More and more people are travelling alone. Sandra O'Connellexplains what you need to know and Louise Williamsdescribes the attractions of solo travel
A RECENT ISSUE of Backpacker magazine was disturbing reading for anyone with loved ones hell-bent on travelling solo. It had rounded up some travel headlines from around the world. "Backpacker loses arm." "Funeral for murdered backpacker." "Puzzle of backpacker's identity finally solved." And they're just a few.
Even for grown-ups who can afford to travel in relative luxury, the idea of going alone can seem daunting.
For John McEvoy, owner of Crannóg Book Shop, in Cavan, the idea of travelling solo was born of necessity.
"In the first couple of years after we opened the shop my wife, Anne, and I simply couldn't take our holidays at the same time, so we went separately," says McEvoy. He ended up holidaying in both Spain and Sicily, for 10 days at a time.
"Holidaying alone is not for everyone, but I loved it," he says. "I'm the kind who is happy in their own company anyway, so it was terrific to be able to do what I wanted to do and go where I wanted to go."
An interest in photography helped. "All I wanted to do was get up at the crack of dawn to go to markets to take pictures - the kind of thing that can drive a partner nuts on holiday - so going alone gave me great freedom. The hardest part was the evenings. You can get tired of going into restaurants on your own, but then I always had a book, and one way or another you end up meeting people."
Larry Doyle has toured Europe and the US alone a number of times. Somewhat incongruously for the managing director of an IT firm - Netforce - he is also into motorbikes.
"It is easy to travel on your own when you are on a bike, because wherever you go people want to talk to you about your bike, their bike or where I'm going," he says. " I also look up biker clubs on the internet and head for them as part of my schedule, and meet people that way."
Bikers are a welcoming lot. "It doesn't matter what kind or size of bike you are on. Once you're on a bike you are accepted," says Doyle. "It makes it a very sociable way to travel."
Some kinds of travel are more sociable than others. Charley Swords, a management consultant, spends most of her working year traversing such places as Kosovo, Albania and Uzbekistan, to meet clients in developing economies.
Having survived bombings, crossfire and general mayhem, she has learned how to conduct herself safely in unfamiliar environments.
"When you are in a place where you don't know anybody, where you are or how to get where you are going, and can't speak the language, there are certain things you have to do to stay safe," she says. "The right body language is a lifesaver. With a [ taxi] driver, for example, it means being courteous and making good eye contact - and, if something remarkable happens along the way, you make appropriate exclamations to show you are alert and taking an interest."
Despite all she has been through, the only time she was ever scared was the night her - lost - taxi-driver abandoned her and his car in the middle of a street. "I really was afraid. But it turned out he was only looking for directions."
As in most situations, even having a smattering of the local language would have helped.
Aurelie Gohaub, a 25-year-old who is just back from a year's backpacking around the globe, says too much emphasis on safety can leave solo travellers paranoid, particularly if they're female. She left her parents terrified at the airport.
Initially armed only with a guidebook for company, she soon ditched even that, as she got fed up meeting other backpackers.
She says her trip was the fulfilment of a life's dream.
"What I found is that people are great all around the world. The only bad thing that happened to me occurred just a few weeks before I came home. I was in Indonesia, and my sunglasses were stolen. By a monkey." - SO'C
Solo run the right way to get with the locals
IT WAS 3am when our flight touched down in Dakar, the capital of the west African nation of Senegal. Tired and dehydrated, having left home 24 hours earlier, I stumbled into the arrivals hall and a wall of humidity and shouting. Even though it wasn't crowded, young men snaked by, leaning in close, whispering in my ear as they passed.
A sign with "Madame Louise" written on it caught my eye in the crowd. Beside it was the big smile of Abdou, the taxi-driver I'd asked the hotel to send; it had agreed as long as I paid him cash. All very well, except none of the local currency was to be had in Dublin Airport or Lisbon, where we stopped over. The bank would be closed, a Senegalese contact had told me, but the airport cash dispenser would work. So Abdou and I wove our way through the crowd to the ATM.
In with my card and in with my Pin, Abdou standing close beside me. The machine responded quickly - but not with cash, just a simple message: "Votre carte a été retenue" ("Your card has been confiscated"). My heart sank. Now all I had was the euro notes strapped to my belly under my waistband, and nothing to pay Abdou. "No problem," he said. "The hotel will sort it out. I'll take you there now in my car."
But he didn't take me to the line of taxis in the lit-up part of the airport. Carrying my bag, he walked into the darkness to a gateway into a field. It was pitch black ahead, except for a far-off paraffin lamp. When I hesitated he took my hand and led me through the gate . . .
I've been around the world making radio programmes - through Ethiopia, west Africa, south Asia, the Middle East, and I hope to add many more names to the list - always alone. Sure, I've had a few scrapes, but I wouldn't dream of travelling any other way.
Here was another encounter. Bobiri is a beautiful forest park with swarms of butterflies that flutter around your ankles. It's home to a variety of monkeys, bulbul birds and glorious trees. It's in the Ashanti region, 100km northwest of Ghana's capital, Accra. I checked into the park's rest house for a few nights to catch up on reading and to chill out. It was a quiet place, with just an American couple doing scientific research, the cook and myself.
