11+ of the Best Places To Visit if You Are Traveling Solo
Experienced independent travelers have the entire world as their playground, feeling completely at ease with visiting new destinations and meeting new folk. These are the people who can walk into a bar alone and by last orders, have a new crew of friends. This kind of character is on the rare side and if you are new to solo travel or have any degree of anxiety about it, you are not alone. We’ve pulled together a few destinations that are perfect for your first trip, along with some handy tips. 
Editor’s note: These spots are all taken directly from travelstoke®, a new app from Matador that connects you with fellow travelers and locals, and helps you build trip itineraries with spots that integrate seamlessly into Google Maps and Uber. Download the app to add any of the spots below directly to your future trips.
1. Lombok and the Gili Islands, Indonesia
Lombok is popular with independent travelers, especially those who want to surf, snorkel or dive. Gili Trawangan, Gili T, as it is called for short, has no motorized vehicles operating on it; you get around by bike, horse, carriage, or by foot. You can walk the entire island in about two hours.
Solo travel tip: Reach out to friends and acquaintances.
A simple “Do I know anyone in _____?” on Facebook can yield unexpected results. This method can find friends (and often couches) in otherwise totally anonymous destinations.
2. Jordan
Ajloun CastleAjloun, JordanReally cool castle overlooking the city and some beatiful rolling hills.
You’ll find it impossible to go anywhere in Jordan without experiencing some of its famous hospitality. The huge Nabatean and Roman archaeological site of Petra really does live up to the hype, and will appeal to people who love rugged, natural beauty and hiking, as well as to history buffs. Lawrence of Arabia described the mountains and orange/pink sands of Wadi Rum as “vast, echoing and God-like”; Jerash is one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world, and the Dead Sea one of the strangest natural wonders.
Solo travel tip: Cook.
Your experience of travel will be altered hugely when you start to prepare a lot of your own meals. Not all, of course, since tasting local cuisines is hands down the best part of traveling, but many. Wandering local markets, you can improve language skills, feel rooted in your home-of-the-moment, and saved serious money. Choosing an Airbnb with a kitchen facilitates this, as does staying with friends.
3. Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, has the reputation of being — not only one of the most beautiful cities in the world — but one of the friendliest. Personally, I’d recommend skipping air bnb, in this instance, and booking a hostel. Edinburgh, “The Burgh”, as locals call it, is a great place to meet people from all over the world. Book a hostel, join a pub crawl and make a heap load of new pals.
Solo travel tip: Mine for connections.
Social media is a multifaceted beast, but it really comes in handy for certain kinds of travel. Ask Facebook friends, “Does anyone have any connections in ___?”. The more you travel, the more your network grows — exponentially, it would seem. Apps like travelstoke allow you to connect with locals willing to share info or even host travelers a la couchsurfing.
4. Guatemala
arco de santa catalinaAntigua Guatemala, GuatemalaTwo antigueñas in #ArcodeSantaCatalina #Antigua
If you’re looking for the best places to travel alone in Central and South America, don’t overlook Guatemala and its ancient Maya ruins. It’s an inexpensive place to travel, which means you could stay for a while to learn Spanish or even volunteer.
Solo travel tip: Get lost and like it.
Getting lost is a common consequence of going in blind; even if we don’t like it, we can bring our sense of humor along for the walk and discover off the radar spots.
5. Cuba
Now is the time to visit Cuba. “The country has changed more in the last five years than in all its history,” Cubans say, as foreigners enjoy home stays, five-star hotels spring up in Havana, tour buses queue in formerly off-the-grid towns, airports expand, and culinary traditions widen. And it’s about to change even more, not only because of the growth in tourism since US/Cuba relations were liberalized, but because that liberalization could be threatened under a Trump administration.
Solo travel tip: Be bold — ask questions.
Every piece of information we could possibly need is available on the ground. No need to read travel forums, or even look up directions (although by all means do both if it sets your mind at ease). Depending on where you are in the world, there are metro maps, info centers, or throngs of aggressive taxi drivers at every possible port of arrival. Barring that, the local person sitting next to you on the bus/plane/train/ferry is usually an excellent resource.
