Travelling solo is an experience that every person should have at least once in their life. There. I said it. However, I do realise that it might seem like a daunting prospect to many people. For those people, I wrote this solo travel manifesto.
We can all agree that travelling is amazing. You get to meet people from all over the world, you experience different cultures and you can try authentic street food from foreign cuisines. But there’s just something about solo travel that can’t be explained rationally. You have to actually do it to know what I’m talking about.
When I tell people I love travelling solo, the most common question I get is “But why?”. What could possibly be so amazing about solo travel that people write books about it? That people dedicate their lives to travelling all by themselves?
Keep reading to find out why I – and so many others – have fallen in love with solo travel.
The short answer is yes.
The long answer: yes, because as a solo traveller, you’re much more likely to pay more attention to what’s going on around you.
With fewer distractions in the form of people talking to you about the last episode of Game of Thrones or asking you what you think about their new sneakers, you can fully take in the scenery and enjoy the view.
Besides that, you will also meet far more people when you’re on a solo trip.
Making friends as a solo traveller is much easier because you’re more approachable than a group of backpacking friends in a party hostel. People will talk to you, even if they’re just doing it out of pity.
Last, but definitely not least: you’re independent.
You have nobody to answer for your decisions and nobody to keep in mind when making plans for the next day. You can literally do whatever your heart desires.
Do you want to have a few drinks at the hostel bar? Tick off all the tourist hotspots? Walk to your next attraction because you’re too cheap to take the bus?
Go for it. Nobody’s going to stop you.
If you’re not quite comfortable with the idea of solo travel yet, check these posts out:
Travelling solo changes you. When travelling alone, things will inevitably go wrong.
The only person you can blame is yourself, and the only person who can solve the problems you run into is you.
That might seem like a bad thing, but don’t be fooled – when you can’t fall back on anyone else to get you out of a tough situation, that’s when you learn.
You get out of your comfort zone.
You become a more independent and solution-driven person.
The more you travel by yourself, the more you realise that the world is an amazing place and there are so many things left to explore that your life probably won’t be long enough to see them all.
If you’ve made the decision to travel solo, there are a few steps you have to take to plan your first solo trip. Here are the most important ones.
First: set a budget.
You can spend as much or as little money on solo travel as you want to, but it’s important to have some indication as to how much you’ll be spending before you step foot on the plane.
Secondly: choose your destination and date.
Read more: The best solo travel destinations in Europe
Your budget will be impacted by when and where you’re travelling. If you’re looking to travel on a shoestring budget, be sure to choose a destination that can accommodate that.
Pro tip: travel in the shoulder season for the best prices while still getting great weather conditions.
Thirdly: book your transport and accommodation (at least for the first two nights).
I usually start my flight search on Cheapflights or Google Flights before taking a look at other flight websites like Expedia, Skyscanner and Momondo.
For solo travellers, hostels are a great alternative to hotels, because they allow you to meet like-minded people and they won’t take a huge bite out of your budget.
My favourite website to use when booking hostels is Hostelworld.
Now that you’ve got most of the logistics out of the way, you still might need to prepare for this trip mentally.
Getting over your fear of being alone can be hard, but it’s important to keep in mind that being alone does not mean you’re lonely.
Don’t be afraid to eat by yourself. Sit at the bar and talk to the bartender, or take a seat at a communal table and strike up a conversation with fellow travellers.
You’ll be surprised how easy it is to talk to people when you’re travelling alone.
Remember to pack light – carry-on only, if possible. Since you’re travelling solo, you’ll have to carry all your baggage by yourself.
So, as you can see, travelling by yourself is similar to travelling with other people. But at the same time, the differences are huge.
Solo travel is a wonderful paradox that you have to experience before you can start to understand it.
Isn’t that the beauty of it all?
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Hostels are no longer just a dirty, frugal alternative for fancy hotel rooms. Today, hostels are often the best choice of budget accommodation for solo travellers and shoestring travellers alike. Here are my top 15 tips on finding cheap hostel rooms online.
I have been travelling solo for about three years and I have checked in to my fair share of budget hostels. I would always recommend a hostel over a hotel for anyone travelling on a budget, especially if you can find a cheap hostel room somewhere.
However, many people are still in the dark about how to actually find advantageous prices for staying in a hostel. Low cost accommodation is one of the main pillars of budget travel, though. And that’s exactly why I’ve compiled this list of tips to help you find cheap hostels online. Here we go!
Nowadays, comparing online accommodation and booking tools to each other always pays off. There is no single platform that always has the best prices, so you need to compare a few.
