En Voyage - Issue #8
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Travel<br />
Introverts can revel in the peace and anonymity,<br />
but for reluctant introverts, those who wish<br />
they were a little more outgoing, this way of<br />
holidaying is a fabulous way to force yourself<br />
to open up to new people. After all, travelling<br />
alone doesn’t mean you have to be lonely.<br />
Travelling alone can often, almost paradoxically,<br />
mean travelling in a crowd. Group tours, escorted<br />
trips and group activities offer the chance to<br />
travel with like-minded strangers. If you choose<br />
it to be, it can, in many ways, be the reverse of<br />
going solo, and not being in a clique of friends<br />
and loved ones can make you more likely to<br />
strike up conversation with new people.<br />
For the solo traveller, small hotels and guesthouses<br />
with just a few rooms can be a great source of<br />
information and company. The owners of such places<br />
often enjoy meeting and chatting with guests. They'll<br />
also have the best advice<br />
TRAVELLING<br />
ALONE CAN<br />
OFTEN, ALMOST<br />
PARADOXICALLY,<br />
MEAN TRAVELLING<br />
IN A CROWD<br />
and most accurate upto-date<br />
information on<br />
things to see, where to eat<br />
and how to get around.<br />
It is important to<br />
remember a few simple<br />
safety rules and tips.<br />
If you are heading<br />
out by yourself, let<br />
someone know where<br />
you are going, especially at night time. Don’t<br />
carry all of your money around – keep some<br />
locked securely away, along with an emergency<br />
card in your hotel room – and make sure you<br />
have access to a few emergency contacts.<br />
When travelling alone, you can’t afford to<br />
leave common sense at home, the onus sits<br />
squarely on you. But for the chance to cast<br />
aside the shackles of other people’s priorities,<br />
the extra responsibility can be so worth it.<br />
So whether it’s a short trip away, a week, or<br />
longer, rejoice in the opportunity to escape<br />
from the life-baggage of home and embrace the<br />
freedom to explore the world on your terms.<br />
LOOKING FOR PEACE AND QUIET…<br />
Fly direct to Bristol and make the two-hour<br />
drive to Gaia House, rated one of the best<br />
meditation retreats in the UK. Offering silent<br />
meditation in the Buddhist tradition, the<br />
house is a historic listed building set deep<br />
in the peaceful countryside of south Devon,<br />
with views of Dartmoor National Park.<br />
gaiahouse.co.uk<br />
FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD…<br />
If you’re after a gourmet culinary break, in<br />
which you can eat great fodder, learn how to<br />
make it and meet like-minded foodies, then a<br />
trip to the Northcote Cookery School, one of the<br />
UK's top culinary schools, might be for you. Fly<br />
direct to Manchester, from where you can reach<br />
the school by road in under one hour.<br />
northcote.com<br />
IN SEARCH OF HISTORY AND CULTURE…<br />
A two-hour trip by rail from London is the<br />
world-famous city of Oxford. Particular sites to<br />
see include the Gothic twin towers of All Souls<br />
by Nicholas Hawksmoor, the domed Baroque<br />
Radcliffe Camera by James Gibbs, and the<br />
modern St Catherine’s by Arne Jacobsen.<br />
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bath is<br />
celebrated as a place of historical and cultural<br />
importance, and a beautiful city in which to<br />
wander at leisure. Fly direct to Bristol, from<br />
which the city is an hour’s drive.<br />
A GATEWAY TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS…<br />
Known as the 'Capital of the Alps', Grenoble<br />
boasts great museums, excellent dining, exciting<br />
nightlife and a superb public transport system.<br />
It’s an excellent starting point for exploring the<br />
French Alps. Fly direct to Grenoble from<br />
3 February to 31 March.<br />
IMAGES COURTESY OF NORTHCOTE<br />
48 <strong>En</strong> <strong>Voyage</strong> | Aurigny’s Magazine