10 Tips For Travelling Solo

More people are now single than at any other time in history but that’s not the only reason why people are going travelling on their own. People also want the luxury of following their own interests and living on their own schedule. People of all ages are out on the road solo.
If you’re planning a solo trip, here are ten top insider tips for independent travel you need to know, courtesy of Janice Waugh, author of The Solo Traveller's Handbook.

1. When planning your accommodation...

Consider a guest house, hostel, B&B or small pension as they usually offer more access to friendly locals.

2. Give yourself a full day to really acclimatise to each new destination

I find that it takes that amount of time to feel comfortable.

3. Enjoy dinner as a solo traveller:

- Choose a restaurant with a bar and eat there – this is my choice as I almost always meet someone.

- Go to restaurants with communal tables or coffee shops that are the hubs for freelancers. These are social places where you’re likely to meet locals and they frequently offer free Wi-Fi allowing you to stay connected with home.

- Dine in the same place regularly so that you become friendly with the staff.

- Take a book. It will not only occupy you but also signal other people dining solo that you are alone.

- Ask people who are alone if you can join them. Worst case… they say no.

- Take your main meal at noon when the romantic crowd aren’t around and the prices are lower.

4. When going out at night...

Leave a note in your room saying where you are going and when you expect to be back. If you are meeting someone, indicate whom…

5. Stay well rested and sober

It’s important to have your wits about you when you travel solo.

6. Think ahead when it comes to cash

Exchange bureaux usually have poor rates and higher fees. Use ATMs to get money and don’t take out large sums at one time. Consider a pre-paid credit card. Keep emergency back-up funds in a separate place from your regular funds.

7. Stay connected

Consider buying an unlocked cell phone so that you can buy a SIM card for your phone in each country as you travel. This saves money. Load Skype onto your phone so that you can Skype with friends and family at home at no cost when you have access to the internet. See our article showing you how to save spending on big roaming charges abroad.

8. Always keep your most important items in the same place and have a simple check

For me it’s passport, wallet, camera and phone. Those are the items I check when I feel the need.

9. Keep your documents secure

Give someone at home copies of your documents and email copies to yourself. Keep a photocopy of your documents in your suitcase, separate from your original documents. Carry important documents in a secure place such as a money belt.

10. And some quick safety tips...

Schedule your arrival in a new location early — well before dark. Always stay in public. Draw on the support of strangers – people of your choice – if you feel unsafe. Don’t be afraid to be noisy and make a fuss if someone is bothering you.

HA NOI – MU CANG CHAI TREKKING 3 DAYS

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi – Nghia Lo – Mu Cang Chai

Day 2: Mu Cang Chai trekking – Tu Le
Day 3: Tu Le – Ha Noi

Itinerary

DAY 1: HANOI – NGHIA LO – MU CANG CHAI

Khau Pha pass

Our guide will pick you up at hotel, then driving to west of Hanoi following the national way – No.32 to Nghia Lo district of Yen Bai province.

Have a lunch in local restaurant in Nghia Lo, then keep on driving up to Mu Cang Chai. We stop-over in Khau Pha Pass for sightseeing and take-photos of this area.

Have a dinner in Mu Cang Chai. You are free time to explore Mu Cang Chai.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: homestay

DAY 2: MU CANG CHAI TREKKING – TU LE

La Pan Tan Commune - Mu Cang Chai

After breakfast, we will get a transfer to a trekking point for the whole day trek to enjoy Vietnam’s national rice terrace heritage. Our trek will start from Che Cu Nha commune to La Pan Tan Commune. It is around 13 km and takes most of our day. This trek will definitely offer us a good opportunity to see the main spots and admire the beauty of amazing rice terraces that Mu Cang Chai has to offer. We will also be able to visit a few villages of the H’mong hill tribe scattered in the area.

Get picked up by our private vehicle around 4.00 PM. Transfer back the way to Tu Le Town. Check in hotel. Dinner and stay for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: hotel

DAY 3: TU LE - HANOI 

Tu Le Commune

After breakfast, we will embark on a short walk to Tu Le Valley where we can enjoy the morning breeze, view the rice paddy fields and the daily life of villagers. Get back on the vehicle and take our return journey to Hanoi. Lunch at Nghia Lo town. Arrive in Hanoi late in the afternoon and finish the tour at the door of your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: none included

Quotation: (USD/person)

Group of travelers	2 pax	3 pax	4 -6 pax
Private tour price	310	250	200

Included:

·        Hotel accommodation based on twin

·        Meals as specified in the itinerary

·        Private transportation

·        English- speaking guide (other languages are available upon request).

