What Makes A Good Solo Travel Destination?

Solo travel presents an exciting and thrilling opportunity to reconnect with self, to meet new friends, and to get away from everything. However, it also comes with a sense of extreme unfamiliarity, of self-doubts, and of perceived loneliness. It eliminates the restriction of considering other people's preferences but also the comfort of having someone else to rely on.

For me, solo travel always, ALWAYS, brings a confusing mix of fear and adventure -- one that I'll never get over. But with a little help, I somehow manage to get over my anxieties and get myself on that plane. So this time, drawing from my experience, I want to be that help to someone.

This guide is an attempt to provide guidance to those interested in pursuing their first solo travel. It is my hope to encourage individuals, Filipinos especially, to travel more and to focus on discoveries rather than checklists.

So, what makes a good solo travel destination?

1. Somewhere you can socialize and make new friends

Although you will be travelling alone and are preparing to enjoy the company of one, you don't actually have to be alone the entire trip. It would be a good idea to have access to people when you decide that you want company.

Consider the following:

• More people travel on weekends than on weekdays.
• Accessible destinations get more visitors than isolated ones.
• Hostels and dormitories are more conducive to meeting fellow guests than hotels.

2. Somewhere you can interact with locals

"When you travel with company, you tend to build a connection with those people. But when you travel alone, you are given an opportunity to build a connection with the place."

- A friend told me once 'cause I kept leaving him.

Aside from walking around and seeing the place, a good way to go about this is by talking to the locals and getting to know them. Ask them where they're originally from, how they came about settling down in that place, and what they think of the tourists that come and go. It'll be surprising and amusing.

3. Somewhere you can choose solitude

Along with enabling yourself to be in the company of fellow travellers and local residents, it would also be a good idea to be able to be alone when you want to -- it is, after all, a solo travel. This will allow you to contemplate on what you've seen and experienced so far and to decide whether you like it or not.

Tip:

• For hostels and dormitories, the bed area is normally considered a private space akin to private rooms in hotels
• On most occasions, sitting silently alone while staring out into the distance signals people to keep away
• Long transits, like in a bus or a boat, always presents an opportunity to be alone with your thoughts while being surrounded with people

4. Somewhere you can access your personal comforts

If being alone away from your friends and your room isn't uncomfortable enough, then being alone with no access to wifi, electricity, or lighting would definitely be. To balance this, it helps to have something to do that you like in case you end up somewhere with no one to talk to and with nothing interesting to do.

Consider the following:

• Some destinations will not have good cellphone reception. Check with your hotel/hostel beforehand.
• Some transits may take longer than expected and electricity outlets will not always be available. A power bank will keep your batteries charged longer.
• Some places will turn out to be less than expected and not interesting at all. A quick internet search can help you move to another place or find something to do.

5. Somewhere you can do both solo and group activities

Since travelling solo can be more expensive than travelling with a group, being able to choose between activities that cater specifically to a single person or to a group would help control your budget.

Tip:

• Activities like surfing, diving, and biking are charged per person and can be done on your own.
• Activities like hiking, canyoneering, and island-hopping are charged per group and is ideally done with a group.

Wherever you decide to go on your own, try to open yourself up to new experiences, new ideas, and new people. More than anything, solo travel made me see that there is so much more kindness in the world than otherwise. Ingat.

Tablas Island, Romblon

7-10 March 2017

Tablas Island is the largest among the islands in the province of Romblon that is little-known as a tourist destination but is starting to see accidental and adventurous visitors. It is divided into several municipalities namely, Alcantara, Calatrava, Ferrol, Looc, Odiongan, San Agustin, San Andres, Santa Fe, and Santa Maria, all of which offer their own natural attractions, varying from isolated beaches, to hidden waterfalls, and to hiking trails. The island hosts the airport for the province of Romblon and is accessible via different carriers by air and by sea.


Leaving from Batangas port aboard Montenegro Shipping Lines at 5pm (Php762 for economy, Php991 for air-con, leaves everyday at 5pm), passengers are automatically rewarded with a sun setting behind Tingloy Island while being pursued by the ship. Side by side bunk beds offer a comfortable enough rest for those who don't mind while instant noodles and chips are available for those who rather munch the 10-hr trip away.


Binucot Bay (which means "hidden bay") in the municipality of Ferrol features several coves with isolated and long stretches of white sand beach. The area is good for snorkeling, diving, sunset watching, or just having a beer. It also hosts a pawikan (sea turtle) hatchery that both protects from poachers and educates visitors. Binucot Bay is accessible from Looc (20min, Php150) and Odiongan (30min, Php200) via a motorcycle ride (locally called habal-habal).


A few minute's walk from the resorts in Binucot Bay, past a tiny area of mangroves, is a small cove that hides between forested hills and hosts its own beach. The hidden cove offers private views of the sunset and a short hiking trail around the hillside. A couple of fishing boats use its shore as a jump-off point while a lone white house [not seen in picture] takes advantage of its seclusion to create a relaxing home.

