Travelling Solo Is For Everyone

The Ageing Millennial is BACK after a solo trip to Uzbekistan. Over the last couple of months I got a lot of questions related to solo travel i.e. "Ammar, isn't solo travel boring?," "How do I go on the solo travel?," "Can you share stories from your solo travel experiences?" etc. In this episode, I share my solo travel experiences including Uzbekistan, Jordan and Scotland and impact it had on me.  Remember, solo travel is for EVERYONE - doesn't matter if you're single, married, 16 or 60 years old. A Solo trip doesn't mean venturing abroad, a weekend visit to another local city/town counts! 

Transcript

hello, hello, hello, hello. Hello. Beautiful people. I am back. Ammar is back in the house with the ageing millennial. I was on vacation for two weeks. I came back about three weeks ago. And I finally found the time to sit down and record the first episode after the break I had missed all of you. I have missed sharing my experiences and they were a couple of people who asked about what I'm coming back, how long is the break?

And it be and I just didn't know myself. So here you go. This is the first episode off of the break and hope. And just, I think it's apt that having come back from a solo trip, I do an episode on, you know, how to travel happily alone or solo. This is a question I've got a lot. People have asked me Amar, you know, we listened to your couple of your first episodes.

We talked about doing things solo, but we just can't get ourselves to do that. You know, please share your experiences in a bit more detail. How did it impact you? How did you feel? And you know, perhaps we get motivated to, you know, go on a solo trip alone. And honestly when, when people think about a solo trip to think about a far, far destination though it doesn't have to be that it can be literally, you know, the next best city in your country.

And you know, you could spend a weekend. There is you can start small. So just to start the episode there's a. I don't know who said this, but it, but he or she says, traveling alone will be the scariest, most liberating life-changing experience of your life. Try it at least once. And then there's another one.

And I'm not sure who said it. They're all these unknown people, not, not people where people we don't know who said that if you had to wait for someone to travel with you, you may end up waiting for life. And honestly, this last quote resonates with me the most just because you know, as soon as I started earning and, you know, had the funds to travel without asking my parents for money it will always involve, you know, making people, making plans with people, sorting dates out, certain calendars out sorting out what places appeal to you.

What places have you visited in the past? What pieces haven't you been. What places I'll do bucket lists, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, and honesty. It ate up so much of my time that I ended up traveling nowhere. So I remember once we were a group of, I think two or three of us were traveling or trip to Morocco, I was maybe 1920 and it just didn't materialize because everyone had different preferences, different date preferences different budgets.

So someone could say in the hustle, others wanted to stay in luxury hotel and it just didn't matter. So then, you know, going on, I realized that I needed to do a solar trip and on my own terms. So in my, in my last, I think 10 years of me working, or 11 years of me working, I've done two long solo trips and what short sort of trip.

So my first one was in Jordan. If you folks remember in one of my first episodes, I eluded to this so I took a sabbatical. I wanted to be. And I told myself, you know, I wouldn't get this time ever again you know, to, to have a career break and to travel. So, you know, Jordan, I I boarded, I think you, you guys remember, but I was really anxious and hesitant to board the plane just before, because it was my first sort of flight.

Sorry. So the trip and it was you know, me going alone to a completely new country. And I just wanted to cancel my ticket go. Fortunately, I did not listen to the voice in my head, so I didn't give the inner voice any control. And I boarded the plane and I had to say it was one of the best experiences of my life.

So that was my first solo trip. The second one was this year, actually, where I actually went to Scotland. I didn't bro, just before leaving or relocating back to Pakistan. So it was June of this year. I spent five days there and fortunately you don't get that in Scotland much, but it was sunny. It was warm.

It literally rained, I think, half a day out of the five days. And it's very unusual for Scotland and I had the best time of my life from a photography point of view. Well, I took pictures. I don't know if they're amazing, but they're amazing in my view, I'm pretty confident about that. And if you do want to check my pictures, I'll go to Instagram.

And I got to see parts of Scotland that I had never seen before. So I went to the Highlands. I booked tour. I went to, I went, I booked a tour and I went to Highlands. I think there were six or seven other people. We went to different locks, went to small Scottish towns you know, had the traditional food.

And it was great then in Edinburgh, I, you know tried some different restaurants out of went to cafes went to shisha cafes as well. Did some photography, did a walking tour around Edinburgh. And John just made me fall in love with Edinburgh. And it was a shame I actually said to myself, damn, I wish, you know, I visited editor book earlier on for long.

