Boldly Go Solo

Posts on solo travel in Egypt win award from travel writers group

We here at Boldly Go Solo (we being me) are just bursting with delight over learning that this very blog was awarded top honors by the Society of American Travel Writers' Atlantic Caribbean Chapter.

On a related note, I just learned about a new book called Brag!: The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn without Blowing It. Unfortunately, I haven't read it yet. So if I'm bragging and blowing it, I apologize. I'll get the hang of it as soon as I get the book.

The posts that captured the hearts of the judges, in case you'd like to reread them were on taking a carriage rider in Luxor, Egypt, ballooning over the Valley of the Kings and falconry at Hershey in Pennsylvania.

The judges, comprised of journalism faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, noted:

"Excellent scene-setting makes these posts stand out. Great theme for a blog."

I'm blushing! (reminder: I haven't read the bragging book yet...)

Ripley's Believe It or Not on solo travel. Walk the Amazon anyone?

Some solo travel is a tad more difficult than I'd care to do. For instance, a British ex-Army officer is in the midst of walking the length of the Amazon River in South America.

That's, um, 4,000 miles. As the crocodile swims. But longer, really, since the river widens in many places and Ed Stafford can't always take the shortest route. By February, Stafford had passed the halfway point. 

He's accompanied by a guide named Cho, so though he started out solo in April 2008, he now has someone along on the trip.

When I set out solo, I usually go to some cushy place with all the amenities. And often meet up with a guide, too. Stafford, on the other hand, has had to deal with venomous snakes, flooding, electric eels, piranhas and jaguars.

Cairo Time takes you to the Nile and the Pyramids and the Khan El-Khalili market

"Cairo Time," a romantic drama on the big screen that takes viewers on an in-depth tour of Egypt's capital city, provided me with an evocative return visit to the "City of a Thousand Minarets."

I recognized a set of stairs in a section of the Khan El-Khalili market downtown, a minaret (or is it just a tower?) on the banks of the Nile and, of course, the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx.

For the friend who joined me, it was a glimpse of Cairo so compelling that he now wants to visit.  

This is one of the things I love about travel. It adds a richness to life that extends far beyond the trip.

  The movie is beautifully shot, but slow. I like this description of Cairo Time from the Toronto Star: "Ruba Nadda’s slow burner shows the hectic urbanity of Cairo but also the cool eternity of the ancient pharaohs and the hidden chambers of the heart."

17-plus ways to meet people when traveling solo and other solo travel tips

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Today's post is a roundup of solo-related pieces I found on the Web in the past few days.

First, in a continuation of travel deals from my last post, there are two cruise lines that are waiving the single supplements on certain voyages. 

Avalon Waterways has some European river cruises available with no single supplement. And Norwegian Cruise Line has introduced what it's calling Norwegian Epic Studios, "contemporary staterooms priced for the solo traveler." Cruises still are pretty pricey for my taste, but hopefully my cruising readers can take advantage of these deals.

For more info NCL's solo cruises and others, see this story in Cruise Critic.

The rest of these posts offer reasons for traveling solo and good places to do so.

The Travel Channel has a nice post on solo travel on the topic, saying that "few experiences offer the inspiration for self-growth and discovery as does the act of hitting the road solo." Despite the the apprehension one might feel before setting off.

For one, local women in countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, are quick to approach single female travelers with offers of hospitality, the writer found. Such as a a meal at their homes. Something that is less likely to happen if you travel with others. The post offers thoughts for traveling in India, Morocco, Iceland and Vietnam.

Travel's better the first time around and solo travel brings you a lot of firsts

Last year around this time I wrote about holiday markets around the world. The post was prompted by a visit to Washington, D.C.'s holiday market.

The other day, I went back to the D.C. market. I have to admit, the second time was not as exciting.

That's the thing about travel for me. I always want to see something new. I want to go to a city or country I haven't been to rather than one I've already visited. Even if there's plenty left to see in places I've been.

Which is probably why I'm often a solo traveler. I only have so many travel days and so much money to spend. And, to get right down to it, only so many healthy years for traveling. (I don't know that number but I know it's not forever.)

