Didn't
someone say that "Travelling isn’t a leisure activity anymore. In 2019, it
is a competitive sport."? Well, I recently decided to enter myself
into the "Solo Travel" category of this sport. The destination chosen
was Pondicherry, because it is considered to be one of the safer places in
India for female solo traveller. Trip details aside, I thought of jotting down
the pros and cons of this genre. So, here is my two cents worth, based on the
experience.
Downsides:
No
pictures of you!
I suck at
taking selfies, and the trip was planned in such a hurry, that I couldn't
source a selfie-stick. Still, I tried taking a selfie, and quickly realised
that my dad, the quintessential retired uncle, takes them better. And I wasn't
keen on asking anyone to take one, because, socially awkward.
No
single bed hotels these days
Attribute
it to my last minute bookings, or the changed culture, but there were barely
any decent hotels/guesthouses with a single-bed room. And, since there is no
Zostel in Pondy, I ended up in a double-bed room.
Increased
overall cost
The above
point boils down to one person paying up the amount for a room for two people.
There are no halfsies, be it you accommodation, rented vehicle or food.
You
gotta finish your food on your own
There is no
other way of saying it. What's more, you don't have the luxury of trying
multiple dishes at a time. Unless, of course, you have a great metabolism and a
huge appetite.
Thou
be the driver, thou be the navigator
In a place
like Pondy, where even the road names are written only in Tamil, you ought to
rely on Maps. The only way to do that while driving a two-wheeler is to put in
your earphones, turn on the directions, and pray to the heavens above that
Google tells you which turn to take. Which it often does not, and you have to
stop, take out your phone and see where to go.
Parents
are worried sick
Probably
the case with girls only, but if the parents are not able to reach you for five
times in a row, they would be looping in the Police any moment.
Upsides:
Flexible
itineraries
Feel like
sleeping in till late, and giving the sightseeing of the day a miss? You can.
Feel like sitting down at one of the spots and just take it all in? You
can.
Freedom
to explore
Because you
are on your own, you decide which places you want to see. There is no need to
skip any of the points of interest just because your travel buddies didn't
agree to it.
People watching
Well, this
is a subjective pastime, and I for one, love doing it. If you aren't as
introverted as me, you could maybe take this opportunity to strike up
conversations and meet people with varied backgrounds.
Unlimited
pictures
Yes, you
may not be able to take that many portraits of yourself, but there is no one to
tell you "how many more pictures are you going to click of the same spot?"
Confidence
This is my
main take away from the entire experience. No list of cons can hold forte
against the boost of confidence that you get from travelling solo. For someone
who has always had a protected environment growing up, roaming and
(intentionally) getting lost on the streets of some unknown city, while soaking
in its culture, has been experience that has been surreal.
Was it
great? Not entirely. Will I do it again? Parents willing, yes!
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