What Happens When You Travel Solo!

A lot of people say that traveling solo is the best thing but they don’t really talk about the issues that you face when you travel solo. Traveling solo is not about the money but mostly about the courage to travel alone.

There are so many things that come to your mind when you think about traveling all by yourself to a place unknown. Starting from your safety to the things you could do but shouldn’t do. Sometimes with things going around you in the world, you start to question your braver and stronger soul. I wasn’t sure if I could do it. But I did!

I went to Udupi some time back for a solo travel stint. Udupi is situated on the coastal side of Karnataka. I can’t contain myself when it comes to beaches and the sea. There is something about the waves that is blissful and inquisitive. Firstly, I booked myself a beach cottage in a place called Kundapura which was few kilometers away from Udupi. All this while I thought Kundapura was an auto distance from Udupi. I checked google maps later. The bus was the only transport option I could think of.

The bus to Udupi from Bangalore took exactly 6hours to reach. For Kundapura, I had to take a local city bus and get down at a point where the auto stand to Kundapur was. I was instructed by the resort manager about how to reach this serene place. It seemed all seemed very rigid and unclear because I had “what if” popping in my head. The city bus dropped at the exact location next to the auto stand and I took an auto to reach Coqueiros Beach Cottage. This beach cottage faced the sea. The view was captivating but the heat was killing me. Can’t complain because this was all my plan to head to coastal Karnataka in soaring 40-degree temperature. The manager was kind and helpful since I was traveling alone. Kundapura is a small village on the coastal side. You could even count the number of people living there. There is no restaurant or cafe to go to and relax. Since the resort was in the construction stage, they didn’t have a kitchen of their own and got me home cooked food.

Coming to the issues I faced as a solo traveler –

• They think you are easy – I went to the beach and found a spot to settle there with my bag full of essentials because you never know. The moment they see a single woman sitting alone, they feel we are sitting there for them to come and talk. All the creepy men around just can’t digest the fact that women are independent and love to travel. I like my solitude and I am here because I wanted to travel alone. I did notice few village boys trying to come closer which was intolerable. Since I was alone, I decided to go somewhere close to my resort instead of this calm secluded place on the beach.
• Safety – When it comes to safety, you are the one who has to take care of yourself. When you are in Rome, be a Roman. If the surroundings are sketchy, make sure you are back to your room by the time the roads are secluded. I had a sea facing view from my room so I came back soon after the sunset and relaxed by the patio. Find a local cafe that’s closer to your stay so that it’s easy to travel back to your room.
• The Stare – I decided to walk down on the road next to the beach because the weather looked better. You walk on the road like anyother person but still, the head turns for wrong reasons. Everybody around looks at you like a piece of meat even if you are covered from head to toe. Avoid appearing like a tourist!
• Always carry a good amount of cash in case of emergency. Small towns or villages rarely have digital monetary machines.
• Carry Entertainment Materials – Just because you are traveling alone – being all adventurous, doesn’t mean you can’t sit down in the room and call for room service with some series to watch or maybe a book to read. It’s all about rejuvenating!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Say yes to new adventures!

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