourself for a while, you’ll find at least one person in each area that you can always meet up with or ask for help. And you meet a lot of people who share your interests. But not everyone likes how quiet it is. If you’re not used to being alone, travelling by yourself can get pretty lonely. Feeling alone while travelling can even make you not enjoy it.
Security Concerns.
Kenya is not a safari destination to travel alone. But there are times when your safety is at risk if you are a woman travelling alone. You might get into trouble if you walk alone at night in places like Eldoret, Kitale, Nakuru, and even Nairobi. You might have to stick to a certain bedtime and take taxis instead of matatus. In some places, even during the day, your safety is at risk. Especially in the northern part of the country, where fights between clans are still common and sexism is still alive and well.
Limited Resources.
The best thing about travelling with a group is that you can use a lot of different tools. I mean things like money, knowledge, and even people. When you travel by yourself as a woman, you have to be creative with what you have. You get stuck when you run out of food or get lost. A group trip means that help is always close by, no matter how big your problem is. As a solo traveler, your best bet is to depend on the kindness of people, but this doesn’t always work out.
