anyone been to oz on their own?

xylocaine

hi,i'm going to oz at the start of july for 6 months and then goin to spend a few months in asia.

my friend is a teacher so she's coming for 7 weeks and then i'l be by myself.

...just wondering is that safe and is it possible to make friends when u get there etc?(i'm 26 and female)or am i just plain mad???

Larianne

You not mad at all! I met plenty of people travelling on their own, guys and girls in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, everywhere I went! You stay in hostels and so meet like minded people and alone travellers tend to attract other alone travellers. Believe me, you'll be fine. And if you just use common sense you will be safe. I travelled with my boyfriend but was left to travel my own in Vietnam and The Philippines and sure I was grand. You do have to make an effort to talk to people and it can be a bit sad when someone you've met leaves and you're on your own again. Just make sure you've a good book with you for the lonely times. But I wouldn't let that stop you from enjoying Australia and Asia. And a lot of the time, people meet up and then head up the coast together or end up going somewhere they never thought of going.

It is very daunting but well worth it!

hebejebees

Hey, i'm exactly the same, i've just finished college and i want to do something before i get into a job and all that, but none of my friends are thinking the same way....Anyway i keep on with the Will I/Won't I but hopefully it will be a cool experience
Anyway my plan is to head to Oz-New Zealand and a few short stops along the way in July/August for a few months and be back home for christmas ish, so i'll be at least one other person wanting to meet people along the way

xylocaine

sorry for the delay in responding.
I might c u in oz so i guess?

the dee

I spent 8 months in Oz by myself in 2006. It was amazing. You do end up making friends with people staying in the hostels and if you work at all while there you'll make loads of friends. I think I probably talked to more people, did and saw more than I would have if I'd gone with a group of friends. Groups tend to stay together and be organised. When you're on your own it's freer and more spontaneous.

Enjoy!

Spud83

Dont worry about it. Stay in hostels for the first few nights/weeks at least. You will make plenty of friends there. I met loads of people who done the exact same thing as you. It will seem scary at first, but you have a friend with you at the start and by the time she leaves you will have made plenty of friends.

smilingeyerish

i dont have anything more in terms of advice to add to this thread cause all the advice you have given is what i would say. i can only put weight behind what they are sayin though and tell you that i travelled on my own for 10 months around the world and i wouldnt have done it any other way, i met up with a group of friends for some of it and that was by far the worst bit of the trip because travelling with people you know means you are constrained by what they want to do. travelling on your own in oz is defo the way forward!

LadyMayBelle

Did it myself in 2005 from feb to nov and actually got on fab! have to say tho that i found by starting in perth i did it better as a lot more ppl travel on their own on the west coast. i met an israeli guy in the hostel who subsequently bought a car with a guy he had met in new zealand, and we picked up a belgian and a german and hit the road! there are times when you do feel a bit lonely esp if one person drops off for work or whatever but as a whole its the best way to travel oz.

panda100

I know a few people who've gone to Oz by themselves and all recommend the OZ experience. Theres lots of people travelling by themselves and you meet a heap of people this way
http://www.ozexperience.com/

LadyMayBelle

The Oz experience is fun but you often end up on the buses with students who huddle together in groups, and once you check into, ye all sit together and are seperate from other backpackers in the hostel....my two friends traveled with them while myself and another friend whent seperate ways and took lifts from Perth and hands down it was the cheapest and better option..you get to meet people and see the real australia, and have so much more freedom if you want to get off the tourist trail..esp in WA..not what the tour bus brings you on..thats my opinion anyway, I was lucky to find amazing people in my hostel who offered to bring me to Darwin, myabe the lifts arent as common on the East Coast..

Conrad83

Hi xylocaine, in the same boat as yourself, thinking of heading off at the end of the year, i dont know anybody going so ill be going it alone... been thinking about it for months now and am very anxious about going on my own... have heard a lot of great tips tho and that its very easy to meet people on ur own in hostels etc... Good luck!

TonyD79

Hi Conrad , I would have thought going at the end of they year on your own wouldn't be great as you would be away from home( family and friends) for Xmas, cost you a lot more compared to going say towards the end of January. Though saying that maybe because it’s so busy you will meet loads of people and there are probably loads of people gate crashing someone else's Xmas day in Sydney!

I’m going on my own ( friends said they would go and then said they wouldn’t book till nearer Xmas = I'm on my own) after Xmas as I want to be home for Xmas but if I had been going with friends to work for the year there I would have gone before it. I’m going to South America in my own for two months mid October and then flying to Bangkok 17th January before heading on to OZ & NZ for a month each at least. Might stay longer depending on circumstances.
When I went to book my RTW ticket they said that it would be a lot cheaper to go 17th January rather than straight after Xmas.

