The Best Activities for Solo Travelers on a Budget
One of the best things about traveling alone is being able to decide what you want to do without needing to consult people traveling with you. This freedom of choice and spontaneity is exhilarating and makes each destination feel limitless with opportunity. When choosing your daily solo activity, you want to ensure that what you choose is possible to do alone and that it is budget-friendly.
This article aims to serve as inspiration for some awesome activities that you can go ahead and do alone.
Go Fishing
A great way to spend the day is by going fishing which is an activity that you can do on your own.
Spend the day knee-high in the water, suited in a pair of gum boots and towing a fishing rod make for an ideal and calm traveling day. When it comes to gear, you can rent a rod and buy some bait from a local fishing store, which will be your only small expense for this activity. Who knows, maybe you will fall in love with the activity and want to research more about fishing to pursue on your own, if you go to www.meltontackle.com or other sites you will be able to learn about the world of fishing in no time. Be sure to also research the best spots to fish like, Norfolk in England, Valencia in Spain and Brittany in France. Who knows, perhaps fishing will be the big motivator for the next travel destination.
Take a Hike
If you're in an area that has some surrounding hills and mountains, be adventurous and go exploring! The best way to get a great view of a city, get in touch with nature and get some exercise is with a hike. The greatest thing about hikes is that you can go alone and that they're often free! Some nature conservation areas charge entrance but these fees are usually minimal and are for the good of the conservation, making them a worthy expense.
A few things to note when hiking alone: Be sure that you speak to a guide or local about the severity and safety of the hike you choose. If you're hiking alone, it's important to be aware of your surroundings, pack enough water and snacks to last, have a map or navigational system in your backpack and an external charger for your phone. There are also hiking apps out there aimed at helping solo hikers plan their routes and stay on the correct path. Furthermore, try to find some hiking routes that are well-visited by the locals so that you're not completely alone on the route.
Join Free Walking Tours
Many cities offer free walking tours to inquisitive tourists. From Cape Town in South Africa to Paris in France – most cities offer informational and captivating walking tours. These are often free and only require a small donation at the end, which is an amount that is up to the traveler's discretion and budget.
The best thing about this is that the groups are often rather small, allowing you to have a personal exchange with the tour guide and ask any questions you might have about the city. It's something you can join completely on your own and is highly recommended and encouraged by city councils as a way to see the city through a local's eye.
Partake in Free Cultural Festivities
Each town or city celebrates festivities in a way that is unique to them. For example, the 'Songkran' which is celebrated in Thailand with a friendly water fight sees the streets of Thailand filled with kids and adults playing together to celebrate the start of the the Thai New Year. Or the way that India has the 'Holi Celebration' where they throw a variety of vibrantly colored powders on each other which originated from newlywed women in India who did this to spread prosperity and goodwill upon their new families.
Both of these festivities are meaningful and welcome anyone wanting to be involved, as long as respect is shown for the history and culture behind the celebrations. This allows travelers to understand and partake in the culture in a way that they would have otherwise never been able to. It also lets travelers see the destination in a completely new light and with much more empathy. Seeing a cultural celebration live is an experience that lingers in the memory of travelers forever.
Get a Massage at a Local Parlor
After days of fishing, hiking, walking and celebrating, it's safe to say that your body is going to ache from all the activities. Not to mention that traveling is sometimes rather tiring with all the new roads, foods and cultures that you take in daily. So, why not spoil yourself with some relaxing time with a massage at a local parlor.
This is the ideal way to unwind after a strenuous few days of travel and it gives you the opportunity to regain your strength and recharge your batteries for the rest of your travels. It also supports the locals and is often rather budget-friendly. Especially because you can go for a shorter 30-minute basic massage, which will certainly not break the bank but still leave you feeling rejuvenated.