Though, whatever how many days I had, it was amazing. It was really, really good fun. And the most recent trip, the most recent trip was, was Pakistan. So I was planning a trip with a very good friend of mine who lives in Istanbul as well. And I was going to try with him. So we were, we were thinking of DCIS or travel.

And now obviously, because of COVID there are not many places you can do. And I had 10 days, 10 days, including traveling time. So I didn't want to go too far. Though ironically was Pakistan was Pakistan. Land became a very long journey. So in Pakistan, so you could actually fly to is Pakistan from Pakistan.

It's a two hour flight due to COVID. They had to cancel flights. So I had a longest route along as 24 hours. Well, I have to go from Starbucks to Karachi, Karachi, to Sharjah, Sharjah, to Tashkent. And then I decided, you know, I need to visit a city in is Pakistan called Kiva, and that's a thousand kilometers away from Tashkent.

So I might've used this, do the whole flying and journey in one goal. And then I went to Tosh gun and then I took a flight from Tashkent to Cleaver and it was literally 24 hours door to door. I was exhausted. That was the only route. And I heard about it was Pakistan. And the reason why I chose this Pakistan is I heard about Sabika and then, you know, the I don't know how to say, but the the a thousand tales or something of that sort where it was Becca style was brushing quite a lot, then, you know reading about the.

And just reading about the beautiful architecture there at the fact that is Pakistan is a country which was closed up and now it's, its been opening up to tourists and last four to five years I really want it to go so heads, I chose this Pakistan and it was an amazing, amazing, amazing experience. So I'm going to give you some interesting stories.

You might find them funny perhaps you can relate them to when you want to holiday obviously, you know, things. Situation, however, the experience you might relate to. So I'm just going to give you a bit of stories from was Pakistan. So English isn't widely spoken in this Pakistan. I don't expect going to Pakistan and expecting, you know English being widely spoken and nothing bad, you know, was back is their local language.

And we shouldn't expect people to learning. Just to make tourists welcome. So I went to a local food place and flavor. So, so, so with me and just before this, so with me, I like traveling, I like trying out local stuff and going to local restaurants where the locals go. Just so I don't know, just mentally, I just think there'll be more authentic.

Then the restaurants with. Are more geared to tourists and obviously cheaper as well. So I Googled some local restaurants and I found one in Cleaver. So I went there. I, I asked for a table and a menu. I don't know. Th the lady there said something, I didn't know what she was saying, but she was doing, she was just continuing with her work of you know taking, taking orders from.

And delivering the plates to the tables. So I just stood there with my camera and sunglasses on, well, I took my sunglasses off, but I had my camera on. So clearly I was a tourist and I waited for about five, 10 minutes. I got no tables. So I take a table myself, I pointed and she said, yeah, take it.

I got stairs from everyone, obviously sitting there just because I had my backpack on to have my sunglasses. Or on my shirt and then I have my camera on as well. I sat for 15 minutes. The girl came well, I signaled the girl to take my order. She came, she asked me what I wanted. I knew a few dishes and it was back.

So I asked for Monte, which are dumplings, and I really felt like eating those. She nodded. So I thought she had taken my order. I waited for 30. And I just thought that it's taking time, it's busy and you know, I don't, and this is probably just how the locals do it. So I waited for 30 minutes and there wasn't any food.

So I told the girl, I signal to the girl again, you know, what's happening or asked her. And she's like, oh, well, since I, when it, so. And I was XO, I ordered Monte and he's like, oh, we don't serve Monte. You know, it's like, oh, you know, I couldn't even say that. I told the girl Monte because they just don't speak English.

So there was no point in defending myself. So I was like, so what's available. So he's like, Pluff so I was like, okay, I'll help solve for one person. And yeah, so just waited there for 30, 35 minutes expecting my Monte to come. It didn't come because they don't serve. And then I had to ask again, so the Pluff was amazing, delicious food.

Loved it, loved it, loved it. And then later on, I remembered that I had Google translate on my translate on my phone, which I could have used though I didn't. So that was one of my first experiences of going to a local food place. So tips, if you go to Google food place, I remembered that you have Google translate or download it if you don't and.