One morning I set off to wander down the clay path leading into the forest reserve. After a while I heard voices, and when I turned a corner I came face to face with two hunters, one with a machete, the other a rifle. They were there illegally; this was a nature reserve. "Hello, where are you from?" asked rifle man, smiling as I tried not to stare at their weapons. "I love you," announced machete man; I struggled to find a response. "You know Michael Essien?" The question burst from my mouth. I hoped I pronounced the Ghanaian midfielder's name properly. Machete man's face lit up. "Essien, yes, from Ghana, plays for Chelsea!"
I took advantage of the moment to turn so that I could start to walk us back towards the resthouse. I racked my brain for every detail of west African football as we walked. Soon the rest house came into sight, and my breathing returned to normal.
I have experienced many high points due to travelling solo, as well as scrapes that felt dangerous. I don't know how many times families approached me on railway platforms as I made my way around India. We would talk food ("Why does your food taste of nothing?") or they might ask about my pay ("How much do you give your parents?"). I was invited to their homes, I held their children, we shared food, I felt safe and confident. It was wonderful, and I am sure that if I'd been in company they wouldn't have cared for me so well.
Anyway, to return to Dakar airport. Adbou's hand felt very soft in mine. My mind raced, I weighed up the risks of following him versus the risks of returning to the hectic airport without any ready cash. It was pitch black ahead, but it seemed safer than returning to arrivals, so I followed Abdou.
He led me about 200 fraught metres to his car, drove me to the hotel, then picked me up four hours later to bring me to the airport for 8am, when the bank opened. We explained what happened to the manager, who grudgingly retrieved my card from the ATM.
We laughed about it and went for some breakfast. We ended up travelling up the coast together, working on a documentary about migrants setting out for the Canary Islands. I got to know Abdou properly then, but I already knew I could trust him.
How to avoid the dreaded single supplement
A major bugbear for solo travellers is having to pay single supplements - in effect, penalties for not travelling in pairs.
Some companies offer holidays that come without these surchages. Budget Travel has a list of locations in its brochures that don't penalise people travelling alone - although the number of rooms and choice of venue are often limited.
If you are flexible about where you go, and are prepared to fly at short notice, it can be even easier to avoid the dreaded supplement.
"Most people who travel alone with us say they are doing so because they need a break, which means they are usually looking for late availability," says Clem Walshe of Budget Travel, who adds that more and more people are holidaying on their own, particularly well-heeled professionals between the ages of 25 and 40. "If they book via the internet, they won't have much scope for saving on the single supplement. But if they call into a travel shop and are open-minded about where they go, most shops will be able to tailor a late deal for them without charging the supplement, depending on availability."
Companies that depend on short-notice business, such as Lastminute.com, are also good options.
Alternatively, escorted group tours can cut the cost of singles travel, as well as providing an opportunity for company for those who want it. For adventure enthusiasts, one of the best-known operators is Exodus Adventure Travel. More than half of its customers are on their own. It keeps groups small and organises room-sharing, to avoid supplements. CIÉ Tours International offers a similar service, typically for an older age group.
Another option is the PATT - People Alone Travelling Together - Club. Set up four years ago by Donegal travel agent Deirdre Grant, it attracts people from 25 years and upwards; most are over 40. Members pay an annual subscription of €75 and supply detailed personal information, which is used to pair members.
"What we find time and again is that people go on one of our PATT Club holidays wanting a single room the first time, in which case they have to pay the supplement, but thereafter look to save money and share," says Grant.
Dos and don'ts
Do
Book at least the first night's accommodation in a new city.
Try and avoid arriving in a new city after dark.
Take licensed taxis only.
Check maps before going out. Poring over one in the street can make you vulnerable.
Walk with confidence. Look as if you know where you're going even when you don't.
Make photocopies of your passport and credit cards and keep them separately.
Talk to other tourists, travellers and locals about where is and isn't safe to visit.
Bring your hotel's business card with you.
Let people at home know of your schedule. Let the hotel know of your activities, too.
Dress appropriately for your destination.
Bring a torch; you'll need it in developing countries where electricity may be erratic.
Get a local Sim card and e-mail the number to your beloved first thing.
Order local currency through your bank in advance.
Don't
Attract unwanted attention by dressing too flashily or wearing good jewellery.
Expect people to speak English. Learn at least a few phrases before you go.
Go to very remote tourist spots alone if you can hook up with a fellow traveller.
Carry all your cash and cards together. Split them up.
Suffer solomangerophobia - the fear of eating alone. Choose a busy, bustling restaurant.
Take ground floor hotel bedrooms, if you can avoid it, because of possible break-ins.
Wear an iPod when you're on the street, as it will make you less aware of what's going on around you.
Useful websites
www.travelindependent. info
www.singlestravel international.com
www.solocruise.com
www.travelaloneand loveit.com
www.womentravelling together.com
www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie
www.smartraveler.gov.au
www.womenstraveltips. com
www.travelchums.com
www.thepattclub.ie
www.exodus.co.uk
www.cietours.ie
www.thetravel department.ie
www.budgettravel.ie