#6 Traveling Tips after Traveling solo for 5 weeks

Warning: Traveling solo can become an addiction.

I have been traveling solo, on and off, for two years now. Yes, I am kind of new, but I know about traveling solo in 2019 / 2020. Also because I just came back from a 5 week trip on 12 Dec 2019, everything that I am going to write here, is well, fresh and based on my experience traveling solo in the North-East of India for 5 weeks.

So I took a flight on 8 Nov 2019 to Guwahati. After that, it went something like this,

Guwahati > Dirang > Tezpur > Bhalukpong > Tezpur > Kaziranga > Jorhat > Majuli > Jorhat > Golaghat > Dimapur > Kohima > Kesama > Dzukou Valley > Kohima > Imphal > Jiribam > Silchar > Mylliem > Dawki > Shillong > Dawki (Bangladesh Border) > Shillong > Guwahati.

Interesting, right? Took a couple of buses, sumo, truck rides, and hitchhikes to get from one place to another. Since I was backpacking, it was easy for me to get from one ride to another with (kind of) ease.

And, while traveling, I kept taking notes of things that I should keep in mind the next time I am taking a trip. Also, there were some situations that I initially did not know how to react to but eventually figured it out. So below are the traveling tips for traveling solo anytime and anywhere.

Know how much to carry while traveling solo

Because you will be carrying your stuff most of the time, all by yourself, might as well make it easier for you to carry it. So I suggest that you prepare a backpack wherein you carry only things that you absolutely need.

For this trip, I was carrying two bags. One was a 50L Quechua, and the second was a gadget bag for camera and laptop. Most of the time I was only using my DJI Osmo Action. Only when I went to Kaziranga, I used the DSLR and also when I was trying to take pictures of the night sky (which didn’t work out).

Learning: Buy a smaller laptop (currently I use a 15.6″ Dell which weighs about 2.4 kilos). Next time I buy a camera it better be mirrorless. Until then, I will be fine with carrying only an action camera and skip the DSLR. Not sure what am I going to do about a laptop though. I not only need it to blog, but also to empty memory cards and keep me entertained when I am stuck indoors because of the weather or city riots.

Also, you never know when you might end up hiking or going on a trek. Having one backpack/rucksack makes it easier to go on a trek and not think twice. Since you do not have to leave a bag behind. So when you walk back down, you don’t have to go back to get your bag either. You can keep moving forward. Saves money and time. Unless you want to go back for some reason.

Hence next time, I would like to pack a rucksack which weighs a maximum of 7 kilos and carry a laptop separately in a messenger bag. That should make my life considerably easier.

Read more: Traveling to Arunachal Pradesh

Packing List – Revised

• Toilet – Handwash, Toilet-paper
• Brush – Toothbrush, Floss, Toothpaste, Face towel
• Bath – Toiletries bag, Soap, Towel, Shampoo, Body Lotion, Hair Serum, Hair Clutcher, Washing Detergent, Talcum powder, Travel containers for toiletries
• Clothes* – 1 set Nightwear, 3 sets Day-wear (all clothing is interchangeable and multi-purpose), 1 Beachwear, 1 Scarf, 6 pairs of Socks, 6 sets of Innerwear, 1 Fleece and 1 Puffer Jacket, 1 rainproof Cap, 1 Woolen cap, Rainwear, Neck Warmer that also covers nose, Warm Gloves, 1 set of Thermal wear, Waist Belt, Clothes Organizer (cannot stress on this enough)
• Footwear – 1 pair of shoes, 1 pair flip flops, 1 pair of Floaters, Waterproof Shoe Pouches
• Makeup – Lip balm, Lipstick, Tweezers, Razor, Sunblock, Kajal
• Bedding – Tent, Sleeping bag, Sleeping bag liner – fleece & regular
• Medicine – Usual Prescriptions + Something for Fever, Acidity, Muscle Pain, Headache, Cuts and Bruises, Cough Syrup/ Strepsils, Honey, Clove, Cardamom, Fennel Seeds, Black Pepper, Glucose/ Electral, First Aid Kit
• Legal Documents – Passport, Identification Card, Driver’s License, Local Permits, Passport size Photographs
• Equipment – Headlamps, Torches, Map, Trekking Pole, Swiss Knife
• Food and Water – 1 Litre Water Bottle, Biscuits, Snacks, Dry Fruits, Chocolate Bars, Salt, Plate, Spoon, Cup, Fork
• Electronics – Camera, Laptop, Tripod, Mobile Phone, Batteries, Chargers, Earphones
• Miscellaneous – Scissors, Wallet with Money, Thread and Needle,  Menstrual cup, Sanitary Napkins, Sunglasses, Pocket Tissues, Mosquito Repellent, Zip Lock Bags/ Dry Bags for Waste and Laundry, Old Newspapers, Rain Covers, Spectacles, Lock and Key for bags/ room/ Locker, Cloth Clips, Airtight Seal Clips

*If you are planning to go to multiple places with varied climatic conditions, I suggest you carry 2 sets of summer clothing – lowers and t-shirts, and 2 sets for winters – lowers and t-shirts.

