5 Reflections After My First Solo Adventure 🇪🇬

From Flying To Diving, Can It Still Be Fun By Yourself?

A few weeks ago, I (Mike) did something I’ve never done before.

I went on a trip to Egypt.

By myself.

Not only was it my first time traveling to Egypt, but it was also my first-ever solo trip. What is it like to solo travel? Would I do it again? Should you do it too?

In this blog, I’ll dive into my thoughts, experiences, and reflections about going solo.

But tread carefully….

You might end up plotting out your own solo adventure as a result. But then again, this blog might be the nudge that you always needed.

So without further ado, here are my 5 reflections after my first-ever solo trip to Egypt.

I Like Flying Alone

As I’m walking down the aisle of the Transavia plane, the cabin crew is welcoming us and inviting us to find our seats. When I do, I’m the first one in the row. After a few minutes, my neighbors enter the plane and now there is a stranger in the seat next to me. No Hannah? Nope. Not this time. We greet each other and exchange a few words. Soon it's time to buckle up and the plane is about to depart. Let this solo adventure begin.

When leaving the plane in Egypt, I’m greeted by the warm African air and make my way through the airport to my hotel. This was a smooth travel day.

This was not the first time I stepped on a plane alone, but the difference this time was that nobody was waiting for me when the plane landed at my new destination.

The last time I flew alone, I had one of my best friends waiting for me in Hong Kong.

Therefore, I already had some experience traveling by myself, and I already knew that the journey to Egypt itself wouldn't be an issue. Quite the opposite actually, I love stepping onto a plane - with or without someone else.

Yes, I like flying alone.

I Don’t Mind Having Meals By Myself, Until Dinner Time

One thing I noticed immediately in my hotel in Hurghada, is that I seemed to be the only solo traveler.

I have to admit that I fully expected this to be the case since I booked one of the many all-inclusive hotels in that area. Since I was going diving in the coming days, I wanted to make sure there were enough facilities to have breakfast and dinner, so yes, all-inclusive it was.

Because of this, I sometimes felt like the odd one out.

And especially during dinner.

It can even be kind of awkward at times.

Let me explain.

During my first few days, I had dinner at the buffet of the hotel since the restaurant required a reservation ahead of time, and I was too late with this, twice. Nothing wrong with this hotel buffet, except that they clean up all your plates after you leave the table.

This meant that when I wanted to go for a second or third round, my plate and utensils were often cleaned up after me while I wasn’t looking. Sometimes, my table was even taken by other people in the meantime, which meant I had to find a new place to sit.

Furthermore, when I finally secured the bookings for the restaurants, they immediately knew my name, since I was the only person dining alone. There is of course nothing wrong with this, but this made me feel like a special guest, and not in a good way.

So that's definitely when I felt the absence of a partner-in-crime the most. There's something about sharing your evening meal that inherently calls for company.

It’s fun to enjoy good food together, have a nice chat, and look back on a day of exploring together.

It’s Totally Fine To Dive On Your Own, But Friends Make It More Fun

The highlight of my trip was definitely my three days of diving in Hurghada.

What made it truly memorable wasn't just the breathtaking underwater world, but the people I met.

On the first day, there were a lot of couples and groups on the boat, which made it hard to connect with anyone. But surprisingly, on the second and third day, there were more individuals and other solo travelers. This made it easier to start up conversations and connect with them.

Diving alongside my newly made friends made the underwater adventure even more fun. You get to point out marine life to each other and recap all the exciting things you saw in between the dives.

Also, pro-tip: make sure to befriend somebody with a GoPro and benefit from their generosity and diving footage. Preksi, if you are reading this, you rock. Because of this, I now have some amazing photos and videos to look back on!

It's amazing how shared experiences can quickly turn strangers into friends.

Group Tours Can Be Both Fun And Lonely

During the second part of this trip, I visited Luxor. Here, I embarked on a group tour to explore the many ancient historic sights it has to offer.

This time, I was the only solo traveler. This dynamic made it slightly challenging to connect with others already in pairs or groups. It's an interesting aspect of solo travel - sometimes, you blend in effortlessly, and other times, you stand out.

I still had a great time during the tour, and luckily our tour leader was able to take some pictures of me at Luxor’s beautiful sights, which meant I didn't have to take selfies all the time.

Exploring New Parts of the World Alone Feels Pretty Cool

I must admit, when I embarked on the second part of my journey, and I took a 5-hour bus through Egypt from Hurghada to Luxor, I felt pretty cool. I’m alone, I’m on a bus with 10 other people and most of them seem to be locals, heading to a place I’ve never been, where I know nobody, and that isn't super touristy.

Although Luxor has many ancient sites to offer, I felt that Luxor itself wasn’t filled with tourists, especially after the sun sets. I think this is mainly because many tourists take day trips to Luxor, where they start from places like Cairo or Hurghada, arrive by morning, and leave in the afternoon.

When traveling with other people, it feels more like a team effort. We decide together where we go, we figure out together how to get there, and if we get in trouble, we figure it out together. But in Luxor, the real realization set in: “I’m completely on my own here”. If I have a problem, it’s just me.

This realization made exploring Luxor even more exciting, and it actually made me feel like a real explorer.

Closing Thoughts

To anyone toying with the idea of a solo trip, I say: go for it

The experience is transformative, fun, and enriching. You probably get to meet new people, learn more about yourself and hopefully get to explore a new part of our beautiful world. I'm already planning to make solo traveling an annual thing, be it a short few days, a long weekend, or a week-long adventure.

As I’m already thinking of my next solo adventure, I’m curious to hear from you.

Which destinations are great options for solo travelers? And if you’ve gone solo traveling yourself before, where did you go and how did you find it? Would you recommend others to try it out as well?

Share your stories in the comments and let’s inspire each other to keep exploring, one (solo) journey at a time!