In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking Podcast, I dive into one of the questions I get asked most often: is solo travel lonely? To answer that, I compare two contrasting experiences—my current quiet week in Sulawesi, Indonesia, and a past trip to Ibitha during the off-season. In Sulawesi, I’ve barely interacted with anyone, yet I feel completely content because I chose this solitude after a socially intense week in Borneo. Meanwhile, in Ibitha, I wanted to meet people but couldn’t, and that made it truly lonely. The key difference? Whether connection is accessible when you want it.

I’ve found that speaking the local language makes a massive difference in avoiding loneliness—it opens doors to meaningful interactions that many solo travellers miss. These days, I don’t need constant socialising like I did in my early twenties; I’m happy in my own company, but I also know how to make friends quickly when I want to. It’s all about balance, self-awareness, and staying open. I’ll explore the deeper philosophy of loneliness another time, but for now, I hope this episode gives a more practical answer to a question I hear so often.

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