Solo travelers are a 3 million to 8 million strong community, depending on who you ask. We are a pretty cool and adventurous bunch. But that does not mean we are perfect. Here are the 8 things we normally do that others find super weird. #solotravel 1 - We spend an insane amount of time searching for flights. For an easy going community, we are very thorough about finding the best flights. The less explored a destination, the longer is our research. It could take weeks if not months! Looking for the best flights? You can count on your friend who solo travels because we know twice as many hacks as your local travel agency. 2 - On Day 2 we start looking for company. Go ahead, poke fun at us for being too adventurous about traveling "solo". We enjoy the uncertainty and flexibility of traveling solo, but we, like you regular humans, do long for human interaction too. Like having someone to chat with over breakfast maybe. At SOLOPACKER we're creating a trusted and convenient platform for travelers to connect when they feel the need to do so.
3 - We aimlessly walk around. Sometimes we just want to be pure bipedal observation towers without a destination or objective. Why you ask? 'Why not!' we answer. It's a privilege and freedom only solo travelers have.
4 - We are as moody as cats. Just because we have planned to go for a hike tomorrow does not mean we HAVE to follow that plan. Things change. Moods change. Circumstances change. Solo travel is about the here and now, so don't expect us to book a tour more than 3 days in advance.
5 - We judge (just a little teeny tiny bit!) people who are sacred of places we've been to. Now safety comes first no matter where you go, and every solo traveler worth their salt will tell you to take all precautions necessary to stay safe. That said, if your only source of information about other countries is TV news, you may want to come talk to us about that country before judging it (for which we may judge you a bit too).
6 - We think eating whenever you want is the ultimate form of freedom. Fried local food for breakfast. Cake before lunch. Cocktail with brunch. Anything goes. For us, food is either an experience-not-to-be-missed-in-that-very-moment or a means to get on with our day. Don't expect us to make a travel plan guided by "proper meal times". 7 - Our first agenda every day is to charge our phone. We need first few moments before starting our day to power up our phones or at least our power bank. Believe it or not, us freedom-loving and screen-time-avoiding solo travelers are more at peace with a mobile device to keep our loved ones posted back home, to find information in real time about where we are, or to connect with other travelers (using services like SOLOPACKER).
8 - We will exchange personal life stories before exchanging numbers. It's obvious that solo travelers have a strong common interest - TRAVEL - no matter who we are or where we come from. But what is not as obvious is how we open up with fellow travelers about our life experiences and personal beliefs - all in a matter of hours. You'll be surprised by how often that happens even though we don't necessarily click with everyone. If you're looking for ways other than pure serendipity to find a trusted travel buddy, SOLOPACKER is one way for you to connect with someone with travel preferences like yours.