Freedom and flexibility
The biggest attraction of travelling solo is the sense of freedom and independence you'll feel. When travelling, you're often presented with opportunities to experience new places or sights that weren't in your original plan. If your travel companion doesn't want to go, you'll either end up compromising or, worse still, miss out altogether and then bemoan the decision for the rest of the trip.

But if you don't have anyone to consider, you can spend two weeks lazing on a beach if you want or suddenly decide to explore that little-known temple which piqued your interest. Also, if you don't like a place, you can simply move on. No debates; no arguments; no compromises. Bliss!

New found friends
Most people assume that travelling solo means you spend all your time alone. Far from it! You only need to be alone if you want to be alone. In fact, meeting other people tends to be much easier when you're on your own. For starters, you'll be forced to come out of your shell and initiate conversations with others. What's more, as a solo traveller you're far more approachable than as a couple or with a group of friends.

Local connections
Local people can easily be intimidated by groups of travellers. So if you're alone, they'll be more inclined to invite you to eat with them, or even to put you up for the night than they ever would if you're travelling with someone else.

I've had some of my best local experiences when I've been by myself: I had dinner with a real Transylvanian Count in his castle in Romania, I celebrated the Orthodox Easter with a local family in the tiny republic of Moldova, and, I was given a personal tour around Bardia, an isolated town in the far north of Libya, by two elderly gentlemen who expected nothing except a heart-felt thankyou in return.

Your own view
Have you ever noticed that you tend to change your opinions of a place when you're with others? You finally set your eyes on the Pyramids in Egypt and are in total awe, when your companion says: "They're not that impressive." So you take another look and have to agree your friend's right — surely they should be bigger?

Alain de Botton, author of The Art of Travel, argues that how we see the world when we travel is greatly influenced by those we travel with. Not only do we change our views, but we also limit our curiosity to fit in with our companion's expectations. Therefore, the only way to truly see and experience a place is to travel alone.

Personal growth
Travelling solo is when you really find out what you're made of. With no one else to rely on, you must learn to trust your own instincts and make your own decisions. Things of course will go wrong — I wound up in hospital on my last solo trip — but it's these very challenges that'll make you stronger. And with every new hurdle you conquer, your confidence will grow as you discover that you're far more capable than you ever imagined.