Opinion
5 hours ago
The journey of solo travel
JOHANNESBURG - Traveling alone can be intimidating, but it opens up unique opportunities for adventure, connection, and reflection.
For Farirai Sanyika, a solo traveller, influencer and blogger famously known via her Gophari travel blog, it became a life-changing adventure. Her journey began with a simple desire for freedom and self-discovery, leading her to explore different parts of South Africa.
Undoubtedly, solo traveling does present its challenges. When one becomes a solo traveller, you need to be mindful and always take protective measures to enhance safety.
Giving her opinion and tips on safety, Sanyika says, "Safety will always be my number one priority. I make sure that I have data, airtime, power bank and I also don’t go to places that are too remote by myself especially if it is my first time going to that area. It has to be that way, especially if you are a woman and especially if you are doing this in South Africa."
"For me, there are certain spaces and destinations that I would not go by myself. What I do is I plan my trips really thoroughly. I know exactly how I will get there, what I will be doing each day and I share that plan with someone close to me like my mom. I don’t encourage anyone to go out there by themselves and not take any precaution and not plan," she added.
Another common challenge that one may face when starting their solo traveling journey is managing their trips money wise. Sanyika has a way of handling her finances well when travelling, and shares what one can do to plan for next adventures.
"My salary funded my travel. Good planning is important, one needs to understand how much their trips will cost, budget for them and put money aside. And ensure that you have enough money for that trip."
"What people can also do is do platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, become creators, start sharing their experiences, build an audience and leverage that to offset their travel costs," she continued.
There are numerous places to travel to in South Africa. The country is blessed with an abundance of natural beauty, has the majestic and most breath-taking scenery such as beaches, waterfalls, deserts, National Parks and other places that will make one want to go for an adventure.
"I love travelling South Africa, more specifically Mpumalanga, the Panorama route. There’s so much nature there. If you also love nature, you will love this place.”
"I also really love Limpopo, and I got to experience it from north to south with SA tourism. The place that stood out for me was Mapungubwe National Park and there’s a lot of history there."
Traveling on your own can be a daunting experience, but it gives one the freedom to explore without any boundaries.
"When you are solo travelling it's all about you, it's about what you like, and it's about when you are available. What that means is that it frees you completely, you don’t have to count on somebody else’s schedule aligning with yours, you don't have to count on someone to do what you want to do," Sanyika said.
"You can focus on just learning about yourself, going on your own time and having that flexibility. It opens up the world and makes more travel possible. It sets me free.”
-Ntandoyenkosi Kubheka