Sometimes, solo travel may be your only option but don't be disheartened or afraid of that possibility; embrace it. When I was studying in Singapore, I had a recess week where I planned to go travelling with friends. My friends were desperate to go to Vietnam (somewhere I'd already been) so I made the momentous decision to have my own adventure and booked my first solo trip to Taiwan, followed by a few days in Hong Kong.

I spent my first couple of days in Taiwan hiking in the stunning Taroko Gorge National Park. If you’re going to be taking part in activities such as hiking whilst you travel, you may need to take out additional insurance. You can check the FCO Travel Aware page for more information. I was waiting for the shuttle bus that took you to different trails around the park when I met a friendly couple who were avid travellers.

We hiked to a waterfall together and spent the whole time talking about our travel histories, plans and endless travel dreams. They had both been frequent solo travellers before they met and I felt like I'd joined a special community by taking the plunge with solo travel myself. When I peacefully watched the sunset alone over the Taipei 101 tower a few nights later, I knew I'd crossed a threshold I would never go back on.