You know, do I look at other people's perhaps tables and see what they're eating? And if you'd like to look at it or order there but don't expect any menus in these local food places. I think from what I know, there's they, they only serve one dish which has Plouffe in the afternoon. If you're in is Pakistan that's her, that's their, that's their lunch lunch thing.

So another interesting thing is I being the adventurous person. I booked all my train tickets online through the spec app, respect, train railways app which I found very impressive, which I find very impressive. So I booked all my travels from Kiva to Bukara Bukara to summer camp as summer come to Tashkent.

I booked it was debt cheap. So I booked first-class VIP. Government got me happy. You know, I got a really great deal for, you know, 15 pounds. And so the train journey from FIBA to Pokhara was. And I was looking forward to it. So I I go to the trade and I discovered that these are trained. The first class are, these are the sleeper trains and there are four people in one cabin.

So I went there, but fortunately there wasn't anyone sharing with me. So I had the whole thing to me. Though, what was interesting was funny that I've read online, that people tend to share. The locals, tend to share food with tourists and foreigners. The, no one shared the food with me, so that was pretty disappointing.

But apart from that, I remember the train stopped at one point and I wanted to use a toilet. So I asked the guards so the, the, sorry, the train crew members where the toilet was and they, they. Signaled, you know, the toilet are you comfortable by just using a hole? And I said and they're like, you'd have to go out.

So beat me and like, you know, not knowing English, not knowing how the trains really work, not knowing where we are not having a local SIM card not being able to use the wifi, not being available in the train stations or on the train. I was scared that if I got. They might miss me and the train might go with my stuff and I wouldn't know how to get back there.

I just wouldn't know what to do. Or if I went, if I got to, if I miss a train and got to the city with my train was going, I don't know how I'd get my luggage and all that. So I went back to my seat, however, I really needed the toilet. So I went back again and I asked them and I, I was, I told them, you know, can you come with me and show me what toy does they just pointed outside?

So I went out. I took the risk. I, I ran and found a toy to use it and came back. So it, you know, it kind of taught me that you know, just trust them. They waited for me and the train way to, for even 10 minutes after I got back to the train. So learned to trust the situation. I was a bit anxious, but, you know, in the end it was, it was funny.

When I found, when w when the train was moving again, I wanted to use a toy again at this taught me never to drink coffee or tea on a new spectrum ever again. And I discovered that there was a train on the sorry, toilet on the train. I used that that was disgusting. Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting.

They had no hand soap, no scientists or nothing. I felt dirty. But had to, like, I I'm happy. I did. Number one, there was number two would have been dumb. I would have been a really bad situation anyways. So that was a trade, great experience on the trade. Oh, I remember now this is another story, but when I was flying from Tashkent to Akiva this lady was Beck lady had a lot of handler.

And they weren't allowing her onto the plane. So I only had a backpack and a hat, a allowance from their hand and other hand baggage. So she gave it to me. No English, we obviously, she couldn't speak English. I couldn't speak with spec. And she signaled to me. She asked me if I could help her with her baggage and carried on the plane, keep it with me.

I think, give it to her on the way back. Now, I got a bit scared that, you know, what if there's a, what are the drugs inside or what if you know, she's using. As a drug you know, I don't know the name, but a person who carries drugs. So I was a bit hesitant though, she, with, with the kid and that kind of gave me the trust that, you know she could be trustworthy.

So I just did it anywhere out of niceness. So I went into, I got off the plane or when I went to London, even gave her the, gave her the bag And thought it was gonna be okay. And it was okay in the end. I expected her to like, you know, say, oh, you know can I buy you lunch or breakfast? But nothing of that sort, maybe she was in hurry, but that taught me never to expect anything from anyone even when you're outside.

So that was, that was a great thing. And yeah, I knew go, oh, sorry. Going back to the train. So I another funny thing happened is when I was booking the train from Bukhara to summer consultant, speck has these high speed trains, which go from Natasha to. And Tasha quintuple Carra I thought there's this high-speed train from summer comfortable Harbor as well.

And, and the other way, obviously, so I was good from Bocard to summer. Can I get there 5:00 AM in the morning? My trains book for that time I get on the high-speed train show, my ticket and the, the guy's like, oh, sorry, sir. You know, booked on this train, you you're booked on the train behind this. And that was an old

It was a three hour ride though. It I got excited and then my excitement got dumped later on. It was a much better train than the sleeper train. It was much cleaner, you know, there were nice reclining seats. It wasn't a sleeper train. So I was really impressed. And then I did get to use the high-speed train, the new high-speed trains.

