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Have you ever wanted to jet off to far flung exciting places, only to be held back by, well, yourself? Travelling solo can be scary, but here’s the way to do it.
If I had a pound for every person I met who told me “I want to go, but I’m scared to go on my own”, or “I couldn’t afford the single supplement”, or sometimes “I’m worried about travelling on public transport”, I’d be rich! Sadly I’m far from it, but on the plus side, there is a way to travel and avoid the problem of extra expense or the stress of logistics: join an Oasis Trip. Even Wanderlust Travel Magazine agrees – they recently listed overlanding in their “Top 10 ideas for solo travellers”.
More than ever before, the world has opened up to all sorts of travel, and people wanting a spectrum of different experiences can be accommodated. A lot of people actually travel to meet people, but taking those first few steps is the hardest part. Travelling in a group gives you ready made friends with a similar mindset, support when you need it, but also allows you to take time out and do your own thing. Overlanding Trips encompass all of this, with the added benefits that others on the expedition are also single travellers with the same apprehensions and doubts as you. Oasis also doesn’t charge a single supplement either, so you don’t need to worry about an extra cost of wanting your own adventure!
Another myth I feel I have to debunk: it is definitely not true that people who want to travel on their own have no friends! Most of our solo travellers are very sociable people, and some travel alone because their friends and/or partners don’t want to come along. My Dad travels alone because Mum has no desire to explore the “crazy destinations” my Dad craves, and they enjoy a happy marriage. My brother has a lot of friends, but they are working towards house goals/career goals/children goals – and he just wants to spend his time off exploring South America!
Various travel companies have reported a massive growth in solo travel, with some reporting over 50% of their clients as singles. Travelling with a group allays other fears too – there’s safety in numbers and overlanding, even to the distant corners of Africa, means that personal security becomes shared: someone can watch your bag while you pop to the loo, come with you to travel to that historical site off the beaten track, or even keep an eye on you if you’re feeling under the weather.
Overland travel brings people together in a way few other trips can rival -the number of Oasis weddings and children is tantamount to that! You end up getting to know your “truck family” very well, often better than friends at home, due to the nature of the experiences you share, the adventures you do together and the time you have for deeper conversations. You meet people from different countries and different backgrounds; people who you wouldn’t otherwise have encountered in your safe life at home. Working as a Tour Leader for Oasis, I frequently met travellers on my trips who were initially nervous and unsure about many things (cooking often being one!), but finished their trip more confident, with more friends and a long list of new travel destinations!
Interestingly, the increasing trend for solo travel isn’t biased towards a certain demographic, or age range; it seems to be for everyone! Currently it’s still more women than men who elect to go solo (men, take note), and that seems to be the case across the statistics. Perhaps The Telegraph has an answer: they published an article on solo travel in May this year, and asked whether the growth in popularity could be linked to people staying single for longer? (You might need more than one overland trip to meet your future “one”!)
Whatever the reason, solo travel is good for you, fun, educational, it is doable, and overlanding is a fantastic way of doing it. Stop making excuses and get out there and travel!
See you on the road