Is travelling alone... lonely?

In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking Podcast, I dive into one of the questions I get asked most often: is solo travel lonely? To answer that, I compare two contrasting experiences—my current quiet week in Sulawesi, Indonesia, and a past trip to Ibiza during the off-season. In Sulawesi, I’ve barely interacted with anyone, yet I feel completely content because I chose this solitude after a socially intense week in Borneo. Meanwhile, in Ibiza, I wanted to meet people but couldn’t, and that made it truly lonely. The key difference? Whether connection is accessible when you want it.I’ve found that speaking the local language makes a massive difference in avoiding loneliness—it opens doors to meaningful interactions that many solo travellers miss. These days, I don’t need constant socialising like I did in my early twenties; I’m happy in my own company, but I also know how to make friends quickly when I want to. It’s all about balance, self-awareness, and staying open. I’ll explore the deeper philosophy of loneliness another time, but for now, I hope this episode gives a more practical answer to a question I hear so often.Click here to book a personalised one-on-one language coaching session with meOr you can follow me on all Social Media channels:Instagram: @irishpolyglotThread: @irishpolyglotTikTok: @irishpolyglot