Many people are venturing out on solo journeys, unlocking new experiences and redefining what travel means to them. However, as glamourous as it sounds, solo travel can be intimidating and liberating at the same time. Introspection, research and planning can help in preparing for this duality.

The first step is to know why you want to travel solo and what you are expecting out of the trip. Embarking on a solo journey just because it’s the trend isn’t always the best option.

Research the destinations you can visit, suitable accommodations, weather, safety considerations, etc., before you set out on the trip to avoid any inconvenience that might land you in trouble, especially if you are alone.

Always carry a fully-charged battery pack for your phone and don’t share your number and other information with people you don’t need to. Additionally, download Google maps offline for convenient navigation.

Share all information – hotel phone numbers, itinerary, flight/bus/train schedules, etc. with a trusted family member and a friend back home. If you’re using a local or global ride-sharing app, make sure to share your ride each time with someone you trust.

Always carry a sling bag or fanny pack to carry cash and important documents like passports, especially while travelling abroad. Also make sure to pack personal hygiene essentials.

Everything you need to know about traveling to Rapa Nui, Chile.

Located more than 2,000 miles west of South America in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, is one of Earth’s most remote inhabited places. It marks the southeast corner of the Polynesian triangle, with Hawaii to the north and New Zealand to the southwest.

The island covers 63 square miles of land, nearly half of which is in Rapa Nui National Park, and it’s home to approximately 900 mesmerizing moai statues, often called the “Easter Island heads.” The giant, monolithic carvings are scattered around the island, some standing proudly against the backdrop of the Pacific, while others are buried up to their necks in soil.

Though the statues are an obvious draw, there are other reasons to travel to Easter Island. The remote island offers a calm atmosphere, and though typical amenities like air conditioning and Wi-Fi are lacking, the wild horses roaming the hills and dinners spent gazing out over the ocean make up for it.

“There’s a point on Rapa Nui, it’s the tallest mountain that you can go to the very top, and you can look 360 degrees and just see the ocean,” Sergio Mata’u Rapu, a documentary filmmaker, told Travel + Leisure in our podcast Lost Cultures about what makes it such a special place to visit. “It’s at that point that you can see sort of the limits of your island, right? You can see the limits of your world, your solid world.”

It’s long been thought that the first people to come to Rapa Nui arrived between 300 and 400 C.E. But recent studies are questioning this line of thought, suggesting instead that people didn’t come until several hundred years later. It’s believed that, as resources began to dwindle on the island, starvation and warfare nearly caused the population to go extinct.

On Easter Sunday in 1772, Dutch explorers landed on the island and dubbed it Paaseiland, meaning Easter Island. The next hundred years were not kind to the people of Rapa Nui: It’s thought that soon after, there was a civil war, then a slave raid, and then an outbreak of smallpox.

In the 19th century, Chile annexed Rapa Nui (or Isla de Pascua as it’s known to Chileans), and in 1965, the people of Rapa Nui became Chilean citizens. Today, many mainland Chileans live on the island as well, with Rapa Nui (the name of the Indigenous people as well as the island) making up only about half of the approximately 8,500-person population.

Ready to visit? Here’s everything you need to plan an epic adventure to Easter Island.

Best Hotels & Resorts

Hare Uta Hotel

Hare Uta Hotel is a few minutes’ walk from the center of Rapa Nui’s main town, Hanga Roa, and it overlooks the water. Friendly staff members go out of their way to make guests feel at home, and the poolside spa offers traditional treatments featuring local banana leaves and volcanic soil. The restaurant is also a favorite, both for guests and for those staying elsewhere.

Altiplanico Easter Island

Another favorite for visitors is Altiplanico Easter Island. The bungalows here are about a 30-minute walk from central Hanga Roa, but the coastal views along the way — and welcome drinks upon arrival — make up for any inconvenience. Rooms are bright and airy, with open-air showers and private terraces.

Nayara Hangaroa

Located near the center of town, Nayara Hanagroa provides another option for visitors. The hotel offers individual thatched-roof huts sprinkled across 17 private acres overlooking the ocean. Take part in the hotel’s cultural programming, or book an adventure to explore more of Rapa Nui via hiking, biking, or even diving into its crystalline waters.

Best Things to Do

Explore the island’s history.

An excellent place to start your trip is the Rapa Nui Museum. It’s the only museum on the island, and, though small, it boasts an impressive collection, including ancient fishing hooks, a white coral moai eye, and mata (obsidian stone tools). In addition to housing artifacts, it walks visitors through the history of the island and of the museum’s collection. Visits are free, although donations are accepted. Opening hours can vary, so check before arrival.

See the moai.

