This pretty much concludes the end of my solo travelling and it has been a blast. Travelling alone forces you to go out there and meet people you may not have otherwise done. It will be absolutely lovely to have the company of a close friend but I am definitely glad I travelled part of the way by myself. Being by yourself in a different country is empowering, it makes you independent and gives you more confidence, not that I was hugely lacking in that. People are drawn towards solo travellers and as a result you are never truly alone. Some of the best times I've had here are with strangers who I will never meet again but our paths just happened to cross for one or two days, often stumbling upon each other because you're not in large groups or already with another person.
As an intrepid solo adventurer (not an overall accurate description of me) you can go where you want, when you want and do what you want with no limitations; the overwhelming sense of freedom. If you don't like somewhere, move on but if you love a place or the people you're with, stay a little longer, relax and soak it in... 2 weeks longer in my case. Infact breaking a planned itinerary and being a lil' spontaneous is often more fun then following any strict plan, although mine are always fairly vague to begin with.
Travelling in many cases takes you out of your comfort zone which is always a good thing and encourages you to do and try new things which may be more daunting alone but can also be more rewarding. It is a chance for you to be who you really are or to 'discover yourself'. I don't really like that saying but I understand what it implies and the chance for reflection and gaining perspective on life is constant. My solo trip was a chance to leave everything behind, disconnect from every day life and routine and go and see the world and what it has to offer.
For anyone thinking of travelling alone I would urge them to do it. It has been such a fantastic experience, one that I would repeat again and again. It brings a new perspective on life, humbles and enriches you in a way no other experience can. The best piece of advice I can give to anyone is to say yes to (almost) everything as it opens up opportunities you never dreamed existed.
The concept behind Baz Bus is brilliant. They collect you from the hostel that you are staying at, if it is on their list of hostels, and they drop you off at your next one in whichever town or city that may be. It is a safe way to travel which is a primary concern to a solo traveller.
However, that said the execution of this idea is not always good. There were countless occasions where the bus turned up more than half an hour late and the longest I waited for it was an hour and a half. I can understand the bus may be late with the vast distances and road networks it covers, what frustrates me and many of the travellers I have met is the lack of communication with passengers. If the company knows the bus will be excessively late it is not difficult to get in contact with the travellers or hostels they are staying at to let them know this. The customer service is a bit hit and miss too. It's always disheartening to speak to someone who couldn't really care less when trying to organise travelling plans. The drivers I had made up for this, most of them being friendly and welcoming.
Overall, I would use the service again if solo travelling because of the safety benefits of being dropped off at your hostel door. However, if travelling with a group I'd either hire a car or organise long distance buses with shuttles to more remote areas. This is not to say I didn't enjoy it because I did but I just don't feel that the Baz Bus delivered to its potential.
My other two, usually trustworthy, companions were the backpackers guides: Coast to Coast and the Alternative Route. These are both completely free and are available at the majority of hostels in South Africa. They contain lists of activities to do in each area, small towns and cities alike, and recommended hostels to stay in. Most of the descriptions are fair and accurate and they include useful information such as dorm prices per night, available services etc. Both books were extremely helpful and influenced my decision on where to stay on numerous occasions. These and word of mouth. As you can see they are a bit tatty and well loved. I just hope other countries have useful guides like this.
The next part of my journey starts soon and I hope to find it every bit as unpredictable, enjoyable and incredible as this one.
Until next time.
A x
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