Hi,
I am a 22 year old Female from the UK and am at present preparing for my travelling adventure at the end of this year/beginning of 2011! smile.gif

I am looking to go from Uk-OZ(Sydney)//Overland to Melbourne and perhaps other places on the east coast//-NewZealand-Singapore//Overland through Malaysia to KL then up to Thailand, starting at Koh Tao to visit friends and perhaps some of the other islands in south Thailand, then up to Bangkok, Then from there over the border to Laos//Overland to Vietnam//Overland to Cambodia then Back to Thailand where I will fly home from.

This is obviously still quite a rough plan, and some of the points where i have said 'overland' may well be using internal cheap flights etc depending on how difficult it is to travel by other means of transport over borders etc!
Thanks

Hello
I traveled around the world solo, without a partner or friend when I was 30. When I planned the trip, I assumed I would be alone, that it would be lots of hard work, and that at times I would be lonely. I was wrong on all counts. I found out that traveling solo is very rewarding. There is a treasury of companionship out there.

On a beach in Bali I asked an American woman to watch my bag while I went swimming. After a short conversation, we became friends and explored the island together - renting a motorcycle to discover remote villages set among green terraced rice fields, even changing flights to continue traveling together. Later, I met a Swiss woman on a plane to Delhi and ended up renting a houseboat with her in Kashmir. This voyage taught me that women connect easily when traveling and rely on each other for advice and companionship.

If you are considering going solo your next vacation, here are a few travel-tested tips that make it easier:

Buy a Guidebook Geared Toward the Single Traveler
The accommodations, hang-outs and restaurants listed will be full of other independent travelers. You'll have plenty of opportunities to hook up with a variety of people for an afternoon of exploring the bazaar in Kathmandu, eating a meal together, or even traveling for a day or a week together (perhaps even more...I met my husband while traveling in Nepal.)

Check Out the Independent Travelers Meeting Places
Some guidebooks (such as the Lonely Planet series) will list them. Many cities have well-known meccas for independent travelers from bookstores to cafes to youth hostels with bulletin boards and calendars of local events. These provide a treasure trove of listings for inexpensive tours, travel companions or rides wanted, free or almost free lectures, or social gatherings which you can join. A morning jog with the running group "Hash House Harriers" in Singapore or Kathmandu can lead to local friends and social invitations. My hand-written note posted on a message board on a tree in the cafe courtyard of the Old Stanley Hotel in Nairobi led to a safari with dynamic people and some wonderful friendships.

Start Smart
Even if you want to be unstructured, book at least the first night's accommodation in advance. It may cost more than you want to spend the rest of the trip for lodging, but this makes it easier getting your bearings and ensures you don't start the trip fatigued trying to get it all together right when you step off the plane in a foreign country.