Eli Orzessek: The joy of being a lone ranger

Jean Paul Sartre (right, with Simone de Beauvoir and Claud Lansman) proves he doesn't always take his own advice. Photo / Getty Images

Saving roommates from snoring is one reason Eli Orzessek prefers to travel solo.

Jean-Paul Sartre had it right: Hell is other people.

That's become my approach when it comes to travel. There are myriad reasons I prefer to travel alone - let me count them.

For one, I value my independence. I like to do what I want, when I want and eat what I want, when I want. Whether you're travelling with a partner, friend or parent, you constantly have to compromise and consider another person's needs and wants. Who wants that on holiday?

When you're alone, you can roam around without a care in the world - it's completely selfish, in the most rewarding way possible. There's nothing like waking up in your own room, with the whole day in front of you, knowing it's entirely up to you how you spend it.

If this sounds lonely to you, fear not - solo travel doesn't necessarily mean you'll be completely alone the whole time. I've found locals are more likely to strike up a conversation if you're by yourself. You might even run into a friend - on my recent trip to Japan, it turned out one of my friends was there at the same time - we had a fun day shopping and going to the Ueno Zoo to see pandas. Another friend who lives in Tokyo took me to a baseball game and a rugby game and gave me tips on the easiest places to order food as a non-Japanese speaker.

And by a bizarre coincidence, I ran into my old barber and his girlfriend at the Cup Noodle Museum, of all places. This turned into a crazy night out drinking in Shinjuku. If I'd been with a travelling companion, I'm not sure I would have sought the company of others quite as readily.

One of the downsides of solo travel can be the added expense of not having someone to share a room with - though I would rather pay more and avoid this. Sometimes I snore, which means my roommate doesn't get a good sleep and I'm left feeling guilty about it for half the day.

And that takes me to my next point - anyone who has travelled with a good friend, parent or partner ends up getting shitty at them at some point.

Some aspects of travel make me irritable - the jetlag, the tiredness, the culture shock - but if I don't have anyone around to be annoyed with, there's nothing to do with that feeling and it quickly passes. There's a reason so many couples break up after going on holiday together.

Overall, there's nothing like being by yourself in a foreign country - having to solve by yourself the problems that might arise is a great way to get out of your comfort zone. It's extremely humbling and I can guarantee that you'll grow as a person and learn plenty about yourself in the process.

As Sartre said: If you are lonely when you are alone, you are in bad company.