When I went from summer, come do Tashkent, beautiful trains, beautiful trains. Definitely. Booking them and it was 15 pounds for VIP class. So definitely worth it. You get a meal as well. So I definitely I definitely recommend it in the end, I you know, is there some other stories from, was breakfast on I dude obviously rip you off in taxis.

So I remember this taxi guy was charging me $4 for a 10 minute. Or it'd be a 20 minute walk to the station. So I said it was an additional 10 minutes. I just walked. So be on the lookout for some stupid prices assessed the situation is a walk doable or not. Can you walk I then, you know do the cost benefit analysis in that way.

Then this lady tried selling me a magnet for $1, which was obviously more expensive. Then she said deal, deal, deal. And I was intrigued, you know what deals she'd probably say, she'd probably say, you know, three magnets for $2. And she said three buckets or $3. So then I thought to myself, you know, what the deal was because she's offering one magnet for $1 and three magnets for $3.

So clearly you got a discount. Though, I think because it was Becca son is opening up and, you know they're learning that, you know, tourists can be ripped off. I think that they need to learn that bargaining not bargaining, but sorry, but the price offering and deal making a bit. But you know, really, you know, VD, nice people otherwise expect people very hospitable.

I remember when I first went to Kiva in an old mosque which is now sort of a music. This, this teacher came up with, came up to me with a group of students and she asked me, are you a tourist? And I obviously responded. Yes. And then she said, oh, I have a group of children with me. And they would love to speak English with you and learn English.

Why? You know, I was pretty tired of the 24 hour flight though, but I still thought that was really nice of them. So I spoke to them. Literally the conversation was, hi, how are you? They would respond back. I asked the teacher, you know, w what did they want? Can you do, do you have any questions for me?

Nothing. I tried my best, but you know, there wasn't any answer. And then I remember when I was in Pokhara, I was looking for the Jewish quarters. So I found a Jewish school and a synagogue. The synagogue was, was closing, but I managed to get in and take pictures though in the Jewish school.

I, I, you know, I met a few students and a teacher as well as spoke to them. And then I asked them where they were go into the Jewish school. They said, yes though. I thought, you know, it'd be a bit disruptive. So I opted to, just to kind of stay out and take pictures, but that was a really amazing experience.

Just looking at the, experiencing the Jewish quarter and experiencing how everyone from different regions lifts together in harmony. Everyone's just going about what their lives. And, and, you know, that's what I saw the outside. I don't know the internal politics, but from everything else outside of the great And, you know, then I remember that I was making a time-lapse in summer kind of the registration, a beautiful architecture, by the way.

And this guy came up to me, a student 21 years of drain two years and started chatting to me and using English. He wanted to practice his English. I, then he said, you know, if I could help him find a job in Pakistan in marketing. And I said, dude, you're better off staying in his Pakistan. But it was really interesting how they view and perceive buck Estann as being perhaps he saw me, you know, coming out as a tourist on holiday.

And you know, perhaps a judge that box done would be like that the reality is different. But it was really nice of them. And then this other guy, I remember in the Kiva, he took me to a local mosque. I went to offer my. And you told me about the history and told me about us Pakistan, then the culture, it was really insightful.

So very nice people. I was Becca started Uber, Uber, Uber safe. I saw five-year-old children, literally walking on the streets and no one from school or in the night. And I asked everyone like ask some people, you know, is respect aside really that safe and base everyone. You do see police around, but there, I thought there would be a bit timid, intimidating.

Like I felt in Moscow doc, the complete opposite. They're not intimidating at all. They say hello to you. They know you're tourists. And they would really be one of them really went out of their way to show me the way to a wheel within the city. And sh showed me how to get to some place. And they have, what I really liked about it was Pakistan is to have these kiosks lead this to.

Help kiosks everywhere in the major cities and they all speak English. So great, good experience. It was Pakistan was great, great experience. I, I loved it. Only one thing was, you know, when I, I mean the photographers aren't that great. I asked for some pictures to be taken of myself and they were just atrocious.

