14 Places You Shouldn’t Visit Alone
Traveling alone is freeing and you get to see the world as you please, but not all destinations are best seen alone. Visiting some places is better as a shared experience for safety, emotional comfort, or just because it’s a whole lot more fun with a buddy to laugh with. Some places are hard, with strange terrain, and local dangers.
There are places around the world where traveling with a friend will make a huge difference to your experience and peace of mind, whether it’s remote wilderness areas or bustling city streets. Let’s look at a few places where having someone by your side isn’t just smart, it’s more fun.
The Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon is magnificent, but it is dangerous for solo travelers. With a variety of flora and fauna, this dense jungle is host to venomous creatures, quicksand, and endless paths that can quickly disorient even the most experienced hikers. A companion is necessary to help cut through the unpredictable, witness the surreal beauty, and keep each other safe in the event of some unforeseen challenges.
Venice’s Labyrinthine Alleys
Venice is picturesque and romantic, but it’s also a maze. Travelers are often confused by the narrow alleyways, canals, and twisty streets. Wandering here alone can be a lot of time spent retracing your steps or accidentally ending up in a secluded, deserted area. It’s a fun adventure and having a friend along means someone is there to laugh with when you find yourself back at the same piazza for the third time.
Mount Everest Base Camp
Everest Base Camp is the trip of a lifetime for thrill seekers, but it’s also one of the most difficult hikes in the world. Even seasoned climbers can be negatively affected by high altitudes and tough terrain causing altitude sickness, fatigue, and even physical strain. With a friend by your side, you can watch each other’s health, share the load, and offer each other the encouragement you need on tough days.
Cape Town’s Table Mountain at Night
During the day, Table Mountain is breathtaking with views that go out for miles. However, the shape of the landscape does change completely at night. Pathways can be dangerous without enough light and guidance. After dark, many reports have shown that hiking here alone increases your risk of accidents and unexpected encounters with wildlife. A friend is more than a companion, he or she can offer practical support if things go wrong.
Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas
Rio’s favelas are famous for their culture and communities but also areas where caution should be taken. Neighborhoods like these are dangerous to solo tourists because of local gang activity and unclear territory. To make sure that you do not stray into off limits areas, it is therefore important to visit with a guide or a companion who understands the area and a travel partner will ensure that you do not compromise safety whilst appreciating the culture completely.
The Sahara Desert
The Sahara is beautiful and brutal. The views are stunning, but it’s also some of the most unforgiving terrain on the planet. This land is where extreme temperature meets limited resources and can make solo exploration difficult. Traveling l with a guide or a buddy makes a huge difference especially if something goes wrong. You also get the benefit of enjoying the mesmerizing desert sunsets with a friend.
Tokyo’s Bustling Shibuya Crossing
The Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo is one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in the world. This spot is a must-see for many, but the energy can be overwhelming. Having a friend by your side makes the chaos more enjoyable and it’s nice to have someone to snap photos with as you and blend into the energetic vibe of Tokyo’s urban life.
The Scottish Highlands
The Scottish Highlands is vast, misty, enchanting, and sometimes eerily empty. It’s an excellent location for hiking and taking in nature but with unpredictable weather, long distances, and bad cell service, it can turn a mild hike into a dangerous undertaking if you’re playing alone. With a companion, it’s safer, and you can explore hidden valleys and share the beauty of the sprawling, rugged hills with a companion.
Bangkok’s Chatuchak Market
With more than 15,000 stalls, Chatuchak Market in Bangkok is a shopping paradise, but it can be a maze. The market’s sprawling layout can be confusing, and easy to get lost in. The sheer number of people is overwhelming, but having a shopping buddy to haggle and navigate the never-ending stalls with can make the experience a memorable one.
New York City’s Subway System
The New York City subway is iconic, but if you’re a newcomer and don’t know the ins and outs of the city’s fast paced lifestyle it can be intimidating. It is a maze of routes, lines and unexpected characters, and if you have a travel partner, it will help ease your anxiety and avoid you being in an unfamiliar place. Riding the subway together is also great for people watching and shared stories about the Big Apple.
The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Exploring Chernobyl is eerie but interesting. It’s weird to walk through decayed remnants of Soviet life and abandoned towns. Visiting with others is comforting and fills in the eerie silence. You also get to share this unique and historical experience with others. Plus, having a travel companion and guide will help you to be safe and take all the precautions in this radioactive environment.
Mexico’s Copper Canyon
The Copper Canyon is a massive, beautiful natural formation bigger and deeper than the Grand Canyon, but it’s much less populated and remote. Canyons are a huge network, hard to get around in alone; there are not a lot of emergency services in that vast network of canyons to help you if you do get lost or hurt. The experience is safer, and more enjoyable, with a travel companion who can provide support in the event of any unexpected difficulties, and who doubles the enjoyment as you explore this beautiful, rugged landscape.
Paris’ Montmartre Neighborhood Late at Night
Montmartre is a cute area with cobblestone streets, quirky cafes, and historical landmarks, but it’s really best seen with someone by your side, especially after dark. At night, the streets and quiet areas can be too quiet and isolated. Having a friend along not only offers the security of companionship but also provides a much more interesting experience since you will be sharing memories.
Death Valley National Park
The landscapes of death valley are diverse salt flats, sand dunes and colored hillsides. While the climate can be achingly unforgiving, especially in summer, it’s deadly when you’re on your own. Try to travel with a travel buddy and share resources, stay hydrated and support each other in this unique desert environment, making this much more manageable and safe.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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10 Best African Photo Safaris You Must Experience
Even if you’ve been on a safari in the past, an African photo safari is something you want to experience or at the very list add to the top of your bucket list.
But first, what is a photo safari? The phrase “photo safari” is not a common sentence structure but its meaning can be deduced easily. An African photo safari in general context means going on an adventure with the sole purpose of taking high-quality pictures.
10 Best African Photo Safaris You Must Experience