There are dedicated hostel websites, like Hostelworld and HostelBookers.
These two used to be competitors, until HostelBookers became a part of the Hostelworld group. They’re now essentially the same platform in another digital jacket and they have basically the same hostels on offer. That’s why you really only need to check one of both.
Other than that, the king of travel booking also has a great selection of hostels. Booking.com allows you to filter on type of accommodation, so it’s easy to find budget hotels and hostels through this platform as well. Another advantage of Booking is that they also show other types of cheap accommodation.
Tools like Hostelworld and Booking allow you to sort the results by price, which can be very useful to find the cheapest options.
Let’s say you’re looking for cheap places to stay in Dublin, Ireland for a couple of days in September.
If you click on ‘Filter’ and then adjust the price slider, you’ll only get results between your two sliders. For example, if you set the slider to the right to 25, the only results you’ll get will be hostels where you can get a bed for under €25 per night.
Similarly, you can also use other filters. Let’s take the same example of a few days in Dublin.
After selecting ‘Hostels’ under ‘Property type’, you’ll find that there are filters for budget, distance from the city centre, payment methods, facilities and review scores, among others.
In other words: nothing is stopping you from finding cheap hostel rooms or even discounted hotel rooms on Booking and Hostelworld.
I recommend looking at hostels with 24-hour reception, free Wi-Fi and free breakfast. But that’s just me.
One of the biggest advantages of hostels over hotels is that you can save money by staying in a dorm room with strangers.
The general rule of thumb is as follows: the bigger the dorm, the cheaper the bed. So, if you’re looking for a cheap hostel room and you don’t have a problem sharing a room with 20 people you’ve never met before, go for it.
If you tend to keep to yourself and want a bit more privacy, most hostels also have 4-bed or 6-bed dorm rooms. This will cost a bit more, but it’ll still be cheaper than a hotel room or a private room in the hostel.
Yes, there are different kinds of hostels. Shocker.
Some types of hostels that are often used:
The category of hostel you pick will have an influence on the price you pay. For example, backpacker hostels tend to be cheaper than boutique hostels.
I personally like staying in boutique hostels if I have some money left over to splurge. If not, I’ll opt for a backpacker hostel.
Read more about the different types of hostels in this post.
Usually, when you book your hostel room online, there will be two options for payment: refundable and non-refundable.
You should read the terms carefully to find out what happens when you cancel your booking. Will you get a full refund? A 50% refund? Or no refund at all?
Make your final decision with this knowledge in the back of your mind.
One of the best ways to find budget accommodation is signing up to email newsletters.
After all, an email is much harder to ignore than a simple post on social media.
Here are a few accommodation newsletters you might want to consider subscribing to:
Similarly as with any type of accommodation or flights, you can save quite some money if you go for last-minute deals.
One way to find last-minute hostel deals is to sign up to email newsletters, as mentioned above.
Another way is to regularly check websites that often feature last-minute deals of any kind and filtering through the results.
Some websites that often have interesting last-minute deals on cheap hostel rooms:
Also consider checking individual hostel chain websites and check their prices. Even though they might not be advertised as ‘last-minute’, hostels tend to reduce prices if their rooms aren’t filled. Compare these prices with the hostel prices on dates that are a few months away. If it’s cheaper now, you’ve got a good deal on your hands.
Some individual hostels or hostel chains have an app – who doesn’t nowadays? – and offer nifty promotions and discounts in the app.
If the hostel you’re staying at isn’t part of a hostel chain, check to see if they have an app anyway. You might be surprised.
Many hostels nowadays will allow you to stay in a room for free in exchange for a few hours of work a day. This will allow you to travel longer and cheaper, while also getting to know many people from all over the world. It’s a win-win!
If you’ve already booked your hostel room, ask the clerk at reception if you can work in exchange for free accommodation. If you haven’t booked yet, send the hostel an email to ask if that might be an option.
In most cases, the work will be simple: administration, reception or helping out in the kitchen.
Much like finding cheap flights, one of the best ways to get budget accommodation is to book in advance.
If you’re not going on a last-minute trip, you should book your hostel as soon as you’ve booked your flights. This is one of the best and easiest ways to find cheap hostel rooms.
Besides: if you book in advance, you’ll still have more options to choose from.
This tip only applies if you’re going on a trip to two or more places outside of the high season.
Once you’ve got a hostel room booked for your first destination, ask the clerk at reception if they can recommend or book a hostel room in your next destination.
Many hostels are part of an international hostel network and can offer small discounts (usually 5-10%) if you book through them. And if not, you might get a free drink out of it.
