This is where couchsurfing comes in. Basically couchsurfing involved sleeping on the couch of a host in their home city. There is no payment involved and very often the host will also show their guest around where they live and offer more than a couch in the way of a room.

If you are traveling to a new city there is only so much a guide book can tell you whereas a local will more likely know all the cool places to go to.

On the couchsurfing website you will find the profiles of the hosts and guests and this is key for the safety element as reputations are built up on reviews and trust. This is not fool proof and the usual safety precautions should be taken whenever you plan to meet someone new.

As a host you can also offer to meet travelers just for a coffee rather than providing them with accommodation which is a cool new feature and particularly of interest to the solo traveler.

We highly recommend couch-surfing and in terms of a solo travel experience it fills an important role and allowing travelers and locals to connect. It is easy to grow a little tired of staying in hostels and couchsurfing offers a great alternative.

1. New Zealand

NZ is a small country but a huge destination for the globe trotting backpacker. Having the opposite summer season compared to the northern hemisphere helps but an extensive network of hostels and backpacker lodges keeps them coming back for more.

Meeting other solos is as easy as booking a dorm bed or hiking one of the many tracks around the country. There is also an extensive working holiday and wwoof network that is appealing too.

2. Australia

The lucky country like it’s smaller neighbor offers a sunny warm climate while most of the north is shivering and skiing. Just like NZ there is an extensive network of affordable places to stay where it’s very easy to meet other travelers.

There are some pretty well worn routes that as a solo you can stick to and have the guarantee of meeting lots of other folk on their own. Bus services like the OZ Experience and Contiki tours are also very much geared to younger solo travelers.

3. Thailand

The land of smiles attracts solo travelers from every age group and corner of the world. Guesthouses are very affordable by western standards so it’s entirely possible to travel alone and still have a room to yourself.

Thailand is very much on the banana pancake trail with Bangkok starring as the epi-centre of backpacking in Southeast Asia.

Popular group activities to join include 2/3 day treks around Chiang Mai and PADI diving courses on the  southern islands.

To me there is no sense of freedom greater than setting out on the road on your own for a spell of protracted global wandering. For me this involved a flight to Bangkok to begin a round the world adventure that would occupy me for the next 18 months or so.

Ok so Bangkok isn’t as alien to the average western backpacker as Timbuktu, but it’s still a culture shock to be embraced. This is where the sense of freedom and enjoyment comes in.

On arrival in Bangkok’s airport I shunned the numerous pestering approaches of the taxi driving fraternity and headed for the bus stop; after all I was a backpacker and this would be cheaper. It would also be rather less direct.

I explained to the ticket seller where I wanted to go to reach the hotel I’d booked for my first night, and he gave the impression of understanding and shunted me in the direction of a soon to be departing bus filled with Thais and one other foreigner.

My ticket selling acquaintance muttered something to the driver and pointed at me, which I assumed was an instruction of where I was to de booted off, and then gave me the thumbs up. All going swimmingly so far.  More to follow soon…

Solo travel went to Thailand in 2011 and visited the islands on the gulf as well as the andaman coast. Here is a brief guide to get you started in the land of smiles.

Koh Phangnan

Could this be the ultimate budget solo travel island? Every month 1000s of backpackers, many who are travelling solo, descend on the party capital island of Southeast Asia. Haad Rin is ground zero for the party crew who head there monthly for the world famous Full Moon party.

This part of the island remains busy all month with various other moon related parties (black moon, half moon, quarter moon – you get the idea!)

So we highly rate Koh Phangnan for the solo, particularly if you like to party. There are quieter parts of the island too and we’d recommend the North, around bottle beach.

Koh Samui

Samui is the big island of the Gulf of Thailand and a heavyweight of tourism. Most of the beaches, Chaweng for instance, only really cater for the package groups and couples.

If you do find yourself on Samui then we’d recommend heading to the north of the Island around the beaches of Bang Po, otherwise head for it’s little brother (see above!).

Koh Tao

Turtle Island is the northerly cousin of the above two and is heading increasingly upmarket like Samui but is a much better option if you are travelling solo.

This is largely due to the plethora of dive schools on the island which makes for a very sociable scene, if you are doing a dive course.

Fear not non-divers, Kao Tao is still a great destination for solos due in part to it’s lack of package tourism.

Getting to the Islands

Koh Samui is the only island with an airport but an alternative is to fly from Bangkok to Surat Thani and take a bus boat combo over.

Alternatively you can take a bus/train/boat combination all the way from the capital.

*Look out for our top five solo travel destinations coming soon.

Introduction

Bukit Lawang is a small village in Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumutra. The village and national park have been made famous by the Orangutans who live in the lush tropical forest. The centre no longer rehabilitates the Orangutans but it still provides a feeding platform area from where you can view these magnificent beasts.

The main season to visit is Sumatra’s dry season which runs from around March to October. Outside of this time things get very wet and it could be a challenge to get to Bukit Lawang from Medan as the road can be in very poor condition.

Get There

Bukit Lawang is the main entrance point for the National Park and is situated on the Indonesian Island of Sumatra.

To Sumatra > Medan is the main entry point. At the time of writing there was no ferry service from Malaysia so everyone flies into Medan’s International Airport unless they are coming overland from somewhere else in Indonesia.

From Medan Airport > You can organise a private car to pick you up at the airport and take you all the way to Bukit Lawang for around rp 400,000. Other options include a taxi from the airport to the bus station at Pianag Baris. From there public buses run all the way to Bukit Lawang.

Once There

Accommodation is plentiful in the village and nearly all visitors stay alongside the river in basic guesthouses.

Restaurants and cafes are also plentiful offering basic traveller food and Indonesian dishes. Many of the guesthouses also have a cafe or restaurant on site.

For more specific details about where to stay then check out LPs Guide to Bukit.

Nightlife is fairly limited and is usually confined to sitting around the guesthouses and chilling out with a bottle or two of Bintang and a sing along with the guides who tend to double up as singers!

Main activity is of course to go jungle trekking to see the Orangutans in their natural environment. In order to do this you will need to employ the services of a guide. Your guesthouse may well be the best place to ask around as guides usually attach themselves to guesthouses and are qualified.

Treks can last half a day to three or more and costs vary as you’d expect but expect to pay around EURO 30 per day (as of early 2012).

The feeding platform is accessible at 8am and 3pm and you will be led there by park rangers. Just beyond the national park entrance you will need to pay for a permit.

We strongly advise that you visit in the morning as this is when you are more likely to see the Orangutans. Sometimes at the feeding platform you will see lots and other times maybe none. Hope that you are lucky on the day(s) that you go.

Going solo in Bukit Lawang

Bukit Lawang is an ideal destination for the solo traveller. The jungle treks tend to be in groups so its very easy to hook up with others. The nightlife is concentrated on the guesthouses so you can sit around and get to know your fellow travellers over a cold beer. Rooms are cheap and affordable for single travellers and it is easy to get around on your own too.

We travelled from the UK to Sumatra with Thai International Airways to Bangkok and Air Asia to Medan.

(video presentation watching the orangutans at the feeding platform)