Mayhul, I'm glad you asked. Too many people automatically travel with a group or another person, never realizing that traveling alone is fundamentally different. It's an experience no one should miss. Why travel alone?

	Ask the Expert Rob Sangster Rob has traveled in more than 100 countries and all seven continents. His wanderlust has lured him all over Asia, Central America, about half of the countries in Africa and South America, the Pacific Islands, most of Western and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, and throughout the United States. Ask Rob a question Meet Rob Previous Answers

1. Traveling solo is freedom. You set the itinerary and the pace and you make all the decisions.

2. Traveling alone is a fine confidence-builder. You learn that you can solve problems, get over the blues, and find hidden treasures all by yourself.

3. When you're on your own, people are more willing to start a conversation with you. Local people seem more likely to extend invitations for a meal or a stay in their home. In contrast, I've noticed that sometimes people keep a slight distance from couples, romantic or otherwise.

4. You have abundant alone time for contemplating, vegetating, or whatever you want.

5. You needn't deal with someone else's mood swings (nor they with yours).

6. You learn local languages faster when communication is up to you alone.

7. You're free to meet the person who might turn out to be very important in your life.

8. Your own personality may be the deciding factor. A person who is exceptionally independent and who has little tolerance for the idiosyncrasies of others might be happier traveling alone. An Angolan proverb says that"To be sure that your friend is a friend, you must go with him on a journey." Of course, if you travel with a person you'll encounter after you return, conflict on the road might haunt you for a while.

Why travel with a partner?

Traveling with a good partner can be very appealing. For the most part, I've been blessed with travel partners from heaven. That may have lulled me into accepting a last-minute replacement partner for a three-month trip in South America. Although he spoke fluent Spanish, he acted like the illegitimate offspring of the Ugly American and Godzilla. After recovering from that trip, I gave much more thought to the issue of traveling with a partner.

Which of these reasons do you find persuasive?

1. Travel almost always costs less per person when you travel with a partner. Since a single room usually costs 80 to 100 percent of the price of a double room, your lodging costs drop sharply when you split 50-50. The same is true for expenses such as taxis, guidebooks, medicine, and reading material. If you're on a tour, having a partner avoids paying a stiff single supplement charge.

2. It can be a relief to divide daily chores, such as changing money, buying tickets, finding a room, or figuring out how to get all the way across Beijing to see Chinese acrobats perform.

3. You're usually safer when you travel with a partner. I've seldom felt concerned about physical violence, such as mugging, when I travel. However, where pickpockets flourish-which is almost everywhere-it's very helpful to travel in company.

4. A partner is especially helpful to women for minimizing unwanted advances.

5. A companion keeps the lonesome, homesick blues at bay. If your partner has a down day, you can pick up the slack and be a cheerful presence, and vice versa.

6. Traveling with someone who speaks a local language makes daily life a little easier.

7. Brainstorming with a partner often leads to making better choices. Even my best fantasies benefit from a reality check.

8. If a traveler becomes ill, a partner assumes the attributes of an angel.

9. When the trip is history, you have a person with whom to reminisce. By the way, if you decide to travel with a partner, reach agreement before you leave on how you will handle money. It's not as simple as it might seem so I'll discuss that subject fully at a different time.

I hope these thoughts are useful in making your decision. If you do choose to travel with a partner, selection of the right person is another topic to be considered carefully (I'll never forget Godzilla). Whether you travel solo or travel with one or more companions, just realize that they are very different experiences. Either works as long as you make the decision thoughtfully.

Bienviaje in South America!

Rob Sangster

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