The most recognized features of Rapa Nui are the moai — those giant stone shrines that punctuate the island. But the carvings aren’t just heads. Because some of the most widely photographed figures are those buried up to their necks, many people don’t know the moai are monolithic, full-body carvings. The statues, some of which stand up to 32 feet in height, were carved to honor important people after their deaths. Moai were carved using a toki (a chisel made of rock). The best-quality toki were made from a very hard stone known as hawaiite, only found in the Rua Toki-Toki quarry. One of the biggest enigmas of Easter Island is how people in ancient Rapa Nui were able to move the gigantic stone statues from their carving site to the places they would eventually stand.

Rapa Nui National Park, which covers nearly half the island, is the best place to see the imposing carvings. UNESCO lists the park as a World Heritage Site, describing its contents as “one of the most remarkable cultural phenomena in the world.”

The best way to learn about the moai is touring the national park with a knowledgeable local guide. Independently, a 10-day ticket to access the park costs around $80.

Though you can see moai all over the park, there are a few must-sees for any visitor. Ahu Tongariki, an ancient stone platform on the southeast shore, is home to 15 moai standing shoulder-to-shoulder and silhouetted against the sky. A short ways inland from there, Rano Raraku is an impressive volcano where hundreds more moai, in various stages of carving, still stand. It’s also a great spot to hike, as it offers stunning views of the island. Finally, though much of the coastline is rocky, the north coast of the island is home to Playa de Anakena, a beautiful, white-sand beach with turquoise water.

Meet the local wildlife.

Another great spot for adults and children to enjoy their vacation is in town — especially since the Hanga Roa harbor is a perfect place to see sea turtles. If you stop by while fishermen are hauling in their catch and cleaning the fish, you can spot the turtles floating just beneath the surface, waiting to snack.

Best Restaurants

There are plenty of places to dine on the island, and most restaurants are in town. Be prepared for slow service, and plan accordingly if you are eating before joining a timed tour.

La Kaleta

La Kaleta, which sits right on the coast and has a great view, is a visitor favorite. The menu is written on a chalkboard outside and changes daily, so pop by to see if what’s on offer interests your tastebuds.

Te Moana

Te Moana also offers beautiful ocean views. Portion sizes are slightly larger than many other restaurants in town, and prices are more expensive. The restaurant specializes in fresh seafood dishes, including oysters and ceviche, making it a great spot for a more upscale night.

Neptune’s Island Restaurant

Another favorite for visitors is Neptune’s Island Restaurant (also known as Neptuno Sunset). Guests can dine on the veranda or inside the restaurant and enjoy views of the Pacific from either spot. The staff here is friendly, and prices are modest.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Easter Island is during its summer season, between December and March. During this warm, humid season, the temperatures typically hover just below 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter, however, is similarly mild, with temperatures rarely dipping below the mid-60s. Because the island is located in the middle of the Pacific, visitors will find there’s often a cool ocean breeze in addition to the fairly consistent year-round temperatures.

In short, there’s no bad time of year to visit Easter Island — though, if you want to stay dry, avoid traveling in April when the island gets most of its rainfall. The driest months are between October and February.

In addition to the great weather, there’s another reason to travel to Easter Island in February: Tapati Rapa Nui. The island’s namesake festival began in the 1970s to celebrate culture and heritage, and it’s held each year at the beginning of February. Over the course of the two-week celebration, there are several competitions, including dancing, canoeing, and horse racing, plus a chance to try Haka Pei — a sport where people use a banana leaf to sled down Rapa Nui’s steepest hillside.

How to Get There

By air: Though getting to Easter Island isn’t hard, per se, it is a long journey. After all, it’s one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands. The only airline that flies here is the Chilean carrier LATAM, which means travelers must fly through Santiago, Chile.

It takes around 10 and a half hours to reach Santiago from New York or Los Angeles and nine hours from Atlanta. The flight from Santiago to Hanga Roa — the capital of Easter Island — takes about five and a half hours and runs about a dozen times a week. U.S. passport holders don’t need a visa as long as they plan to stay for less than 90 days.

By boat: Another way to get to Easter Island is by cruise. Several cruise lines, such as Seabourn and Silversea, offer sailings that include Rapa Nui, but these trips will cost you a pretty penny.

How to Get Around

Taxi: Getting around on Easter Island can require some pre-planning since very little of the island has cell phone reception. While taxis often drive around looking for passengers, it’s a good idea to pre-book your transportation before setting out on your daily adventure. The same applies to pick-ups from the airport, which can help you avoid scams.

Rental cars: Rental cars are also available on the island, but few companies offer insurance, and the roads can be rough.

