Top 10 Solotravel tips

Back up everything in multiple places

Imagine how you’d feel if you lost every single photo from your trip. You really don’t want that to happen, so back everything up, in multiple places. My tech journalist boyfriend always reminds me that anything that’s stored in one place is something you don’t mind losing. I keep copies of my photos on my laptop, back all of my photos up to an external hard drive, and use Crashplan to backup the entire contents of my laptop to the cloud. I highly recommend using the latter!

Merino is king for cold climates

It’s tough to pack for a trip that’ll take you through warm and cold climates. If you’ll be doing just that, pick up some clothing made of Merino wool. It’ll be lightweight, keep you warm in cold temperatures, cold in hot temperatures, and won’t smell if you wear it for several days in a row.

The Belize Environment

Belize knows how important its natural environment is, not just for their fishing industry, but also for tourism and protecting its bio and marine diversity.  Belize is home to the only Jaguar Reserve in the world.  Belize is also implementing sustainability and conservation efforts to protect the Belize Barrier Reef.  It works with the other governments of the countries with whom it shares the reef.  I encourage you to get out and enjoy outdoor activities Belize has to offer, but please respect what Belize is trying to protect.

Bring several debit and credit cards with you

Sometimes your bank will block your card, sometimes your card won’t work in an ATM, and sometimes you could even lose it or have it stolen. Bring at least three debit/credit cards with you that are all linked to different accounts (with money in them!) Keep one in your backpack, one in your daypack, and one on your person. It’s being a little paranoid, sure, but you’ll be glad you did it if you happen to misplace your card.

Eat healthier every now and then

Here’s a confession: I gained around 20 pounds over my first few years of travel, mostly thanks to eating out for every single meal. And I’m only 5’1” — 20 lbs is a lot for such a small-framed human! While it can be tempting to treat yourself to junk food, and Pringles and Oreos will fuel your every travel day, resolve to have at least a few days every now and then when you go for the healthier option. Whole foods, plenty of vegetables, tons of water, as little sugar as possible, and an alcohol detox. Your body and mind will thank you for it. I discovered that my bad travel diet was actually resulting in panic attacks! Five years into my travels, I began to suffer from a reoccurrence of anxiety and I couldn’t figure out why. Once I removed sugary foods, alcohol, and dairy from my diet, I found myself in a fantastic place, mentally. I couldn’t believe how much my diet had impacted my mental health. And travel? It makes it pretty tough to eat healthily.

Pick up a business card from the hotel/hostel you're staying at.

This is your "return to start" token in a foreign city, where you may not speak the language. Pretty much any card will at a minimum have the address in the local language, and probably English too. Get lost, phone died? Hand a taxi driver, tuk tuk, etc. the card, and you won't have to say a word.My favorite: had a few too many drinks and want nothing more than to pass out on a halfway decent bed? Again, no trying to articulate Thai words with an alcohol induced slur, just pull out the card.Anyway, hopefully that's useful!

Dining

Avoid fast food if you don’t like dining alone. Go to a café or a bar where the atmosphere is more laid back and chilled, making it easier for you to meet new people.

Bring Snacks to Save Money

Disney food is expensive, and you may not want to eat every single meal and snack in the parks. You’re able to bring your own snacks into the parks as a method to save a little bit of money. There are some restrictions on what you can bring in like no coolers or alcohol, but most food is acceptable. Packing a few muffins for breakfast or granola bars to stop that midday hunger is a great way to save some money. Snacks are small and easy to pack, so you don’t have to worry about them taking up too much room in your Disney bag. With they money you’ve saved by bringing your own snacks rather than paying nearly $10 for popcorn, you’ll be able to splurge and have a nice lunch or dinner at a restaurant.

A power strip will making charging easy

It’s still common to turn up to a dorm room and find you only have a couple of power sockets to share between eight laptop-toting backpackers. Bring a power strip to ensure you can charge what you need to, while allowing everyone else to charge their tech, too.

Clean Up the Clutter

Whenever you're in a new place and seeing exciting new things, it's easy to overlook the background. But before hitting the shutter button, look around first. Watch out for clutter that may ruin the picture. Always keep in mind that the smallest detail can affect the overall look of your photo.