SOLA Spotlight

Singles On Lifelong Adventures supports responsible solo travel.  The SOLA Spotlight was created to shed light on the awesome individuals who embrace this method of travel.   

SOLA Spotlight:  Tawanda Scott Sambou

Some say the most difficult part of traveling solo is choosing a destination.  How did you know that India was the right destination for you?

My trip was a two for one deal.  I was able to volunteer and visit a new country at the same time.  Through my research was a great discovery called Habitat for Humanity's Global Village program.  The program is designed for people to volunteer their time and help build homes across the globe.  It was a great two week long experience that allowed me to travel to one of the countries on my goal list (India).

 

Did you have misgivings about traveling solo?  If so, how did you overcome them?

One of my biggest fears when I started traveling alone was the thought of being lonely while exploring.  So to overcome this fear I started looking into excursions that would allow me to explore and not feel lonely. 

 

Many perceive solo travel as being more expensive than traveling with family or a group of friends.  How do you keep costs down when traveling solo?

Let your readers know that they have options when traveling alone.  There are lots of volunteer vacation websites out there where people travel to different countries and teach English.  In 2006, I was dying to go to Africa and was willing to take out a loan if I had to.  But with a little research, I learned about a journalism fellowship award.  I applied for it and won.  I was finally able to travel to Africa and pursue some career development as well.

 
















Traveling solo can be both exhilarating and intimidating.  Did you encounter any surprises along the way in India?
When I planned the trip I thought our full schedules would not allow time to visit other cities in India. However, after I arrived and received a thorough breakdown of the schedule I noticed we had one weekend off on our own.  I really wanted to visit the Taj Mahal (located in Agra, India). But I wasn't sure if it was possible because we were building in Bangalore which is in the southern region of India and Agra is in the northeast.  Well, one of my friends on the trip said to me, "Girl we can do it.  We're going to be tired in the end but we can do it!"  I said, "You're right.  And it’s worth it."  So we did it.  We took a 90 minute flight to Mumbai on a late Friday night after our build.  Then we hired a driver to take us to Agra, another six to seven hours away.  We could have taken the train from Mumbai but the trains are always inconsistent and we didn't have enough time to risk it.  We had no sleep for at least 48 hours.   Yes, we were busted, but high on adrenaline.  It was one of my best trips ever.  I'm so glad I did it.

     















Tawanda Scott Sambou is a journalist residing in New York City with her husband and daughter.