Top 10 Solo Travelers Destinations in 2020 – Travel Lovers

What up, guys? I'm Arun with Be My Travel Muse and welcome to another fantastic blog about solo travel. So, this blog is all about the best places in the world that I have found to travel alone. And I'm a bit of an expert on this topic because I've been traveling mostly alone for the last seven years, and I've been to every continent except for Antarctica, which is probably not a great place to travel alone. So, out of all of those places, I have quite a few places that I think are fantastic or solo travelers, but the 10 on this list all have either ease, nice price, attraction of other solo travelers, or it's a really safe place to go. So, without further ado, these are my top 10 best places in the world to travel by yourself.

 

1. Japan

Why do I love Japan so much for solo travelers? Well, first of all, it's a very well organized, clean, safe place to travel. So, when you go there, you're going to find that people are very kind and friendly, will often go out of their way to be helpful to you. At least that's been my experience there. And the wonderful thing about traveling in Japan is the culture, it is so unique and so interesting. I remember heading to Harajuku in Tokyo and just being amazed by the fashion, by the food. I mean, I went to this place called Robot Cafe and it was just kind of absolutely crazy. And it's not just places like Harajuku, allover Japan, you're going to see a super unique culture from the shrines that you'll come across to the amazing, amazing Japanese food. And there's also museums there like the team Lab Border less in Tokyo, which I can just stay in all day. I mean, I basically did actually my first day there. So, if you want to go somewhere that is artsy, interesting and delicious, Japan fits the bill. The only downsides of Japan, it's not very cheap. And I will say the Tokyo Metro is like pretty hard to navigate, but don't worry because there's really friendly people there to help you if you get lost. 

2. Peru

So, in terms of something that is just going to wow you, Machu Picchu is one of the most incredible, I think it's an ancient citadel. No one really knows the whole history of it, but in terms of ancient ruins, it's just so spectacular. And the great thing about itis if you choose to hike there on the Salcantay Trail or on the Inca Trail, which is what I did, you can join a group and they're very well organized. The food is really good on these things, you guys. And so if you know early enough when you're going to go, because these do tend to book out a year in advance during high season, you can join a group, trek to this beautiful place and have an amazing time. So, I actually went on a four-day backpacking trip by myself in Peru, which I don't recommend if it's your first time, but it's just such a stunning place with so many glaciers, amazing mountains, and blues that I have never seen in the water before. So, in terms of wonderful places in South America, Peru is awesome. You can also bus around very easily and there may be some language issues if you don't speak any Spanish, but I didn't go there speaking very well Española. So, I did pick it up and you can, too. 

3. Southwest USA

There's so many places in the USA that are amazing for solo travelers. People might be surprised that Hawaii, New Orleans, I mean, really any major city in the U.S. can be so much fun to travel around if you're alone. But in particular for me, I really love the American Southwest. You've got Utah, Arizona, the amazing deserts and mountains of California, and if you really want a truly solo adventure going out there, camping and hiking, seeing the stars, it's just one of the most amazing solo trips I've ever taken. Now, I did sometimes meet people when I was camping, but for the most part, that is a trip that you will be doing on your own unless you're going to the really popular national parks like Zion in Utah or Arches or the Grand Canyon, of course. But when it comes to an amazing adventure where you can truly come back to yourself and spend some time alone in just endless expanses without anyone else around, I think the American Southwest is one of the only places in the world where you can truly do that. 

4. Germany

I admit I'm biased because I did live in Berlin for about four and a half years, but when it comes to funky, awesome, friendly, once you get to know people, and interesting, Germany has so much to offer. I mean, you've got the Alps, you've got Oktoberfest, obviously, if you're into that, you have beautiful and amazing Christmas markets. The nature out there is just absolutely stunning. And then, of course, I'm a big fan of the capital city of Berlin. There is always something going on. I mean, this is truly the city that never sleeps. It's pretty safe for the most part, just watch for pickpockets and that goes for all of Europe. They're really good. I know, they got me. 

5. New Zealand 

New Zealand is held by many as one of the most beautiful countries on planet Earth and I can attest to that. Traveling around New Zealand is easy, very friendly. If you're an outdoorsy type, there is so much hiking there that is just next-level beautiful. And if you've got time, definitely explore the South Island and the North Island and get a camper van and you'll meet so many people that way or if you don't want to do that, staying in hostels is a great way to meet people. I probably wouldn't do that if I were in my 30s because it's a younger crowd. I am in my 30s so I wouldn't do that. But you can always meet people on meetup group’s or Couchsurfing. There's a lot of different ways. Only downside is it's not exactly a cheap place to travel. That's the only thing that I would say about it, but otherwise, it's very safe and a fantastic place for solo travelers. 

6. French Polynesia

Some of you may have never even really thought about going to French Polynesia before, but it is one of the friendliest places I have ever been. I went for the first time just a few months ago and I was just amazed by how friendly and sweet and welcoming the locals were. On my first day there, the guest house owner where I was staying invited me to eat a meal with his family and I just thought that was so sweet and that just really set the tone for the trip. People are always saying, which means hello and there are plenty of other solo travelers there and they may be there to surf, scuba dive or swim with all of the amazing sea life. But I find that when there's a shared interest, like a sport or something like that that brings people to the country, you're in a really good position to meet other solo travelers like yourself. It is a really good place to go if you want to feel truly welcomed. I mean, there is something to be said for Polynesian culture. 

7. Indonesia

So, we're moving into Southeast Asia now because I believe that this part of the world is truly the best for people who are traveling on their own. Indonesia is a big country but a lot of people will go to Bali or right next to Bali are the Gillis and Lombok and the Nusa Islands and these are all great places to travel alone and to meet other people. You can do amazing scuba diving there, you can do surfing, you can just enjoy the beaches and it's just a friendly place, especially if you are on your own and looking to meet other people because tons of people go to Bali. Actually, Bali welcomed over 7 million visitors last year, so it's not my favorite place to be honest with you because it doesn't feel that authentic to me anymore. But I do love Lombok. I do love the Gillis. There's a lot on this channel that can show you how amazing those places are. The other great thing about Indonesia is its super cheap. Once you get there, food, accommodation, a motorbike if you feel like driving yourself around, and activities are all really affordable. So, I do love that about Southeast Asia. They are definitely a tourist-friendly part of the world and it's easy enough to communicate because most of the locals do speak at least a little bit of English if they work in tourism, and I find it's pretty easy to navigate as well. So, when it comes to solo travelers friendliness, Indonesia is easy and awesome.

8. The Philippines

I love the Philippines because the people there make it an amazing place. A lot of them speak English and they're very, very friendly and welcoming people. I mean, you are hard-pressed to find people who are more proud of their own country than Filipinos. And whenever I'm there, I just get so many suggestions on great places to go. People want to take pictures together, in the more remote places at least, and it is just so stunningly beautiful. It's also very affordable and I have found that you can find accommodation options, really, to suit any range, but even when you go higher-end, it's not that expensive. And one of my favorite things about it is that you almost can't runout of islands to visit. So, I have gone back three times now because there's just so much to see there and because I just feel so welcomed every time. The only downside of traveling in the Philippines is logistics. It can be hard to get around because there are so many islands. So, just keep in mind that you should pack a lot of patience if you're going to go. All right. 

9. Iceland

Iceland is a fantastic place to travel solo because it is regularly ranked the safest country in the world. I mean, people seriously leave their car running when they go in to go grocery shopping. Now, that I think about it, that's not the greenest thing to do. But anyway, that just, I think, illustrates how safe of a country it is and how much people really trust each other there. And it's really hard to top Iceland in terms of amazing beauty. I mean, it is just stunning. You've got insane waterfalls, you've got amazing hiking, you've got the Northern Lights for half of the year and it's just really hard to come up with a place that is more stunningly beautiful than Iceland. I mean, I was just pulling over, it felt like, every five minutes in order to take another photo or, like, pet a horse or to just experience the beauty of Iceland. And it is definitely a very touristy place to go in the summer, but if you go in a shorter season, you're going to get so much of it all to yourself and it's truly spectacular. Now, if that scares you, meet up with some people in Reykjavik, hatch a plan to travel together, rent a car together, a camper van and go have an adventure. I've got a ton of information on my blog about how you can prep for a trip to Iceland and the best itineraries as well, so you can hit that in the show notes below. 

10. Thailand

In terms of the best places to travel solo because it attracts other solo travelers, is super affordable, is very tourist-friendly, is easy and has, like, seriously probably the best food in the world. It's just, you can't beat Thailand. I realized that some parts of Thailand are very touristy, but you don't have to visit those places. There are amazing spots up North and also in some of the islands that just don't even get that much tourism. So, you can go to places like Kho Tao and Ko Pha Ngan if you want to meet a bunch of people. But if you want to be on your own, you can go to Koh Yao Noi or Koh Yao Yai and these are just beautiful, stunning places. And if you want to get some action, you can go to Bangkok. And Chiang Mai is a wonderful place. It's so full of ex-pats, you're going to meet tons of people. And then my personal favorite part of Thailand is the northern areas where very few tourists go. So, I actually rented a car and drove around and saw a bunch of stuff up there so you could always meet some people in Chiang Mai, share a car with them and go on a road trip. 

So, I hope this blog helps you to pick some places to travel solo. I hope it helps you to think about some attributes a place can have that make it wonderful for a solo travelers and if it's your first time or whatever, your 50th time traveling solo. So, that is also in the show notes below. I hope that you found this blog helpful. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for being here. Thank you for traveling the world because I think it makes us all better human beings.