Ruchira shares her experiences of travelling solo in an interesting personal account. An exclusive for Different Truths.

I hail from a family of passionate travellers. My parents travelled extensively even before I was born. Later, they took their children  on all sorts of trips and tours, during summer vacations and weekends. Obviously, I grew up footloose and fancy free.

My first opportunity to travel solo came when I was about 25. I had wanted to do Europe; unfortunately, as I was single and English speaking,  I was refused several visas

My first opportunity to travel solo came when I was about 25. I had wanted to do Europe; unfortunately, as I was single and English speaking,  I was refused several visas, ultimately managing to get an Italian group visa. So that is where I was headed. In the span of a week, I visited  four of the tourist “hotspots” in Europe: Eternal Rome with the remains of the formidable Colosseum, Florence the fountainhead of Renaissance Art, Pisa of the legendary Leaning Tower and finally honeymooners’ Paradise, Venice. And yes, Vatican City – Mecca for the faithful Catholics, was also on the itinerary since it is virtually a part of Rome. The gorgeous glimpse of the Sistine Chapel and the famous ‘Pieta’ sculpture (both Michelangelo’ s  handiwork ) still lingers in my memory.     

Our group tour guide  took good care of us all and the arrangements were impeccable. But  the entire experience taught me several good things: moving about confidently, handling vital documents and cash,  foreign currency exchange, sample different kinds of food, click good pictures, haggle efficiently with vendors, while  buying souvenirs and mementoes and so forth.

But my  journey back home  had to be undertaken alone  since my co-travellers would proceed to the  remaining countries for which I had no visa. So one fine autumn day,  goodbyes were said and phone numbers exchanged

So far so good. But my  journey back home had to be undertaken alone  since my co-travellers would proceed to the remaining countries for which  I had no visa. So one fine autumn day, goodbyes were said and phone numbers exchanged; then I sat all by myself in my  room. A couple of hours later, I checked out of the hotel, lugged my baggage onto a bus that took me straight to the Leonardo Da Vinci airport that services this floating town. From there I boarded a half-an-hour flight to Rome. A few hours later, I  finally managed to scramble onto an Air India flight to Delhi. During the seven-hour flight, I got acquainted with a middle level staffer from one of the Italian consulates located around Indian metros. Our conversation was so lively (he happened to be forthcoming, knowledgeable, polite) that the tedium of the journey disappeared. Believe it or not, but I nearly got a (matrimonial) proposal from the bloke; but ah, well, it did not happen. All for good!           

 Fifteen years later, I got another opportunity to travel solo, this time to South East Asia.  A four-hour flight from Delhi took me to the Srilakan capital, Colombo The air hostess on duty probably sensed that I was not a frequent flier, and on top of it, I was alone. So she  showered me with utmost courtesy and attention throughout the journey. Then followed a restless night in the transit lounge at Colombo’s Bandaranayke International Airport. As the hours slipped by, I grew lonely and bored stiff with nobody to talk to. I gratefully  munched on some sandwiches kindly provided by the airline, and tried to concentrate on some reading ( I had several paperbacks to read during various phases of the tour). The flight to Kuala Lumpur the following morning, was nondescript and uneventful. The first glimpse of the city enthralled me. A ride on the sky train from one terminal to another was mind blowing. Checking in at the hotel was cumbersome:  filling forms, visa scrutiny, currency conversion, et al. It was an eye opener for me; I was confident that the next time I ventured abroad these tasks would be a cakewalk. 

I realised how tough it was  for a not- so-young woman to negotiate her way around in a strange Kl,  a beautiful verdant metropolis minus the din and bustle that characterises most metros.

Settling down in my hotel room I found  that I needed to buy some personal stuff. I asked the girl at the front desk to guide me to the nearest  department store. She directed me to the Sogo Hypermarket, which was virtually across the street. I found what I wanted and heaved a sigh of relief. At that moment, I realised how tough it was  for a not- so-young woman to negotiate her way around in a strange Kl, a beautiful verdant metropolis minus the din and bustle that characterises most metros.

 Everything appeared to be subdued and low-key. In the course of a ride in the local metro, I discovered how secular and multicultural Malaysia’s  social fabric was; Chinese, Malay Muslims, Tamil Hindus not forgetting Europeans mingled with one another to form a harmonious whole. During the  sightseeing tour, I was so engrossed in clicking pictures of the majestic Petronas that I didn’t notice when the tourist coach had moved way. I had the presence of mind to call up the tour operators,  who contacted the driver to bring the bus back near Petronas. I mentally kicked myself hard for being so unmindful. The Hibiscus Garden was a riot of colours. I mentally kicked myself hard for being so unmindful. Again I regretted not having any company.  The Hibiscus Garden is a must for all tourists. 

When I had a half day to myself,  I decided to stay indoors. Believe it or not, the view from my 15th floor window was an eye-opener.

When I had a half day to myself,  I decided to stay indoors. Believe it or not, the view from my 15th floor window was an eye-opener. The traffic moved smoothly, cars following each other in a single file at a moderate speed, no snarls or bumper to bumper situations. There were no signs of stray animals anywhere unlike  most roads in Saddi Dilli.  In my heart of hearts, I wished the architects and town planners back home would incorporate these amenities in our national capital.  

The  next halt was Singapore. It is one of the prettiest and safest cities of the globe. By any computation. There was the mandatory photo session with the iconic  merlion.  The colonial vestiges, the  numerous Chinese temples were all impressive. The view of the sprawling  metropolis from Mt Faber was awe inspiring! Owing to certain personal reasons, I missed out on the crowd pullers namely Sentosa Island and Jurong Bird Park.Well, maybe  next time!   

Next on the list was Bangkok. Though there was a strong element of  Indianness in the air, yet it was so strikingly different. The vast sprawling city where traditional edifices jostle for space with modern skyscrapers

Next on the list was Bangkok. Though there was a strong element of  Indianness in the air, yet it was so strikingly different. The vast sprawling city where traditional edifices jostle for space with modern skyscrapers, numerous Buddhist pagodas (temples) is bound to appeal to all categories of tourists.  Bangkok is a veritable foodies’ paradise! You can savour all kinds of street food at pocket-friendly prices. The stuff is  stomach friendly too! Shopping for statuettes – big and small – of the Buddha and T-shirts embossed with ethnic motifs is a must.  On the day of my departure from Bangkok, I had a bout of anxiety when the taxi -booked by the travel agent to take me to the airport failed to turn up at the stipulated hour. 

Without wasting time I hired another taxi and dashed off to the aerodrome. Wonder of wonders, the cab got stuck in a massive  traffic snarl. It dawned on me as to why the pre booked taxi had not arrived. Sitting in the cab I crossed my fingers and mumbled a fervent prayer. After the lights  turned green, the driver sped towards the airport at an incredible speed. I had about an hour in hand before my flight was announced!  

Immaculately white in colour, Muscat has fabulous shopping malls,  neat and clean beaches, besides traditional markets/souks bursting at their seams with exciting merchandise.

My last solo  trip was to Muscat, the capital of Oman. It was largely  uneventful since my sibling’s family came to the picturesque Ruwi airport to receive me. They hosted me during my sojourn. Immaculately white in colour, Muscat has fabulous shopping malls,  neat and clean beaches, besides traditional markets/souks bursting at their seams with exciting merchandise. A visit to Oman ought to be on the bucket list of all ardent tourists.  

Photos by the author