1.Don’t panic!
You can do this & you will have the time of your life. Yes, you will feel lonely every now & then. Yes, things might go differently than expected, but try to let go and go with the flow! During my 4 months in Australia I felt lonely once, when I got sick, but I met so many amazing people and other female solo travellers! Keep an open mind & heart and you will be amazed by the unexpected…

2. Plan….a little.
As adventurous as an empty scedule can be, I like to look things up before I go. You don’t have to book every hostel or hotel up front, but it is good to know which ones you like before you go. Sleep is important! You won’t be able to sleep in a dorm room with 5 drunk Irish guys & a friendly group of bed bugs keeping you company…trust me…I’ve been there…

3. Be informed about the country you’re visiting.
Know what the etiquettes are. Cover your arms & legs when this is appropriate. In some countries it is considered rude when you point at someone. So to prevent awkward situations, read about the culture your visiting. Blend with your surroudings. Wear a fake wedding ring if you don’t want ‘special’ attention…

4. Let people know where you are.
I always send my family an itinerary of my trip, so they know where I am. Sometimes plans change, because I’m ‘going with the flow’, but I try to keep the homefront up to date!

5. Make copies of important documents
..and keep these in different, easy access, places. You never know what might happen with your luggage and some unfortunate people get robbed while travelling. So make sure you always have back-up documents, like a copie of your passport, in every piece of luggage! I usually upload my documents to Dropbox before I go.

6. Be medically prepared.
Nothing ruins a trip more than a Bali Belly, a Delhi Belly or basically any ‘not so happy foreign country belly’. Food poisoning is something you need to be prepared for. That’s called ‘damage control’. Trust me, you’ll be very happy to have some antibiotics from your own country with you. You won’t be able to read the leaflet of an Indonesian medicine. At least I couldn’t..

7. Don’t be stupid.
Trust your gut feeling & don’t do things you wouldn’t do at home. Don’t walk home alone late at night in a city you don’t know. I always have some fallback money with me, so I can hail a taxi when I need one. Always bring enough water with you if you go on hikes. Make sure your phone is charged at all times & let someone in your hostel/ hotel know what you’re going to do that day. Don’t tell people your room number if they don’t need it.

♥ Click HERE to read my post about my solo travel to Australia and be inspired!

Booking.com