Roam Alone: Inspiring tales by reluctant solo travellers

A unique title from Bradt, showcasing a brand new collection of remarkable travellers' tales with a different slant, following on the heels of To Oldly Go!, one of the UK's best-selling travel titles of 2015. All the contributors were initially reluctant solo travellers, apprehensive about taking the plunge to go it alone after years of travel with a partner or friend. Some have embarked on the trip of a lifetime, walking or cycling alone through potentially hostile countries, but finding only kindness and hospitality - with a few hairy adventures thrown in. One story is by Bradt founder Hilary Bradt, who confronted her fears and set out to fulfil a childhood dream to ride a horse through Ireland shortly after her marriage broke up. Others are widows and widowers in their later years who were anxious about joining an organised trip on their own or who wanted to make a difference in the world by volunteering their experience and knowledge. Many ages, many personalities, one goal: to travel, and one stumbling block: anxiety. Part literature, part guide, with tips for successful solo travel. Reassuring, entertaining and inspiring.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Jan Leeming Introduction Hilary Bradt THE FIRST STEP India - Really? On my own? Sandra Reekie USA - Short Notice Helen Brown Gabon Confidential Ian Packham Berlin - The Unexpected Consolations of Getting It All Wrong Kirsty Fergusson Australia - Of Red Earth and Fruit Bats Amanda Lumley BRIEF ENCOUNTERS Eight Hours in Fiji Matt Dawson Gibraltar and Tangier - Abroad Janice Booth Australia - The Ghan Debbie Parrott A January Jaunt to Jordan Zoe Efstathiou Russia - Taxi Ride in Vladivostok Nicole Teufel FACE THE FEAR Darkness in Laos Ian Oliver Unenlightened in Nepal Claire Davies Morocco - Tea and Oranges Kelly Dignan Philippines - Finding Freedom Hannah Stuart-Leach SAFETY IN NUMBERS Thailand - A Coconut with Three Candles Ian Douglas Himalayas - The Start of a Passion Jane Vincent-Havelka UK - The Social Mobility of Cycling Hazel Pennington Cruise - Not so Solo at Sea Phoebe Smith TRAVEL WITH A PURPOSE France - Getting Going Again Elspeth Cardy Ecuador - Where Everyone Knows Your Name Vicki Brown France - The Wandering Goose Janet Rogers Australia - The Pet Project Jennifer Barclay Mallorca - Doing a Shirley Valentine Christine Green CONNECTING India - First Night Michelle Kennedy Cuba - A Sack of Beans and a Sun-Bleached Chair Mandy Huggins Oslo - Alf Matthew Pointon USA - Guns and Canyons Gillian Gain Mongolia - When the Ice Melts Suzy Pope Ireland - Mollie Hilary Bradt WHAT AM I DOING HERE? Cycling Shetland Pat Smith Italy - The Mountain Retreat Martha Hales Solo Ways in Sulawesi Ella Pawlik Colombia - My Daughter's Laugh Dom Tulett Beijing - A Night in Room 13 Sarah Pope A Thaw in Naples Claire Morsman A BIG ADVENTURE USA - What If You Get Lost and Die? Katie Grayson Madagascar - Beginning Anne Axel Mexico - No Way Back Graham Mackintosh Kashmir - The Road to Srinagar and Beyond Sheelagh Reynolds Asia - Going it Alone Sally Watts

About the Author :
This book was partly inspired by Hilary Bradt, founder of Bradt Travel Guides, who describes her solo travels as 'certainly reluctant’. She made her first trip through South America alone when her travel companion dropped out at the last moment; the subsequent journey through the Andes was unfortgettable and set her up for the solo trip of a lifetime, described in this book, of riding a pony a thousand miles through Ireland. The anxiety of planning the journey was offset by the serendipity of being able to take each day as it came and the intensity of the experience. Of travelling alone, Hilary Bradt says 'there's no doubt that it's more fun to plan a trip with a like-minded companion, but I have learnt to confront my fears and indulge my passion for travel, knowing that the solo traveller will be richly rewarded, from meeting the locals to discovering a new inner confidence.' Jennifer Barclay is an editor and writer who has enjoyed travelling alone in many countries. She has written three travel books about travelling alone: Meeting Mr Kim, which details her adventures travelling solo around South Korea, and Falling in Honey and An Octopus in my Ouzo, both of which describe her move - on her own - to a Greek island.  

Review :
'A must book.' Burnley Express 'This collection of reassuring, entertaining and inspiring tales is a tribute to the healing power of traveling alone.' Longitude Books 'Roam Alone: Inspiring Tales by Reluctant Solo Travellers can't fail to inspire even the most trepidatious.' The Simple Things Magazine 'The contributors to Roam Alone are everyday likeable people of all ages, whose tales may well embolden others to set aside their doubts and set off to have their senses sharpened and experiences heightened by traveling alone.' Perceptive Travel