Holiday alone? Why not?!

October 25, 2019

You’ve got your own career, your own friends, hobbies… the modern woman is independant and autonomous. Despite all of this, she is still reluctant to go on holiday on her own. But why?

You’ve got your own career, your own friends, hobbies… the modern woman is independant and autonomous. Despite all of this, she is still reluctant to go on holiday on her own. But why? Because it’s lonely, boring, sad or scary. Supposedly. We help dispel some common myths about holidaying alone.

‘It becomes very clear to you which things make you happy or what irritates you. This makes your holiday a real journey of discovery that could never be boring.’

Preconception 1: Holidaying alone is lonely

Lonely? Holidaying alone is far from lonely! It’s actually much easier to meet people when you’re travelling alone. Just think: if you’re sitting on a patio somewhere with a friend or partner, it’s unlikely that you’ll strike up a conversation with the lady or gentleman on the table next to you. When you’re alone, on the other hand, it’s far easier to make that initial connection, and before you know it, you’re engaged in a surprisingly interesting conversation. A number of our destinations, such Kamalaya in Thailand and Shanti-Som in Spain, even have communal tables at the restaurant, where those guests who fancy some company can pull up a chair to eat together. You’ll make new friends in no time, we’d bet on it.

Preconception 2: Holidaying alone is sad

You might think sitting at a restaurant on your own is sad. But take a look around: to the left there’s a family arguing. To the right a couple who have nothing left to say to one another. In the lift you bump into a dad who didn’t manage to visit the historical ruins because the kids wouldn’t leave the pool. At the spa, one woman tells you this the only 15-minute chance for a sauna she’s had, because her friends prefer to be at the beach. Truly, who is the ‘sad’ one here? You can entirely please yourself. Do whatever you want. If there’s a restaurant you fancy, you can head to it without discussion. If you feel the need to do nothing but read a book all day long, you can. Without a partner of kids mithering you to do this and that. How nice is that? Being able to do exactly what you want and when. Plus, if you choose a location with plenty of facilities and activities to do, there’s no need to worry about getting bored.

Preconception 3: Holidaying alone is boring

When you go on holiday alone, you and you alone are in charge for the duration. That may sound daunting, but the good thing about that is that you get to know yourself inside out. You can observe how you respond to certain situations, how you handle certain things, and can see clearly which things make you happy or irritate you. This makes your holiday a real journey of discovery, that could never be boring. What’s more, you can take those newly found insights home with you, along with the proud feeling of having done something worthwhile; like valuable souvenirs no picture or rug compares to.

Preconception 4: Holidaying alone is scary

Of course, going away for the first time on your own is exciting. But all fears are best overcome by taking the plunge. You’ll only discover through doing it that there was nothing at all to be afraid of. You’ll see that – quite the opposite – it’s pretty easy and really quite pleasant. If you’re still finding the idea of holidaying alone daunting, a group holiday might be a good stepping-stone for you. You go on your own, but are in the company of like-minded people you can talk to or do things with, should you want to. Give it a go – you’ll see there’s nothing to be scared of.

Solo friendly

Some hotels are more suited to solo holidaying that others. For example, you might feel especially welcome somewhere with a communal table where solo travellers can dine together. Or at a small and intimate hotel where it’ll be easy to meet other people. There are also resorts where no single occupancy fee applies. Please ask us for more details.

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