So I want each experience to have great potential for discovery and not be too much of a repeat.

If I had to find a travel companion for every trip, I'd need to find someone who wants to go where I want to go and travel the way I want to travel. Good luck with that.

This winter, I have an opportunity to go on an inexpensive trip to Thailand with my travel writers' group. But I've been to Thailand.

I loved it and I highly recommend it. But it's a long way to go to see many of the things I've already seen. Don't get me wrong. I think I would thoroughly enjoy myself.

But such a trip also would alter wonderful memories I already have and it would take time and money from a more special trip to someplace new.

So I'm going to pass and dream on about China, or Japan, or some other country I haven't been. This is a choice I can make only because I'm willing to travel solo to live my travel dreams.

Holidays for solo travelers from the Mail in Great Britain

Here's a fun read on solo travel from the Mail Online, a British Web site. The writer rounds up "the best" (that's subjective, though, isn't it?) "holidays for solo travellers." That is, the "best vacations for solo travelers" in American English (just taking the mickey, that is, kidding the British friend who gave me the heads up on this article).

Not all of the trips will make sense for Americans because they're based on British pounds and are geared to travelers starting in England. Nevermind. The article is a good basis for ideas and a reaffirmation that going solo can work out well for all types of travelers, including those who leave spouse and children behind.

Besides, how often do you hear about people vacationing in the Isles of Scilly, off the Southwestern tip of Great Britain, or hiking the Atlas Mountains in Morocco? It's a fun cultural experience for Americans and other non-Brits just to read the article.

I also like sharing articles like these so I can have other people say what I've been saying all along: that things often work out great when you take the risk of traveling solo.

In the article, a 29-year-old court reporter went snowboarding on her own in the Canadian Rockies because she was "fresh out of a relationship" and had no desire to go on a singles tour. " I thought it would be all couples, but there were only a few. It was really good fun and very bonding."

A 46-year-old divorcee who went to a health sanctuary in Thailand: "At the end of my stay there were six of us eating together – a German headhunter, New York museum curator, Italian lawyer, Greek fund manager and a lecturer."

I bet she stays in touch with at least one or two of these new-found friends.

Photo: Ellen Perlman. Thai buddha.

Last minute solo adventure trips

I heard on the radio the other morning that hotels in New York are offering terrific deals on rooms. One such deal was a rate reduction to $100 from $500. In that case, I won't complain about the fact that two people pay the same rate as one. Sorry I don't have more specifics about the hotels, but if the idea of treating yourself to a trip to New York is appealing, call around. And negotiate!

Or how about a last minute deal on a trip to South Africa or Vietnam or the Amazon? G.A.P. Adventures has a page of last-minute deals. I need to look at these last minute sites more often.

Because G.A.P.'s trips are inexpensive, I'm guessing their customers skew young. These are not your luxury trips. But that's fine by me. Just get me on the river or the hiking trail.

I particularly like this line in the description of a 15-day trip to Costa Rica: "Hitting some of Costa Rica's best natural highlights, this 15-day tour provides ample opportunities for hiking, horseback riding and swimming."

Wish I could go! But there are only so many vacation weeks in a year...

 

Horseback riding in the Masai Mara: a trip to remember, if you can afford it

Riding horses across the Masai Mara, a large reserve park in Southwestern Kenya, is something I'd love to do. Paying $5,675 plus $875 for the single supplement is something I really don't want to do. And won't.

In this case, even if I were spared the single supplement, I wouldn't shell out close to $6,000 for an eight-day vacation. But it is fun to dream about. For those who have the bucks, Cross Country International, the company that offers it, promotes itself to single travelers:

"Many of our customers travel alone. Many of our riders are single. This is a great way to meet other people and just be yourself."

(They seem to have left off the "well-to-do" between "meet other" and "people.")

I've never been to Africa. It would be amazing to go horseback riding and visit a wild animal reserve and meet with the local Masai at Acacia Camp, a game-viewing area.

But some things simply are out of reach. For now. (Who says a bag packed with $1,000 bills couldn't fall on my head tomorrow?)