So I need to go back. We perhaps with someone to take a pictures of me. But, you know, in the end, I this is my second long solar trip and I would always do it again. I would always go for another one. It just didn't feel odd to me sitting in the restaurant. Yes. I mean, I, I, I, you know, I, I, I have to admit that there were times where I wished I had someone so I could speak to at times, but that was where it rare.

I liked doing things on my own. Like I could wake up at any time and you know, if you go for a surf trip, you could wake up at any time. You could see what you want to see. I, I, you know, I spent as much time as I wanted in the, on the sites in the sites took as many pictures I wanted. I could visit one site multiple times in front of beautiful.

As some people you make travel with men or want to do that, they have other interests. I ate what I want. Some people might be vegetarian. Some people might eat meat. Some people, you know, Whatever, maybe looking for some different Debbie Casey's wanting, he didn't sustain a brain or you may not want to do that.

So I wanted, I got to eat what I wanted to as I said before, I you know, some experiences, even if it was Pakistan and even my second solo trip, it just hurt me to trust my instincts and my gut feel and trust others as well. Not everyone is bad out there. So when the guy told me there's a toilet outside, I should've trusted him for not leave me behind.

And, you know, Telling me the right thing or else, you know, he would have come with me. I'm sure. I, I enjoyed my own company, you know, I think everyone needs to enjoy their own company and to be comfortable with thoughts, if you don't, if you're not in tune with your company, you don't like your own company, then how would anyone else enjoy your company or enjoy being with you?

You know, it helped me think about issues in a stress free environment. So it helped me, or helped me realize that, you know, I wanted to resign from my current job, which was. I need you to smell. It helps you clear. It helps you think with the care of mind. You know, I realized that you just don't need language or not.

Everyone needs to speak English to get by. Yes. There are a few screw ups in there. Like for example, I went to the restaurant and I had to wait for 30 minutes because of the communication barrier though, overall you know, you don't need that wish to get by. You can, it, it always works. You just need to be patient.

Then, you know, you can use sign language, you have technology. So you could always get by it got me a, give me a great chance to do photography on my own at my own pace. And you know, I, what really makes me happy is that I did not wait for others. I do with my friend you know, to clear his schedule.

I, I went for it and you know, just do it if you want to travel somewhere, if you want to see something, just do it. You know, some people, my friend or another friend may have not been comfortable with the 4 24 hour traveling though. I, I, it was a long journey for me, but I did it and it was fine, you know, it was definitely worth it.

It was something definitely worth it. So, you know, I would definitely recommend it once again. I mean, I really hope you enjoyed these experiences. Though what I would say is don't expect your, your solo trips to help find yourself. I don't think there's anything. Now that I've started to bleed that there's nothing like finding yourself, you are soul searching.

You already have a soul, a, you should first start by accepting yourself the way you are, except that you're a great person and you, you and your soul is amazing. You don't need to search for another. Your problem is you need to realize that your problems won't go away. So for example, if you're going through a tough time back home, you won't go, they won't go away.

You come back to the same issues, but perhaps the difference will be that you come back to the issues with a different thought process or different perspective, and that may help with finding the best solution. You do need to accept that you wouldn't enjoy 24 7. You do get bored at times, but that happens in a group as well.

So you don't, it won't be any different and do not accept. To not get ripped off, you will get ripped off do expected. They'll go at the lowest price you can. So you know, it's always in the source ship is the first, it's the first step, which counts do it once. If you enjoy it, you do it again.

If you don't, then you will regret not having done it. Right. So what could it be? What could go worse go for a weekend to. You know, the second biggest city in your country go for the weekend to see how you feel about it. Do you know don't go on social media during that weekend, you know, just, just take time for yourself and do it and you might love it.

So really hope you, you really hope you enjoyed that. And I think I'm just going to assure one last thing, which is I read somewhere a new weird news item. So travel lodge which is a hotel chain company. Shared some insights into what are some into what some of their guests have requested the past couple of years.

So there's one guest asked to have tea with practice and other guests in York asked a staff member to sing in the room next door to see how quite his or her group is. What guests request is shooting. Start to appear at 10:00 PM and weirdly a customer. As a guest asks for children's padding pool, not for the child, but for the pet fish.

So the pet pitcher got a spacious bed for the dog. I leave you with that. Hope you enjoy today's episode. And I will as always keep subscribing, keep rating, keep reviewing, and keep sharing with your friends. And thank you so much for this. Until next time adios from Ammar, the ageing millennial.