Have you done much research into it?

Conrad83

Hi TonyD79, i havent done a whole lot of research into it i just know that i really want to go & soon, im open to going in January also, not a huge Xmas fan so that part wouldnt sway me but the cheaper part would, im trying to save as much cash as poss at the moment so i suppose heading off in Jan would give me more time to save... I havent decided how long ill stay anywhere yet suppose see how i get one when i get there... i was going to go to Asia but then heard its not safe for a girl to go there alone so might just leave it and go straight to Oz...

bunnyfox7

I'm thinking of heading to Australia - probably Sydney - from Feb-September 09' while I've a long break from college, will also probably end up going on my own, and I really want to go but it does seem quite daunting. I'll be 24 and I feel I'll be ready for it, but the whole finding accommodation, jobs and friends will be difficult and by the time I fully settle myself in it'l be time to come home...anyone wish to ease my reservations on this???

LFC5Times

I'm going to head off in late Feb or early March on my own(going to do the Trans Mongolian,China and Thailand and 1/2 other countries before ending up in Oz.

Was originally going to be meeting mates in Oz but had to rethink my whole plans as I basically had no money saved up, so now might only get to see them for a couple of weeks, if at all.

So will be on my own but just got to get on with it I guess, and having spoken to others who have done the whole Oz thing before they said it is quite easy to meet people and if they where doing it again would go on their own.

Conrad83

that seems to be the advice ive heard aswell from people who have been, they say you have more choice when your on your own your not set to any plan and can go where u want when you want... Anyone know if its as easy to meet people on their own in Asia as it seems to be in Oz??

sazmeise

Thinking of going myself on my own in oct/nov... fairly nervous about it but can't wait to book tickets and the visa so i'll have solid plans! Would love to go to Thailand on the way but i'm not sure i'd feel safe enough there (girl in her mid twenties)? I've heard of a lot of people that went with one other person and end up falling out and travelling on their own and have a fantastic time!

At the end of the day.. worst case scenario you can be home in a day on the next flight so what do you have to lose?

justfortherecor

Also going it alone this Oct/Nov for about 9 months. Hopefully be in Melbourne for the start of the Rugby League WC and the Melbourne Cup! It's daunting enough alright, but from my own experience I've found that travelling on your own makes you more proactive and can well lead to a more enjoyable and in-depth experience.

irelandsown

Read this article. I read it anytime I have a freakout about going on my own. I leave Oct 20th for Bangkok, then onto Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam. Fly to Sydney Dec 19th. Cant fuppin wait!!

http://travelhappy.info/travel-tips/seven-reasons-to-go-travelling-solo/

JemimaPD

Ok, i plan to take the year visa and travel to Australia. Im female and will be 25 when i travel. Heres my problem, I'll be travelling on my own and i dont know whether its a good idea or not. Everyone i know has been and done it but went with someone else (or partner). Unfortunately i'm single Ive heard ppl who i know say yes its a good idea but with a risk, others say no its not safe and there are others who dont think i'll even leave the country (Family mainly). In a way i am determined to go but i'm unsure if i should take a holiday there first to see if its somewhere i'd like to stay for the year or take the plunge and go and explore. (That one really is up to me) But mainly should i go alone or not is what i need advice on.

Anyones opinion is great to get. To other females, Did you go alone or what would you do if in my shoes

hussey

use the search tool, there are plenty of threads about travelling alone.
lots of people do it and nothing at all wrong

the dee

Here is one such thread with various people's experiences

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055311197

Karoma

Threads merged.

mac123

Conrad83 wrote: »

that seems to be the advice ive heard aswell from people who have been, they say you have more choice when your on your own your not set to any plan and can go where u want when you want... Anyone know if its as easy to meet people on their own in Asia as it seems to be in Oz??

travelled asia this summer and was on my own for the most part....very easy to meet ppl and im not even the most outgoing person around! i cant recommend teravelling on your own enough, great experience, you meet way more ppl and your not tied down to schedules and other peoples plans etc etc. cant wait to do it again tbh.
oh try and make a trip to indonesia if your in asia, sumatras the coolest place iv ever been to but the whole country is sweet!
also id say asia is fairly safe for women travelling on their own too, i met plenty anyway and didnt hear any complaints or horror stories from them. just use common sense regarding safety but that goes for anywhere really!