At one end of Looc town is Looc port which connects the province to Boracay.

How do you travel?

People travel for different reasons. Some travel for leisure, some for business, some for self-discovery, and some for companionship. Whatever the purpose is, I think there's a certain and appropriate way of doing it -- as with all things life -- that would not only help achieve the goal but also transform the experience.

Unfortunately, not many people know that there are options outside of booking tours and hiring travel agents. Because of this, they may not be able to achieve their travel goals and fail to see travelling as a significant learning experience.

I officially started travelling full-time in 2014 and for a long time, I have always felt something missing and unfulfilled in my trips. Eventually, I realized that my travel style may not be a match with my travel goals. So I questioned my preferences until I found more meaning and pleasure in my trips.

Below are some questions that you can also ask yourself to check whether you are getting what you want from your travels:

1. Travel planning

How do you plan for your travels and choose your destinations? Do you prefer doing your own research or taking suggestions from other people? Or do you skip planning at all and just figure it all out along the way?

What's in my travel kit: plane tickets, DIY itinerary, Lonely Planet guide book, and Google Maps

How some people do it: Travel agents

For people who don't have the time and energy to figure the place out, they employ travel agents. These travel agents would already have an extensive list of destinations and activities for the traveller. Some would be bundled up in packages as day-to-day itineraries and include everything from food to transportation to refreshments. This is the most convenient and safest way to go as everything is already pre-arranged and the visiting foreigner need only to show up at the chosen time and date. However, it is also the most expensive as it utilizes a business service.

For people who are more comfortable with spontaneity and adventure, they figure it out when they get to their destination. There will likely be more than enough tourist assistants to suggest activities and places and if not, there will always be Google.

How I do it: Do-It-Yourself

As someone with more time and energy than money, I do my own planning and itineraries. I usually scour the internet for interesting out-of-the way destinations and alternative cheap activities, putting in considerable hours and thinking to it. In this way, I have total control as to where I want to go, what I want to see, what I want to do, and when I want to move. And because of this, I end up at destinations only locals know of and with activities travel agencies won't suggest.

2. Getting there

How do you intend to go around your destination? Are you comfortable taking public transportation or do you prefer having a private car at your whim?

Un-air-conditioned van service from Laoag to Claveria

How most people do it: Hired transport
New places are difficult to navigate. And not everyone have a strong sense of direction or is willing to get lost. To avoid wasting time on going around in circles, most people prefer hiring their own transport. These could vary from tourist vans/buses, taxis to hired tricycles. The driver usually doubles as the tour guide so the foreigner gets to all the popular spots at the fastest and most convenient way possible.

How I do it: Public transportation, the cheapest way possible
I have a good enough sense of direction and I don't mind getting lost* so I can craft my way around towns and destinations. I get really creative as I want to spend as little as possible but at the same time soak in as much of the place as I can. Modes of transportation that I've taken so far include biking around an island, hitchhiking on a garbage truck, toploading on a bus, and dangling from a jeep. I take normal modes too though, if necessary.

*I love wandering aimlessly. I don't think I get lost because I don't have a destination in the first place. When I get uncomfortable as to where I am heading, I seek legit directions.

3. Accommodation

How much sleeping comfort are you willing to give up? Or how much of your travel budget are you willing to allocate to lodging? Do you feel that you really need your own room or are you comfortable sharing with strangers?

Slept in an old hole-y tent at Kalanggaman Island

How most people do it: Hotels
People hold on to their comfort zones as much as they can. And while travelling, this translates to a private air-conditioned hotel room furnished with white linen and a dresser.

How I do it: Dorm rooms (where available) and fan rooms
Accommodations, unless with a friend, is expensive. I allocate at the most 50% of my daily budget for a soft bed and secure locker. Hotels are definitely out of my radar as I don't believe on spending for something I'll only be using for a few hours each night.

4. Travel Goals

What do you want to achieve from the trip? Are you looking for something? Or do you just want to cross the destination out from your list?

Catching waves while watching sunsets in Liwliwa

How most people see it: To see all the spots in travel brochures
Due to unfamiliarity to a new destination, most people use travel brochures and "must-see's" as their only reference. Although this definitely hits all the noteworthy spots, it misses spots where locals go to, and may even feel manufactured.

How I see it: To see the place as locals see it
I personally hate places that are too commercialized or touristy because it doesn't feel natural. It feels like it has been modified to reflect what visitors prefer instead of what the place really offers. Because I have so much time on my hands, I do intense research -- going beyond lists, scouring Google Maps, finding the most off-the-beaten-path destination. Although I tend to miss the usual tourist destinations, I see something else and often with no other tourists around.

Disclaimer: The above analyses are based mostly on my travels in the Philippines. Popular travelling styles may differ in other countries and I acknowledge that I don't have a strong view on this.