It’s worth a try, right?
If you use online tools like Hostelworld, it might seem tempting to just book the cheapest hostel room available.
However, you could end up regretting that decision.
Much like budget airlines (like Ryanair and Vueling) make most of their money out of paid extras, budget hostels make money by letting their visitors pay for all kinds of additional services.
Linen, sheets, towels, lockers, Wi-Fi, … Anything that is more than just ‘allowing you to sleep there’ could have extra fees.
The key takeaway: read the fine print before booking a hostel room to avoid surprises upon arrival. Additionally, be sure to check out the general consensus in the hostel reviews.
I know this is an article about finding cheap hostel rooms, but hostels aren’t always the best option. You can find cheap rooms elsewhere, if you know where to look.
Some of my favourite options for cheap accommodation:
Read more: Cheap accommodation for solo travel
Once you’ve found a cheap hostel room, you don’t want to ruin that by being forced to pay extra for early check-in or late check-out.
Again, the best way to avoid this is to know beforehand when you can check in and when you have to leave the hostel. Respect those rules and you should be fine.
In most hostels, you can use the lockers to store your bags and hang out in the common room until your bus, train or whatever arrives. Although you might have to pay a few dollars to use the storage, it’s probably still less than the late check-out fee.
There. Now you know how to find cheap hostel rooms and you’ll never overpay for accommodation again. You’ve just made the first step to becoming a budget traveller. Congratulations!
Want to know more about cheap solo travel? Read these posts:
Do you have any tips to find cheap hostel rooms? Let me know in a comment.
Thanks for reading!
-S
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On my second solo trip ever, I slept on top of a cliff in Malta, overlooking the Mediterranean Ocean. I got to know the beauty of Wardija Punic Temple. If you want to have that same experience, keep reading.
If you’re ever in Malta, you really should consider giving Wardija a visit and maybe even sleeping there, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and feeling the wind on your skin.
Disclaimer: since I took the photos in this post with my smartphone when I was visiting Malta in 2017, the quality won’t be great. I’m sorry about that, but there’s really not much I can do about it until I go back to Wardija.
Today, I’ll go over everything you need to know to experience this for yourself. How to get there, what to do, and why you should do it.
Let’s start with the basics.
The thing is, I’m not quite sure.
According to Wikipedia, Wardija Punic Temple – also known as Ras il-Wardija among the locals – is a promontory on the southeast coast of Gozo.
If you’re not sure what that means, that’s okay. Neither am I. I’d describe Wardija as a temple, a cave, an archaeological site – anything but a promontory. But that might just be because English is not my first language.
When my Airbnb host, Daniel (who’s now running a successful co-working space in Valletta, by the way), told me about this place, I was instantly sold to the idea.
Bonus: sign up to Airbnb through this link and get up to $40 of travel credit for your first booking!
He told me that someone who stayed in his Airbnb a few weeks before I did had discovered this place and had spent the night there. And so, Daniel told me everything I needed to know before sleeping at Wardija.
Now, I’m here to pass on my knowledge to you.
Make sure you bring some kind of blanket and something to sleep on, like a towel.
Here we go.
On the map below, you can see the exact location of Wardija Punic Temple. While this can be useful in and of itself, I’d also like to give you a little bit of explanation about how I got there, and how you can get there, too.
Arriving at this place is substantially easier if you have a rental car – or, better yet, if you’re from Malta and you have your own car available.
If you don’t, scroll down just a little bit and read more about getting there with public transport.
If you do, here’s what you want to do, supposing you’re coming from Malta’s capital, Valletta.
Preface: I would recommend departing from Valletta in the early afternoon if you want to be able to see the sunset. Not only that, but the last part of your journey would be quite dangerous without any sunlight.
That being said, you should look up when the sun sets on the day of your big adventure and leave at least four hours before that.
Side note: I’m aware that it’s a 40 minute walk, but it’s worth it. Trust me on this one.
Before starting your big trek from the Dwejra bus stop, you may want to consider doing a few things.
Firstly, take a look at the old site of the Azure Window. The steep rocks, the crystal blue water and the sharp cliffs in the background all look amazing and are worth some time.
You’ll be able to see this site from up above when you’ve arrived at Wardija, but it’s that much more impressive up close.
Secondly, have some dinner at the Azure Window restaurant. Unless you brought your own food, this is going to be your last meal until you get back to the civilised world tomorrow morning. (I had the pepperoni pizza and it was great)
To be honest, there’s not a whole lot to do here.
