Solo Travel For Men: A Guide for Wanderers
A Man and a Road
Solo travel for men can drastically alter and improve a life. There are no activities that so thoroughly test an individual, while also deepening his connection to the world.
However, traveling alone as a man does come with certain considerations. It’s important to understand how a solo traveler might experience the world, to better deal with trials and challenges.
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Benefits of Solo Travel for Men
Self-Protection
Traveling solo as a man has some advantages. Men are generally perceived as more capable, even while alone. While this doesn’t render a solo traveler immune to muggings or pickpockets, it lowers the threat somewhat. Making overt, steady and continuous eye contact can deter a person approaching you.
Alternatively, wearing reflective sunglasses and preventing eye contact can also make a man seem like a less-appealing pickpocket target.
Less Noticeable
Men also have the advantage of solitude. Generally, men are seen as less approachable than women. As a result, men can travel to many locations without attracting overt attention.
Men can reliably travel the world with relatively few stigmas. Especially in conservative countries, men have fewer social expectations placed on them by society. A man can more easily travel to new locations at different times.
Challenges of Solo Travel for Men
Financial
Solo travel for men also brings up some challenges to consider. The first and most consistent is financial. Men who travel are perceived as richer.
Many people (incorrectly) assume that travel costs a lot of money. Foreign men in a new country are thought to have more cash. Therefore, they’re more often targeted by scams.
While pickpockets and muggers might be less-willing to approach an intimidating-looking man, scammers are more likely to target solo traveling men. To prevent this, arm yourself with knowledge about scams and take the usual safety precautions.
Seduction Scams
Some of the scams that directly target solo traveling men are called Seduction Scams.
Seduction scams use social engineering to obtain a person’s money or other resources.
For example, in China, there’s a scam called a Tea Scam. A young, attractive woman who speaks English fluently strikes up a conversation and brings the traveler to a tea shop. She then asks what tea he likes, and orders it for him. When the tea is finished, the bill comes out. But the bill is huge, possibly several hundred dollars. In a Tea Scam, the young woman and the shop owner run a partnership scam to fleece a traveler out of his money.
This scam relies on a young woman being attractive, engaging and distracting. There are many variations of this around the world.
Always be cautious of people approaching you first. Also, avoid agreeing to buy anything unless you clearly see a price tag attached up front.
Intimidating
Another challenge men have to deal with while traveling alone is their own appearance. Sometimes, when a foreigner visits a new land, he finds himself much larger than the locals. A traveler from Denmark, for example, might tower over people in Vietnam.
Men tend to be larger, harrier and stronger-looking. They also tend to say alien words in much lower tones. This can make locals nervous.
To put others at ease, remember to speak expressively, smile when necessary and keep your posture open. If there’s a language barrier, space out your words and use short, direct sentences. If someone doesn’t understand, don’t repeat yourself louder. Simply try explaining using different motions and words.
A wider variety of expressions makes it more likely a person will understand past a language barrier.
She Loves You, She Loves You Not
Many men chose to date abroad. One of the great advantages of being a foreigner is novelty. You’re immediately the most new and interesting thing in a room. Many women find this attractive.
But as mentioned before, foreigners are also perceived as rich. Some locals see a visitor as a good target for a shot at better socio-economic standing.
It can also be hard to understand expressions and expectations of love or affection past culture barriers.
Try to take things slow and ask polite, clarifying and direct questions for understanding whenever possible. Real affection can be found anywhere on Earth, but there’s no reason to be naïve about it.
How to Solo Travel As a Man
With challenges and advantages in mind, actually traveling alone as a man has some extra points to consider.
Take Time and Think Thoughts
When there’s constant new stimulus, it’s common for men to immediately react or plunge into adventure and the unknown. This decisiveness is an asset when used in moderation.
Give yourself time to think through situations whenever possible. Be deliberate, speaking out loud to yourself or writing notes down. Remember, you’re not at home, so many of your assumptions could be flawed.
Think carefully, use your judgment and temper bravery with intelligence.
Developing Social Skills
Men aren’t often approached in public, especially in foreign nations. It’s common to see men operating alone for some time, without anyone going over to speak to them.
This can be a recipe for loneliness while traveling, especially for men very comfortable with their own company.