·        Sightseeing as specified including entrance fees

·        Travel insurance

·        Water (2 bottle/day)

·        Description of service in details

Excluded:

·        Tips for tour guide, driver

·        Expenditure of a personal nature, tips, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry, emergency transfers & etc

·        International airfare to/ from Vietnam & International airport tax in Vietnam

·        Others which are not mentioned in the inclusion

Thing to do in Mu Cang Chai

Rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai, look magnificent all year round, even when they are flooded by monsoon rains. But only during the harvest season, between the end of September and mid-October, is their beauty in its prime. Golden fields, which run along mountains and are highlighted by green forests, have become popular postcard pictures.

To can explore more about the landscape and culture of local in Mu Cang Chai, Vietmountain travel recommend you 6 Things to do:

1. Ride on Motorbike

If you have good health, you could choose travel to Mu Cang Chai by motorbike. There’s no better way to experience in there than riding a motorbike, because most of landscape is mountainous area and suitable to move by motorbike between villages. Riding on the winding passes, feel the free, the wind, see the overview of rice terraces, even offroad…or can stop anywhere you want.

However, since it was a motorbike adventure trip, you have to prepare for long rides on a motorbike so better bring along some muscle creams or patches to ease sore muscles. Carry light as much as possible but be sure to bring along windbreakers, face masks, glasses/sunglasses, gloves (optional).

If you don’t know to drive motorbike, don’t worry, you could sit back our guide, they’re skill driver and good guide. You could refer the Motorbike tour or Trekking Mu Cang Chai tour of 

2. One day be a Farmer

One day be farmer with H’mong people in Mu Cang Chai Planting or harvesting with local people in Mù Cang Chải. It’ll be unforgettable experience with most of travelers, you’ll understand the work and hard life of H’mong people.

3. Explore the Local Culture

Learn traditional instrument of H’mong people’s house in Mu Cang Chai

Visit H’mông’s houses in Mù Cang Chải, explore their life, learn the traditional instrument or how to make clothes…

4. Playing with Children

Children in Mu Cang Chai are very friendly and lovely, they’ll be your guide to discover the rice terraces, sing for you…They’re very different with children in Sapa or some tourist destinations, you won’t see the children following you and said “Monney, monney..” You’ll chance to play with real children, so fun.

5. Stay at Homestay

Leave the hotel or resort, let choose stay at homestay with ethnic people in Mu Cang Chai. You’re treated as family member with delicious dishes, local alcoholic drinks and cook with them.

To travel Mu Cang Chai, you could stay in Thai village, their still house is very clean and comfortable.

6. Visit Local Market

Don’t forget to visit the local market when you travel in Mu Cang Chai. There are various local food, special products and colorful custom of ethnic people, that you don’t see in the big city or in your country.
Referrance

Sapa - Vietnam

Some beautiful pictures about Sapa in Vietnam:

Best time to visit Sapa

The best time to visit Sapa is from March to May and from September to November. At these times, the weather is relatively stable with sunny days and cool nights. The first period is the fall time. At this time of the year, the weather is very comfortable for tourism. It is dry, clear with much sunshine. The view of Sapa’s terraces is at its best between September and October. The cool and dry weather with the stable temperature makes it the perfect time for trekking and photos.

In the summer, although the weather is quite warm, it is not as hot as other regions in Vietnam. If you spend time in this town in the period between April and May, you will have the chance to see the wonderful scenes of many colorful flowers and green fields there. Many Vietnamese visit Sapa after the Lunar New Year to admire the blossoming cherry trees.

In the winter, from December to February, the weather in Sapa becomes very cold, especially at night. However, in return, visitors will have the opportunity to watch the sunrise over the valley in the morning. In recent years, there is snow in Sapa. If you have chance to travel to this picturesque town on this occasion, you will definitely see quite a romance scene. However, this is the reason why Sapa is always crowded at this time of the year.

Terrace field in Mu Cang Chai - Vietnam

Every year, between September and October, the terraced rice fields of Mù Cang Chải, a rural district in northern Vietnam’s Yên Bái Province, put on a show of picturesque harvest colours. In the fresh, dew-brushed dawn, hundreds of stepped rice fields, carved into the contours of steep valleys, are illuminated by the autumn sun. The golden-green and toast-brown colours of the ripe rice are luminous. The curving terraces, although man-made, appear to be in complete harmony with the landscape, creating a hypnotic patterning across the hills and valleys. I call this spectacle the ‘Theatre of Rice’. Although well-known to most Vietnamese, Mù Cang Chải doesn’t get a mention in many popular English-language guidebooks. A good way to see the ‘show’ is to drive the scenic section of Road 32 from Tú Lệ town to just west of Mù Cang Chải town. I call this the ‘Harvest Route’. It takes in 50km of picture-book scenery, including the lofty Khau Phạ Pass. There are hotels in both Tú Lệ and Mù Cang Chải towns. Below are photos of the ‘Theatre of Rice’.