Getting Lost Alone is a Bliss. Isn't it?

I consider myself an independent person who enjoys being on her own especially when it comes to travel. you've heard it a lot of people talking how good it is and how it's bring positive impact for your life. Being in a third world country it's a struggle for us to go on around the world trip without crying the fact of our currency is drop the minute we changed it to $. So i did my first solo trip after spending a few months working my sweat off after high school. 


Travel companions are cool. you have someone to have a conversation with, someone to share when you encountered something and someone to split the bills. it seems pretty wonderful and less-stress. but, there many things that you will be end up not doing when you travel with companions. for example i end up didn't eat something that i wanted to try because my travel companions didn't want to eat it and i have to let go of it to continue whatever we intended to do. i end up making a lot of compromises because i have to consider someone else happiness rather than only mine. So, that makes thinking that the only best travel companion is? it is me or in your case that is You!


The most initial concern when i travel alone is getting lost. During that time i got lost simply because i read the maps incorrectly, or because i didn't do my homework to research well the other night before because i just trusting my guts to which direction i have to go. hence i got lost anyway.


There are times where being lost gives you benefit. You get to see or pass by something you've never seen before but where it comes to travel you get to visit tourist-less places that were not on your list to visit simply because you've never heard of it before. You might be also get yourself engage with the locals through interesting conversation in your attempt to find the right direction.


When you travel. things are uncertain, things can change in a blink of an eye even when it's not on your list. on the positive side, it can bring colour or a lesson for you.


Nevertheless, When you are a solo traveler and have a very short time, being lost will definitely not bring colour on your travel story.  it will waste your time where you should have spend it at the intended place. Here are things that i find useful to not get yourself in the middle of nowhere.

1. Do Your Homework!

The night before you take your feet out there. you have to figure out which bus and measure the distance between your place and the place you want to go in this case you can ask Google. Google knows everything it is even tell you which bus you should take. 

here is the screenshot i took from Google. i was searching my way to Batu Feringhi beach and it shows clear and easy which bus i should take and how long it will takes.

i wasn't staying in the hotel. LOL!  I was somewhere nearby.

2. Keep The Map Handy

Most developed or developing country (big cities) now provide downloadable maps online. because it is not the time to look at a giant paper on the road side of the trip. to keep it handy download the train/commuter maps on your phone and save it. so you keep it handy to reach.

For Jakarta and city nearby Commuter Line, download here

For Bangkok, download here

For RapidKL, download here

3. Take Pictures!

If you are bad at remembering places, take picture of buildings or street sign that will help you finding the way back. good thing about this you have a lot of pictures to take a look at latter but when you do it you might be a little bit distracted because you will end up playing the photographer wanna be and it's quite fun. in a nutshell by doing this you'll never be lost. maybe :D


Do you think it is helpful or you have more ideas on what to do to avoid being lost? share with me!