It's not the grim, solitary time many people think it must be, being single at Christmas. Single traveller holidays are perfect for those used to organising their lives and arranging what to do in their spare time. Free of the responsibilities and commitments to an immediate family, independent travel gives them the choice of whether to visit with the wider family, spend time with friends, or even go it alone on independent walking holidays anywhere in the world.
It's a different matter altogether if the single-ness is due to the recent break up of a relationship or a painful bereavement. Of course that is hard to bear, and of course the reality of being alone at Christmas, when in the past there was someone to share it with, is extremely difficult.
However, when being on one's own is a choice, it's exciting to plan what to do: whether to stay home or investigate single traveller holidays abroad, whether to be with a select few dear friends or enjoy one's own company, and whether to go for the adventure of singles walking holidays or take the opportunity to reflect and centre oneself for the New Year at a spiritual retreat.
Hiring Country Cottages
Groups of singles could consider hiring country cottages or log cabins somewhere beautifully remote. It's a wonderful option particularly if there is likely to be snow. Getting a roaring fire going, sharing Christmas dinner and deepening the bond that brought everyone together in the first place makes for unforgettable memories.
Cruises for Single People
Imagine the places to go and the people to meet on the way. Whether it's a short two to three day trip or a longer one to incorporate the New Year, cruises for single people are a great way to see more of the world and to blow the cobwebs away. Cruises are becoming big business and the activities and facilities on board ship are much improved on five to ten years ago.
Spiritual Retreat at Christmas
Most singles enjoy their own company and don't find it at all troubling to spend time on their own. Some welcome the Christmas break as a chance to go to a spiritual retreat either at home or overseas, to reflect on the year past and the year to come, to practice meditation, and to be part of a retreat community. There they can share the work in the kitchen and the garden, or use other skills to help keep the place running while they're there, or simply use the time to retreat fully and to be silent.
Independent Walking Holidays
Whether at home or somewhere overseas, there are lots of choices for those wanting to go on independent walking holidays. Walking on one's own should never be discouraged, particularly as for many solitary walkers the whole point is to feel more in touch with one's surroundings which isn't always possible when surrounded by other people who want to talk. For those who prefer to walk with a group, walking holidays for singles are a wonderful way of making new friends and sharing the fun of the holiday over the Christmas period.
Singles Adventure Holidays
Intrepid singles might consider singles adventure holidays, trying out new sports like kayaking or mountain bike riding, white water rafting or trekking. There's a whole wide world out there just waiting to be explored, and the only limits to what singles can do out there are the ones they put on themselves.
Spending Christmas on a Volunteer Project
A wonderful way to spend the Christmas period is to give one's time and skill to a project either at home or overseas on a volunteer project. So many charitable causes could use one or two weeks of a volunteer's time, whether for an environmental charity, one that looks after orphaned children, or maybe helps people build wells. All it takes is time and commitment and the fare to get there, and so many people returning talk of the things they've learned, not only about the projects but about themselves.
Being Single at Christmas
Single traveller holidays at Christmas can be a very liberating time that can give people the chance to evaluate the year, meet new people or spend time with themselves, and to choose where to go without having to be tied to commitments as others might. Far from being singled out for pity for being on their own, it's more likely that they will be envied for having the freedom to pick and choose their independent travel destinations and to decide where to go and what to do.
Whether people choose singles walking holidays, cruises for single people, a retreat, independent walking holidays, or choose to work on a volunteer project, their options are as wide and varied as they want them to be.
Many people are choosing to live on their own, whether or not they have a partner, and as time goes on the trends show that being single is a norm these days rather than an aberration. The levelling of the playing field is surely to be welcomed, as is the change in public perception of the single state.
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