I’ve only ever taken trips that were under 10 days, and I’ve never really travelled outside of my continent alone before, only ever with family. So when I think about taking a bigger solo trip, the “splurge” part feels very real
Solo travel sounds amazing, but it also comes with all those costs that are usually easier when split with someone else like single supplements at hotels, rental cars, taxis/transfers, even just not being able to split meals or little extras. It adds up so fast.
So I’m curious, what’s a trip or experience you splurged on that was genuinely worth it? It can be under 10 days or way longer, doesn’t matter. I’d love to hear what made you think, “okay yeah, that was expensive… but I’d do it again.”
When I travel alone (and I always want to keep a budget in mind) I usually pick one or two nights in a really fancy hotel- either at the end of somewhere in the middle of my journey. I consider it a way to reset, enjoy a super long hot shower, and it really makes the vacation feel like a vacation.
I built a trip around a splurge: a 5 day live aboard in the Galapagos during Covid, so I (with the others on the boat) hiked and snorkeled every day in different spots on different islands with a naturalist. It was a good deal. If you can afford to be flexible, I would go during low season and see if you can get a reduced price ticket because if the ship is not full, you can sometimes score a discount. Go to Santa Cruz’s Puerto Ayora and ask around. You can spend a few days ahead of time learning/exploring and seeing things even on your own. It is enchanting because there are endemic, native species you can see easily (frigates, bluefooted boobies, smaller marine iguanas and sometimes the bigger ones). The Charles Darwin Research center is there, you can use a day and take a tour and see all the islands’ tortoises because of the breeding program. You can see the big tortoises in the wild if you rent a bike and take the bus up to Bella Vista and ride downhill, stopping whenever you see a tortoise. Don’t go on private property and don’t bother them, but you can get up to the fence. Also you can take a ferry to San Cristobal and snorkel in Los Lobos (AMAZING). I bought a fish at the market and had the restaurant next to my hostel prepare it for me. I bought bread from bakeries and produce as well as dried fruits, so it was less expensive than eating out all the time. It was expensive, but it was a screaming good deal during pandemic because there were much fewer people and lots of options (everything was not overbooked already). 100% worth it. I want to go back, but am trying to get some other places off the bucket list. Made me fall in love with solo travel though.
While I wouldn’t do it again, the most expensive solo trip I ever took was to Antarctica. All told, it cost me about $10,000. So, yeah, I splurged. Was it worth it? Every penny. It was one of the most amazing experiences that I have ever had. To visit a place that relatively few people have been to, and to see the world at its most wild, was something that I will never forget. I don’t know if it’s for everyone, but it was definitely the right call for me.
@AaronP Antarctica is probably the one trip I’d splurge on without overthinking it. It’s been on my bucket list for years, and I’m hoping I can make it happen sometime in the next 15 years to be realistic hahaha. It’s definitely not a small expense, so I’m already mentally preparing for it to be my “big travel splurge.” Just a quick question tho, anything you wish you’d known before you booked? Or feel like could have gone a bit better/smoother?
A trip that I splurged on was Tahiti & the Pearls of French Polynesia. It was a live-aboard experience for 7 days, approx $4k. It was a beautiful way to see the islands and experience the culture. The sunsets at sea were spectacular and will be etched in my mind forever. The food on board was great as well. It was a small group of no more than 200 guests considering the size of the boat. My only regret was allowing the person I was seeing at that time to accompany me on this adventure. I originally booked it solo, but they insisted on tagging along. Suffice it to say, they were not very resilient when it came to dealing with minor inconveniences that I already anticipated. So if I could do it again, I would go on that trip again, but solo.
For me, probably it would always be food. Not talking about expensive fancy restaurants either, just finding a really good local place and paying a little extra for something that’s actually memorable. I’d much rather spend more on a meal I’ll remember than on a nicer hotel room I’m barely in.
Antartica is a Tier 1 bucket list adventure!
And it does seem to becoming more popular, but I do believe you that it’s not for everyone.
I usually stay in Europe and take 5-7 day trips at most because there is so much to see here, but for our Honeymoon we took 2 weeks off and went to Thailand.
The only big expense was on the long haul flights but we got so much more for our money once there, so were able to justify still booking fancier hotels and experiences, like a live in experience with an elephant sanctuary and staying in Khao Sok National Park.
We ended up in Borneo via Singapore for our anniversary too, spending time on an island in a turtle sanctuary.
I would love to do more long haul travel, and as long as I am there for a good chunk of time then it feels worth it to me.
