How to handle unwanted situations in solo travel?
Solo travel for me is not the travel which I enjoyed most but it is the kind of travel where I can push myself beyond my capability. In solo travel, your decision making power will enhance, your communication will definitely improve (for conservative people) and you can meet so many new people and make friendship with them. Achieving all these aspects are difficult when you travel with friends or family.
However some of the people are worried about the safety of themselves in the unknown territory, and avoid solo trips. I am not denying that there are not any risk involved in solo travel but like all the other risk, most of the unknown risk can be mitigated by good planning of the trip. Yet there may be some situations which cannot be predicted, so it has to be resolved by you at the same time. In this post I will share how to handle unwanted situations in your solo travel. In addition to that I and two of other solo travelers will share some of the unwanted situations we handled in our solo trips.
Read about my packing list for South east Asia or Asian destinations
Tips on how to Handle Unwanted situations in solo travel:
- As I mentioned that the situation is unplanned/unwanted, so you have be calm and try not be panicked.
- Try to find out the help available nearby. Talk to other people and discuss your problem, may be someone can help you.
- Try to balance your emotion. Generally in all those sudden situation we all become emotional and make the situation worse.
- Remember in your solo trip you are the sole decision maker, so take decision and don’t scrutinize the decision after that.
These are some tips you can remember, so that you can handle your unwanted situations and make it memorable in your life. Now we will share some of our unwanted happenings which occurred to us and we managed to save ourselves from the situations.
Read about solo travel tips from asavvytourist.
My Experience:
Unlike the other two travelers, I do not consider myself as a solo traveler but I will share two of my situations which were unplanned in my Indonesia trip. As this was my first solo trip, so there was 4-5 instances, but somehow I managed to escape from those situations. Believe me those instances made my trip more special and memorable.
Situation 1:
In Bali trip, my main objective was to do the trip as economical as possible. Here are the tips I have given on how to do a budget trip to Bali and top 5 places to see in Bali.
The day I reached Bali, I was free for the afternoon, so thought of visiting Uluwatu temple. I checked with the owner of my hostel about renting a bike. I got to know that I have to pay Rp 70K (the rate for full day) even though using it for half day. I checked in Go-Jek (It is an app based bike service provider like Uber), it shows Rp 18K. So I calculated that my two way journey will cost max Rp40K, and decided to visit the place by Go jek.
When I reached there I realized that the place is remote and there was not much option of getting other vehicle for return. I asked my bike driver to stay but he said that he can wait for 15 min max. That was not sufficient for me, so I told him to leave, but I requested him that if I don’t get any other vehicle, I will call him.
After my visit of Uluwatu temple and witnessing the mesmerizing cliff, when I returned again at the out gate, I realized that all the other people have either rented bike or car organized by travel agencies. I checked with some of them, but nobody agreed to take me, then tried to book bike in Go jek, but no bike was available.
Having no other choice, I waited for another 15-20 min and then got little panicked. I even tried reaching the earlier Go-jek driver and his phone number was unreachable. Then I checked with one blue car (taxi) which asked for Rp 400 K ($30 USD can you believe!!).
I sat there for some more time and then again tried reaching the Go-jek driver and this time thankfully I got his number. He told he was in between some drive so he will finish and then come. It was such a relieved. I waited for him for another 40-45 min and then he came. Still I am thinking if I would have not got the driver’s phone that day, it could have been a real problem!!
Situation 2:
The second situation happened the next day. I rented a bike from my hostel owner and while giving the bike, the owner warned me that the bike should not have any kind of damage as this was his new and favorite bike. Though, I confidently ensured him that I am driving for more than a decade so no need to worry but I became little cautious. I visited Tanah Lot, Nusa Dua Beach, and Kuta Beach.
While returning in the night suddenly at a signal I got confused and made a sudden brake and accident!! The people of the bike behind me got little injured and I don’t know from where the traffic police also came at the same time. In Bengali language there is a proverb, it is “Jekhane bagher bhoi sekhane sondhe hoi” (“Wherever there is a chance of appearing of tiger, you reach the place in dark”), I was feeling the same at that time.
Two of the traffic police came to the accident site, thankfully the people were not much injured so the police released them and came to me. I already heard from some of the friends that the Bali traffic police are very corrupted and they never leave such situation for getting a good money, they generally ask $100 USD. For me it was not an exception.
I was more worried about my bike. My hostel owner’s voice was still echoing in my mind. I got little scared thinking about the situation. I first checked the condition of my bike, there was a little scratch on the back. At the same time I transferred my all big currencies from Bag to the pocket of my jeans. (I got the tips from the same friend). Then I started bargaining.
