Is travelling alone... lonely?

In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking Podcast, I
dive into one of the questions I get asked most often: is solo
travel lonely? To answer that, I compare two contrasting
experiences—my current quiet week in Sulawesi, Indonesia, and a
past trip to Ibiza during the off-season. In Sulawesi, I’ve
barely interacted with anyone, yet I feel completely content
because I chose this solitude after a socially intense week in
Borneo. Meanwhile, in Ibiza, I wanted to meet people but
couldn’t, and that made it truly lonely. The key difference?
Whether connection is accessible when you want it.


I’ve found that speaking the local language makes a massive
difference in avoiding loneliness—it opens doors to meaningful
interactions that many solo travellers miss. These days, I don’t
need constant socialising like I did in my early twenties; I’m
happy in my own company, but I also know how to make friends
quickly when I want to. It’s all about balance, self-awareness,
and staying open. I’ll explore the deeper philosophy of
loneliness another time, but for now, I hope this episode gives a
more practical answer to a question I hear so often.


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