Tour: One of the best ways to see the island — for both convenience and an insider perspective — is to book a tour. There are many options for both private and group tours (the latter being more environmentally friendly), lasting anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

By foot or by hoof: If you’re up for an adventure (and a workout), you can also travel by bike, foot, or horseback. Some places aren’t accessible by car, so going by horse or on foot can allow you to reach some of the island’s hidden treasures.

Anna Zhu, winner of our 2009 Travel Photography Scholarship, shares what she’s learned in her career so far.

You’ve got a big trip ahead and you’ve just bought yourself a new camera – congratulations! Here are a few things I’ve learned about travel photography that’ll hopefully help you take your best travel photos yet.

1 Read the manual

New cameras are exciting, but there’s nothing more frustrating than being unable to access the features you invested in. You don’t need to know what every button does (I probably only use about 50 percent of my camera’s features), but knowing how to switch your camera into manual flash, understanding the dials for aperture and the shutter priorities, as well as the exposure compensation is a must. Spend a couple of weekends before your trip making friends with your new camera – you’ll be rewarded.

If you are a beginner and have the time and inclination, a short course in the basic technical aspects of photography would be wise. Camera bodies may have changed over the years, but the mechanics of photography have not.

2 Research

You’ve probably picked your travel destination of because of its picturesque landscapes, cultural richness or abundance in flora and fauna. Jump onto Google, Flickr and Instagram (and your local library – for those of us who prefer analog research), and see what other photographers have captured. You can decide whether to emulate them (a great way to learn) or carve your own path.

When I was researching a trip to Antarctica, I found lots of images of ice and wildlife, but very not many modern-day portraits of people who venture into this landscape. My strength is in portraiture, so I decided to investigate this path.

3 Set yourself a simple brief

This one may not be for everyone, but I find that setting myself a simple brief helps me get into the photographic ‘zone’ of looking for shots, and usually means that I end up with images that are a little less random. They don’t need to be complicated: “photograph where you are at sunset every day”, “photograph the third person you see every morning”, or even “photograph your dinner every day” (but food bloggers do this already).

When I couch-surfed in Buenos Aires for three weeks, my brief was simply to take a photograph of every person I met – this included my hosts, the baker, streetside florists, people I asked for directions, bus drivers, everyone! I ended up with about 100 portraits which I then edited down into a series.

You can practice this technique before you leave, and see if it works for you. Take your camera out for a weekend and set yourself some parameters, e.g. “photograph everything yellow” or “photograph from knee height only”. You’ll be surprised how setting limits actually encourages you to photograph more (you know what you’re looking for), and of course, you’ll end up with a set of thematically coherent images.

4 Pack smart and light

I’m small and have fallen into the trap of bringing more than I need (or can carry) many, many times. From personal experience, the worst thing is to be traveling with more camera gear than you need. You’ll end up with equipment that’s too heavy to lug around, but you also feel guilty for not using everything as you flew them halfway across the world for this exact purpose. You end up a mule to your gear, getting tired after half a day on your feet and not enjoying the trip at all.

The trick to packing light is to know what you want to photograph (this is where tips 2 and 3 come into play), so you can then decide which lenses to leave and which to pack. One general-purpose lens (the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 is great) may be enough for most, but I swear by my fixed 35mm f/1.4. I would recommend not bringing more than two lenses; you’ll spend more time screwing them on and off than taking photos.

5 Take your camera everywhere

How many times have you seen a completely amazing composition and kicked yourself because you decided to leave your big camera back in the hotel and make do with your iPhone? Tip 5 derives directly from tip 4, pack only whatever camera gear you can comfortably carry, that way you won’t feel it’s such a chore to haul it out every day.

Disclaimer, take your camera everywhere, but probably not when you’re diving or drinking.

6 Bend your knees

This tip could alternatively be named ‘look for unconventional perspectives’.

Our first instinct is to raise the camera to eye level and shoot, this probably works fine most of the time, but you’ll be amazed at what a difference some knee-bending does. Suddenly, you’re looking at the work from the perspective of a child, or a small animal. But why stop there? Place the camera on the ground, or climb onto a table for a higher perspective. Who says a photo can’t be upside down? Or be a photo of a reflection of a painting of another photo? The possibilities are endless, sometimes confusing, but indefinitely satisfying when you can capture something that will give people pause before they figure out what they’re looking at.

7 Keep a backup

Just because that camera is new, doesn’t mean it won’t break. I recommend traveling with a backup camera of some sort, especially if it’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Your backup doesn’t have to be fancy, it can be a lightweight little point-and-shoot or even your mobile phone.

