After a 9-hour flight from Australia, I land in Bangkok on a hot, sticky April afternoon.

It’s my first time travelling solo overseas, and while Bangkok can be chaotic, over the next week I find myself talking to locals, making friends with other travellers, enjoying the hospitality and Thai delicacies.

Sometimes solo travelling can bring challenges – like the time I misread a map and spent 2 hours walking in circles around Ho Chi Minh City – but it’s also one of the most exhilarating, unique experiences a traveller can have.

Safety first

Picking the right destination can make all the difference, with some places and packages more suited to solo travel than others.

If it’s your first overseas adventure alone, you’ll want to go somewhere you feel safe. Check Smart Traveller for overseas travel advice before you leave home.

Make sure you’ve got travel insurance and give family and friends a copy of your itinerary before you go.

You can also sign up to phone apps like Find My Friends, so friends and family can look you up if they’re ever worried.

Ease into it

For starters, solo travel doesn’t mean you have to always travel alone. Organised tours take a lot of the hassle out of travelling and can be a great stepping stone to venturing out on your own.

You won’t have to do as much planning during your trip, and you’ll meet like-minded travellers who are itching to explore. In fact, some travel companies offer tours for solo travellers specifically.

Cruises have long been designed for families or couples; however in recent years they’re trying to accommodate an influx of solo travellers.

To make cruising more solo-traveller friendly, some companies offer cabins for singles and activities are provided that can be enjoyed alone or used to meet people.

If you’re looking to hit the tracks, The Ghan, Indian Pacific and Great Southern all offer solo cabins.

Step out of your comfort zone

Solo traveller and author of My Senior Gap Year, Chris Herrmann, knows all too well how important it is to step out of your comfort zone.

In 2016, Chris’s life took an unexpected turn when his wife of 40 years passed away after a battle with cancer.

Following her death, Chris sold his apartment and embarked on a 12-month round-the-world adventure, visiting 23 countries, including Spain, Peru and the United States.

“If [something] felt uncomfortable – but not unsafe – then that was a signal to do it,” Chris says.

“For example, I’d [always] strike up a conversation with locals, as it can be a really enriching part of the travel experience.

You can pick up some really good local knowledge.

Some of the best places I went were based on other people’s advice.

Chris’s outgoing nature helped him solve one of the greatest challenges for a solo traveller – dining alone.

If he saw another traveller eating alone, he’d go up and ask if he could eat with them.

This might not be every travellers’ cup of tea – another option is to arm yourself with a book or write in your journal while you wait for your food to arrive.

While speaking to travellers might not be something that gets you out of your comfort zone, there are plenty of other ways to take a leap of faith while you’re on holiday.

Add an activity to your itinerary each day that challenges you a little bit. Take a hike, taste test local delicacies, ride a mountain bike or at the extreme end of the scale, go bungee jumping.

Get tech savvy

Long gone are the days of sending airmail to your family and friends at home. Your phone, tablet or laptop can be one of your best friends while you’re overseas.

You can find internet access pretty much everywhere you go – many cafés, hotels, and tourist hotspots such as museums offer free WiFi.

“While I was travelling for 12 months I was in contact with my son and had video calls with my grandchildren every few days,” Chris says.

Phone apps like SoloTraveller, Backpackr and Meetup can also be used to meet people while you’re travelling.

“I arrived in Peru on my birthday and didn’t have a chance to meet anyone, so I got on to an app called InterNations and saw they had a monthly networking event.

“I went and met some wonderful people, dancing the night away. That happened so many times during my travels.”

Other helpful apps include language translation app iTranslate, and Eatwith, which can connect you with locals worldwide, hosting everything from dinner parties to food tours and cooking classes.

Learn the local language

I remember arriving in Brazil after spending 3 months in Spanish-speaking nations, and I didn’t know a word of Portuguese.

I couldn’t even do the simplest of tasks like order a drink, ask where the bathroom was or give directions to a taxi driver.

While it was a frustrating and isolating experience, I did learn an important lesson – learn the local language before you hit the ground.

You don’t need to be fluent, but learning a few important phrases – like please, thank you, how much does that cost and where is the bathroom – in a non-English speaking country will get you a long way.

The locals will also appreciate the effort you’re making to speak their language.

Dodging the solo travel tax

Most people who’ve travelled alone have experienced the moment when they find a great price for a tour or cruise, only to see a dreaded asterisk marking it out as a twin-share deal.

It’s not an uncommon occurrence, nor is it uncommon for accommodation providers to charge a supplement for solo travellers.

Some travel companies offer tours for solo travellers specifically. Those who don’t often provide an option to pay a single supplement.

There are a few ways to reduce, or avoid, these payments.

Consider sharing: While it might not be for everyone, staying in shared accommodation can help you avoid a supplement.

Some tour companies also offer special share rooms. Or you could try smaller hotels, bed and breakfasts or apartment stays with only a handful of rooms and guests.

You’ll have closer contact with your hosts or fellow travellers, and after a long day of exploring, it feels a bit like coming home.

Travel off-peak: It can be difficult to get concessions during peak seasons, but if you travel when it’s a quieter you might be in the position to ask for a supplement to be reduced or waived all together.

Try adventure travel: If you don’t mind roughing it a little, take trips or tours where nights are spent camping or in simple lodges.

Try adventure travel: If you don’t mind roughing it a little, take trips or tours where nights are spent camping or in simple lodges.