One of the Police was little impressed about my being an Indian, and I realized he was probably more senior than the other. So I keep talking about India and my purpose of visiting Indonesia. I told them I have only Rp. 50K ($3 USD) and can give it, but somehow that day I was saved by my country. The police gave me a warning and leave me without any fine.
I was relieved but the damage of the bike (though small) was worrying me. I was anxious till the next morning and keep praying. Next day luckily the owner did not see the bike and gave it on rent to a different person. This is how I got saved.
Anna’s Experience:
A little bit about me:
I’m originally from Finland but I’ve been visiting Thailand for over 2 decades and I consider it my second home country. I’ve traveled in Thailand extensively and have lived in Rayong as a teacher and on Koh Phangan multiple times. My previous hate relationship with Bangkok has grown into a love affair with the city. The city has everything! My blog, Hammockstories.blog tells about my travels, pet-friendly travel (as I often go around with my dog), expat life in Thailand, yoga and wellness. If you have any Thailand-related questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Situation 3:
I’m a quite adventurous and even a bit of a daredevil when it comes to traveling. I usually travel on my own and many times go around after dark or night time. Nothing has ever happened but sometimes I’ve thought that probably shouldn’t have done that.
Anyway, the most unpleasant experience happened to me in Bangkok, perhaps some 8 years ago. I was getting a cab around 10 pm to see this guy who was my holiday romance that I had met on Koh Chang a bit earlier. I’ve taken a taxi in Bangkok by myself countless times. Never had any problems. This one and only time though the driver started asking me questions about a boyfriend and would I be interested in him or have sex with a Thai man. I didn’t say anything to him. I kept my head down and pretended to be texting the whole way through.
Thais are generally more shy and well-behaving and these kinds of suggestions are rare (unless they are completely drunk, it is more likely to happen). I’m not afraid of getting into a taxi in Thailand and I wouldn’t suggest other solo female travelers would worry about it too much either.
Nowadays Grab (similar to Uber) is very popular in Bangkok and I would suggest using it or Uber. You have the driver’s details and car’s plates when the application is on. Furthermore, you see the whole time where you are going if the GPS is on. If you don’t want to take the taxi by yourself for instance after a night out, ask a local girl if you can share a cab with her.
Taylor’s Experience:
About Me:
I describe my way of traveling as LAUGHING AROUND THE WORLD. Through the adventures [and misadventures] of traveling, I get to know the people, culture, and what makes a place unique. Spending a LONGER PERIOD OF TIME, seeking out UNIQUE AND AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES, and getting creative in SAVING MONEY. I took my first international trip at the age of 18 to Kenya and fell in love immediately; Since then, I’ve been to 14 countries and spent over 25 months traveling the world. Check my posts at www.thethingsmyeyeshaveseen.com.
My method of travel is sometimes solo-travel, other times I travel with my parents, friends, or even with my partner; I take advantage of ANY OPPORTUNITY. Most of what I learned about myself and the world; I have learned through traveling.
Situation 4:
After months of planning and excitement I finally arrived in Italy for three months of traveling solo. I arrived in Rome; a busy city full of life, passion, flavors and… bed bugs?
I had splurged on accommodation across the road from Vatican City. I intended to wake up early and visit St. Peter’s Basilica before the crowds. Immediately, I unpacked all of my belongings and went to bed.
After feeling restless, I turned on the lamp beside me. There was a small bug on the pillow next to my head, I quickly brushed it away. Only then did I notice 10 more bugs scrambling across my pillow.
I am not a fan of bugs; in fact I am probably more petrified than a normal person should be. When I jumped out of bed and lifted the blanket: there were over 50 bugs running from the light.
After I recovered from the initial shock, I did some research. I concluded that due to the time of night, I had no other place to go. Bed bugs don’t like light so I moved a chair to the middle of the room, turned on all of the lights, curled my entire body onto it and unsuccessfully tried to sleep.
As soon as the sun started to rise I left for ‘un café doppio’ [a double shot of espresso] and walked to the Vatican.
I was the ONLY person in the entire square. This was indescribably magical.
In the end I had to buy a new suitcase, find a new place to stay, and get rid of some of my clothing. Alas, the copious amounts of gelato helped soothe the stress and embrace ‘Quando sei a Roma’ (when in Rome).
This was all. How did you find these situations? have you ever been such unexpected situations in your solo trip? Please share with us by commenting below. Thank you for reading the post.
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