5 Tips for First Time Solo Backpackers

1. Don’t be afraid to sit alone

There is no worse feeling than sitting alone, not knowing a soul, while everyone around you is laughing with their friends.

I’ll never forget on my very first day of solo backpacking I arrived from the airport to a hostel in Hanoi, Vietnam. I checked in, put my stuff down near my bed, and logged on to the wifi. I let my family know I arrived and then I headed upstairs to the free beer hour.

Hostels often do this to get people at the bar early in hopes that after a few free drinks they will want to pay for the rest. So I headed upstairs, grabbed my free beer… and froze.

Everyone there seemed like they were already all in groups. It seemed like everyone was best friends except for me. I didn’t know what to do so I went to the bar and started looking at the menu…with a full beer already in my hand. Pathetic, I know.

I stood there for about 5 minutes pretending to intently read the 8 item bar menu until a guy came up to me and asked if I was here alone. After I told him yes he asked me to come sit at his table and meet all of his friends…who were all solo travelers who met the night before.

From the outside it really seems like everyone is already in a clique but once you sit down you realize everyone just met each other too. It felt so nice to join their group and feel like I was instantly one of them. They invited me to go to museums the next day and then we all met back up at night.

Every time after that night when I saw someone else sitting alone, I would invite them to come sit with me and my new friends. In America this would be super weird and uncomfortable but in hostel life it’s normal. Everyone is willing to meet everyone. So don’t be afraid to be the one sitting alone because I promise it won’t be for long.

3. Stay in social hostels

The Hostelworld app is your new best friend.

This app is how I find every hostel I’ve ever stayed in. You can book through the app, see pictures, and read unfiltered reviews. Something I always look for in the reviews is the word ‘social’. Since I travel solo I want to meet new people and the easiest way to do that is to stay at a hostel where other people want the same thing.

Social hostels are the best because they often have tours during the day and activities for everyone to do at night. I would say 80% of the friends I made were from going to a hostel’s nightly events. It can range from a trivia night to a beer pong tournament turned bar crawl. Whatever it is, it gets people mingling.

My favorite hostel, which felt like a big family: Nolo Hub in Pai, Thailand

Now there is a difference between social hostels and party hostels. Party hostels are all about…you guessed it! Partying. Bar crawls, body shots, and lots of loud sex in the bunk beds. They are a good time but you have to want that vibe because if you don’t… they are loud, dirty, and fratty. I like to switch off between social and party. Sometimes I stay at the social hostel but grab drinks at the party hostel because at the end of the night I get to return to a nice, quiet, and clean bed versus the bottom bunk of someone who is bouncing loudly above me. 

3. Learn to love spending time alone

In the states going out to eat alone is weird… I don’t think I’ve ever done it. Perhaps a coffee and my laptop at a cafe, but never a sit down restaurant.

There is this strange perception that being alone means you are lonely. Friendless. A loser. When in reality it’s none of those things.

Alone; enjoying my latte in Koh Rong, Cambodia 

It was a strange adjustment for me to eat alone when traveling; but I eventually learned to love it. Not only are there tons of other people eating alone too, but it becomes a different experience. I love people watching when I eat alone; I like to think about the life stories of the people passing by. After eating by myself became a breeze, so did spending the whole day alone. Going to a temple, hiking, hitting the beach; whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to do it regardless of if I have friends to do it with. Often times you meet friends and you spend the day with them. But sometimes you don’t meet anyone you like or you’re in a hostel that’s not that social so you venture out alone. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Highly encouraged.

4. Get unlimited data

A mistake I’ve made 5 too many times: buying a prepaid however many gig sim card just to have it run out and buy another when it would have been cheaper to have gotten the unlimited one in the first place. Classic. 

Make sure before you leave your home country that your phone is unlocked; then when you arrive at your destination get an unlimited local sim card. Make sure to keep your original sim card safe, don’t loose that puppy.

Traveling alone means doing things for yourself: calling a taxi, looking up hostels, and finding directions. All things you need the internet for! Long bus rides are infinitely better with unlimited roaming. Nothing worse than being in the middle of nowhere, alone, with no internet. Good luck trying to communicate with locals who speak no english without a translate app. 

5. Pack right

Do some research, which if you are reading this then good job, you are on the right track!

Make sure to get a backpack that fits right and is comfortable. I bought my backpack from REI in 2015 and I still use it to this day. A little investment here is wise. If you don’t want to pay for a carry-on bag make sure your pack can fit in the overhead bins.

Another big tip is don’t overpack!! Take it from a chronic overpacker who doesn’t listen to her own advice. Last time I came back from traveling I told myself I would never overpack again. I don’t need these jeans “just in case”. I don’t need a hair straightener. I certainly don’t need heels. Everyone dresses super casually to the bars and clubs in SE Asia. I’m talking flip flops and a bikini as a top. So no need to bring “going out” clothes. So when I was packing for my last trip I reminded myself to pack light. Well guess what… I didn’t.

3 bag lady

I had wayyy too many shirts, jeans I never wore, sneakers I wore once, and too much extra cosmetics in case I ran out and couldn’t find a Sephora. Trust me, pack light. It sucks carrying the extra weight and it doesn’t leave any room for shopping. So leave some space in case you want to bring new clothes/ souvenirs home. 

Some important things you shouldn’t forget is any medication (birth control and tampons I all brought with me), first aid kit, portable charger, and a quick dry towel.