Come to think of it, other than business trip, I had not traveled alone before for personal vacation. Well, even for this time it was actually a business trip, but I had extended my stay for a few days to accommodate for a short solo getaway.
It was my first trip to Hanoi, my first trip for my current company, my first trip to travel solo, and my second birthday spent oversea. It’s the trip I shared about in April’s post, where all the high performer from the company gathered for meeting and discussion, and of course to have fun and celebrate our successes.
During my extended stay, I moved into a hotel in Old Quarter of Hanoi, where all the buzz and crowd are located. I only have two days to spend, and I had made full use of it exploring places and meeting new people. I explored the streets of Hanoi, stopped by at Hanoi’s first Starbucks Reserve and had a nice chat with the barista, got a taste of local dishes and of course, some Saigon Beer at night.
I had also spent a day out at Halong Bay, joining a group tour through a local travel agency. I got to meet with people from India, Korea, Japan, England and so on, and it was a memorable experience, both on the location itself and the experience of mingling with the rest of them. A couple of us were traveling alone, and when everyone got together, we started sharing our experience in Hanoi.
It was indeed a very enjoyable experience traveling alone. When you travel with friends or family, your focus will mostly be on your own group. But when you travel alone, you opened up the opportunity to forge a relation and connection with like-minded traveller or locals. These experiences were different and unique, and perhaps that’s why a lot of people prefer to travel solo.
For me, I really enjoyed my solo trip in Hanoi, and hopefully in future there will be chances to travel solo again. I’ll cherish my memory in Hanoi for the days to come. For those who have not tried traveling alone, do give it a try and don’t be afraid. Till then.
funny bunny photography 