Also, don’t discount film. For those who have a lens system that is compatible with the older film bodies within the same brand, I’d recommend tracking down a film body (these are usually inexpensive on eBay). They are a great backup to have as the older bodies usually operate via windup or disposable batteries (no charger cords!) and 35mm film is still relatively easy to buy. You’ll have the option of posting the developed rolls (don’t risk posting undeveloped negatives as some security scanners can be detrimental) back home, knowing your photos are safe waiting for your return.

8 Number your memory cards

If you have multiple memory cards like me, make your life easier and number them. I recently lost about 5G of HD video on a recent trip to China because I confused my cards and wrote over one I’d already used. Good thing I shoot like a nut and have 30 other gigs to remember the trip by.

If you have the time, back them up! If you’re traveling in remote areas, the safest bet is to carry a laptop and an external hard drive. When in a city, an equally good lo-fi option is to take the cards to a camera shop and have them back everything up on two copies on DVD. Post one set back home and keep the other set with you.

9 Have fun!

I believe travel photography should always be more about ‘travel’ than ‘photography’. I think it’s a little too much pressure to set out on a trip with the mission of taking good photos rather than having great experiences. Photos capture what’s in front of the camera, but also reflect whoever is behind the camera.

Do your homework before you leave, and let loose when you’re there. When you are confident with your equipment, it means less time eyeing the menu screen and more time eyeing your surroundings.

10 Edit, edit, edit

Ever had a friend show you their three-hour-long travel slideshow which invariably has 20 shots of the same mountain top? Please, don’t put someone else through that.

Taking the photo is only half the process; being selective with what you show at the end is difficult, but is essential to improving your photography. Like any form of learning, review and critique is key. Plus, once you isolate the good shots (for me, usually about 10-20 % of a shoot) and imagine the rest never happened, you’ll feel like a king.

Tip 3 (shooting with a brief in mind) applies to editing as well. If you consider what you’re editing for, your selection will be better and a natural narrative will emerge. Editing a series to show your mum will be different to editing a series for a potential photo buyer.

The right software can go a long way to making a tiring process easier – I highly recommend Lightroom. It’s easy to use and its cataloging system is incomparable when it comes to working with a large number of files.

With peak travel season about to start, scammers are preparing to target unwary travellers. For this reason, it’s important travellers take care of their personal information when making bookings and travelling.

Specialist investigator Mike Bolhuis from Specialised Security Services (SSS) warns that with the coming school holidays and peak travel season, it is critical people be even more vigilant.

SSS not only investigates violent crimes, serious economic crimes and cyber crimes but also focuses on crime prevention by educating the public on proactive, personal safety measures.

“When planning to travel, you must prioritise cyber security to protect your personal information and mitigate potential risks,” he says.

To help protect you when making travel plans or travelling, Bolhuis shares the following tips.

Use strong, unique passwords

The security expert advises travellers to create strong, unique passwords for each online account, and to refrain from using the same password across multiple sites.

“Consider employing a reliable password manager to store and manage your passwords securely.”

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

Bolhuis also recommends you activate 2FA on all your accounts whenever possible as this additional layer of security requires a second form of verification beyond your password.

Update software and apps

When it comes to your apps, he says it is imperative to ensure all your devices, including smartphones and laptops, have the latest updates and security patches installed to help keep them secure.

Use secure connections

“Avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to encrypt your internet connection and safeguard your data.”

Monitor your financial accounts

Bolhuis also notes it is important to monitor your financial accounts.

“Regularly scrutinise your bank and credit card statements for unauthorised transactions, and immediately report any suspicious activity.”

Secure your devices

When it comes to devices, the security expert highlights that you should use passwords or biometric locks such as fingerprints or face recognition to secure your devices.

“If your device has remote wipe capabilities, ensure they can remotely erase data if lost or stolen.”

Be cautious with sharing personal information

He also advises you to be cautious with personal information.

“Avoid sharing personal information, such as travel plans or location details, on social media or public forums, to avoid becoming a target for scammers.”

Backup important data

Another important thing to consider is backing up your data to ensure data recovery in case of device loss or theft. Regularly back up important documents and information to a secure location, such as an encrypted cloud service or an external hard drive.

Verify travel and accommodation bookings

Bolhuis also cautions travellers to use reputable travel agencies and booking platforms and to double-check email confirmations and ensure the URLs of booking sites are correct and secure.

Be wary of phishing scams

“Exercise extreme caution with emails or messages requesting personal or financial information, especially if they appear from travel companies or financial institutions. Verify the legitimacy of the sender before providing any information.”

Secure your home network

The security expert also said that before travelling, secure your home Wi-Fi network with a strong password and encryption to prevent unauthorised access while you’re away.

Consider travel insurance

And lastly, he says it is advisable to purchase travel insurance that covers cyber threats and theft, to provide additional protection in the event of data breaches or loss of personal information.