SEC-S16W2 | Solo vs Group in Travel

You're right, everybody has his opinion about travel and trips. I decide as per the occasion but my first choice is going alone. It doesn't mean I am a loner but I prefer to see the places with my own pace and my own perceptive.

I believe in:

“I am seated here alone, a thousand miles away, from everybody, but if I have myself and my sanity, I’ve got nothing else to lose”

Your choice for traveling alone or in a group: state your reasons by listing advantages and disadvantages.

  
Many people enjoy traveling solo. Such people do not like to go out with friends and family. They travel alone to new places and enjoy those destinations to the fullest. I am one of those who is fond of traveling alone, although I have also traveled a lot with friends and family. To be honest, I enjoy traveling alone more.

However, solo travel is not as easy as it sounds. Traveling alone has its challenges, and sometimes negative thoughts also come to mind. In such a situation, one has to muster the courage to travel alone by removing the fear from within and having confidence in oneself. So if someone is going to travel alone, then, first of all, face your fear yourself.

Solo travel is becoming quite popular these days. There are many reasons for this. Many times, due to the busy schedule of friends and family, a person goes out alone. But not everyone likes to go on a group trip because they feel that their own free will is lost in this and they have to follow the rules of the group. This is the reason why the trend of solo travel has increased, and people are traveling alone by becoming free, independent, and masters of their own will.

Often, people feel that solo travel is not safe, but it is just a fear of the mind. Solo travel is safe; you just have to take some precautions and overcome the negative thoughts that come to your mind. The first thought that comes to mind when traveling solo is to be safe. You remain completely safe while traveling solo; you just have to keep the necessary things with you and also have courage.

Often, people see someone traveling solo and ask whether solo travel is safe. In such a situation, I suggest that solo travel is completely safe for everyone; just do research beforehand about the place where you are going. Make up your mind in advance about where to stay at that place, where to visit, and how to go. If you do this, then you will face no trouble while traveling alone.

The biggest fear of solo travel is being alone. In such a situation, remove this fear from within yourself and bring this thought into your mind that, where you are going to visit, all the people are with you. Don't be shy while traveling solo, but if you feel the need for people's help, then tell people about it immediately.

Often, while going out alone, people wonder if I am shy, so how will I tackle other people? But in solo travel, remove all such fears from within yourself. You should choose a place to visit with full preparation. Go solo, stay away from all negative thoughts, and enjoy the place where you are traveling.

The difference you experience in general costs by traveling in these modalities.

  
Traveling alone costs more than traveling in a group. Traveling with a group reduces the expense because sharing of various items increases the expense of collaboration, but this difference is minor, and to be honest, I do not feel much difference.

After all, the travel expenses are equal, the food expenses of all the people are also equal, and if anything is left, it is in the lodging charges, but the fun of living alone is not found in the squabbles of the group.

In the case of going in a group, which people would you like to take with you on the trip? Alone: Which activities will you do?

  
I don't mind going in groups if the demand of the occasion is such but I love traveling alone because my activities while traveling are different from what most people do while on a trip. For example, I mix up with locals and enjoy their lifestyle. I even go sightseeing in regional areas. Most of all, I enjoy walking, so I go to places where not many would go if in a group. I go hang out in a coffee shop, talk to people, and gain new experiences.

Most of all, I enjoy adventure activities like hiking, skydiving, and bungee jumping. I have stopped some of these activities now due to my increasing age, but these were my favorites until a few years ago.

You know I have spent time at spas and massage centers, which was not possible in a group. I have attended clubs during the evenings on various trips and enjoyed listening to live music and dancing, which would never be possible in a group with people of different ages. I loved talking to strangers with similar interests.

You would find it strange, but I have spent a lot of time in museums, which most people do not like to go to because they feel it is a waste of time.

As recommendations: What are the best spots for you to travel in a group or alone?

  
As I said, I love traveling alone, so I would love to go somewhere where I can have as much adventure as possible. I have done a lot of walking in my life, and when I say walking, I mean long-distance walking. I have even paid for walking, which means I paid for a cause and walked long distances.