Practice being the person to reach out to others. Speak to other travelers and locals. Keep connected with loved ones at home. Staying connected to the world, making friends and improving social skills all enhance the travel experience. You might find lifelong friends, great advice about your next destination or just someone to share a laugh with.
Be Open to the Kindness of Others
The world is a surprisingly kind place. No matter where a person travels, there are other humans willing to stop and help out.
If you’re in a bind, lost or need aid, be open to the help that others offer. People everywhere have altruistic habits. Help, when offered and accepted, can be invaluable.
Travel Philosophies
One of the secrets to traveling as a man involves traveling light. This means to carry as little as possible while on the road. The lighter a person travels, the less likely it is he’ll be targeted for theft. A lighter traveler can also move further, respond with more flexibility and travel more cheaply than a person weighed down with many tools and goods.
Remember, women tend to travel with more things, but their supplies are smaller and lighter. Men tend to travel with fewer things, but their supplies are denser and heavier.
Always travel as lightly as possible.
Take your Hobbies With You
Every man should have three skills outside of their job: A physical skill, an intellectual pursuit and an artistic hobby. These pillars are what refine a man into something better.
A physical skill can be anything from boxing to swimming to rock climbing. Taking care of your body is a vital part of any journey.
An intellectual pursuit can be learning chess, reading books, teaching yourself to code or solving puzzles. Hobbies like these keep an individual sharp and capable.
Finally, a man should cultivate an artistic talent. Art is how we better produce value for the world. This might be playing music, taking photos or drawing in sketchbooks. The creative process is a vital part of mental health. It allows a mind to feel it’s contributions to the universe.
All these skills should either be taken on the road or learned in the course of traveling. A man heading to Costa Rica, for example, might pursue his sketching hobbies while learning yoga to improve fitness and practicing Spanish to evolve mentally.
Mooch Mentality
As a traveler, it often feels like others are always helping us. Friendly locals are providing directions, kind hotel staff members go the extra mile to provide comfort and local friends help with translation services.
This can weigh on a person mentally after some time. It’s important to feel like you’re contributing to the community around you.
Help out other travelers with advice and directions when you can. Consider volunteering in places you stay. Look for opportunities to encourage others or earn your keep.
A true man traveling solo is an asset wherever he goes. And his psyche will improve with that fact.
Be a Source of Safety for Others
When practicing solo travel for men, a traveler should recognize that their very presence can help others.
Simply pairing up with other travelers for a short time, especially late at night, can improve safety drastically. By being in the right place at the right time, buddying up can keep others feeling safer and more secure.
Improvements
Finally, a man traveling solo should recognize the effect of travel upon himself. Traveling allows a person to truly test their habits, temperament and capabilities in the real world.
Independence
A man traveling alone is, by necessity, capable and independent. The many surprises and trials that come along with adventure can help a man improve himself wherever he goes.
Traveling alone means nobody knows you and there are no preconceptions about who you should be. This is a chance to test out different versions and sides of yourself that wouldn’t have been explored at home.
Finding Purpose
Traveling exposes a person to a vast array of experiences. As these experiences accumulate, a person gets a better idea of who they are and what they want in life.
The self-clarity found during travel is profound. At some point during your journey, you may come across an experience or thought that determines the very direction of the rest of your life.
Staying Disciplined
Many of our habits are rooted in cues found in our environment. When our environment is constantly shifting, these cues vanish. A man traveling solo must recalibrate and develop new discipline habits for self-care.
While initially traveling might feel like vacation, remember that it’s still life. Figure out the goals you have for your health and wellbeing while developing the discipline to achieve them.
A successful man traveling solo is one who has taken his choices into his own hands.
Roll with the Punches, Improve Temperament
Without exception, adventure is going to come with the unexpected. At some point during a journey, there will be obstacles.
A solo traveler who throws a fit or sulks off doesn’t last long. But a traveler who learns how to handle adversity gets better at it over time.
As you continue on your journey as a solo traveling man, pay attention to how you react to challenges. The more you see yourself overcoming them, the more you’ll improve at succeeding in all aspects of life.
Overall, traveling solo as a man is an extraordinary experience. While there are trials involved, the adventures and self-improvements that come with the journey are worth it.
To all those who practice solo travel for men, good luck on your adventures. Appreciate the experiences they impart.
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean