Reasons to Travel Solo with Natural Habitat Adventures

One of my favorite travel memories was an evening in Kenya’s Masai Mara. Our group had just finished up a day of safaris when we pulled over to a spot in the open savannah to sip wine, eat cheese and watch the sun sink below the horizon, silhouetting the figures of giraffes and zebras that wandered in the distance. The magic of nature was unfolding before us, and we laughed as we talked over the afternoon’s excitement—which included spotting a trio of cheetahs in the wild. At the moment, I really felt as though we had known each other for years. But the truth of it was, it had only been a few days since I’d met any of them.

Whether it’s tracking wolves, elk and other wildlife in Yellowstone National Park, or watching polar bears spar from the safety of a Rover vehicle, there are moments in life that are too good to miss—even if it means going solo. For me, my journey to Kenya was absolutely one of them. 

Maybe it’s because your travel partner’s schedule doesn’t sync with your own, or there’s a trip that’s been at the top of your list for years, but there are many reasons for traveling solo on a group tour specifically. Nat Hab, in particular, offers solo travelers the thrills of independent adventure, without all the footwork. What’s more, there are some incredible perks of traveling with an established and reputable company like Nat Hab, which specializes in small-group tours: things like access to private wildlife reserves that are otherwise seemingly impossible to come by, stays at secluded lodgings and tucked-away camps where wildlife viewing is at a premium, and more personalized interactions with some of the top experts and guides in the industry. 

Here are some reasons why traveling solo on a small-group tour is a great way to go: 

Nat Hab Takes Care of the Logistics So that You Don’t Have to 

Nat Hab takes care of you every step of the way—from pre-departure materials to airport pick-ups and drop-offs—so that you can devote your energy to the bigger things, like spotting hippos and crocodiles in the waters of Botswana’s Okavango Delta or spending afternoons among grizzlies at Alaska Bear Camp. In fact, your senses are heightened when they’re not occupied worrying about booking tomorrow night’s stay or considering the best way to get from A to B. 

Our Travel Desk can assist with air transportation, and our Adventure Concierge is well-versed in the special requirements that each Nat Hab trip entails. Need help arranging book-end lodgings, so that you can come or go a day early or later? No problem! Interested in flexible booking policies or ways of extending your trip? We’ve got you covered. 

Decades of building on-the-ground connections also means that Nab Hab has access to resources and naturalist guides that aren’t available to other tour companies, or that a solo traveler wouldn’t have access to on their own. We arrange the wildlife viewing excursions and secure the Expedition Leaders so that you can view India’s Bengal tigers in the company of a local expert, or learn about the Galapagos Islands’ blue-footed boobies from one of the archipelago’s most knowledgeable scientists—exclusive experiences that are otherwise hard to come by. 

You Get the Freedom and Security of Small-Group Travel to the World’s Best Nature Destinations

Nat Hab has been consistently recognized as one of the top small-group tour choices for adventure travel and wildlife encounters around the globe. We offer solo travelers a sense of safety without forgoing the freedoms of independent travel.

How you spend your free time is still up to you, but with Nat Hab, there’s always a person on-hand to answer questions and assure you’re accounted for (i.e, there’s always someone looking out for you!). Our guides and sources are people who know the area where you’re traveling, with insider knowledge that comes with years of local experience, from the best eateries in Portugal and secret waterfalls in Iceland to the jungle lore of the Amazon and hidden wildlife enclaves of Sri Lanka. 

Nat Hab Waves Single-Supplements if You Choose to Share a Room with a Fellow Same-Sex Traveler

While single lodgings are available on many of Nat Hab’s group trips at a surcharge (price dependent on each particular trip), we’re also happy to help you find a same-sex roommate and wave the single supplement altogether. 

Basically, if you are comfortable rooming with another solo traveler, Nat Hab will work to find you a suitable match. If there aren’t any matches available, the supplement fee that comes with requesting a single room will still be waived. This means you might end up with a room of your own at no extra cost. 

Adventuring with Like-Minded Travelers Who Share Similar Interests and Ethics 

Nat Hab’s trips have an average of 9 guests (just 9!), meaning that by the end of your trip, you almost end up feeling like family. Small groups encourage a sense of camaraderie that’s not so inherent with larger groups. Nat Hab’s small-group tours, in particular, also offer itineraries with more focused interests, whether it’s rhino conservation in Namibia or photographing Yellowstone’s wolves. 

With this in mind, what’s especially reassuring about booking a trip with Nat Hab is that you’re guaranteed to meet like-minded people: the kind who want to protect the planet, support local communities and promote wildlife conservation  (we’ve had an exclusive conservation travel partnership with leading wildlife conservation non-profit, World Wildlife Fund, since 2003). They might even share the same life-long dream you have of seeing a snow leopard in the Himalayan wild, or of spotting wild orangutans in Borneo. 

Even more, your fellow travelers (and guides!) can help snap those coveted photos of you, keep an eye on your luggage, and make excellent dining companions. They might also end up becoming life-long friends. As a solo traveler, I met one of my best friends on a group trip in Northern California, where we learned we both have a love of hiking. Since we also live in close proximity, we now spend every other weekend finding new places to camp, trek and explore on foot. 

Access to Some of the Best Guides and Minds in the Industry

Simply put, the guides who lead our trips are the best in the business. Painstakingly selected, these highly trained professionals bring a set of traits that foster a superlative travel experience. With backgrounds as naturalists, biologists and environmental educators, they receive in-depth training plus exclusive resources from World Wildlife Fund’s team of scientists. From expert guides to carefully crafted itineraries, the wealth of combined knowledge that goes into each Nat Hab expedition is outstanding. 

Rest assured you’re in excellent hands.