Read more: How to prepare for backpacking trips

Be welcoming towards helping individuals

Or if you must let them down, do it politely.

For me, a young, unmarried female, traveling solo, a lot of people were ready to offer help. Whether I asked for it or not. It was good to know that even though I was traveling alone, I never really did end up alone. I wasn’t alone in a crowded room or in this case, around a bonfire.

If people were going in the same direction, they would offer to carry one of my bags or let me hitch a ride if they had a vehicle. If I was trying to find a ride, some people would stand on the road with me and help me get a ride. Since I did not speak any of the local languages, it was nice to have someone who understood and translated for me. People would even go as far as to negotiate on my behalf, knowing that I was a tourist and didn’t know the usual fare.

Some offered me food and accommodation for nothing in return. Which felt amazing. Not because I was saving money, but because I never saw such generosity before this. People ready to help an individual they barely knew without any expectations.

Considering all the things we hear about tourists being exploited, molested and taken advantage of, it takes a lot of courage to accept the help being offered.

But the ones that I did accept the help from, restored my faith in humanity. The people were just trying to help. And that’s exactly what they did. Yes, I was overcharged by some individuals, but I was also not charged by others and sometimes only 50% charged. Such people do exist.

Their generosity and kindness are going to stay with me for the rest of my life.

While traveling, solo or otherwise, be open to changing the course

No plan is the best plan.

Irrespective of how annoying it might get sometimes, the changing or unexpected course does prove to be the right thing in the given situation.

Through my 5 week trip, I experienced it time and again. Now it could be my instinct, coincidence or luck (as most people like to call it), but I did end up out of all the trouble and annoying zones at the right times. And towards fun, safety and adventure.

After Dawki I was fully prepared to go to Bangladesh. But 2 things happened. One, I found someone who did slacklining in Shillong. Second, people in Dawki who had a rental car and were going to Guwahati via Shillong. And, these nice people in Dawki offered me a ride to Shillong. Do you want to call it kismat?

If I had not accepted the offer for a ride to Shilong, I wouldn’t have been to Krang Suri Waterfall or tried my hand at slacklining. So yeah, the changing course proved to be in my favor and better than what I had planned. Interesting, right?

Avoid the ‘weekend places’ on weekends

While traveling without an itinerary, it is difficult to say what day, date or time it is. So I obviously didn’t know Monday from Thursday or Saturday. It was like A map for Saturday for me. Every day was a holiday.

While traveling, I consciously try to choose places that are away from cities, crowds, and conflicts. Places that have more green, nature and natural landscapes. So if I end up in a place that is a go-to for every individual for the weekend, it’s a spoiler for me. Crowds make me uncomfortable and I feel intimidated.

The same thing happened in Dzukou Valley. Things happened as unplanned as ever, and I ended up there on a Thursday ( I didn’t know it was a Thursday but found out the next day). I wanted to stay there for two nights and I was glad to have done so. By Friday evening, that place was swarmed with people who had one of the most beautiful sunsets right in front of them but were talking about 7 other places that they have been to before this.

People who basically did not know the concept of living in the moment, were loud and inconsiderate of others around them. So I am glad that I was out of the noisy crowd in time.

I genuinely believe, whatever happens, happens for a reason so just go with it

I am not sure if you are aware of the reaction of Guwahati people about the Citizen Amendment Bill. They are furious.

And, it so happened that I was (debatably) in the wrong place at the right time. Not sure what went through my head but I took my phone to find a way to get to Gangtok but ended up booking a flight back home.

The place that I booked to stay for the night in Guwahati, refused to let me in. Some problems with online payment and they weren’t accepting cash or being kind to a tourist. I was walking on the road for about 30 minutes looking for another place to stay, but could not find any. The next thing I did was walk into a departmental store, sad and frustrated and ask the cashier if there was any hotel nearby. The people marching against the bill were approaching where I was and it was also getting dark and I was genuinely nervous.

But all went well. While the cashier and I were trying to find me a ride, a random girl walking by the street saw us struggling and offered to help. She helped me get on a bus that was going to a central area with the main bus and taxi stand. Another individual that I met on that bus helped me to find a hotel where I could stay for the night. This hotel was less than 50m from that bus stand.

At 6.30 the next morning, I went out to look for options to get to the airport and found an auto who agreed to take me there. He charged me INR 1000 for an INR 400 ride. But well, I was desperate.

After I reached the airport, I realized that the internet was not working. The city was in a blackout. No taxis, autos or buses were running anymore. A lot of people who had just landed at the airport were looking for ways to get another flight back. Since they weren’t able to leave the airport premises.

‘Luckily’ my flight was on time. I boarded the flight and got out of Guwahati.

If I had stayed in the place that I booked initially, there were very thin chances that I would have found a ride to get to the airport the next morning. If I hadn’t met the three people, cashier, random girl walking, and the individual on the bus, I wouldn’t have made it to a hotel opposite to the bus stand in time.

So yeah, whatever happens, happens for a reason.

Do you have any travel stories or learnings from your past travels? Would you like to share them with us?

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