Why Australia is the perfect country for travelling alone
Unlike many other countries in the world, Australia is best experienced alone. It’s vast, it’s varied, and it can be quite lonely, something that works in its favour most of the time.
That’s not just limited to the outback, either – everything about the in-city tourism exists to make life easier for the individual. We’ve partnered up with travel experts Compare and Choose to explain why Australia is the perfect country for travelling alone.
Familiarity
Going to somewhere like Germany or France can be scary, since it’s not easy to understand where you actually are unless you have some kind of map or city guide. In Australia, everybody speaks English (minus a few slang phrases and variations), so you’ll be able to read signs, identify shops, ask for directions and use any service without needing to translate or waste time learning a specific phrase.
The weather is also fairly consistent, often being sunny and rather warm. This won’t appeal to everybody, but at least you’ll know what you’ll be up against all year round: for example, if you pack shorts, they’re guaranteed to get a lot of use, even in the winter months.
Independence
Australia caters to both types of tourist – those who want to explore, and those who want to be guided. There are some companies that actually prefer to offer tours or hotel rooms to solo travellers, and the extra single supplement fees you’d see in other countries is usually much lower, if not completely absent.
If you want to make friends, you can also team up with other travellers for parts of your journey – catching lifts on campervan rentals or sharing hotel rooms can reduce the cost for both of you, without sacrificing the lonely atmosphere that so many people love about the country.
Taking a break
There are few other countries in the world where you can just sit down. If you’re hiking through the outback or exploring the outskirts of a city, there’s nothing stopping you from just sitting down for a quick rest. Even if you’re driving through one of the country’s many isolated roads, you can simply pull over whenever you like.
This makes Australia one of the few countries that encourages exploration purely through its size. If you see something, you can probably get to it, and if you can’t get to it then you can just take a seat and look at it instead.
Safety
Australia’s wildlife can be dangerous, but it’s all well-documented and the authorities are usually quick to send trappers to deal with particularly nasty animals. Back in the cities, you’re still incredibly safe, with an extremely low crime rate and a general feeling of positivity reflects how nice everybody will be, even to complete strangers.
Despite its huge size, Australia offers plenty of destinations for beginner hikers and explorer, too. If safety is of the utmost importance, and you refuse to take any unnecessary risks, there are still hundreds of unique locations that you can visit, both in and out of the major cities.
Sources:
http://www.bigworldsmallpockets.com/australia-travelling-alone/