6. Kenya
Tourism accounts for the largest share of the country’s foreign earnings as thousands of visitors arrive to see up to a quarter of a million wildebeest make their annual migration between Kenya and its southern neighbor, Tanzania. You can easily join a big group or arrange for a guide to take you out into the wilderness alone.
Solo travel tip: Talk to strangers.
They’re not scary — usually. When they are creepy, it’s usually pretty clear to my intuition. Strangers are typically one of three things: treasure troves of insider information, friends you haven’t met yet, or an excellent story for later. Instructions for talking to strangers: eyes up, shoulders down, words out.
7. Barcelona, Spain
Visit southern Spain anytime of the year. The skies are usually clear, winters are short and mild, summers are hot but bearable. Barcelona was designed for pedestrian pleasure. Its iconic Ramblas and paseos have wide sidewalks and medians dotted with benches and shady trees — perfect for leisurely strolling, people watching, and window shopping. You can also escape the hustle and bustle by heading out to one of the city beaches on the super easy-to-use public transport. In the evening you can avoid eating alone in a stuffy restaurant by doing as the Spanish do: grazing on tapas in one of the city’s cool bars.
Solo travel tip: Let go of “should’s”.
Often mile-long checklist of “must sees” and “must dos” limits potential for spontaneous discovery. Excursions can happen organically — often with new friends.
8. South Island, New Zealand
Whatever you’re into, chances are you can find it in New Zealand — dramatic coastal cliffs, alpine lakes and peaks, surfable beaches, active volcanoes and geothermal features, lush rainforest and old-growth forest, walkable glaciers, underground caverns…it’s all here. But what really sets New Zealand apart is the fact that all of the above is in such close proximity, and is so easily accessible. You can go surf to summit in a single day, drive from snowy mountain passes to temperate rainforest. What that means is you get to pack an incredible amount of adventure into every trip.
Solo travel tip: Set up an Airbnb.
Set your price, browse your options, and choose a host who seems interesting. I’m still in contact with several of my Airbnb hosts, and owe unique memories (like tasting the best chocolate gelato in the whole world) to them.
9. Kathmandu, Nepal
If you’re an experienced altitude trekker, the Annapurna circuit can be tackled independently, but it’s wise to hire a porter or set out with an organised group.
Solo travel tip: Keep up with hobbies.
Dancing tango, salsa-ing, climbing, you’ll connect with people you’d have never met otherwise.
10. NYC, United States
Xo #NYC #manhattan
NYC is probably the #1 place in the world for solo travelers. Infact, I’d actually recommend going alone over visiting with friends. It’s challenging, exciting and a wild adventure, enjoy!
Solo travel tip: Become a regular.
There is something uniquely grounding in being a regular customer (in a cafe, restaurant or even corner store) — in simply being recognized. When our default mode is anonymity, feeling seen, known, familiar offers a powerful sense of place. Especially when I have a few weeks or months somewhere, I find myself accumulating these “regular” spots. Though utterly departing from all known routine is a key — even necessary — element of travel for me, glimpses of familiarity within the unknown provide welcome — even necessary — moments of respite.
11. Santiago, Chile
The typical tourist route of Santiago includes walking or taking the funicular up Cerro San Cristobal, the Virgin-topped hill that overlooks the city, a spin through some of the museums such as the PreColumbian art museum for traditionalists, or the Colo-Colo soccer museum for lovers of that sport. The city’s easy access to both mountains and beach make it a great starting off point, and those headed further north to the desert or further south to Patagonia, or to one of a couple of easily-accessed wine valleys close to Santiago, often spend a couple of days here on their way. Don’t be shy. Chileans are very welcoming. Be brave and introduce yourself to locals, they will relish the opportunity to practice their English.
Valle del yesoSan José de Maipo, Chile#extreme #snow #camping #hiking