But there are some pretty great things that you can do here, and not in a lot of other places.
First of all, admire the views. Since there’s not much to do around you anyway, why not take some time to really take in the landscape around you?
I’ll just let the pictures do the talking here.
The photo above is the view from down below, looking at what used to be the Azure Window. Although it collapsed in a storm in 2017, it’s still gorgeous.
Aside from the actual image quality, this is one of my favourite shots I’ve ever taken. And that’s only partly because I have some very fond memories when looking back at this.
Next up: watch the sunset.
Just outside the temple, there are a few places where you can sit down, unwind, and enjoy the view of the sun setting over the ocean.
After the sun has set, now it’s time to really start doing things you’ve never done before.
Put on some good music and dance. Sing and dance like nobody’s watching.
You’re 40 minutes away from the nearest bus stop, so, chances are, nobody IS watching.
Finally, once you’ve danced your heart out – or once your phone battery dies, like mine did – it’s time to go to sleep.
When I was at Wardija, it took me about an hour to fall asleep. I had noticed beetles crawling out of a crack in the wall, and that unsettled me a bit. But if I can sleep through that, I’m sure you can, too.
I woke up around 6 am, and then again around 7 and around 8. I finally decided to get up around 8:30, and while I was brushing my teeth, a Spanish man and his daughter were hiking around. We talked for a little while and they were on their way.
Finally, I got back to my Airbnb by following the same route in reverse.
And that, dear friends, is the story of how I slept in a temple on top of a Maltese cliff (and how you can do the exact same thing).
Some more things to keep in mind:
Disclaimer: I tried to contact Mr Spiteri to ask for permission to post this article, but he hasn’t responded so far. If he does end up responding and doesn’t give me permission, I’ll delete this post.
Would you ever do something like this? If you wouldn’t, what do you feel is stopping you?
Thanks for reading!
-S
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‘Another one off the bucket list‘, I hear a salty-haired Australian surfer sigh when I’m visiting a waterfall in Bali.
I turn around and I can see on his face that he’s only there to be able to tick off a destination from his ever-growing list of destinations he still wants to visit.
But that’s not what travel is about, is it?
And if it is to you, it’s time to change that.
Travelling should be about exploring far away cultures and experiencing things for the sake of making memories, and not just for bragging rights on Instagram.
This is why you shouldn’t have a bucket list.
Earlier this month, I heard about 21-year old Lexie Alford who claimed to be the youngest person to visit every country on earth.
Let that sink in.
This woman visited 196 countries in 21 years.
Now, if you’re thinking “How the hell did she pay for all that?”, keep in mind that:
I’m not here to question the how of her adventure. I’m questioning the why.
And I’m not saying that what Alford did doesn’t have the power to inspire young people to see the world.
I’m just scared that they’ll head out and step on a plane for the wrong reason.
I have to admit that I’m guilty of making bucket lists. But it’s been a long time since I referred to them as bucket lists.
If you have a list of places you have to see before you die, that’s fine. That’s even where the expression came from. Things to do or see before you kick the bucket.
But soon, the list starts to transform. It goes from ‘I really want to see this place because it sounds amazing’ to ‘I saw a picture of this place on Instagram and now I want to get that same picture’.
If you only travel to tick places off your bucket list, you’re doing it wrong.
if you only travel for bragging rights on social media, you’re doing it wrong.
The world has so much beauty to offer us, and you shouldn’t go somewhere just to be able to say you went there.
I’m aware that everyone has a different style of travelling. Some people only want to see the highlights of a certain destination, while others want to have profound cultural experiences.
And there is nothing wrong with either of those travel styles.
Making a bucket list transforms magical destinations all around the world to binary yes-or-no questions.
When you’re planning your next trip, ‘Have I been there?’ shouldn’t be the only question you ask yourself.
Yes, it can be the first question. But please, for the love of God, don’t let it be the only one.
You should be asking whether or not the destination’s cuisine attracts you. Whether the culture is something you’re interested in. If the popular attractions are enough to satisfy your thirst for adventure.
Don’t use ‘I haven’t been there yet’ as a motive.
Don’t go somewhere because it’s the next destination on your bucket list.
And don’t aim to visit every country on earth just for the sake of it. Do it for the people, for the food, for the experiences and for the memories.
While I personally no longer feel comfortable supporting the concept of a bucket list, there are some alternatives I can stand behind.
The thing is, bucket lists usually take on the form of a list of countries or cities someone wants to visit.
And, although those lists are usually comprised of a very diverse set of countries with very different backgrounds, they’re still just countries.
