Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/422436
16 | www.travelweekly-asia.com I'm happily embracing a growing traveller demographic. As a baby boomer, I'm withdrawing from full time work, with more time for travel. As I've discovered I'm definitely not on my own and it's a market which should be music to the ears of the travel industry. We have the time, money and the itch to travel. Bucket lists are being drawn up. No sedate retirement for these high-end baby boomers. They have worked hard, saved their nest eggs and are keen to see exotic far- flung places while they can. This is a serious older market, looking to explore, learn and immerse themselves in travel experiences. The day of the silver solo nomad has arrived. In Australia I define them as the "superannuated single". Aged over 60 with their own tax-free self- funded pensions they are looking for stimulating travel options. This was bought home to me when I boarded a small luxury cruise around Central America a few months ago. I looked around my fellow cruisers and realised there were quite a few single travellers. When I asked why they came, the most common comeback was "because there was no single supplement". They were veteran travellers with a keen eye out for offers which didn't penalise the sole person. The itinerary needed to appeal, but the lack of supplement was a deal clincher. In my 20s I preferred travelling with friends, a partner, definitely not alone. In my 60s I've increasingly chosen the sole traveller option. I'm now discovering that travelling on your own brings its own rewards. Firstly, the flexibility. Not everyone shares your quirky choices. They don't have to. Secondly, I believe you extend yourself more when on your own, meeting different people rather than hanging in a clique. I suspect you also observe more and reflect more, having both the time and space to do so. The serenity of the solo traveller. There are options. I've been as happy as a clam on my own, discovering Sri Lanka, stopping on whim or ditching an option if it proved disappointing. The same in Morocco. There were some givens: appealing accommodation sorted beforehand and a great ground tour operator to fall back on for local advice. "Don't you get lonely?" I'm asked. Not if you have chosen a place which really appeals to you, and you have only limited time to explore. Curiosity cures any concerns. There is so much to see and learn. OK, some evenings can be a drag if you feel like company. "Dinner for one madam?" can have a depressing, even patronising, ring to it. But there's an easy answer to this and I wish more hotels and restaurants would offer it. The community dining table, there if you want it. Who knows who you will run into and no doubt there will be common ground with your dining partners and perhaps gems of advice to glean. If I'm settling into one place I prefer boutique options which tend to be friendlier. Eco-lodges in wonderful isolated areas hold great appeal to me. Exhilarating day trips into the wilderness often lead to a special esprit de corps developing amongst the few privileged guests sharing their experiences. I love privacy and I love space around me, so group travel sounds the wrong direction for this single soul. But it can work and this year's Central American cruise proved it. I loved the itinerary but I recognised it was complex and challenging, so I could see the advantages of signing up with a group charter cruise. Let someone else handle the logistics. Albeit a bit nervously, I joined the group of around 80 in which I knew nobody. I liked it, once I learnt how to manage the dynamics. The trick is to move around, joining others or withdrawing as and when you felt inclined. The youngest were in their 40s and the oldest was a fit 90 year old man – single! Mainly professional or successful business people, many retired, and full of exotic travel tales. A cruise with daily disembarking in different places was ideal. Sometimes it suited to join a special day out, like snorkelling off a magical Caribbean island. But what fun to explore the streets of Havana by myself, to wander into a packed Palm Sunday church service in Belize, or drop in for a beer at a recommended rooftop bar in Panama's old town. There is a comfort factor travelling with a group which actually makes you feel more adventurous around the edges. I knew my boat and group would be there at the end of the day when I was ready to return to the fold. I am not alone, it seems, a col- league told me of her new venture called "Big Yellow Suitcase" which of- fers bespoke immersive experiences for small groups in such places as an arty Mexican small community or the villages of New York. I'm guessing they are looking for something different, like me, something which appeals to the brain and the heart and puts them with similarly-minded people, but doesn't stifle their own sense of adventure. THE RISE Of THE SILvER NOMAD By Elizabeth Rich Australia's baby boomers are the generation most comfortable travelling alone, according to research by the country's largest member organisation. The National Roads and Motorists Association (NRMA) found nearly three quarters (72%) of baby boomers in New South Wales were comfortable holidaying on their own, compared to just 59% of Generation X. Just over one quarter (26%) of over-50s were planning a solo adventure in the next 12 months, compared to 22% of Generations X and Y. The inaugural Living Well Navigator survey found that over the last three years 34% of people over 50 years had holidayed alone, while just 27% of Generation X travellers had done the same. HAPPY BABY BoomerS There is a comfort factor in a group which actually makes you feel adventurous around the edges. CoVer STorY In my 20s I preferred travelling with friends, a partner, definitely not alone. In my 60s I've increasingly chosen the sole traveller option. I'm now discovering that travelling on your own brings its own rewards.