Activist, travel writer and photographer, Alex Nissen is a girl from the most isolated city and is always on the look for new adventures.
She’s travelled to over 43 countries, and have recently been exploring the Australian landscapes. Alex documents her adventures at Like a Local Travel, and via her Instagram page.
“I’ve travelled around quite a lot, and I am not surprised that Australia is becoming a more popular destination for solo travellers. Travelling alone in Australia is very easy, the hostel culture is very present and finding affordable and comfortable accommodation where you feel safe is really easy.”
“For many women travelling solo can feel a bit scary at times, but from my experience once you’ve stepped into your solo traveller shoes and made that first step it becomes a truly amazing – and addictive – experience!”.
Alex Nissen’s top tips for solo travellers:
Don’t keep all of your money in one place: Make sure you’ve got a separate bank card in your bag in case your purse gets stolen and keep some spare money in your bra or socks for emergencies. This way if something gets stolen or lost you’ll have a backup.
Arrive during the day: I once arrived to a small town in Sumatra at midnight during a storm without a clue where my accommodation was! Bad idea. Luckily with the help of some friendly locals everything worked out fine, but where possible always arrive during the day to avoid any hassle.
Use a map: Trying to navigate a new city when you have no WiFi to connect your online maps to is the worst. Be prepared by downloading a map in advance through one of your apps so you’ll be able to get around easily.
Tell someone where you are going: Make sure a friend or family member back home knows where you are heading and important details such as the hostel address and flight details. Check in regularly with them so they know you are safe.
Carry a deck of cards: Find it hard to meet new people? Keep a deck of cards with you and invite other travellers to join you for a game! It’s an easy way to meet a new friend and have some fun. Anyone know any magic tricks?
Make a copy of your passport: One of the simplest things you can do to make sure you don’t get stuck travelling without ID is to photocopy important documents like your passport, drivers licence and cards. Keep a hard copy in your bag and email an electronic copy to yourself so you can prove who you are just in case the real documents get stolen.
Make friends: Travelling solo is also a social and human experience and I recommend you seize each and every opportunity to share a piece of your trip with like-minded people. I realised over time hostels are the best places to make this kind of encounters as people are usually so open-minded and lots of them are also travelling solo. Sharing experiences is one of the things I like the most, and booking hostels via platforms like Hostelworld has helped me do that.
Sharing experiences is one of the things I like the most, and booking hostels via platforms like Hostelworld has helped me do that.