I have walked in groups, but there was no one I knew personally in that group, and no one was staying together. For instance, I took a trip to the Himalayan states of Leh and Ladakh in India, which lasted 7 days. The place is situated at 12000 feet above sea level, where taking each step is an experience and a struggle in itself due to the cold and lack of oxygen.

I still remember walking more than 45 kilometers that night from Joshimath to Gopeshwar via Chamoli, as I had missed my last bus and had no option but to walk.

Incidentally, it is a single motor route with no street light and at an altitude of 10,000 feet with no fencing on the road. That was the time when no motor traffic was allowed after 5.30 p.m. On my way to Gopeshwar, I walked past one or the other villages every 6-7 kilometers, but that was of no help to me as the villages I saw were either two kilometers up the hill or three kilometers down the valley.

The only consolation for me was that almost 30 kilometers of this distance I had to walk were down the hill, barring a few stretches of upward walking. However, the last stretch of 7-8 km from Chamoli to Gopeshwar was a tiring and steep-rising distance that I covered in almost 3 hours. Imagine a rise of 2000 meters within a walk of just 7-8 km!!!

I only had my backpack on my shoulders and a thin stick in my right hand to combat in case a leopard or wolf found me that night. Thankfully, that was a full moon night, so I could see everything from a distance. But that moonlight was scary too, in a way, as those wolves, foxes, and leopards could see me from a distance. Even a tiger was possible, as that area is full of them. Thankfully, I found none, and the cats did not find me either, so I am still kicking and enjoying myself. Gosh, that walk was something I would never forget in my life.

I have walked for different reasons, and one of them was charity. Some of you probably know how I tried and achieved being a traveler, and when I arrived at my present location in 2011, new avenues of walking opportunities opened for me.

Australia is the ultimate paradise for a walker. People here do not walk only to stay fit but to walk for different missions. I soon joined several missions to walk myself. As we know, walking is not all about adventures, but a walker believes in challenges that come his way or allows him to learn and grow in stature with every walk and lead a life full of inspiration.

You know, I walked for fun, but my walks were a lifeline for some. The walks I did for fun, or what you would think of as a one-off venture, but I did them to make changes, to embrace something for down-and-out people, the homeless, people suffering from various diseases, the boat enterers—yes, they came illegally, but they needed help. I walked for adventures, but that was for the sake of charity. I was challenging my ability, but that had a special reason. I have had opportunities to trek, cycle, and run for an important cause I cared about, and I was not alone, even among a group of strangers.

I am sure I have mentioned such walks before, but let me repeat that some of the walks I have taken for the sake of humanity in the past years include a walk that was without a phone. Yes, that was the condition of that 45-minute’ walk: no phone, no talking to anyone in the group, uphill, flat, and downhill. That was not possible in a family group because not everyone likes doing that.

I have walked for disability support, cancer, breast cancer, elderly care, and even to accommodate lost youngsters. The famous walk under “Put your foot down” brings millions of dollars every year to people suffering from cancer. People pay happily and take these walks as an occasion worth celebrating with generous donations aside from fixed entry fees.

I took part in a walk in the year 2020 in my city under "Mito-Walk," which is a 35-kilometer walk to help people suffering from Mitochondria under the mission Australia, supported by thousands of volunteers ready to help from all parts of Australia, and had it not been for COVID-19, people would come from various other countries as well. People are kind with their generous donations, energy, and, of course, their time.

I will not disclose the amount, as that will kill the joy of helping, but the joy of walking is as good as helping people in need. So my walks go together for the sake of suffering humanity, and my humble support in the form of my walks is what I offer to them, and I get blessings from the suffering people in return for my efforts.

I was not in Australia for over two years, but while in India, I walked in the Himalayas, especially in Haridwar, and Rishikesh along the River Ganges with my wife, but mostly alone. So that's what I do when out for travel in most cases, but that doesn't mean I do not visit the famous travel destinations with my loved ones.

I Invite @patjewell @ridwant @kikenexum ripon0630 and nahela

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