Can you say you’ve experienced Germany if you’ve spent three days in Berlin? I personally don’t think so.
You haven’t seen the Black Forest, you haven’t seen Neuschwanstein Castle and you haven’t seen any concentration camps that hold the stories of so many oppressed people.
That’s why I’m proposing the following bucket list alternative.
The experience list.
You shouldn’t have a bucket list because it’s overly generalised.
So what if it’s not?
Make a list of experiences you’d like to have before dying.
Walking the Camino de Santiago, climbing Everest, camping in Banff National Park. I don’t care. I can’t choose for you.
Once you have your experience list, don’t look at it again until you come across an experience you absolutely MUST have before dying.
While you’re booking your next trip, don’t think about the list. Choose destinations based on other factors.
Once you’ve booked your flights and your accommodation, take a look at the list. If there’s anything on there near your destination, you can take some time out of your trip to pursue this experience.
This way, your travels are still meaningful and you get to do things you’ve always wanted to do.
Talk about a win-win situation.
Try it out. Let me know what you think about this idea. Even if you think it’s complete and utter crap. Tell me why you don’t believe in it.
After all, nothing ever changed without people challenging the status quo and doing something different for once.
Thanks for reading!
-S
Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links, meaning that, at no extra cost to you, I will make a small commission. Thanks for supporting Ars Currendi!
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There’s a reason it’s called the comfort zone.
I know.
The problem is, nothing will change if you stay where you are. And, on the off chance that you’re completely, irrevocably, absolutely satisfied with your life, that’s fine. You can stop reading now.
I won’t blame you. I truly am happy to see you thrive and live your best life.
But you’re not satisfied, are you? You wouldn’t be reading anymore if you were. You’re not living your best life.
Something has to change for you to truly feel like you’re getting the most out of life. And yes, I know that’s a tough pill to swallow.
But you have to realise that you want something to change before you can start working on it.
So. Let’s go through this process together. You and I. Starting right now, we’re going to make a change for the better.
I promise.
I’m sure everyone reading this is familiar with the concept, but just in case you’re not, here’s a quick explanation.
There are three psychological states. The comfort zone, the optimal performance zone and the danger zone. (Hello there, Kenny Loggins)
In the first zone, you feel familiar and comfortable and you’re in control. Your performance is steady.
In the second zone, also known as the growth zone, you can push your boundaries. Your performance is in an equilibrium with your anxiety and stress levels.
In the third zone, your performance suffers greatly, thanks to strong feelings of anxiety and discomfort.
You need to aim for the optimal performance zone. Obviously.
But the thing is, when people first make an effort to push their boundaries and leave their comfort zone, they overcompensate.
They go too far and get right into the danger zone.
And then they end up never trying to do something different again.
You don’t want to end up like that.
Some people surpass themselves by travelling the world with anxiety. I don’t have much to say about anxiety, as I don’t have any first-hand experience. So I’ll let my friend Lauren from Never Ending Footsteps explain how she overcame anxiety by travelling.
When you’re trying to push your travel boundaries, it’s important to remember to take baby steps.
Otherwise, your leap of faith could turn to a leap in the dark. And that’s when you get dangerously close to the danger zone.
If you’re afraid of heights, jumping out of an airplane might give you the strength you need to conquer your fear. Or it might push you over the edge and make you never want to step foot into an airplane again.
In the end, you know yourself better than anyone else ever could. You need to make the consideration whether or not it’s worth it to face your fears head-on.
It might be simpler than that. You might not feel comfortable in a situation where you don’t know the language and you have to get around.
My point is, I can’t make the decision for you. You have to choose for yourself:
Now, let’s say that you want to be liberated. You want to break out of your boundaries and you want to leave the comfort zone.
Only, you have no idea how to do it.
Here’s an idea.
Travel.
Travel far and wide, immerse yourself in foreign cultures, eat unfamiliar food and see and experience everything the world has to offer.
After all, travelling changes your life.
Stop spending money on material things and start spending money on experiences.
Do yourself the favour of investing in stories that you can tell your grandchildren when you’re old and wrinkled.
Make them wish they turn out like you when they are old and wrinkled.
And if you’re already old and wrinkled …
Better late than never.
It’s not too late to change your life.
Take the leap. You never know what you will come across. Even if you don’t like travelling or your trip was a bust, at least you know now.
Every cloud has a silver lining.
So try to find yours.
When did you realise that you wanted to leave your comfort zone? How did you do it? Let me know in a comment!
Thanks for reading!
-S
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Design by NXNW.
